ASU Basketball: Devils land hometown shooting specialist

The Sun Devils have been grinding through the offseason and have now landed a sharp perimeter shooter through the transfer portal. Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley has locked in a piece that his team lacked in 2022.

Brycen Long, the 6-foot-2-inch, 181-pound guard from Houston Christian has announced on social media that he is returning to Arizona. Though the Gilbert native has played three seasons, the 2020-21 season does not go against eligibility.

Long averaged 14.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game with 47.5 percent from the field and 86.6 percent from the free-throw line. However, his speciality is from beyond the arc. At Houston Christian, just under 70 percent (7.1 of 10.2) of Long’s attempts per game were from beyond the arc.

Long’s last name precedes him as he finished second in the Division I Southland Conference in 3-point percentage at 41.6 percent — tied for 14th in the nation — while also finishing in third for in average 3-pointers per game with 2.96 (25th nationally). His last season at Houston Christian was historic as he set a career-high eight (of 11) threes during the first game of the season AND broke the program record for most threes in a single season with 94 (out of 226).

Last season, no one on Hurley’s squad shot over 35.5 percent from deep. No one on the team connected on more than 82 3-pointers either — making Long’s commitment that much more pivotal.

Guard DJ Horn and guard Desmond Cambridge Jr., who led the Devils in points last season, won’t be returning. Horn transferred to NC State while Cambridge Jr. is out of NCAA eligibility.

The program has recently seen commitments from former Tulsa guard Bryant Selebangue, LSU center Shawn Phillips and shooting guard Adam Miller, San Francisco power forward Zane Meeks, and Louisville shooting guard Kamari Lands.

The Sun Devil’s strenuous roster overhaul has the program trending in the right direction, however, Long remains Hurley’s only deep threat on the roster.