Arizona State Invites Former Forward to Hall of Fame

Another vital player in a key era of Arizona State athletics is set to be recognized by the school.

Jeff Ayres (Pendergraph) - a star forward for both Rob Evans and Herb Sendek with the basketball program from 2005 to 2009 - revealed that Sun Devil Athletic Director Graham Rossini had previously called to inform him that the Sun Devils had decided to induct the great into the 2025 Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame - the 50th class.

Ayres starred for the program from day one, as he averaged 10.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest for a team that underwhelmed with a 13-17 record.

Evans was then replaced by Sendek - who was able to successfully recruit five star shooting guard James Harden to Tempe.

Harden and Ayres became a dynamic duo in two seasons together - the latter averaged a career best 14.5 PPG coupled with 8.2 rebounds a night in 2008-09.

The Sun Devils famously made the NCAA tournament, defeating Tempe in the round of 64 before falling to Syracuse in the next round.

Ayres' eligibility expiring inevitably meant an entrance into the 2009 NBA draft alongside Harden - the latter was drafted third overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder, while the former was selected 31st by the Sacramento Kings before being subsequently traded to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Ayres enjoyed six seasons as a pro - playing 237 regular season games and 36 playoff games before beginning a career overseas in 2016.

Ayres' overseas stops have included Russia, Japan, Turkey, Taiwan, and currently Mexico.

While Ayres did not enjoy the level of success at the NBA level that many had hoped, it's a complete victory that the Sun Devil legend is still playing professionally at 38 years of age - and his contributions to ASU cannot be undermined.

As for the current state of the Sun Devil program, head coach Bobby Hurley has been tasked with building a roster that is almost completely different compared to last season - with the transfer portal being the main means of acquiring talent.

Read more about the current state of the Sun Devil basketball program - particularly what a recent portal addition means for the upcoming season - from our own Greg Liodice here, and about a Sun Devil alumnus making a run to the NBA finals here.

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