ASU's Four-Star Recruit Brings a Glimmer of Hope

Given what happened last season, it’s no surprise that Arizona State’s basketball team has taken a backseat to the football team.

There was a lot done wrong last season, and it’s gotten to the point where coach Bobby Hurley’s seat is red hot. Cutting BJ Freeman midseason was a black eye, losing both Jayden Quaintance and Joson Sanon to the portal certainly hurt, and then the Sun Devils received a decommitment from four-star Jaion Pitt.

But amid all the poor things that have happened in Tempe, there were some good things as well.

To replace what he had lost, Hurley had to think on his feet, and he looked to the portal. Moe Odum from Pepperdine is entering his final season of eligibility, but his first in a Power 5 program.

However, Odum’s style of play fits in perfectly with how the game is played these days. He also brought in Marcus Adams Jr., a former four-star recruit who underwent significant life changes when he began college.

But now that it’s all behind him, Adams tore it up at Cal State Northridge, and used that to come back to a Power 5.

Finally, even though he lost Pitt, he secured and kept a commitment from power forward/center Marcus Jackson from Word of God Academy – the same that has produced numerous NBA players and prospects. One of his former teammates is current Sun Devil, Trevor Best.

Jackson brings a lot to the table, but it’ll be interesting to see how much of a leash Hurley gives him.

He’s small for a center, but his athleticism and length help make up for it. He positions himself well on the low block when the ball is away from him, and then cuts to the rim at the perfect time to drive home an explosive dunk.

What you can certainly expect from him is to continue developing his jump shot. He has a smooth stroke with a high release, which will be extremely helpful moving forward.

Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports singled out that he’s been impressed with the types of shots Jackson is making. In UAA play, Jackson managed to convert on 66% of his shots as well as 44% of his 3s.

However, the two parts of his game that he needs to work on are taking care of the ball, as well as distributing it.

Some players are scorers and that’s it, which is totally fine, but according to Finkelstein, he only had one assist during the entire season versus 18 turnovers.

One thing is for certain, though, the Sun Devils have a quality prospect in Jackson, and the possibilities are endless for the four-star recruit.

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