The Arizona State Sun Devil men's hoops team returns three starters (four letterman) from last year's squad and welcomes six newcomers in 2017-18. ASU under third-year head coach Bobby Hurley will be led by seniors Tra Holder, Shannon Evans II and Kodi Justice and sophomore forward Ramon Vila. The squad opens up with two free exhibitions on Oct. 26 (vs. Northern State) and Nov. 3 (vs. Arizona Christian) that both tip at 6 p.m.
TOP SCORERS: ASU has two of the top five scorers in the Pac-12 returning, as Tra Holder (16.2 ppg) and Shannon Evans II (15.0) averaged more than 31 points. Only Reid Travis (Stanford), Allonzo Trier (Arizona) and Stephan Thompson (Oregon State) averaged more than Tra and Shannon last year in overall games.
PAC-12 TOP RETURNING SCORERS IN 2017-18
17.4-Reid Travis, Stanford
17.2-Allonzo Trier, Arizona
16.3-Stephen Thompson, Oregon State
16.2-Tra Holder, Arizona State
15.0-Shannon Evans II, Arizona State
PREDICTIONS: ASU was picked sixth in the Pac-12 preseason media poll announced on Oct. 12, its top preseason rankings since being picked fourth in the Pac-10 prior to the 2010-11 season. ASU has been picked 11th (2016-17 and 2012-13), eighth (2015-16), ninth (2014-15 and 2011-12), seventh (2013-14) in seven previous Pac-12 polls. Arizona was picked to finish first, followed by USC, UCLA, Oregon, Stanford, ASU, Utah, Oregon State, Colorado, Washington, California and Washington State.
NOT MANY CAN SAY THIS: ASU's backcourt will have two 1,000-point career scorers. Tra Holder has 1,215 points in 97 Sun Devil games (12.5 ppg.), while Shannon Evans II has 1,248 career points (13.1 ppg.), with 754 of them coming at Buffalo from 2013-15. Combined the duo has made 764 total field goals, 277 three-pointers, 658 free throws and has dropped 2,463 collegiate points in 192 career games.
MOST COMBINED CAREER POINTS BY TWO TEAMMATES ENTERING 2017-18
2,707/St. Bonaventure: Jaylen Adams (1,377) and Matt Mobley (1,330)
2,701/Rhode Island: E.C. Matthews (1,519) and Jared Terrell (1,182)
2,639/Xavier: Trevon Bluiett (1,585) and J.P. Macura (1,054)
2,463/Arizona State: Shannon Evans II (1,248) and Tra Holder (1,215)
STRENGTH NOTES: ASU's 78.6 points per game last year was its best since the 1997-98 squad averaged 84.5...ASU ranked third in the Pac-12 in free throw shooting (.749)...ASU averaged just 10.4 turnovers (first in the league and T-11th in the nation) and 9.9 three-pointers made, second in the Pac-12...Tra Holder led the league in free throws made and attempted (152-of-197/.772)...ASU likes to shoot the three as its 328 made last year was third-most in league history.
MEET THE SIX: ASU will have six newcomers fill roles in 2017-18, led by three who were in the program last year. Romello White is a 6-8 forward from Suwanee, Ga. who practiced last season as an academic redshirt and was a top-100 player (No. 77 by ESPN, No. 81 by Scout) in the 2016 signing class. Texan Mickey Mitchell is a skilled 6-7 sophomore who started seven games and played in 23 for Ohio State in 2015-16, came to ASU in December of 2016 and will be eligible this December, while 6-9 redshirt freshman Vitaliy Shibel has a great southpaw shooting stroke but missed last year with an ACL injury. Junior college transfer De'Quon Lake has a 6-10 frame and a 7-0 wing span. ESPN 2017 top-100 players Kimani Lawrence (New Hampton School/Providence, RI) is a 6-7 swingman with 6-11 wingspan who is No. 54, while Remy Martin (Sierra Canyon/Chatsworth, Calif.) is a 6-0 lead guard and is No. 82 in the rankings.
FREE THROW DATA: The Sun Devils made free throws at a rate that was third-best in school history (457-of-616/.742) last year. ASU shot .756 in 1977-78 and .754 in 1954-55 for its best seasons...ASU went 12-of-12 in the second half of tight win at San Diego State on Dec. 10 and was 16-of-18 for the game...Tra Holder is 368-of-497 (.740) from the charity stripe in his 95 games...Shannon Evans II made his first 20 free throws to start the season and is 280-of-347 (.807) in his career.
