Arizona State Basketball Loses Four Star Recruit

The Arizona State basketball program has gone through a rough patch over the last several months.

Longtime head coach Bobby Hurley pulled off what was seen as an absolute heist last spring when he secured commitments from elite 2025 recruits Jayden Quaintance and Joson Sanon.

A 13-20 season and unsuccessful pursuit of local five star prospect later, Hurley has been tasked with rebuilding a roster that can compete in year two of Big 12 play ahead of his contract expiration next spring.

The Hurley experience encountered another roadblock on Friday - losing a commitment from a key 2025 recruit.

Via Chris Karpman:

"Jaion Pitt, a 6-foot-7 four-star 2025 PF from Canada who went to Bella Vista Prep in Scottsdale, was announced by Pacific as one of its signees after he was earlier committed to ASU. Pitt was ASU's second-highest-ranked 2025 hoops pledge."

The loss of Pitt could prove to be massive for Hurley's program, as replacing outgoing PF Basheer Jihad is one of the top priorities for roster construction in 2025-26.

It also shows a potential crack in the Sun Devils' ability to recruit in-state, which has become another major roadblock as rival Arizona continues to dominate recruiting within the state.

Recent days haven't bore exclusively bad news, however - as Arizona native and former Toledo G Bryce Ford has officially signed with the program after committing in April, alongside former Georgia Southern G Adante' Holiman.

Still, Hurley must find a way to build up the frontcourt, as many of the signees in the 2025 class have been guards and wings.

It seems to be too early to write off the program despite recent struggles - as Hurley has done some of his best coaching work when expectations are tempered.

The most glaring example is the 2022-23 season - Hurley's job security was under serious scrutiny following a 14-17 season.

The college basketball legend put together a transfer-heavy team that ended up going 23-13, and coming within seconds of advancing to the round of 32 before losing a heartbreaker to TCU.

While the Big 12 is set to be very competitive, the Sun Devils still have a chance to make some noise this season.

Read more about Tyon Gran-Foster opting against joining the Sun Devil program here, and about three key players in the upcoming season here.

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