Bobby Hurley isn’t letting the current circumstances in the world deter his enthusiasm for next season.
Not when you have an incoming talent like Josh Christopher.
The five-star prospect made major headlines when he opted to commit to the Sun Devils in the spring, immediately augmenting Arizona State’s cache both in the Pac-12 and nationally.
“The sky’s the limit for him,” Hurley said of the 6-4 Christopher Monday on the College Hoops Today Podcast. “He’s the type of talent that doesn’t come along too often. I think physically, he’s a very imposing player kind of like Luguentz Dort was for me. Very strong, very physical. The two players are different players, but they resemble each other from a physical perspective.”
With Christopher and four-star prospect Marcus Bagley — the brother of current Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley — the Sun Devils were able to accumulate the second-best recruiting class in the Pac-12 according to 247 Sports. In-state rival Arizona was rated with the league’s top recruiting class.
While he’s excited about his new additions, Hurley —- like many college coaches — is eagerly anticipating the NCAA’s early entry withdrawal deadline for the 2020 NBA Draft on Aug. 3rd. Arizona State has two players — Remy Martin and Alonzo Verge — who are currently going through the process.
If Martin returns for his senior season, he’ll be the Pac-12 Preseason Player of the Year and a consensus preseason All-American.
“Remy’s dream is to play in the NBA,” Hurley said Monday regarding the 6-foot Martin, who averaged 19.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists last season as a junior. “It’s a balance of what’s important to him now. If he wants to start that journey now then we’ll support him. If not, he’s got a great chance to do something special with us next year.”
Arizona State is currently ranked 16th in the ROTHSTEIN 45, a projection that is based on both Martin and Verge returning to school next season.
