Hurley impressed with five-star freshmen duo

The preseason buzz in Tempe is palpable. Multiple college basketball pundits have already placed the Sun Devils in their preseason Top-15 and ASU fully expected to be in the AP preseason top-25 poll for the just the second time in 29 years. Much of those expectations are thanks to a pair of Top-30 prospects in the 2020 class, guard Josh Christopher and forward Marcus Bagley, who according to head coach Bobby Hurley, have significantly elevated the overall talent of his team year.

“Josh (came) as advertised, his competitive drive is unbelievable,” Hurley said of the freshman guard. “He's got an amazing skill set offensively. A real charismatic guy, vocal, and super competitive. He's had some really good moments already, you know, going head-to-head with (Alonzo) Verge. I really like the competitive dynamic, and those two guys have been on opposite teams on some of the floor work we've been doing, and I've noticed a little rivalry brewing there and in terms of Verge trying to will his team forward and Josh doing the same thing.

“(Christopher) is a special talent. He wants to win desperately. I singled out a play he's made where he just laid out for a loose ball at half court, and this was about two weeks ago. This is way before I'm asking for anything like that. And so he's the whole package in those regards.”

Even before he set foot on campus, Hurley has been singing the praises of the other highly regarded true freshman on his team, forward Marcus Bagley, a player that the ASU head coach feels that was overlooked by many programs. The high bar that Hurley set for the forward is being fully matched these days.

“The stuff he's been doing as my son would say…a guy that just could drain shots and knock down shots,” Hurley described. “This as we're watching the NBA…this guy's got a cannon, man. He's really got a beautiful shot. I know Josh is the number seven or eight or nine player in the country, so I'm going to remove him from this statement. But if Bagley is the number 30 player, this can be a heck of a freshman crop because I love to see the other 28 guys.”

As Hurley confirmed an earlier report that ASU will participate in a non-conference tournament next month at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, potentially playing both Villanova and Baylor, a pair of powerhouse programs which are slated to also be in the preseason AP Top-25 group, he said that scheduling such challenging teams this early in the season is due to the confidence that these two newcomers have instilled in him creating a belief that this team is up to such lofty tasks. So really have High “I have really high hopes when I talk about going to the deep end of the pool and potentially playing teams like Baylor and Villanova out of the shoot,” Hurley commented. “If I didn't see what I’m seeing was seeing from some of these guys in the gym than really wouldn't be do something like that.”

Bagley’s addition doesn’t only mark one the best prospect Hurley has landed during his ASU tenure but also represents the high profile legacy additions ever for the program. The forward’s grandfather, Joe Caldwell, is a Sun Devil great who is enshrined in the school’s Hall of Fame and also won a gold medal with Team USA in the 1964 Olympics. Hurley said that seeing several family pictures of Bagley “decked out” in ASU gear as a young kid and attending games with his grandfather.

“I know it's special for Joe,” Hurley remarked. “It's been disappointing that we've had so many restrictions, and there's such limited access to our facilities because Joe has been a fixture at our workouts and our practices for years. He's been a proud Alum, very proud obviously of both of his of all of his grandchildren and particularly (Sacramento Kings player) Marvin and now Marcus, and to have him here in his backyard and have a chance to watch him play here at ASU at Desert Financial (Arena). I know it's going to be extra special because Joe loves this program. He loves Arizona State, and it's even more special when you know Marcus has taken on that mentality and that mindset.

“He's going to take it personally, and he wants to make this the best experience. It's not only for him doing something special, but it's family. It's important to the Bagley family, and Arizona State means a lot to them.”

The fact that both of these players come from basketball families (Christopher’s older brother Patrick, was a star player at Cal) has according to Hurley dictated the high standard both have set for themselves and has shaped how they go about their business now as college freshmen.

“They are very driven kids,” Hurley noted. “I'm seeing both of them get shots up together as workouts are done. They're not guys that are that are leaving the gym there. They're getting additional work in together. The commitment they have for conditioning, being coachable…Marcus has decided to become a vegan because he's so focused on his diet and eating properly. He has a mature well-developed approach to getting better, attacking our workouts.

“They're hungry, and they understand the position our team is in and the ability to have a chance to do some special things and they're getting themselves ready at the highest level to be big contributors in that process.”

Time will tell if ASU will be picked by the media as the presumptive Pac-12 champion in the preseason poll, but there seems to be a wide consensus among conference coaches that top to bottom Arizona State does have the most talent in the league this year. Hurley admitted that he hadn’t been this enthusiastic about any team he has coached in previous years as he is about the 2020-21 squad. This despite not seeing his full slate of players practicing together due to various injuries or late arrivals.

“The fact that I'm this optimistic right now says a lot,” Hurley said. “I would not have tried to schedule a Mohegan Sun event if I didn't feel like this team could handle a situation like that. From my standpoint, what I'm seeing it's given me every indication that it could be my most talented team with the most potential. I like playing those games up in Connecticut, because even if they don't go your way, you learn a lot about your team and what you got to do.

“We want to play the best. We want to be around late in the year, playing the best teams and trying to play for a championship. Whether it's Pac-12 or NCAA Championship. Those are things that are on our radar, our long-term goals. But we'll find out a lot more in about six weeks as we head East.”

“I just like what the gym looks like right now.”

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