ASU Men’s Basketball: Christopher earns Pac-12 Freshman of the Week

(Photo: Brady Klain/WCSN)

Arizona State’s highest-rated recruit in program history – guard Josh Christopher – earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Week Monday to open up the 2020-2021 season.

Christopher averaged 18.7 points on an efficient 58 percent shooting as the No. 25 ranked Sun Devils went 2-1 in its first three games.

The former five-star recruit stood out in ASU’s loss against No. 12 Villanova, where he recorded 28 points on 11-17 shooting from the field.

“He showed you a glimpse of what he is capable of,” head coach Bobby Hurley said after Christopher’s performance against Villanova. “A heck of a performance from a freshman playing against one of the best teams in the country.”

Christopher, who leads ASU in scoring, had 11 points in his debut against Rhode Island and poured in 17 more against Houston Baptist Sunday in the Sun Devils’ 100-77 rout of the Huskies.

The freshman guard will lead the Sun Devils into its first Pac-12 conference game of the season Thursday, where they are scheduled to play Cal. Tip-off is set for 8 P.M. MT from Haas Pavillion in Berkeley, CA.