If all the rumors pan out, the ASU men's basketball program will have a Yavapai Community College-feel when the Sun Devils take the court next year.
After already receiving an oral commitment from swingman Bryson Krueger at the end of March, Yavapai head coach Brooks Thompson has been widely rumored to take over the assistant coach spot left by Russ Pennell.
Thompson, the 2002-03 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, said that he has talked and met with ASU head coach Rob Evans about the position.
"I've got a great interest in that spot," Thompson said. "I've known coach Evans for a long time, and in this business, it's always good to work with people who you've known.
"He coaches the exact same way that I have been taught to coach, and it's a very disciplined program."
Evans did not want to comment specifically on any candidates for the vacant coaching spot until he named one in the coming weeks.
Thompson's resume speaks for itself: he played four years in the NBA for three teams in the mid-90s and played at Texas A&M and Oklahoma State during his college career. While with the Cowboys, Thompson was second in voting for Big Eight Newcomer of the Year in his first season and was a first-team All-Big Eight selection his senior season.
In his coaching career at the college level, Thompson spent a year at Southeastern Louisiana State, and was the director of basketball operations at OSU before coming to Yavapai.
Thompson said a coaching spot at a major Division I program would be a dream come true.
"I went to Yavapai to become a head coach, to get out on my own and prove that I can run a program the right way," Thompson said. "We've had a lot of success there the last two years, even more than I would have thought."
Thompson said he believes his experience playing in the NBA will show potential recruits that he knows what he's talking about and thinks it would greatly benefit ASU.
"I think it helps tremendously because every player that you recruit wants to get to that level that I've been at," Thompson said. "It gives you instant credibility."
If Thompson does get the job, the former point guard would be taking over Pennell's duty of coaching the guards.
After watching ASU basketball most of the season, Thompson feels that another year of maturity and having soon-to-be junior Ike Diogu back again will greatly benefit the team and steer the Sun Devils back to the top half of the Pac-10.
"They were a very young basketball team and when you play in a power conference, you're going to have to have a maturity level (with your team)," Thompson said. "When you can build a team around a caliber player like Diogu, you just need to find certain pieces. I think coach Evans and his staff have done a good job finding them."
Reach the reporter at jeffrey.hoodzow@asu.edu.
