Arizona State will have a second starter to replace next season, as head coach Herb Sendek announced during a teleconference with season ticket holders that guard Evan Gordon will transfer to a school closer to his native Indianapolis.
Gordon, who began his collegiate career at Liberty, averaged 10.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game for the Sun Devils last season.
Gordon has one year of eligibility remaining, and the fact that he has graduated may help his case in regards to being granted immediate eligibility at his next school despite having transferred once already.
Coach mentioned on fan forum tonight Evan Gordon wants to play closer to home in senior season and we wish him well.
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) May 9, 2013
Gordon’s departure means that the Sun Devils have to replace two of their top three leading scorers with small forward and second team All-Pac-12 selection Carrick Felix being the other.
Point guard Jahii Carson, who shared Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors with UCLA’s Shabazz Muhammad, and 7-2 center Jordan Bachynski will be the headliners for Arizona State in 2013-14.
But there are holes to be filled as the Sun Devils look to build on their 12-win improvement from the 2011-12 season, as discussed by Doug Haller of the AZCentral.com.
Four Arizona State players averaged at least 32 minutes per game last season, with Bachynski (25.4 mpg) and Colvin (21.6) being the only other players averaging double-digit minutes.
Will depth once again be a concern for the Sun Devils? While coach Sendek and his staff have more options at their disposal there are question marks, and Gordon’s departure doesn’t help in that regard.
Raphielle can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.