ASU men's basketball freshman guard Josh Christopher announced on Twitter Wednesday he has declared for the 2021 NBA Draft.
Christopher, the program’s highest-rated recruit in its history, averaged 14.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in his lone season with ASU.
"I want to thank coach (Bobby) Hurley and staff for giving me the opportunity to play for Sun Devil nation, express myself, have fun, and be with family," Christopher said in his tweet. "Thank you Sun Devil nation for your love and support. I would not be where I am today without those who root for me day in and day out.
Multiple mock drafts project Christopher being selected in the first round. If Christopher is selected in the first round, he would be the Sun Devils’ highest NBA Draft pick since James Harden was selected No. 3 overall in 2009. Carrick Felix was the last player to be selected in the draft out of ASU.
Christopher scored double-digit points in all but two games he played as a Sun Devil, including scoring at least 20 points in three of his 15 games played.
Christopher earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Week Honors on Nov. 30 after averaging 18.7 points per game across the first three games, including a career-high 28 points against Villanova.
The guard missed the final 11 games of the 2021 season due to injury.
"It was a pleasure to coach Josh. He will always have a special place in the Sun Devil men’s basketball family. I look forward to watching his dreams come true as he becomes a #LeagueDevil," Hurley said in a Tweet.
Reach the reporter at jhorst2@asu.edu and follow @HorseySeven on Twitter.
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Jeffrey Horst is the digital editor-in-chief of The State Press. He previously served as the publication's sports editor and worked at Cronkite News and ArizonaSports.com.
