Sun Devil Alum Watch: Josh Christopher

The Arizona State basketball program has a well-documented history of ups and downs.

The program has rarely distinguished itself despite producing NBA talents such as Byron Scott, Fat Lever, and James Harden.

This has extended to the Bobby Hurley era.

The soon-to-be 11th year head coach has experienced as much success as any other coach to lead the program, but has struggled with consistency on a year-to-year basis.

Perhaps the most disappointing team in the tenure was the 2020-21 one.

That squad faced challenges such as a strangely constructed roster and the strain of a pandemic, but the talent was strong enough to be placed firmly in the top 25 of the preseason AP Poll.

Much of the reason behind the college basketball world being bullish on that specific team was five star All-American freshman Josh Christopher.

It had been widely believed that Christopher would opt to play for Juwan Howard at Michigan, but Hurley stayed persistent in the pursuit of the blue-chip recruit and eventually secured his commitment alongside his brother, Caleb.

Christopher only played in 15 contests with the Sun Devils due to lingering injuries - he only appeared in a single game over the last month of the season.

The Carson, California native averaged 14.3 points per contest during his time in Tempe and predictably entered his name in the draft after a wildly disappointing 11-14 season.

Christopher was then selected by the Houston Rockets with the 24th pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

He flashed as a rookie - playing in 74 games, starting in two, and averaging 7.9 points per game - including five 20-plus point showings.

The next season proved to be not as kind for the shooting guard, as his playing time dipped to 12.3 minutes per contest - a trade to the Memphis Grizzlies directly followed his sophomore season as a pro.

Christopher then proceeded to spend the 2023-24 season with the Utah Jazz organization, playing 22 games for the G-League affiliate Salt Lake City Stars.

The 6'4" scorer then signed a two-way deal with the Miami Heat last summer which entailed splitting time between the NBA team and the G-League Sioux Falls Skyforce - where he impressed on. frequent basis.

While it's uncertain where the future will take Christopher, the talent is undeniable - he can absolutely become a meaningful contributor on a team down the road.

Read more about the 2025-26 Sun Devils here and here.

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