It’s been exactly three weeks since Bobby Hurley had to gather his team in Las Vegas and inform them that their season was over. Not because of a loss, but a pandemic. It was out of everyone’s control, he told them.

At that point, the COVID-19 virus was in the stratosphere of the unknown, especially for a basketball team forging into postseason play. When every conference shut down their conference tournament in what felt like five minutes, Hurley consoled his team but told them to remain focused for the NCAA Tournament.

A few hours later, he gave a tougher speech. He wore a suit that day as a fitting symbol of finality. He needed closure. And, perhaps, he wore the suit because it made everything feel more normal. Every year, there’s a point when Hurley has to tell his team their season is over. It’s always after a game and he’s always in a suit.

This year, the suit was about the only thing that felt the same.

“It was a very emotional day for all of us,” Hurley said. “We all shared our feelings … A lot of guys were really upset.”

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Since that day, a lot has changed for Hurley and ASU basketball. Its roster has turned malnourished by way of both the transfer portal and, potentially, the NBA.

Guard Elias Valtonen as well as forwards Andre Adams and Khalid Thomas -- all three of whom were reserves last season -- have announced they will transfer away from Arizona State.

More notably, juniors Remy Martin and Romello White posted that they have declared for the NBA Draft. Now, they can simply enter their name in the draft, garner feedback from the NBA Advisory Committee, speak with NBA personnel and, hopefully, get a good sense for their draft chances.

(They have until June 3 to make it official if they are going back to school or keeping their name in the draft).

We’ll get to that in a second, but let’s get back to the transfers. The trio of departures leaves ASU with four open scholarships. If Martin and White don’t return to school, that number will jump to a half dozen. Even if five-star guard Josh Christopher chooses to play in the maroon and gold, there’s a lot of open roster spots to fill.

“It’s kind of like putting a puzzle together and it doesn’t always work perfectly,” Hurley said. “The unknown is a little bit of the issue, especially when you have guys exploring the possibility of going to the NBA.

“We’re talking really at most positions right now to solidify our roster, except the point guard position. I have not talked to one point guard in the transfer portal.”

The Sun Devils will need to reload their roster with either grad transfers or junior college transfers, of which they secured three -- Thomas, Adams and Alonzo Verge -- in the last recruiting cycle.

But just given the fact that two-thirds of ASU’s transfers from last year are on the market again, that should tell you that 1.) This is no exact science, and, 2.) Transfers are rarely quick fixes. But, for now, ASU needs bodies, especially those who fit Hurley’s style of play.

Because of the pandemic, he and the Sun Devil coaches are not allowed to conduct visits. Instead, they’ve tried to provide recruits with virtual tours of the Arizona State campus and practice facility as well as videos that highlight what ASU has done in the last few years.

“You have to remind them of the sunshine and the quality of life here at Arizona State,” Hurley said.

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There were many who were caught off guard with Martin and White’s decision to test the NBA waters, especially after reading the accompanying notes written by the two respective juniors.

Martin’s post spoke of cherishing his time at ASU as he thanked the school and the fans. It sounded like someone dead-set on a path. White’s merely said that he had submitted his name to the NBA Draft Committee for feedback.

Hurley has been in this spot before. He helped advise Lu Dort last season after the freshman decided to be a one-and-done prospect. The draft committee told Dort that he projected to be a late first-round pick. There was little discussion or debate about Dort returning to Tempe.

The evaluation didn’t come to fruition. Both Dort and ASU senior Zylan Cheatham went undrafted after numerous mocks had them among the 60 names called. Hurley will share that memory with his two players in the same spot this year.

“I just think it’s how do you maximize your marketability, your ability to earn and the security,” Hurley said. “That would be my recommendation to any guy I coach, if you’re in a strong position to be drafted, especially in the first round, then I’m fully supportive of my guys taking the next step.

“If you’re not getting that type of feedback, or if the likelihood is that you won’t get drafted at all, then my recommendation would generally always be to come back and prove your draft stock.”

At the moment, it’s tough to envision either Martin or White being drafted, let alone selected in the first round. And if that’s the case, Hurley would likely advise them to head back to ASU and improve in their senior season.

While no mock drafts include a Sun Devil, Hurley was adamant that a lot can change throughout the pre-draft process, although it’s anyone’s guess how pre-draft meetings and functions will operate -- if at all -- through a pandemic.

Hurley told both guys that everything will likely going to be scaled back this year, but wanted them to get as much feedback as possible. After last season, he had even talked to Martin about declaring for the draft and seeking an evaluation from the NBA Draft Committee but, because of a groin injury, Martin waited a year.

"Remy is going to be unbelievable in meetings and on phone calls with NBA people,” Hurley said. “He’s earned the right to go out and take this process seriously and dedicate himself to getting all the feedback he needs to make the best decision for him. And I think Romello is in a position to do the same thing.”