ASU Basketball: Barret Peery named among top 10 new assistant coaches

It's not all about the players on the court in basketball. Coaches have to draw up plays, teach in practice, recruit and more during the offseason and in warm gyms on cold nights across the country. One Arizona State coach has been honored for his efforts.

New Sun Devil assistant coach Barret Peery was named among the top 10 "key assistant coaching hires" this past offseason, replacing Eric Musselman who left and was then hired by LSU. Peery ranked No. 7 on the list published by NBC Sports' College Basketball Talk which said this about Peery:

The former Indian Hills head coach has a lot of experience at the junior college level and helped Herb Sendek re-load the roster with junior college prospects on the 2014-15 team.

Peery went 34-3 last season at IHCC and led the team to the NJCAA national title game. He also helped recruit newcomers Roosevelt Scott and Savon Goodman to Arizona State, two former IHCC players under Peery.

"I think x's and o's will always be important but I think in today's day in age what I've probably learned in my recent stops is the relationship with the guys having an understanding of who they are is important, but trust is a huge issue," Peery told me in April. "You've got to be able to have a relationship with these guys now in order to be able to coach them and to produce the way you hope they can and see their potential."

Peery placed more than 15 players in Division I schools during his three seasons at IHCC, and helped at least another 23 players move on to the next level during his time at the College of Southern Idaho where he was 85-19 prior to that. He led CSI to three straight SWAC championships.

"Coach Peery has a wealth of experience. He's just a good person." Arizona State head coach Herb Sendek said. " He's the kind of guy who want your son to play for."