Arizona State Basketball

Marcus Bagley has appeared in just two of Arizona State's seven games this season, and the forward apparently cost himself some more playing time by explaining the situation on social media.

On Sunday, Bagley tweeted that he wasn't playing because he "made a mistake and said some things to Coach [Bobby] Hurley that I shouldn't have said. Me not playing is 100% punishment for what I said that day."

He then provided an update Tuesday and said he was suspended for that tweet:

Hurley addressed the situation prior to Bagley's latest update during an appearance on Arizona Sports' Bickley & Marotta.

"I think it's a byproduct of other guys playing well and just not having the opportunity to get him out on the floor," Hurley said while revealing he planned to discuss the situation with the player. "That's all it comes down to. ... We have a stacked perimeter and right now there's just no minutes for him."

The junior played against Tarleton State on Nov. 7 and Northern Arizona on Nov. 10, averaging 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 28.5 minutes per game. He also connected on 33.3 percent of his three-point attempts.

Bagley, who is the younger brother of Detroit Pistons forward Marvin Bagley III, appeared to be well on his way to playing major minutes this season considering those were the first two games but then didn't step on the floor at all in any of the next five.

It is notable that he explained he is healthy because injury concerns limited him to just 15 games during his first two seasons. He arrived at Arizona State as a highly regarded 4-star prospect in the class of 2020, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

There may be some regrets regarding his decision as a recruit at this point considering he also tweeted: "ATHLETES please please please make a well thought through decision where you go to school. These people will tell you anything to build you up just to tear you down."

While Bagley has not been a major contributor, Arizona State is off to a 6-1 start and counts a win over Michigan on its early resume.

Next up for the Sun Devils is their Pac-12 opener against Colorado on Thursday. They are attempting to make the NCAA men's tournament for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign, which was Hurley's fourth season as the head coach.

The No. 3 UCLA Bruins were upset by the unranked Arizona State Sun Devils 87-84 in triple overtime on Saturday at Desert Financial Arena for just their fourth loss of the season. 

However, Saturday's loss was the second straight for UCLA after falling to the No. 7 Arizona Wildcats 76-66 on Thursday. The Bruins have also lost to the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Oregon Ducks this season. 

The Bruins needed to avoid a loss in Saturday's game against the Sun Devils to avoid falling further away from winning the regular-season conference championship. The Wildcats are first in conference play at 9-1, while the Bruins are tied for second with the Ducks at 8-3.

While junior guards Jaime Jaquez Jr., Johnny Juzang and Tyger Campbell had solid performances for the Bruins, senior forward Cody Riley put up 10 points, and senior guard Jules Bernard put up just six points against the Sun Devils. 

And while the Sun Devils are typically paced by Illinois State transfer DJ Horne, Marreon Jackson was the hero for the team on Saturday night. The senior finished with a whopping 24 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals off the bench.

Junior forward Jalen Graham also had a solid night for Arizona State, finishing with 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. 

Arizona State had entered Saturday's game having lost their last four games, while UCLA had won eight of their last 10.

As for what's next, UCLA will trip to snap its two-game skid on Tuesday when the Bruins travel to face Stanford. Arizona State, meanwhile, will look to upset another ranked opponent in the Arizona Wildcats on Sunday. 

Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley and guard Jay Heath were suspended for Monday's game against USC for their actions toward an official after Saturday's 79-76 loss to Stanford.

"The actions of the head coach and student-athletes were in clear violation of the conference's standards of conduct and will not be tolerated," Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff said in a statement. "The Pac-12 and its membership has established regulations requiring all institutional personnel, especially head coaches, to conduct themselves in a sporting manner, and those involved in this situation failed to meet those standards."

Hurley and Heath both verbally confronted an official who was exiting the court. That came after Stanford's Brandon Angel got sent to the free-throw line and drained all three of his shots with 1.1 seconds remaining to give Stanford a one-possession victory.

Stanford shot 41 free throws to Arizona State's nine, and the Sun Devils were called for 29 fouls overall.

Hurley, who received a technical early in the second half, was also fined $20,000 for his actions. Forward Jalen Graham received a public reprimand but was not suspended.

Heath, in his first year at Arizona State after transferring from Boston College, is averaging 9.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game this season.

