ASU and Bobby Hurley are still attacking the portal, as they landed their seventh transfer portal addition of the offseason today in Houston Christian guard Brycen Long, who will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Houston Christian guard Brycen Long, who is from Gilbert, announces he is transferring to #ASU, becoming the seventh incoming transfer for the Sun Devils. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 14.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season, while shooting 43.4% and 41.6% on threes. https://t.co/z4PJBWeSAQ
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) May 3, 2023
Long, listed at 6-foot-2 and 181 pounds, played his high school basketball at Gilbert High School. He started his last three years there, and he averaged 17 points, six rebounds and four assists as a senior and helped them reach the state quarterfinals. His junior year he helped lead his team to a state championship and a 29-1 record, averaging 11.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and three assists.
Forks Up‼️☀️😈🏀
— Bobby Hurley (@BobbyHurley11) May 3, 2023
Long started all 32 games last season (his junior year) for Houston Christian, a Division I program in the Southland Conference, and was their second-leading scorer, averaging 14.8 points per game. In the first game of last season, Long made a career-high eight (out of 11) threes. He was a terrific three-point shooter all year long for HCU, connecting on an impressive 94 out of 226 attempts (41.6%). The 94 makes were a program single-season record. He improved significantly in most statistical areas in his three years for the Huskies, as he averaged 5.7 points his freshman year (2020-21) and 10.8 points his sophomore year. He had a career-high 32 points against McNeese on Jan. 14.
New @SunDevilHoops transfer @Brycen_Long tied for 14th in the nation last year in three-point percentage (41.59%). He also ranked 25th nationally in three-pointers made per game (2.94). These are good things. pic.twitter.com/KaeNayB7Fh
— Joe Healey (@JoeHealey42) May 3, 2023
Congratulations to AZ Select Alumni @Brycen_Long on Setting a Single Season Record 93 Made 3’s for @HCUHoops
B-Nice is Currently @NCAA Ranked
#14 3pt%
#16 3pt Made
#23 3pt Per Game pic.twitter.com/KzpAF19UaV— AZ Select UAA (@AZSelectBoysBB) March 4, 2023
Long will bring shooting and defense to the Sun Devils, as he has proven that he is a great shooter from downtown and can defend the ball very well (averaged 1.2 steals per game). He seemingly fits as the backup point guard to Frankie Collins, as the role was previously filled by Austin Nunez, who recently transferred to Ole Miss. He could also play on the wing as a spot-up shooter, as ASU will have a lot of ball-dominant guards in Collins, LSU transfer Adam Miller and JUCO transfer Malachi Davis. The other guard on the roster will be incoming four-star freshman Braelon Green.
Long is the Sun Devils’ second portal addition this week after Tulsa forward Byrant Selebangue announced his commitment to play for ASU on Monday. They now will only have one more open roster spot should Frankie Collins and Alonzo Gaffney return.
ASU Roster Tracker (Main Pieces from End of Last Season)
Players gained from the portal (7): G Brycen Long, F Bryant Selebangue (Tulsa), F Shawn Phillips (LSU), F Zane Meeks (USF), G Adam Miller (LSU), F Kamari Lands (Louisville), G Malachi Davis (Tallahassee CC)
Players lost to the portal (7): F/C Warren Washington (undecided), 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
Players with names in NBA Draft (option to return) (2): G Frankie Collins, F Marcus Bagley
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)
My Predicted Rotation As of Now
1. Collins (6-1) / Long (6-2) / Davis (6-4) / Green (6-3) / Neal (6-6) / Miller (6-3)
2. Miller / Davis / Green / Neal / Long
3. Neal / Lands (6-8) / Watson (6-8)
4. Meeks (6-9) / Selebangue (6-8) / Lands / Watson / Gaffney (6-9)
5. Gaffney / Phillips (7-0) / Selebangue / Meeks
The Sun Devils can mix up these positions, as we saw them do several times last season. They still can look for a starting-caliber center, as they certainly have length but only one true center in Shawn Phillips. They like to play a lot of three-guard lineups, so there is a role for all of the guards on the team right now, and with the addition of Long, they appear to be set on guards. However, they could potentially seek out another small forward. Despite all of the departures, Hurley has done a terrific job of retooling the roster, going out and getting players from the transfer portal that fit ASU perfectly and have either proven themselves with experience or are young but were highly-rated recruits out of high school. Depth was a huge key for ASU’s success last season, and the Sun Devils will have it once again next season. Having what could be 12 quality players that make up the roster as of right now is a huge achievement that shouldn’t be overlooked, as Hurley said he wanted the roster to be complete by early May. Now, it is about trying to get these new players to gel together, as we saw them do terrifically last season. If Washington goes elsewhere and Collins and Gaffney return, the Sun Devils only have one more roster spot they could choose to fill with the addition of Long.
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, exclusive content, and access to our seasonal magazines! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Brendan Mau is a college sports insider and general assignment reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on twitter via @Brendan_Mau
