Arizona State freshman projected to be first-round pick in 2025 NBA Draft
Arizona State men's basketball fans will quickly become familiar with the name Joson Sanon.
A five-star high school recruit out of Vermont Academy, Sanon flipped from Arizona to Arizona State in late May, giving Bobby Hurley one of the best class of 2024 shooting guards in the nation.
Sanon had committed to Arizona in March, but when Caleb Love announced he was returning to Arizona for a fifth college season, Sanon decided to play for the Sun Devils.
At 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, Sanon is built like a prototypical NBA shooting guard - and he plays like one. Sanon can score at all three levels and he uses his big frame to get into the paint and elevate over smaller guards.
In their most recent 2025 NBA mock draft, NBA Draft Room projects Sanon as a first-round pick (No. 30 overall) to the Boston Celtics. The last Arizona State player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft was Josh Christopher in 2021.
Here's what NBA Draft Room writes about Sanon:
"A powerful, big combo guard with a NBA frame and an aggressive game. Has nice passing instincts and good handles and can hit the 3pt shot."
Here are recent highlights of Sanon:
Sanon, who turns 19 in December, might not declare early, but it's clear he's already on the radar of NBA teams. And he's not the only one.
Five-star Arizona State forward Jayden Quaintance, who doesn't turn 18 until July, is projected as a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Because he's so young, he won't be eligible to declare for the draft until 2026.
Quaintance is 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds with a 7-foot-3 wingspan. Here's what SI's NBA Draft Digest wrote about his game:
"He plays an explosive brand of basketball, punishing the rim with ferocious dunks anytime he gets close to the basket. Quaintance is extremely physical and has the ability to dominate as an undersized center. In fact, there’s reason to believe he could play either frontcourt spot at the next level. He is a phenomenal rebounder who leverages his vertical pop well on the glass."
With the inside-outside combo of Sanon and Quaitance, Arizona State fans are in for a treat this season.
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Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.