Arizona State Basketball Lands Commitment

Bobby Hurley has spent the last several months attempting to rebuild a roster that was decimated by NCAA eligibility rules and the transfer portal.

The Sun Devils finished the 2024-25 season with a 13-20 mark and a 4-16 effort in the first season as a member of the Big 12.

Trevor Best is the only player that returns from a year ago after Jayden Quaintance, Joson Sanon, Amier Ali, and others opted to transfer elsewhere.

Hurley has been forced to scour the transfer portal himself to build a deeper, more experienced, and more cohesive roster - that has lead to adding pure point guard Moe Odum from Pepperdine, Marcus Adams Jr. via Cal State Northridge, among other veteran talents that could fit better together compared to the previous team.

Recent additions from Hurley include NAIA leading scorer Anthony Johnson in June, but the 11th year head coach gained an even more recent pledge in the form of international big man Dame Salane.

More on the pledge from Chris Karpman of SunDevilSource:

"BREAKING: Dame Salane, a 7-foot-1 Senegalese center, has committed to join ASU's team this year. He played in 10 games for Lugano Tigers in the Swiss Basketball League this year, averaging 7.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots."

Salane is now one of five international players to head to Tempe ahaed of the 2025-26 season - joining fellow Senegalese big man Mor Massamba Diop, Belgian forward Allen Mukeba, Andrija Grbovic out of Montenegro, and Argentenian Santiago Trouet.

As previously mentioned, Hurley's ultimate goals when it comes to roster building this season were predicated around depth, roster fit, and experience. The Sun Devils do not lack experience now, as there is only one highly rated freshman that is set to join the team - while the numerous transfers and international players are quality players that lack name recognition compared to what was around last season.

Now is time for Hurley to shock the world with his back against the wall once again.

Read more on the football program - on Sam Leavitt being named the preseason Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year here, as well as Leavitt, Jordyn Tyson, C.J. Fite, Xavion Alford, and Ben Coleman being named to preseason All-Big 12 honors here.

Please let us know your thoughts on the job Hurley has done with rebuilding the Arizona State roster ahead of the new season when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.