Arizona State had a tough win against a solid team in Grand Canyon earlier this week. This Sun Devils squad is filled with many veteran players but also has three young freshmen who have a very promising future in college basketball.

Let’s dive into their dynamic trio of freshmen.

The youngest player in all of college basketball is a 6-foot-9 big man, Jayden Quaintance. The Arizona State big man is oozing with potential. Coach Bobby Hurley has gone on record saying that Quaintance is the best defensive freshman he has ever coached and that statement is certainly believable. 

He currently averages 3.5 blocks per game and has the footwork, agility and quickness to defend out in space effectively. Although there are moments when he can be out of position or a bit jumpy, he has the potential to be a special rim protector. His hands are bigger than Shaquille O’Neal’s and his wingspan is around 7-foot-5.

On the offensive end, he has real talent even though he’s still figuring out game on that side of the court. The two-way potential Quaintance possesses is special and there is no other big in college basketball who has the ceiling he possesses.

In Arizona State’s game against Grand Canyon, freshman guard Joson Sanon dropped 21 points and showed quite a bit of promise for the Sun Devils. The 6-foot-5 guard has proven to be an elite shooter, especially for a freshman. Although it’s a small sample size, he is shooting 52.6% percent from behind the arc on a little over four attempts per game.

His shooting ability is special as he is lethal off the catch, can make tough pull-up jumpers, and even has some movement shooting ability. The versatile shooting and touch are lethal, which is what makes Sanon really intriguing. As he gets older and stronger it would be nice to see him get more rim attempts.

He has been given a certain role on the team, so maybe if he returns for his sophomore season he can explore more off the dribble actions. Arizona State’s coaching staff hopes to see him return for his sophomore year but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was to end up as a one-and-done.

A 6-foot-8 wing, Amier Ali is another freshman for this Sun Devils squad that looks to have a bright future with the program. The main intrigue with Ali is his shooting ability paired with his positional size. On the season, he’s currently shooting a ridiculous 63.6% from behind the arc on good volume while only playing 12 minutes per contest.

Although he’s only getting limited minutes, we should expect a much bigger role out of him next season. In high school, he showcased real secondary playmaking ability and vision that he hasn’t been able to really show in college quite yet, but that is to come.

As he is given more on-ball responsibilities as he gets older, we could see him rise up on draft boards as his archetype is quite rare. Someone at 6-foot-8 who can be an elite shooter while also being a secondary playmaker is something NBA teams covet.

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PHOENIX (AZFamily)— Do you have what it takes to go ‘Over the Edge’ and face a challenge for a good cause?

On Saturday, Special Olympics Arizona held its annual fundraiser, and participants geared up to go ‘Over the Edge’—rappelling 27 stories down Phoenix CityScape.

This year, around 80 people registered to rappel down the building, facing their fears or taking on a new challenge—something Special Olympics athletes do daily.

“Every day, Special Olympics Arizona athletes are getting out of their comfort zone and overcoming obstacles whether it be going to practice or making friends or whatever it may be. They’re putting themselves out of their comfort zone every single day, and so this is an opportunity for the community to do the same thing,” said Tarren Kramer with Special Olympics Arizona.

This year’s fundraiser was open to the public. Once registered, participants were asked to raise $1,000 for a guaranteed rappel spot. The $1,000 represents the cost to support two Special Olympic athletes for a full year.

“It’s a really incredible way for the community to come together and really just show that the athletes are being seen, that they understand that it’s hard and that every day can be different, but they’re here to support the athletes and do what they can to raise awareness and do what they can to be part of the community,” said Kramer.

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Associated Press

Saint Thomas Tommies (3-1) at Arizona State Sun Devils (3-1)

Tempe, Arizona; Sunday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Arizona State hosts St. Thomas after Joson Sanon scored 21 points in Arizona State’s 87-76 win against the Grand Canyon Antelopes.

Arizona State went 14-18 overall with a 10-5 record at home during the 2023-24 season. The Sun Devils allowed opponents to score 74.0 points per game and shoot 45.0% from the field last season.

St. Thomas went 10-8 in Summit League action and 6-9 on the road a season ago. The Tommies gave up 64.8 points per game while committing 15.8 fouls last season.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.