The Sun Devils successfully replaced Ty Abbott, Jamelle McMillan, Rihards Kuksiks, and Brandon Dunson with four new players this offseason:
Chris Colvin, G, 6'2" (hasn't officially signed, committed this weekend)
Evan Gordon, G, 6'2" (transfer from Liberty, redshirting 2011-12)
Jahii Carson, G., 5'10" (the crown jewel of the class)
Jonathan Gilling, F, 6'8" (read more about Gilling here)
Head coach Herb Sendek replaced four guards with three guards and a forward. The biggest weakness of the Sun Devils in 2010-11, the forward and center positions, have largely gone unaddressed during this offseason.
Recruiting talented big men is extremely difficult. Generally, players of that size and skill desire to play at an institution with a long track record of success, such as Connecticut or Kentucky. They've always been told to seek out the top offer, and they generally succeed in that pursuit.
Guards are a little more common, and talented players like Jahii Carson can be acquired through the right mix of home cooking and opportunity. You can teach a player how to play the game, but you can't teach height.
Since Jeff Pendergraph graduated two years ago, the frontcourt at Arizona State has been underwhelming. Pendergraph wasn't a highly recruited player, and neither are heart and hustle guys like Matt Howard of Butler. Decent bigs need to be unearthed and given a chance to prosper in their environment.
Sendek will see an improvement out of his team in 2011-12, but he must recruit at least two good forwards for 2012-13 or this vicious cycle will continue.