ASU point guard Austin Nunez has committed to play for Ole Miss next season after just one season with the Sun Devils. He is now the sixth Sun Devil to leave for a different school this offseason.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!ASU PG commits to Ole Miss. Was a key contributor off the bench for the Sun Devils his freshman year, but departs after just one season. Sixth Sun Devil to transfer to a different school this offseason. Had been tied to the Rebels since he entered the portal. https://t.co/tax25tp3P0
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) April 24, 2023
Nunez, listed at 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds, averaged 4.5 points in 28 games last season. The freshman showed that he was a capable backup point guard in ASU’s early season blowout victory of No. 20 Michigan, when he scored a career-high 15 points. He won the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for his performance against the Wolverines and the game before against VCU when he had 10 points.
Get to know the name 💎
Austin Nunez can play 😤
Meet the newest @Pac12 Freshman of the Week 😈#ForksUp /// #02V pic.twitter.com/fpLJrfVzuQ
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) November 21, 2022
Nunez started two of the games that he played in, but his main role was being a spark plug off the bench for ASU. He played a similar style to Frankie Collins, but was more of a shooter and a very good playmaker. He also applied great pressure on defense, averaging 0.7 steals per game. He shot 37.7% from downtown and had seven games with multiple triples made.
Perhaps his biggest moment of last season was knocking down three free throws to send the Sun Devils to overtime against Washington on Jan. 26. ASU ended up losing this game, but this moment showed how good Nunez was under pressure, as he had proven all season.
Austin Nunez didn't even touch the rim on those three free throws when ASU trailed by 3 with 0.6 left.
That's not a freshman any more.
— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) January 27, 2023
Nunez didn’t play for the last month of the season due to a concussion. His final game for the Sun Devils came on Feb. 18, when he posted a career-high three assists against Utah.
He was the Sun Devils’ biggest recruit of the 2022 high school class, ranked as a consensus four-star recruit and named a McDonald’s All-American his senior year of high school. He hails from Wagner High School in San Antonio, Texas.
I’m coming to play for BOBBY F******* HURLEY!!!!! pic.twitter.com/G5HoiDUPTO
— Austin Nunez (@theaustinunez) September 5, 2021
Nunez reportedly visited Ole Miss last Tuesday before committing today. It was announced that he entered the portal on March 28.
Arizona State transfer Austin Nunez will visit Ole Miss on Tuesday, per his father.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 15, 2023
He will look to further improve his game under new Ole Miss coach Chris Beard and the Rebels next season.
ASU Roster Tracker (Main Pieces from End of Last Season)
Players lost to the portal (6): G Austin Nunez (Ole Miss), F Devan Cambridge (Oregon), F Duke Brennan (GCU), G Malcolm Flaggs (GCU), G DJ Horne (NC State), F/C Enoch Boakye (Fresno State)
Players lost to eligibility (2): G Desmond Cambridge Jr., G Luther Muhammad
Player gained from the portal (4): F Zane Meeks (USF), G Adam Miller (LSU), F Kamari Lands (Louisville), G Malachi Davis (Tallahassee CC)
Players with names in NBA Draft (option to return) (2): G Frankie Collins, F/C Warren Washington
Unannounced players (1): F Alonzo Gaffney
Returning players (1): G/F Jamiya Neal (removed name from portal)
Incoming freshmen (2): Four-star G Braelon Green (CA), four-star PF Akil Watson (NJ)