The Randy Bennett era of Sun Devils men's hoops begins
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New ASU men's basketball coach Randy Bennett. Photo: Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After 11 middling-to-disappointing years under Bobby Hurley, the Arizona State men's basketball team is hoping for a fresh start under new head coach Randy Bennett.
Why it matters: The Sun Devils haven't made the NCAA Tournament since 2023 — and never made it past the first round under Hurley — but Bennett brings a long history of success from his quarter-century stint at St. Mary's.
Catch up quick: ASU parted ways with Hurley after last season, in which the Sun Devils went just 17-16. It hired Bennett, a 64-year-old Mesa native, to replace him.
- Bennett's introduction notably was delayed five weeks due to an undisclosed health issue.
- He brings a winning pedigree: He holds a .721 winning percentage and led St. Mary's to the NCAA Tournament 12 times in 25 seasons, advancing past the first round five times.
State of play: Bennett has completely reshaped the ASU roster through transfers. Only two players return from last year's team, one of whom missed the entire season with an injury.
- The most notable additions are senior forward Paulius Murauskas, who followed Bennett from St. Mary's, and senior Gonzaga transfer Emmanuel Innocenti.
- Altogether, ASU's transfer class was ranked first in the Big 12 Conference and 13th in the nation by 247Sports.
Yes, but: Talent-infusion aside, expectations for the Sun Devils are not high this season.
- Preseason polls by both the Big 12 media and coaches pegged ASU to finish 12th in the 16-team conference.
- Six of those teams are ranked in the top 25 nationally by the Associated Press, including rival Arizona, which is ranked fifth coming off a Final Four appearance.
- An ESPN bracket projection has ASU missing the tournament, despite the tourney's expansion from 68 to 76 teams.
Zoom out: Bennett is already setting the Sun Devils up for his second season, though, with two four-star recruits ranked in the top 100 by Rivals.
- ASU also picked up a commitment from Phoenix native Jakyi Miles, who ranks highly in the 2028 class but is reclassifying to be eligible to play next season.
What's next: The Sun Devils begin their season at home at 8pm Monday against East Tennessee State.