Terrible news: The top player for the Sun Devils will retire due to a serious illness.
Center Shawn Phillips Jr. for Arizona State men’s basketball will miss “significant time” because of a sprain to his midfoot, head coach Bobby Hurley informed Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Tuesday.
Hurley did not provide a timeframe for the potential comeback, but he did speculate that it might happen in 2024, right around the start of conference play.
It is regrettable, as he has put in a great deal of work. We’re going to be extremely cautious with his foot issue because, in the long run, I think he’s going to be fantastic for us, Hurley added.
We’re going to do what’s right for Shawn and make sure that we bring him back gradually because it’s in a delicate area. Furthermore, he will play a significant role in events leading up to the Pac-12.
In three starts, the 7-foot Phillips averaged 5.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.
Without him, Arizona State loses a lot of size. 6-foot-9 forward Alonzo Gaffney has started in the starting lineup with Phillips in the team’s recent victories over UMass Lowell and Texas Southern.
Bryant Selebangue, a 6-foot-8 forward, has been Hurley’s first big substitute in all three games despite the team having a short bench.
Jose Perez advances Arizona State’s cause
Due to the large number of new players and the fact that Gaffney had to deal with his own foot injury during the preseason, Hurley has been experimenting with his starting lineup. He returned West Virginia transfer Jose Perez to the starting lineup last Thursday in a thrilling 71-69 victory over UMass Lowell.
Considering his inexperience, Perez started the season’s opening loss to Mississippi State, which was significant. However, in the second game against Texas Southern, he was substituted in. Kamari Lands was benched for Thursday’s game against UMass Lowell as Perez was inserted back into the starting lineup.
Weeks before the season began, Perez joined ASU, and he had his best game yet, leading the team with 20 points and four assists, going 7-for-9 from the field, and drawing fouls eight times.
Hurley said of Perez, “We knew what we were kind of getting based on the film he had put together… saw it in practice.” “Knew it would take a while for him to stabilize.” His preseason was short because he was still getting to know his teammates. On offense, though, he was a bright spot.
“He has an excellent technique for making contact to reach the free-throw line.”
Hurley also appreciated Perez’s tolerance and faith in his teammates, despite their lack of experience.
“I believe Jose will help us achieve that trust and passing that our team needs.”
