Men's basketball coach Herb Sendek talks with the media about the beginning of ASU basketball season. ASU’s first game is on Nov. 14, 2014 against Chicago State. (Photo by Mario Mendez)As a senior at Crystal Lake Central High School, Corban Murphy could have settled for his pick of any D-III school in the greater Chicago area.
Averaging 17.9 points per game in high school, Murphy was instrumental in guiding the Crystal Lake Tigers to a 47-10 record during his junior and senior seasons.
Murphy played in the lesser-known Fox Valley Conference, so while he was as important to his team as some better known stars (Jabari Parker and Jahlil Okafor of the Chicago Public League), it wasn't easy for him to put up the gaudy stats and highlight reel plays of those two blue chip prospects.
Instead of staying home, Murphy decided to pursue his dream of playing D-I, spending his freshman year attending classes at ASU and aiming to earn a spot on the practice squad.
A year later, he is posing for photos wearing a black and gold jersey, shooting around with teammates and cracking jokes, looking like belongs.
A recurring theme has developed in recent ASU basketball recruiting classes: a treasure trove of junior college transfers and high school recruits from areas not usually considered to be Sun Devil territory.
Take Murphy's teammate Roosevelt Scott, a junior, junior college transfer. Scott hails from a region dominated by maroon and gold, but not ASU's maroon and gold, rather the Minnesota Gophers.
Players on this team, regardless of how far they came from, are all excited for Pac-12 competition.
"We're a very high energy team, I love this team's motor," head coach Herb Sendek said. "They come ready to work, there's a good spirit in the gym, there's a good pop in it."
Murphy spoke on that spirit, noting that the team has grown close in a short amount of time.
"I didn't really know any of them in the beginning, but getting in here, they've all been really welcoming," Murphy said. "It's great to be around all them. I couldn't ask for a better a group of guys."
Murphy said his game is predicated around the same "shooting and slashing" that ASU's offense hopes to emphasize with its newer, younger core.
There will no doubt be a time of adjustment and growing pains for a unit with new assistant coaches and players, but the fact that Murphy shares the view of his head coach indicates a mutual understanding between the players and Sendek's system.
"Everybody gets involved and is coachable," Murphy said. "Everybody's willing to improve their game."
Reach the assistant sports editor at smodrich@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @StefanJModrich
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