Even though he's two states and a time zone away, freshman Chris Low feels like he's right at home with the ASU basketball team.
The 6-foot-8-inch forward from Texas decided to go with the Sun Devils over Big Ten basketball powerhouse Indiana and local universities Texas Christian and Southern Methodist during last year's recruiting season. Aiding in the decision to pack his bags and come to Arizona were his two former teammates who were already on the team: Ike Diogu and Allen Morill.
The three played together with the Texas Bluechips, a high school club team. Along with current NBA player Chris Bosh, the three led the team to as high as No. 2 in the nation and beat a team led by LeBron James - yes, that LeBron James - in a tournament in Houston.
Along with having friends at ASU, Low said head coach Rob Evans was a big influence on his decision to become a Sun Devil.
"He's real honest and won't necessarily tell you what you want to hear, but what you need to hear," Low said about Evans.
Low also got time to sit down with Brandon Goldman while he made his recruiting trip last fall, and the two struck a bond.
"He kind of epitomized the rest of the team," Low said. "He just told me how it was and told me how the program doesn't cut any corners."
Low is taller than most of his fellow freshmen, but he still speaks in a soft whisper. He started classes at ASU in the summer and was also able to shed much of his fat and pack on an extra 15 pounds of muscle, now checking in at close to 220 pounds.
Low is expected to see time off the bench immediately as a freshman.
"[I want to] do the things that other players wouldn't want to do - bang down low and with my versatility, go inside and out and create match up problems," Low said.
Reality shock is starting to set in for Low, who grew up in Gorman, Texas, a city with a population of around 1,300.
"You're definitely not the big man on campus when there are 60,000 people on campus, and you blend in more," Low said. "People see you for just being a person and not an athlete as much."
Reach the reporter at jeffrey.hoodzow@asu.edu.