LAST YEAR QUICKLY: ASU zig-zagged across North America three times (Orlando, Bahamas and New York City) and got road wins at San Diego State, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington...ASU swept Washington and won all three games against Stanford...five players averaged at least 9.0 ppg. and its starting five averaged at least 33 minutes in Pac-12 play.
TOP SCORERS: ASU has two of the top five scorers in the Pac-12 returning, as Tra Holder (16.2 ppg) and Shannon Evans II (15.0) averaged more than 31 points. Only Reid Travis (Stanford), Allonzo Trier (Arizona) and Stephan Thompson (Oregon State) averaged more than Tra and Shannon last year in overall games.
PAC-12 TOP RETURNING SCORERS IN 2017-18
17.4-Reid Travis, Stanford
17.2-Allonzo Trier, Arizona
16.3-Stephen Thompson, Oregon State
16.2-Tra Holder, Arizona State
15.0-Shannon Evans II, Arizona State
PREDICTIONS: ASU was picked sixth in the Pac-12 preseason media poll announced on Oct. 12, its top preseason rankings since being picked fourth in the Pac-10 prior to the 2010-11 season. ASU has been picked 11th (2016-17 and 2012-13), eighth (2015-16), ninth (2014-15 and 2011-12), seventh (2013-14) in seven previous Pac-12 polls. Arizona was picked to finish first, followed by USC, UCLA, Oregon, Stanford, ASU, Utah, Oregon State, Colorado, Washington, California and Washington State.
NOT MANY CAN SAY THIS: ASU's backcourt will have two 1,000-point career scorers. Tra Holder has 1,215 points in 97 Sun Devil games (12.5 ppg.), while Shannon Evans II has 1,248 career points (13.1 ppg.), with 754 of them coming at Buffalo from 2013-15. Combined the duo has made 764 total field goals, 277 three-pointers, 658 free throws and has dropped 2,463 collegiate points in 192 career games.
MOST COMBINED CAREER POINTS BY TWO TEAMMATES ENTERING 2017-18
2,707/St. Bonaventure: Jaylen Adams (1,377) and Matt Mobley (1,330)
2,701/Rhode Island: E.C. Matthews (1,519) and Jared Terrell (1,182)
2,639/Xavier: Trevon Bluiett (1,585) and J.P. Macura (1,054)
2,463/Arizona State: Shannon Evans II (1,248) and Tra Holder (1,215)
STRENGTH NOTES: ASU's 78.6 points per game last year was its best since the 1997-98 squad averaged 84.5...ASU ranked third in the Pac-12 in free throw shooting (.749)...ASU averaged just 10.4 turnovers (first in the league and T-11th in the nation) and 9.9 three-pointers made, second in the Pac-12...Tra Holder led the league in free throws made and attempted (152-of-197/.772)...ASU likes to shoot the three as its 328 made last year was third-most in league history.
MEET THE SIX: ASU will have six newcomers fill roles in 2017-18, led by three who were in the program last year. Romello White is a 6-8 forward from Suwanee, Ga. who practiced last season as an academic redshirt and was a top-100 player (No. 77 by ESPN, No. 81 by Scout) in the 2016 signing class. Texan Mickey Mitchell is a skilled 6-7 sophomore who started seven games and played in 23 for Ohio State in 2015-16, came to ASU in December of 2016 and will be eligible this December, while 6-9 redshirt freshman Vitaliy Shibel has a great southpaw shooting stroke but missed last year with an ACL injury. Junior college transfer De'Quon Lake has a 6-10 frame and a 7-0 wing span. ESPN 2017 top-100 players Kimani Lawrence (New Hampton School/Providence, RI) is a 6-7 swingman with 6-11 wingspan who is No. 54, while Remy Martin (Sierra Canyon/Chatsworth, Calif.) is a 6-0 lead guard and is No. 82 in the rankings.
FREE THROW DATA: The Sun Devils made free throws at a rate that was third-best in school history (457-of-616/.742) last year. ASU shot .756 in 1977-78 and .754 in 1954-55 for its best seasons...ASU went 12-of-12 in the second half of tight win at San Diego State on Dec. 10 and was 16-of-18 for the game...Tra Holder is 368-of-497 (.740) from the charity stripe in his 95 games...Shannon Evans II made his first 20 free throws to start the season and is 280-of-347 (.807) in his career.
LAST YEAR QUICKLY: ASU zig-zagged across North America three times (Orlando, Bahamas and New York City) and got road wins at San Diego State, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington...ASU swept Washington and won all three games against Stanford...five players averaged at least 9.0 ppg. and its starting five averaged at least 33 minutes in Pac-12 play.