The 2024-5 ASU basketball squad is by far the deepest and most talented in head coach Bobby Hurley’s Tempe tenure. Whether it’s blue-chip recruits or proven veteran transfers, the Sun Devils have assembled a team loaded with skilled players and a group Hurley feels is on track to be fully prepared for the upcoming campaign that includes a tough non-conference slate and facing stout Big 12 opponents the second half of the season. At the same time, it is also a journey not near completion.
“We just got to work on our half-court offense when you bring so many new players in,” Hurley said Friday after practice. “We're not even close to where we need to be in a few weeks when we're getting ready to play.
“I think they are playing together for the most part playing the right way, and we're not perfect. We're going to make mistakes, but I don't think they're on the selfish side. They compete every day and there aren't lopsided scores and segments, and competing means something to a majority of the guys in the gym right now.”
ASU’s head coach is pleased with the progression of five-star center Jayden Quaintance. The 6-foot-9 true freshman has shown off his impressive feel for the game and versatile skill set in the early preseason sessions, providing flexibility for his team on the court.
“Jayden Quaintance’s ceiling is scary,” Hurley remarked. “You look at him, and you think of just a physical, rugged type of player that's just going to play with his back to the basket, but he’s more like a point guard than he is a center.
“He's really good footwork, he can dribble the ball, he's one of our best passers for a big guy so he just does a lot of things. It's very advanced for someone who just turned 17 in July, and we have high hopes for him, but the reality is he's 17, and he's still learning the game, and he'll keep getting better as these years go on. It's scary what he can be as he keeps developing.”
Freshmen guard Joson Sanon, the No. 26 ranked player in the class of 2024, has impressed with his three-level scoring ability, which earned him scholarship offers from 20-plus colleges across the country. Despite being the last newcomer to arrive in Tempe in late July, his acclimation process has been very pleasing, instilling that much more confidence in his potential and formidable contributions this season.
“Joson’s adjustment has been very smooth,” Hurley noted. “He could really make shots and do it in a variety of different ways. I think we have a lot of firepower; we have some guys that really could put the ball in the basket and Joson is near the top of the list of that group.”
Along with having an influx of young talent, ASU’s recruiting efforts have also delivered on the transfer portal front as well. Mid-major standouts like guard Alton Mason, who averaged nearly 20 points at Missouri State, and Ball State transfer Basheer Jihad, who finished second-team All-MAC, averaging 18.4 points. The roster-building process, in Hurley’s eyes, had to include such additions of players who, in their last year of eligibility, aim to prove that they can duplicate their level of play in the toughest conference in all of college basketball.
“Going to reconstruct the roster and give ourselves the best chance to do that,” Hurley said in regards to the goal of reaching the NCAA Tournament. “I see a lot of motivated guys. It's not only our returning players, it’s guys like Austin (Nunez), Mason, Basheer Jihad, BJ Freeman…these guys have one year to get it done, they want to win. They want to go to a tournament.”
One of the few returners to the Sun Devil roster is senior guard Adam Miller; after a year loaded with turmoil in 2023-24, one where he had to wait several games before gaining immediate eligibility, he is poised to be one of the team's locker room leaders and has a major role in Hurley’s plans, already taking the reins in practices thus far.
“Adam is a vocal leader during practice, and he's tried to take on more of a leadership role,” Hurley described. “He's played a lot of basketball and being a returning player, I think he feels very comfortable in this environment to want to do more of that, that's been a real positive.”
Miller himself knows the value his presence brings to the rest of the group. Allowing his best qualities on and off the court to shine can lead to promising results, as his mentorship can steer the talented ship full of first-year players in the necessary direction.
“Last year when I came in, I wanted to fit into the culture because they had made it to the (NCAA) tournament the year before,” Miller commented. “Instead of just being Adam Miller, and I feel like now it's kind of like okay, be Adam Miller and also set the tone of what we're going to do here.
“We kind of had to rebrand that culture a little bit, with new guys on the coaching staff and new guys on the floor, but I think for me personally, it was just being Adam Miller remembering who I am and then just going out and just making sure I lay the foundation for what this team needs to do every day.”
ASU’s rebrand isn’t solely internal, as it enters its inaugural season in the Big 12 conference. With eight programs from that league gaining a berth in last year’s NCAA tournament, the conference was tied for the most representation of any conference in the country, showcasing the vast depth of talent.
With star-studded opponents on the team's conference schedule that was released last Wednesday, the Sun Devils also have a non-conference slate with a handful of teams who were part of the 2024 NCAA tournament, all in all, a list of games that provide extraordinary competition from start to finish. It’s a challenge Hurley is eager to face whilst understanding the preparation that goes into being ready for all their upcoming battles. Even their lone exhibition matchup will be a road game at Hurley’s alma mater, Duke.
“I like the non-conference schedule a lot,” Hurley said. “Certainly, the game versus Duke is an exciting opportunity to right away compete against one of the best teams in the country early and get tested and see where you are.
“The Big 12 is the Big 12; it's loaded as usual and what you would expect. We're going to have our hands full. I love our conference slate here at home, and it is strong with potentially four top 15 teams: Iowa State, Arizona, Baylor, and Houston, so some heavy hitters are coming here for exciting games for our fan base.
“It's recognized as one of the best leagues maybe the best league in college basketball you want to play against the best and challenge yourself, so here we are.”
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