TEMPE – Arizona State men’s basketball freshman guard Joson Sanon was only the beginning of the massive departures within the program. Wednesday started with freshman center Jayden Quaintance’s father announcing that his son is entering the transfer portal. Quaintance would be a massive loss for ASU, and if it couldn’t get worse, another big man is exiting Tempe in junior center Shawn Phillips Jr., according to Tobias Bass of The Athletic.
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Jan 28, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils center Shawn Phillips Jr. (9) calls out in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Bass announcing the ASU’s big man departure:
NEWS: Arizona State C Shawn Phillips Jr. will enter the transfer portal, Repped by George Hemmingsen of @weave
He averaged 5.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game @TheAthleticCBB pic.twitter.com/7RwQWdEzbl
— Tobias Bass (@tobias_bass) April 2, 2025
Phillips Jr. was with the program for two seasons, appearing in 31 games. The seven-footer had a massive role for the Sun Devils’ bench last season, averaging 5.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 18 minutes. Head coach Bobby Hurley is now facing a possibility of losing three key pieces of his rotation.
What’s next for ASU?
Mar 4, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils center Shawn Phillips Jr. (9) reacts after he gets called out for a foul made against the Arizona Wildcats during the second half at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
ASU will be without leading scorer senior guard Alston Mason and senior forward Basheer Jihad, as they have run out of eligibility. As of April 2nd, six out of eight of the Sun Devils with the most minutes in 2024 won’t return next season. Hurley has tried to fix this by finding transfers, landing CSUN forward Marcus Adams Jr. and Pepperdine guard Moe Odum.
Regardless of the additions, the program faces a similar problem: a lack of consistency. ASU will enter the 2025 season with a talented roster of players but likely won’t be coherent as a team, leading to its struggle on defense last year. Hurley is one of the best recruiters in the nation, but potentially losing important pieces like Phillips Jr. and Quaintance will sink a program in a make-or-break season for the Sun Devils coach.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
