ASU guard Joson Sanon transferring to St. John’s

Sanon on his decision to leave Arizona State for St. John’s:

“Coach (Rick) Pitino believes in me and my potential and what he can do for me. He preaches working hard, and I want to show him I’m the hardest working player that’s ever played for him. The way Coach P teaches defense is something I want to invest my time into.”

Sanon only spent a season in Tempe, averaging 11.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 27 games. The freshman showcased flashes of his potential and looked to be a deadly one-two punch with fellow freshman center Jayden Quaintance. However, Sanon elected to transfer and was pushed by his agent, Derek Malloy of LIFT Sports Management, to sign with St. John’s because of Pitino.

“New York City, Madison Square Garden, Rick Pitino. If we weren’t the first to take it, I’d envy the person who did,” Malloy told ESPN.

ASU begins the College Basketball Crown postseason tournament against Nebraska on Monday, where it’ll be without Sanon. The Sun Devils will compete for a first-place prize of $300,000 NIL package. The field is tough, especially being without Quaintance, but head coach Bobby Hurley will have his troops ready for the seven-day tournament.