In preparation for the NBA Draft, we examine several advanced statistical categories to determine which players stand out both good or bad to help solidify our opinions on their strengths and weaknesses. Read More. Written by Dan Hanner on Jun 17, 2013
Jerry Sloan maintains a close relationships with Jazz management, making his return to the franchise this summer an easy transition even without an official position as consultant to this point. Read More.
Evan Gordon has committed to Indiana, transferring from Arizona State.
Gordon, younger brother of Eric Gordon, will be eligible to play immediately.
“There’s nothing like an Indiana kid playing for IU,” Gordon said. “Coach (Tom) Crean has that program rocking and rolling.”
Gordon began his college career at Liberty for two seasons before transferring to Arizona State. Gordon averaged 10.1 points per game last season for the Sun Devils.
“It’s kind of crazy how I ended up back here (at Indiana),” said Gordon. “When I left Liberty the reason was to play on a bigger stage and it was a better opportunity to do that. This chance at IU just kind of came about and was hard to turn down.”
Allen Crabbe has been named Pac-12 Player of the Year.
Crabbe was joined on the All-Pac-12 First Team by Arizona State's Jahii Carson, UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad and Larry Drew II, Colroado's Spencer Dinwiddie and Andre Roberson, Arizona's Solomon Hill and Mark Lyons, Stanford's Dwight Powell and Oregon's E.J. Singler.
Roberson was also named Defensive Player of the Year, while Carson and Muhammad were named co-Freshman of the Year.
Arizona State received a verbal commitment from Chance Murray on Sunday.
"The coaching staff really had faith in me and believed that I would do great things once I got there," Murray said. "It was overall the best fit for me."
Murray, a 6-foot-3 guard, picked the Sun Devils over strong interest from Rice, Washington State and Stanford.
"I see myself fitting in well [at Arizona State]," Murray said. "Playing the two wing positions and some of the point. [I'm] just going in to do whatever it takes to help my team win."
Arizona State hopes to attract top-level recruits with the addition of former NBA head coach Eric Musselman and longtime NBA assistant Larry Greer to its staff.
“For these guys, what they’re most attracted to is the NBA,” said assistant coach Dedrique Taylor. “So who (else would tell them) that experience than a former head coach and a long time NBA assistant?”
ASU head coach Herb Sendek and athletics vice-president Steve Patterson strategically planned to seek NBA experienced coaches during their search.
"Herb took an honest look at the program and said these guys can be an asset to him and the program and to ASU as a whole,” said Patterson. “When Herb goes into somebody's house and sits in the kitchen and tells them that these guys are going to coach them, they're going to be pretty excited."