What Does Adding Anthony Johnson Mean for Arizona State?

Everything that could've possibly gone wrong for the Arizona State Sun Devils basketball program did.

After a tremendous 8-1 start to the season, injuries hampered the squad, BJ Freeman was kicked off the team, and to top it all off, the losses mounted.

From December 14 onward, the Sun Devils went 5-19, including losing 10 out of their final 11 games. Clearly, the program needed a drastic change, and it's getting one.

There's going to be major turnover at Desert Financial Arena, losing Jayden Quaintance (9.4 PPG), five-star recruit Joson Sanon (11.9 PPG), and Adam Miller (9.8 PPG) to the transfer portal. Not only that, four-star recruit and 85th-ranked player on 247Sports, Jaion Pitt decommitted from the program.

Luckily, in college basketball, turnovers are rarely one-sided. Coach Bobby Hurley was able to bring in point guard Moe Odum from Pepperdine, former four-star wing Marcus Adams Jr. from Cal State Northridge, and freshman Marcus Jackson, who's No. 129 on 247Sports.

Along with that is Anthony Johnson, the 6-foot-2 rising senior from the University of Cumberlands of the NAIA. Johnson led all of the NAIA in scoring, averaging 23.6 points per game on 48% shooting and 34% from deep.

Not only that, Johnson is an athletic ball hawk who averaged 1.8 steals per game. He also thrives in isolation, creating space with ease with a deadly step back, and can score from just about anywhere on the floor.

Johnson is a volume scorer and ball-dominant guard who had the green light at Cumberlands. It's clear that scoring was an issue for the Sun Devils, and if all works out, Johnson should become the go-to guy.

NAIA is a completely different animal than the Big 12, but the talent is undeniable. With Quaintance and Sanon gone, Johnson will become a scoring threat to offset that loss.

Rebounding on both ends of the floor still remains a concern, and with Johnson's 6-foot-2 frame, he won't help much, but the staff will need to look for size elsewhere considering Quaintance was their lead rebounder.

He should create an identity shift, turning a plodding and inefficient offense into a team with a do-it-yourself scoring guard who is a dog on defense. His ability to force turnovers will be huge for an ASU team that, according to KenPom, was 336th in Steal%.

It's no doubt Hurley's make-or-break season, and Athletic Director Graham Rossini will have his eyes glued to the hardwood when he's not watching his excelling football program.

Johnson is a high-upside risk with the Sun Devils betting on scoring, athleticism, and defense to make the jump. He may not single-handedly change the program, but his explosiveness could be the spark ASU has desperately needed.

He'll face some serious competition, too. Houston was three points away from winning the National Championship, while BYU made a run to the Elite Eight, and Kansas, Baylor, and Iowa State remain perennial contenders. The Big 12 is brutal, and Johnson will have to earn every bucket.

Please let us know your thoughts on Anthony Johnson when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.