The Arizona State Basketball team has a new era in the desert with Saint Mary’s Randy Bennett returning to his hometown.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Arizona State basketball.
The Sun Devils finally moved on from Bobby Hurley after being stuck in mediocrity, whether on the bubble every year or just not being competitive over the last couple of seasons, which led to the change of bringing in Randy Bennett to Tempe.
The Sun Devils will have a completely brand new team with only one returner in Bryce Ford, who started 20 games a season ago. Other than that, everyone else will be brand new to Tempe, with a couple of players from Saint Mary’s who followed Bennett to the Big 12.
The team does bring in a couple of impact players from Saint Mary’s who will make the transition a bit smoother for Bennett and company, with Paulius Murauskas making the move, who was one of the Gaels’ best players, along with Dillan Shaw, who was also a key role player.
Head coach: Randy Bennett (1st season at Arizona State, 26th overall)
2025-26 record: 17-16 (7-11)
2026 postseason finish: No postseason
Notable departures:
- EVERYONE but Bryce Ford
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. LSU (Nov. 25) – Acrisure Series
- vs. South Carolina (Nov. 26) – Acrisure Series
- vs. Oklahoma (Dec. 5) – BOK Center
- at Oregon State (Dec. 14)
Projected Rotation
PG: Joel Foxwell (6-1, 180, So.)
2025-26 stats: 15.6 PPG, 6.5 APG, 4.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 31.9% 3P% (Portland)
SG: Bryce Ford (6-4, 190, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 6.9 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.8 APG,
SF: Dillan Shaw (6-7, 205, So.)
2025-26 stats: 7.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.5 APG, 41.6 3P% (Saint Mary’s)
PF: Paulius Murauskas (6-8, 235, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 18.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 48.2 FG% (Saint Mary’s)
C: Ben Defty (7-0, 255, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 15.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 69.4 FG%, 1.7 BPG (Boston U)
6: Emmanuel Innocenti (6-5, 198, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 6.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.7 APG, 46.9 FG% (Gonzaga)
7: JRob Croy (6-5, 190, Fr.)
247Sports No. 104-ranked recruit
8: Filip Malesevic (7-3, Fr.)
Averaged 10.2 PPG and 9.4 RPG for KK Dynamic of the Serbian league.
9: Vijay Wallace (6-10, 205, Fr.)
Missed last season due to injury.
10: Jonathan Griman (6-11, 215, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 6.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 0.5 APG, 57.9 FG% (Cal Baptist)
11: Marcus Vaughns (6-8, 221, So.)
Redshirted a season ago and transferred in from LSU
12: Nate Garcia (7″0, So.)
2025-26 stats: 2.4 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 0.1 APG, 52.9 FG%, 16 GP (Cal Baptist)
Arizona State basketball team MVP: Paulius Murauskas
The Sun Devils will have one of the best players in the Big 12 with Paulius Murauskas following Bennett over to Tempe ahead of his Senior campaign. The Lithuanian was a top-10 transfer according to On3 Sports in the offseason. Whether it be transition threes as a 6’8 four man and even a small-ball five at times, it will be important to be able to have a good percentage from the outside to open up the floor for potential driving lanes and other kick-out threes for teammates.
Murauskas has always been a good rebounder, averaging 7 rebounds a game the last two years, and to compete with their rivals in Tucson, it will be important to match their toughness on the glass night in and night out.
Murauskas will be counted on to play 30-plus minutes every game
Arizona State basketball make-or-break player: Joel Foxwell
A familiar face to Coach Bennett joined him in Tempe: Portland transfer Joel Foxwell. As just a Freshman, he had the best game of his young college career in WCC conference play to take down Gonzaga with 27 points and 8 assists.
Not only can he hurt you scoring the basketball, but his facilitating is one of the best parts of his game, with four double-doubles a season ago and a career-high 15 assists in a game. Also set the single-season assist record at Portland with 221 assists in just 34 games played.
Get ready, Sun Devil fans, for a lot of Foxwell assists to Murauskas this season.
For ASU to succeed immediately this season, Foxwell will need to bring scoring while also being the floor general who sets up teammates with open looks off the dribble. With the lack of veteran guards on this team, Foxwell’s health and on-court play could decide the team’s fate if it makes the newly expanded NCAA Tournament in March.
Key statistic: Scoring defense
Coach Bennett has always been known for a stifling defense that slows the game down. Just this past season, Bennett and company at Saint Mary’s ranked top 10 in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 64.5 PPG.
With all the talent and high-octane offenses in the Big 12, ASU will need to set the tone and tempo early to play the way it wants and succeed immediately in the conference this season.
Arizona State Basketball 2026-27 projections
Projected conference finish: 11th in Big 12
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament round of 32 exit