Randy Bennett Secures First Recruit of Arizona State Tenure

Bennett managed to secure a commitment flip from four-star combo guard JRob Croy, who has been locked in with Saint Mary's since last September

Croy - a 6'5" star out of Polytechnic H.S. in Riverside, CA - is ranked the number 138 recruit in the class of 2026 according to the 247 Sports composite. While Croy's mother graduated from Saint Mary's and his father coached with the Gaels previously, his loyalty lies with Bennett - as evidenced by committing to the Sun Devils on the same day he was officially offered by the 63-year old head coach.

Croy is a hard-nosed defender that has the size to execute Bennett's regimented pack-line defense to a tee, while also shooting roughly 39% from three-point range in high school.

What Croy's Commitment Means for ASU

The belief from some was that Bennett would only be able to reel in high-floor, low ceiling players to his roster - even in the Big 12.

This doesn't appear to be the case, as Bennett was able to bring a top-level recruit to Tempe at the infant stages of his tenure. While Arizona State is still attempting to play catch up to the ever-changing NIL era, there are obviously pointed reasons to suit up for the program, including playing for a future HOF coach. The past presence of elite talents such as Jayden Quaintance and Josh Christopher signaled that there was pull even during rough patches the program experienced.

Croy's presumed fit in the Arizona State operations appear to be in full alignment of Bennett's vision as well, and he is obviously slated to co-exist with potential returnees such as Noah Meeusen. The hiring of Bennett will continue to draw in athletes that want to improve across the margins, play for something more at a program in need of life, and desire to play within the confines of an incredibly competitive Big 12.

The future is getting brighter in Tempe by the day - with the transfer portal and official 2026 class set to be solidified in the months to come.