ASU Basketball: Who will emerge as the team’s leaders?
By Trevor Booth
Remy Martin
The most obvious choice to take charge on the court is the player who sometimes made the “Guard U” trio a quartet, Remy Martin.
Last season, Martin was the spark plug of the Sun Devils’ second unit, often guarding his man the full length of the floor and keeping the game at a full-court pace on offense.
The 6-foot guard finished his freshman campaign with averages of 9.3 points, 3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, good enough to earn him Co-Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year honors with Colorado’s Dominique Collier.
Martin showed several flashes of star potential during ASU’s rise to a top-three ranking last season, including a 21-point, 5-steal outing at Kansas that left Bill Walton raving about his effort on the basketball floor.
With Martin likely to step in for one of the three guards in the starting lineup, Hurley believes that his sophomore guard will be ready to assume larger duties next season.
“Remy, he gained my trust right away last year,” Hurley said. “Didn’t play like a freshman. He’s ready for it. He’s been working hard. We’ve only had a short time with him this week but it looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. I think he knows. It’s pretty clear when you lose three guys who are very important at his position. We have some talented guys in the backcourt but Remy is a guy that I know is going to run the team and do a great job.”
Martin is already a Tempe fan favorite, and if his intensity reaches an even higher level, Hurley and ASU fans would be ecstatic.
Zylan Cheatham
Whether he was in a track suit or polo, Cheatham was his team’s biggest supporter.
He was forced to sit out last season after transferring from San Diego State in April of 2017, but the 6-foot-8 forward was quick to make his presence known in every way besides suiting up in maroon and gold.
It started out with his domination of October’s Mill Madness dunk contest, where he showcased elite athleticism with dunks over multiple teammates and between his legs.
Later on, Cheatham led the hype train of ASU’s bench, often being the first one out of his seat to cheer on his teammates while waving a towel and looking to get the home crowd on their feet at Wells Fargo Arena.
Hurley noted that Cheatham, alongside Edwards, was one of the players that dominated workouts and showed an eagerness to play at a high level last year.
“Guys like Zylan Cheatham and Rob Edwards
had a lot to do with our success last season even though they didn’t play because they pushing our guys in practice every day and they were frequently some of the better players in the gym every time we do workouts,” Hurley said. “Having those guys in uniform, they’re hungry. They’ve had to sit out and not have an opportunity to play so they’re chomping at the bit to play.”
Cheatham is also a local prospect, having played at South Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona. The anticipation behind coming home to play college basketball has him even more motivated to have a stellar season.
If he continues to be vocal and lead the way for the younger players, it’s likely they could be looking up to Cheatham like others may have done for Holder, Justice and Evans.