Ukrainian commit gives ASU basketball highest-ranked recruiting class in modern history
TEMPE, Ariz. (BVM) – Bobby Hurley and Arizona State University men’s basketball picked up a massive commitment to its 2020 recruiting class from one of the top college-bound international prospects.
Ukrainian big man Pavlo Dziuba committed to the Sun Devils last month after averaging 13.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 blocks while playing in the 2019 FIBA European Championship Division B for Barcelona’s junior team.
Since it is 247Sports’ policy to not rank international prospects until they commit to college, the 6-foot-8, 235-pound power forward entered the 247Sports Rankings at 105th nationally. As a result, Arizona State now has the seventh-ranked 2020 class in the 247Sports Team Rankings after being ranked 40th prior to Dziuba’s commitment.
It marks the first time in modern recruiting history that the Sun Devils have landed a top 10 recruiting class in the 247Sports Team Rankings. Arizona State’s previous top-ranked class was 14th nationally in 2018. Sun Devil fans will remember the program’s next best class in 2007, when it was ranked 16th nationally and was led by James Harden.
Dziuba just turned 17 years old in July, which could make him the youngest player in college basketball next season. Despite his youth, Dziuba could see playing time right away on a Sun Devils’ roster that is currently in limbo.
Arizona State was the smallest team in the Pac-12 last season and in the market for size after last season’s starting center, Romello White, transferred to Ole Miss. Guards Remy Martin and Alonzo Verge Jr. have both declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, but have until 10 days after the NBA Draft combine or Aug. 3, whichever comes first, to withdraw and return to school. Martin (19.1 points per game) and Verge Jr. (14.6) were the leading scorers for the 2019-20 Sun Devils team whose postseason was canceled due to the coronavirus.
Transfers Luther Muhammad out of Ohio State and Holland Woods from Portland State also join the program, but will sit out a year due to NCAA rules.
Thankfully for Hurley and Arizona State faithful, Dziuba will join five-star shooting guard Joshua Christopher, four-star small forward Marcus Bagley (brother of Sacramento Kings’ Marvin Bagley III) and two-star center Chris Osten in the Sun Devils’ 2020 class.
With the second-best incoming class in the Pac-12, Arizona State fans should have plenty to look forward to. As for the Sun Devils’ newest Ukrainian commit, Tempe might just be a stop on his way to the association.
“My goal (is) to make it to the NBA,” Dziuba told ESPN. “If not at Barcelona, I didn’t want to play for another European club. I want to test myself at the top level and I think college basketball and specifically the Pac-12 will give me the best opportunity to show myself.”
