By Craig Morgan, thesundevils.com
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Torian Graham had moments during the 2015-16 basketball season where he couldn't wait for it to end.
"Yeah, the beginning of the year, the middle of the year and the end of the year," the Sun Devils senior guard said, laughing. "I was just so ready to be back on the court, being able to contribute to the team."
Junior Shannon Evans can relate. Like Graham, Evans transferred to ASU from Buffalo when Bobby Hurley took the job as the Sun Devil's men's basketball coach last season, forcing both players to sit out a year while the team travelled or played home games. For Graham, it was even worse because he had sat out the year before in Buffalo after a transfer there.
Both players spent a lot of time in the gym working out, or working on their games. When the Devils played, they'd gather in one of their apartments to watch with combined feelings of excitement and helplessness.
"Sitting out was horrible; I hated it," Evans said. "Now that I'm back in the swing of it, it's great and I won't take one more game for granted."
Both players are walking that talk. Through Saturday's, Graham (16.5) and Evans (16.1 points per game) were leading the Sun Devils in scoring while Graham led the team with 28 3-point field goals and Evans led the team in assist per game with 4.5.
"His numbers are picking up, his efficiency is picking up and he's getting more comfortable," Hurley said of Evans. "Any time someone sits out a year… it took him a little bit of time. He's focusing more on the defensive end and some leadership things that I need."
Hurley and Evans have a close relationship that feeds naturally off of playing the same position: point guard. Evans describes Hurley as a best friend and Hurley has a simple explanation for the mutual connection.
"I naturally gravitate to guys that are really excited about playing basketball," he said. "When I come in the gym, he's got a smile on his face, he's happy to be there, he wants to work, he wants to get better. [He's] definitely not an energy vampire; he's probably the opposite of that. It makes you feel good as a coach to know a guy has that love for playing and that drive to get better."
When Hurley took the job at Buffalo, Evans had already committed to play for the Bulls. Hurley was concerned that Evans might leave and Evans let him believe that so he would come and visit him in Suffolk, Virginia.
"He didn't know that when he got the job I already was going to stay," Evans said, laughing. "My parents just wanted to meet him."
For Graham, the decision might have seemed more complicated to an outsider. Having sat out one season, would he be willing to do it again for a chance to come to Arizona State? Fortunately for Hurley, Graham had a close relationship Sun Devils assistant coach Levi Watkins from Watkins' time at North Carolina State in Raleigh. Graham grew up in neighboring Durham.
"He's like an uncle and a brother to me," said Graham, who has known Watkins since he was a child. "When they asked if I wanted to come here with them I was like, 'yes, of course! That's going from the MAC to the Pac-12! I felt like this was a much better situation for me."
Hurley said Graham's game has been as advertised, despite the long layoff
"Torian has been pretty consistent about how he has worked," Hurley said. "He has attacked the preseason and practices and he's usually one of our best energy guys at both ends of the court. He's just got to stay the course. Mentally, he's put it all together. He's been reliable and he's having a great statistical season offensively and he's doing other things for us."
Graham describes himself as an X-factor for the Devils who tries to breathe life into the team with a defense-first mentality. Evans is also a self-described energy guy.
"I feel like my teammates feed off that as well so I feel like if I bring energy everybody collectively will play better," he said.
With Sam Cunliffe's departure, Hurley says both players will be counted on even more heavily to provide the lift he needs as the Devils prepare for the start of Pac-12 play on Dec. 20 at Stanford.
"That's fine with me," Graham said. "That's what I want anyway, for my coach to count on me. I'm just excited to be back on the court and playing the game I love."
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Torian Graham had moments during the 2015-16 basketball season where he couldn't wait for it to end.
"Yeah, the beginning of the year, the middle of the year and the end of the year," the Sun Devils senior guard said, laughing. "I was just so ready to be back on the court, being able to contribute to the team."
Junior Shannon Evans can relate. Like Graham, Evans transferred to ASU from Buffalo when Bobby Hurley took the job as the Sun Devil's men's basketball coach last season, forcing both players to sit out a year while the team travelled or played home games. For Graham, it was even worse because he had sat out the year before in Buffalo after a transfer there.
Both players spent a lot of time in the gym working out, or working on their games. When the Devils played, they'd gather in one of their apartments to watch with combined feelings of excitement and helplessness.
"Sitting out was horrible; I hated it," Evans said. "Now that I'm back in the swing of it, it's great and I won't take one more game for granted."
Both players are walking that talk. Through Saturday's, Graham (16.5) and Evans (16.1 points per game) were leading the Sun Devils in scoring while Graham led the team with 28 3-point field goals and Evans led the team in assist per game with 4.5.
"His numbers are picking up, his efficiency is picking up and he's getting more comfortable," Hurley said of Evans. "Any time someone sits out a year… it took him a little bit of time. He's focusing more on the defensive end and some leadership things that I need."
Hurley and Evans have a close relationship that feeds naturally off of playing the same position: point guard. Evans describes Hurley as a best friend and Hurley has a simple explanation for the mutual connection.
"I naturally gravitate to guys that are really excited about playing basketball," he said. "When I come in the gym, he's got a smile on his face, he's happy to be there, he wants to work, he wants to get better. [He's] definitely not an energy vampire; he's probably the opposite of that. It makes you feel good as a coach to know a guy has that love for playing and that drive to get better."
When Hurley took the job at Buffalo, Evans had already committed to play for the Bulls. Hurley was concerned that Evans might leave and Evans let him believe that so he would come and visit him in Suffolk, Virginia.
"He didn't know that when he got the job I already was going to stay," Evans said, laughing. "My parents just wanted to meet him."
For Graham, the decision might have seemed more complicated to an outsider. Having sat out one season, would he be willing to do it again for a chance to come to Arizona State? Fortunately for Hurley, Graham had a close relationship Sun Devils assistant coach Levi Watkins from Watkins' time at North Carolina State in Raleigh. Graham grew up in neighboring Durham.
"He's like an uncle and a brother to me," said Graham, who has known Watkins since he was a child. "When they asked if I wanted to come here with them I was like, 'yes, of course! That's going from the MAC to the Pac-12! I felt like this was a much better situation for me."
Hurley said Graham's game has been as advertised, despite the long layoff
"Torian has been pretty consistent about how he has worked," Hurley said. "He has attacked the preseason and practices and he's usually one of our best energy guys at both ends of the court. He's just got to stay the course. Mentally, he's put it all together. He's been reliable and he's having a great statistical season offensively and he's doing other things for us."
Graham describes himself as an X-factor for the Devils who tries to breathe life into the team with a defense-first mentality. Evans is also a self-described energy guy.
"I feel like my teammates feed off that as well so I feel like if I bring energy everybody collectively will play better," he said.
With Sam Cunliffe's departure, Hurley says both players will be counted on even more heavily to provide the lift he needs as the Devils prepare for the start of Pac-12 play on Dec. 20 at Stanford.
"That's fine with me," Graham said. "That's what I want anyway, for my coach to count on me. I'm just excited to be back on the court and playing the game I love."