Arizona State has dropped four of its last five games and is sitting at 6-10 on the season. Hurley, in his seventh season with the Sun Devils, has not led his team to the NCAA tournament since 2018-19 and could be facing the pressure of an increasingly hot seat. Going on the road against No. 16 USC without their head coach and a starting guard will be a challenge.

Each of Arizona State's next four games comes against ranked opponents (at USC, at No. 3 Arizona, vs. USC, vs. No. 9 UCLA). Hurley and Heath will return for Saturday's game at Arizona.

The UC Riverside men's basketball team earned an improbable upset road win over Arizona State on Thursday, as J.P. Moorman II drilled a game-winning buzzer-beater from beyond half court for a 66-65 victory.

Moorman finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds as UC Riverside improved to 1-1. Flynn Cameron had a team-high 18 points. It's the Highlanders' first-ever win over the Sun Devils, ending a three-game losing streak.

UC Riverside hosts La Sierra in its home opener on Nov. 14. Arizona State (1-1) will remain at home for a game against 0-2 North Florida on Nov. 15.

Former Arizona State official David Cohen has filed a civil lawsuit against the school alleging that his termination was as a result of insisting the school investigate sexual assault claims against a booster, per Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports.

Cohen was fired from his position as senior associate athletic director in December 2019, which he saw as "clear retaliation" for his role in pushing for an investigation against prominent donor Bart Wear.

The lawsuit comes after a notice of claim filed in February, which stated Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson and other officials waited almost five months to begin an investigation into claims from three women of "assault and sexual harassment" against Wear, per Thamel.

ASU eventually canceled the booster's season tickets and determined he is no longer welcome at events after determining he "subjected the three women to 'unwelcome comments and physical contact,'" per Thamel.

Cohen's wife, Kathy, was one of the accusers, stating Wear touched her breasts at a Pac-12 tournament basketball game. Leslie Hurley, wife of men's basketball coach Bobby Hurley, also said Wear "inappropriately put his hand on her leg while talking with her."

Bobby Hurley blasted Anderson in an email last December, stating the athletic director "disregarded the safety and [has] shown no sensitivity towards the women that have experienced sexual assault," per Thamel.

The latest lawsuit alleges Cohen was fired only for pushing for an investigation and that he otherwise "received glowing reviews for his performance and the highest bonuses in the ASU athletics department."

There is no specific dollar amount called for in the lawsuit, but it states he is seeking "past and future wages and benefits, pre and post-judgement interest, compensatory damages, and mental health anguish and emotional distress."

Anderson received a contract extension in February that could keep him at the school through at least 2026.

Arizona State star Remy Martin is returning to the school for his senior season.

The Sun Devils released a video hying up Martin's decision:

The junior guard averaged 19.1 points, 4.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds over 31 games in 2019-20.

Martin originally signaled in March he intended to test the NBA draft waters.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented teams from adequately evaluating this year's draft class, however. And without the NBA scouting combine and individual workouts, players were unable to get a firm idea as to their draft stock.

Staying at Arizona State for another year was Martin's best play.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman didn't list him among the top 50 players, nor did he crack the top 80 for Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo. Now, Martin can play his way up 2021 draft boards.

This is obviously a big boost for Arizona State as well. The Sun Devils were 20-11 and on the NCAA tournament bubble prior to the tournament's cancellation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Head coach Bobby Hurley will have his top two scorers back with Martin and Alonzo Verge Jr. sticking around, and he assembled the No. 7 recruiting class in 247Sports' composite team rankings for 2020. Five-star shooting guard Joshua Christopher is the headliner from the group.

Hurley has yet to get Arizona State out of the first round in the Big Dance. That should change in 2021.

The Arizona State Sun Devils added one of the top players in the 2020 recruiting class with Monday's commitment from shooting guard Josh Christopher.

The California native announced his decision on Twitter:

Christopher is an elite prospect who is considered a 5-star recruit and the No. 10 overall player in the 2020 class, as well as the top shooting guard, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The 6'5" player is a pure scorer who can get baskets from all over the court. He has a reliable outside shot but is at his best when driving into the lane and attacking the basket. His strength and athleticism will allow him to get to his spots and finish with regularity at the next level.

