Bobby Hurley quickly changing perception at Arizona State
The Arizona State Sun Devils have not traditionally been labeled a powerhouse — or even relevant — when it comes to men’s basketball, but Bobby Hurley is already changing their outlook after just one season.
Hurley brings a championship pedigree to the program winning at the high school level (four straight state championships) and NCAA ranks as a player (two national titles at Duke). He’s been successful as a coach thus far as well. The Sun Devils spent the last 10 seasons plagued by mediocrity with a combined record of 174-154 (.531) with just two NCAA Tournament appearances. They have been less stellar in Pac-12 play going 77-103 (.428) with an average finish of 7th over that time span.
Some form of the Pac-12 has been around since 1915 and the school from sunny Tempe has never once won the regular season title. The Pac-12 tournament made a return in 2000 and ASU has not tasted victory there either. Mediocrity became the norm and school officials grew tired of the malaise, turning to the fiery Hurley to rejuvenate the program prior to last year.
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Hurley’s first year saw the team finish 15-17 overall — very disappointing considering the team entered conference play at 10-5 with an RPI in the top-40. This season the outlook is wildly optimistic as Hurley wrangled in a top-20 recruiting class according to
. The school hasn’t had a top-20 class in the last 15 years; even their class with James Harden wasn’t ranked that high.
Colleges need talent to compete in the uber competitive field year after year. The Sun Devils simply have not gotten it done in terms of attracting high-caliber recruits in recent years. Hurley let it be known with his first class that he plans to change all that. The 2016 freshmen class includes three 4-star prospects in Sam Cunliffe, Jethro Tshisumpa and Romello White. Add foreign talents Ramon Vila and Vitaliy Shibel to the mix and it’s easy to see why the culture and outlook is shifting.
It’s important to note that ASU was also on Thon Maker’s short list of five schools, before he ultimately chose to go to the NBA this season. If ASU had snagged Maker — a 5-star recruit — they would likely be picked to compete with the perennial powers of the Pac-12. As it stands, they will take a monumental step in a positive direction with their current class.
Sam Cunliffe — 6-7, SF
Cunliffe comes from famed Rainier Beach High School and is the highest nationally rated (no. 38) recruit of Hurley’s first class. He’s an ultra athletic wing who excels on both ends of the floor and will be a real game-changer for this program. Hurley is very excited about the shooting range Cunliffe already possesses and adding some college experience will only help this 18-year old blossom into a powerful force in the conference. Cunliffe does not look to be a one-and-done player by any means so building the team around him looks to be the plan for the foreseeable future.
Jethro Tshisumpa — 6-9, C
Jethro is a skilled rim runner and rim protector extraordinaire. He’s very raw offensively but at 250 pounds already, he has a college-ready body to bang in the post. Jethro is a real bruiser when you watch his high school film, but he will need some polishing on the offensive end to be a real force. He’s a bit of an undersized center, but his defense really stands out as NCAA-ready right away.
Romello White — 6-9, PF
White brings endless energy and versatility at the power forward position. He runs the floor extremely well and has some offensive polish to his game coming in. He has solid post moves and he’s already shown the propensity to step out around 13-17 feet and consistently knock down jump shots. White originally committed to Georgia Tech but was allowed to reopen his recruitment after the Yellow Jackets got a new coach. Romello has yet to be cleared by the NCAA, but the team is hopeful he will be able to suit up and play big minutes immediately.
Ramon Vila doesn’t look ready to contribute right away, but could develop into a mid-season rotational player. He’s a guy who loves contact and banging down low to get his way. His style isn’t pretty but it gets the job done. Shibel is a stretch four who paired perfectly with bigs Tshisumpa and White, but recently tore his left ACL and will sit out his entire freshman season.
Future Outlook
This initial recruiting class is essential for getting the program out of the cellar and trending upward. In 2007, the Sun Devils landed James Harden and Jamelle McMillan but could not replicate that recruiting success, only landing four total 4-star recruits in the seven seasons following.
Sustained recruitment and being able to attract mid-to-top tier talent is the formula for Hurley. Winning will certainly aid the process and while their neighbor and chief rival, the Arizona Wildcats, regularly land 5-star recruits, ASU has to aim for depth and longevity instead. Cunliffe, Tshisumpa, and White all look to be long-term talents in Tempe, so building on their success will be vital for future classes.
Hurley already has one 4-star recruit for the 2017 class in Remy Martin. Martin coming next year gives him the chance to learn under team leader Tra Holder as well. Holder led the team in points (14.2), assists (3.7), minutes, and almost every other offensive category last season.
ASU also returns senior Obinna Oleka and junior Kodi Justice as key contributors this season. Holder and Oleka were both starters on last year’s team and should help usher in the underclassmen.
Hurley has injected this program with vigor and excitement. He’s exactly the type of coach they needed — a known commodity around basketball circles who has proven he can win as a head coach already. He came from mid-major Buffalo where he posted a 42-20 record over two seasons and took the school to it’s first ever NCAA tournament appearance.
The Sun Devils have not been to the NCAA tournament since 2014, the last time they were ranked was 2008-09 with Harden, the last time they made it passed the second round of the NCAA tournament was 1994-95, and they have never made the Final Four, so the task in front of Hurley is enormous.
The school wanted someone who could take them to basketball prominence and they went out and got their man. Now, it’s his turn to make good on the hire.