Arizona State scored twice on Saturday by landing two quality frontcourt players who took recent visits.
The Sun Devils got commitments from 6-foot-7 forward Kyle Cain of Hampton (N.H.) Prep and 6-6 wing Carrick Felix of the College of Southern Idaho.
Cain chose the Sun Devils over West Virginia, Alabama and Illinois after an official visit to the school June 2-4.
“Yeah,” said the New Hampton (N.H.) combo forward. “I like the coaching staff and the facilities they had and I always liked the campus.”
Cain said he felt a strong connection to head coach Herb Sendek, who took the lead in his recruitment and stayed in touch throughout.
“Coach Sendek and I just connected,” Cain said. “He runs an offense to suit his team. By him being smart that can help me as a person and as a basketball player. That’s the best of both worlds. He took the lead role to be the lead recruiter for me. He called me to talk to me and my mother. I could trust him.”
Cain also likes the fact that he can step in and play right away in the frontcourt for the Sun Devils.
“Everybody can look at the roster and see they don’t have a four man,” he said. “They don’t have a four man so I can make an impact. I have to go in work hard and continue to get better. Have an open mind and do what I’m capable of doing. I’ll have a chance to make an impact with the Arizona State Sun Devils.”
Felix became the first JUCO player ever to sign with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, but then decommitted.
Some 20 schools were reportedly interested in him.
After sitting out a year at Southern Idaho with a medical redshirt, Felix averaged 14.8 points and 4.7 rebounds last season.
The Devils lost seven players from last year’s team and have immediate playing time available.
Cain and Felix will join a recruiting class that includes Keala King, Corey Hawkins, Chanse Creekmur, Jordan Bachynski and JUCO transfer Brandon Dunson on next year’s team.
“He just felt that it was a perfect fit,” Southern Idaho coach Steve Gosar said of Felix.
Hope Cain and Felix enjoy being irrelevant like every other Aswho player past and present.
He did not get accepted to Duke is what the reports are .
Isn’t ASU 7-1 against UA in the last 8 games? I know they were 5-0 once. If another team is smoking my team, I wouldn’t talk so much trash. UA is also on probation for recruiting and paying players during the dead period.
As for Felix not getting accepted to Duke, those reports are false. You need to check your ‘reports’. The FACT is that he did not want to be stuck on the bench – anything else is FALSE.
U of A is on self imposed sanctions for a letter about an offseason AAU tournament. Not recruiting/paying players. I know it’s not as glamorous as point shaving and shootings, but we’ll live with it. A few good seasons does not make you a program. Yes our streak ended last season, but 1 is not a streak.