Additionally, the guard has the mentality needed to be a star going forward.

"He's definitely very charismatic, and as a basketball player he's always had a level of confidence that is rare," high school head coach Tony Davis said, per Drew Ruiz of Slam Online. "I think that's one thing that helps separate him—he has an undying belief of his abilities and you don't see that in teenagers."

This confidence likely only grew when the recruiting process picked up and he received offers from dozens of the top schools around the country.

Out of all his choices, Christopher decided he wanted to play for Arizona State, giving the team another talented player who can help generate some wins.

With 4-star forward Marcus Bagley already signing his letter of intent, the Sun Devils should once again be able to compete with the top teams in the Pac-12 in 2020-21. The program has been consistent in the last three years under Bobby Hurley, although adding a big-time prospect like this could help the squad reach the next level in 2020-21.

Considering the development of less-heralded prospects like Remy Martin, Christopher has a chance to be a star on his new team.

Arizona State guard Remy Martin has declared for the 2020 NBA draft, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium:

The junior had one year of eligibility remaining but will try to capitalize on a big season that saw him rank second in the Pac-12 with 19.1 points per game. He also averaged 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals on his way to being named to the All-Pac-12 First Team.

Though Martin could still withdraw his name from the draft and return to school, Doug Haller of The Athletic reported he is "full-steam ahead" about becoming a pro.

Martin wasn't listed among the top 50 players in the 2020 class by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman.

At 6'0", 170 pounds, the guard is undersized for the NBA, while his shooting was inconsistent with just a 33.5 percent mark from three-point range this year.

The California native was still able to impress with his unique scoring ability, reaching 20 points in 18 of 31 games.

"He makes some plays out there that very few guards instinctively, athletically, can make off the dribble and especially in the open court," Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley said in January, per Michelle Gardner of the Arizona Republic.

With a versatile offensive skill set and good instincts defensively, Martin will have a chance to continue his basketball career in the NBA.

An independent investigation requested by Arizona State University determined there was "sufficient evidence to conclude" three wives of athletic department members were sexually harassed by booster Bart Wear. 

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported Thursday the school confirmed the matter "could have been resolved in a quicker timeframe," but it refused to released full results of the investigation handled by the St. Louis-based law firm Armstrong Teasdale.

The allegations were brought to light in a notice of claim—a court filing that signals the filing of a lawsuit—filed by former ASU senior associate athletic director David Cohen, who alleges he was fired from his position for "insisting" athletic director Ray Anderson and other staff members investigate Wear's actions.

Cohen's wife, Kathy Cohen, and Leslie Hurley, the wife of Sun Devils head basketball coach Bobby Hurley, were among the women to allege "unwelcome comments and physical contact" by Wear, per Thamel.

Arizona State confirmed it has terminated Wear's season tickets and "informed him he is no longer welcome at university events."

Cohen's notice of claim alleges Wear, who played football at ASU, grabbed his wife at a Pac-12 tournament game in March, "put his hands on her waist, moved his hands up the side of her body to the sides of her breast, held his hands on the sides of her breasts and said, 'Dave is lucky to have you.'"

Another wife of an athletics department staffer said in the notice of claim that Wear "rubbed her back and asked inappropriate personal questions" during the tournament, and she asked Cohen to move her seat so she didn't have to sit near Wear for the next game.

Following the season, Cohen said he reported the allegations to the head of the ASU booster club, of which Wear was a member, and the notice of claim says that at least five ASU officials were aware of the allegations. The independent investigation into the allegations began after Cohen was removed in August.

Cohen alleges in the notice of claim that "ASU showed more concern for the convenience and reputation of a prominent booster than the victims of assault and sexual harassment."

Arizona State told Yahoo Sports that Cohen "changed his story" about the interaction, saying that Wear grabbed a victim's breast, which the investigation found to be "untrue."

Cohen is seeking a $1.5 million settlement for lost wages, pain and suffering and emotional harm.

"Even though this has been a very challenging and difficult time for my family, I am confident I did the right thing," Cohen told Thamel. "I spoke out because I have a moral responsibility to protect three women that the University failed to protect. These women are the victims, and they deserve to be heard."