Arizona State Sun Devils

2023-2024 Result: 14-18 record (8-12 PAC 12)

Projected Starting Lineup

Head Coach: Bobby Hurley (10th season)

Guard: Alston Mason (SR)

Guard: Adam Miller (SR)

Guard: BJ Freeman (SR)

Forward: Basheer Jihad (SR)

Center: Jayden Quaintance (FR)

Key Additions

Alston Mason (Missouri State)

BJ Freeman (Milwaukee)

Basheer Jihad (Ball State

Jayden Quaintance (5-star recruit)

Joson Sanon (4-star recruit)

Amier Ali (4-star recruit)

Key Losses

Bryant Selabangue

Jamiya Neal

Frankie Collins

Kamari Lands

Alonzo Gaffney

Jose Perez

The Arizona State Sun Devils enter year 1 in the Big 12 with a brand new core of players, as coach Bobby Hurley picked up a few of the most productive mid major scorers in the country in Alston Mason (17.5 PPG), BJ Freeman (21.1 PPG), and Basheer Jihad (18.6 PPG). Hurley was also able to bring in the 7th ranked recruiting class in the nation, per on3, grabbing 5-star center Jayden Quaintance along with a pair of 4-stars in Joson Sanon and Amier Ali. This new talented core for the Sun Devils brings a fair amount of upside, as all 5 projected starters have the ability to create their own shot. I wouldn’t call anybody on this roster an extremely efficient scorer, but having the shot making talent will only help in Hurley’s fast paced system. However, there are a few concerns with the roster makeup. Having extra offensive threats isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it may take this team some time to gel, as all 3 mid major transfers are coming from very high usage role situations. They will need to quickly figure out how to play without the ball in their hands and work off one another or else it may create a stagnant offense at times. Another uncertainty with the Sun Devils is with Jayden Quaintance, as it will be difficult for Hurley to rely on a 17 year old to carry a frontcourt. Quaintance is extremely talented and possesses an above the rim presence that this offense needs, but it’s tough to know if he will be ready for a heavy workload right away. The Freshmen class can certainly unlock this offense's ceiling, but if they are unable to make a significant impact it will create a lot of questions about this team’s makeup. This group finishing around 100th-150th in the nation for offensive efficiency is realistic, but they will have a wide range of outcomes that depend on Mason and Freemans shotmaking ability along with Quaintance becoming a frontcourt star. 

Coach Hurley has been known for having an aggressive defensive style, and he normally has the athletes on the perimeter to execute this to force turnovers at a high level. With that being said, this starting perimeter group looks to be one of the worst defensive groups he’s had in the last few seasons. While Mason, Freeman, and Adam Miller aren’t terrible defenders, they don’t necessarily have the defensive playmaking ability of the past few Sun Devil’s perimeter units. This is where 4-star Freshmen Joson Sanon and Amier Ali can make their impact on the game, as they both have the length and athleticism on the perimeter to execute Hurley’s style. However, these 2 may not see enough minutes to move the needle for this team’s defensive upside. The upside may be capped for Arizona State’s defense, but the defensive floor being maintained will be up to the frontcourt. Starting with Quaintance, he certainly has the versatile skill set to cover up some of the deficiencies of the perimeter, but once again, relying on a guy that just turned 17 years old in July is a tough task when playing in the Big 12. He will have some help in the frontcourt with Basheer Jihad and Shawn Phillips, but this team’s defensive floor will be reliant on the 5-star center being productive right away. All in all, I trust Bobby Hurley to deploy the right lineup combinations to keep this defense from falling apart. The Sun Devils defensive units have finished inside the top 65 in adjusted efficiency each of the last 3 seasons, per Torvik, so expect them to finish near this range once again. 

Although the Sun Devils have almost no chance at finishing in the top 3 of the Big 12, this team may have the widest range of outcomes in this conference. The shotmaking ability of the mid major transfers and impact of Jayden Quaintance will determine this team’s season. The uncertainty with the identity of this roster makes me believe they can finish anywhere from 8th to dead last in the Big 12 in the 2024-25 season.