Arizona State Basketball: Impact of Austin Nunez commitment for Sun Devils

Bobby Hurley got his third commitment from the 2022 class when 4-star guard Austin Nunez chose to play for Arizona State Basketball on Sunday.

2022 consensus 4-star recruit Austin Nunez decided that Arizona State was the place he wanted to be — committing to the Sun Devils on Sunday — after taking an official visit to the campus this past week.  The San Antonio native chose ASU over many offers, including from Howard, Arkansas, Baylor, Texas, Florida, and Virginia.  He was hosted by ASU players Luther Muhammad and Marreon Jackson.

"“Coach Hurley asked me [Friday] how my official visit was going, and I just cut right to the chase and told him that I was ready to make a decision and commit to ASU,” Nunez told Sun Devil Source. “I really fell in love with the coaching staff, they’re very good people. What really made that even more clear was talking with all the players and how happy they are playing here. There was not one bad thing they said about it.“ASU and the whole Tempe area is similar to where I’m from in San Antonio but bigger and probably nicer, honestly. The weather is not that different, maybe it’s a little hotter but not much different for me. We went to the (Southern Utah) game Thursday, and it was crazy. The students turned out and showed a lot of support and were really passionate the whole time. Me and another recruit walked by, and they even knew who we were, which really shows that they’re paying attention to everything and great fans.”"

The 6-2 point guard is ranked as the 77th best prospect by 247Sports and No. 96 by 247Sports Composite. Meanwhile, Rivals has him at No. 69 on its list.

Nunez is an athletic lead guard who is lethal from beyond the arc and a natural playmaker. He likes to play fast and is a pesky defender. Here is what 247Sports recruiting analyst Brandon Jenkins said about the Wagner High School product.

"Nunez is a dangerous shooter from long range and beyond. The lefty is one of the best in the country at heating up from behind the arc. Each year he has become more of an explosive player in space. Defensively, he has the foot speed and quickness to be a valuable asset in man-to-man play. In terms of leading a talented high major college team, he has solid feel as a passer but will need to improve some with his decisions on when to score and when to defer to teammates."

Nunez is expected to have a chance to make an immediate impact for the Sun Devils when he arrives on campus next year. ASU will lose Jackson, who will finish out his eligibility this year, although Boston College transfer Jay Heath— who is more suited to play shooting guard — as should Illinois State transfer DJ Horne.

Nunez is Arizona State’s third 2022 recruit to commit to ASU, joining 6-10 center Duke Brennan (Gilbert, AZ) and 6-6 wing Malcolm Flaggs (Chandler, AZ).