Rihards Kuksiks May Not Return To ASU Basketball

Doug Haller broke the news yesterday: Rihards Kuksiks may not play basketball at Arizona State this season.

Kuksiks was named to the Latvian national team, and according to sources, his "situation has changed" and he is leaning towards playing professional basketball in Europe.

Kuksiks would need to be back in classes sometime in late August, although ASU also has online courses.

According to the Latvian press release, "the games will take place from August 3 until August 29." Which route will the young Riga native take?

Staying in Latvia would be an interesting move for Kuksiks, who may find the guaranteed money of European professional basketball more alluring than another season in the desert.

The increased competition he would have felt from new Sun Devils Carrick Felix and Kyle Cain may have made his decision much easier. Kuksiks is not known for his athleticism, and he may find himself losing minutes to the seven new recruits on their way to Wells Fargo Arena.

Most likely, however, coach Herb Sendek would continue to show respect for the veterans on his team, like he did last season with Derek Glasser.

There should be some sort of official word on the subject in the near future, so check out the stream on SB Nation Arizona for the latest news.