It was a debut to remember.
Haitian Canadian Arizona State Sun Devils freshman Luguentz Dort scored 28 points, including nine in overtime, to lead the Sun Devils to a 102-94 double-overtime win over visiting Cal State Fullerton Tuesday in the regular-season opener for both squads at Wells Fargo Arena. It was the highest point total by a freshman in school history in an opener.
“He’s so poised,” said Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley. “I guess that was the highest point total in the history of the school. He obviously put out a strong first impression here.”
Dort, a native of Canada, admits he was a little nervous in his ASU debut but played through that and enjoyed the competitive atmosphere.
While Dort is a few games into his Arizona State basketball career the foundation of an NBA Draft resume is already coming to form. The freshman shooting guard enters the 2018-19 season with a reputation good enough for ESPN to rank him 23rd on its first list of the top 100 prospects who could be eligible for the 2019 draft.
From ESPN, 2019 NBA Draft Big Board: Top 60 Prospects As College Basketball Tips Off
23. LUGUENTZ DORT, G, ARIZONA STATE | FRESHMAN
Height: 6’4″ | Weight: 220 | Age: 19
While the preseason microscope train has centered elsewhere, Dort is positioned as a leading man for the Sun Devils this season and has built up a strong buzz in NBA circles as a sneaky one-and-done candidate. A native of Montreal, Dort is a big-bodied combo guard who has been likened physically to Marcus Smart. He’s known for playing hard on both ends and projects as a versatile role player who excels in the open floor. Dort is imposing as a defender and due to his size and quickness should be able to slide up or down a position. His ceiling may be limited by his physical maturity and struggles with dribble-creation, but Dort has a bankable floor that will give him an opportunity to stick.
Dort was rated by 247 Sports as the 30th-best prospect in the 2018 recruiting class.
