Basketball and beach trip bonds Arizona State men's team

It's unanimous. Arizona State basketball players and coaches like the beach.

Coach Bobby Hurley's Sun Devils had their first full-scale practice in the lead up to a new season on Wednesday. But team activities it unofficially got underway in July during a 10-day excursion that included stops in Paris, Athens and the Greek island of Mykonos. The Sun Devils played two exhibition games, so the team was allowed some time to practice ahead of that trip.

With nine new players on the roster this season, Hurley thinks that trip went a long way in facilitating the team bonding process with the Nov. 8 opener against Mississippi State in Chicago fast approaching.

"The time the guys spent, you could see the core organically spending time with each other and having a good time so that part was excellent, particularly with having so many new players," Hurley said. "The games were great to get a glimpse of different combinations and we didn't have our full complement of players so we didn't have our full front court but you could see the potential."

The Sun Devils try to take a foreign trip every few years. The last came in 2019 when ASU and Colorado traveled to China for games as part of a Pac-12 global initiative.

Hurley's 2017 team went to Rome and Barcelona. It started the regular season 12-0, with Hurley singling out that foreign trip as a factor in that strong start because it had that bonding experience and got to practice early.

Asked his favorite part of the recent trip, Hurley didn't hesitate.

"I would say the end of it," he said. "Mykonos was one of my favorite places in the world. To visit there, and we stayed at a beautiful resort. So there wasn't basketball. We went to the beach and they had a blast. One of the most beautiful places I have been to. That was easily the best part."

Junior point guard Frankie Collins, who is just one of three returning players, said that was his favorite part, too.

"The beach in Mykonos," Collins said. "Everything about it was beautiful. The scenery. Just being there with my teammates, getting to now each other and have fun."

Collins' teammate backed him up.

"My favorite part. Probably the beach," Neal said. "We were there for awhile, having a lot of fun, a lot of food and taking a lot of pictures. had a lot of stuff to do, getting on jet skis. Riding this other thing, I don't know what it is called. And I was on there with coach Hurley and he was screaming and we were about to fall off, so that was funny."

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The Sun Devils went 23-13 a year ago, that was highlighted by a blowout win over Nevada in Dayton in the NCAA play-in game. The Sun Devils then had to play in Denver 48 hours later and lost a tough one to favored TCU 72-70.

Hurley says he has stressed to his team the need to not falter in those nonconference games you're supposed to win. The Sun Devils had two of those last season in Texas Southern and San Francisco. Those setbacks were the primary reason his team had to fight for its postseason life last three weeks of the season.

"I think back to last season and I wonder how we would have fared if we hadn't had that game in Dayton," he said. "You have to take care of your business," he said.

After a couple of rough seasons, Hurley feels the program is back headed in the right direction and he likes the new blood brought into the program. He had a lot of transfers last year too and says the difference this season is his transfers have less Division I experience, but probably has more size, athleticism and potential. Last year the team hung its hat on defense and team chemistry. Hurley said its too early to say what the team's identity will be this time around but he likes what he sees.

"It's been refreshing to come off a year when you feel like you've taken steps in the right direction and you feel rejuvenated and are happy with the guys you have to work with," he said.

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One key thing yet to be determined is the status of guard Adam Miller, a transfer from LSU. Miller is a two-time transfer, having started his collegiate career at Illinois where he played one season. He needs a waiver from the NCAA to be eligible this season since he does not have a degree.

Miller would provide a veteran presence and fill the void of guard D.J. Horne, who opted to use his last year of eligibility close to home at North Carolina State.

History wouldn't seem to be on the side of the Sun Devils in this regard as two ASU football players in a similar position - Jake Smith and Xavion Alford, both had their waiver requests denied.

Hurley said the school is working to get a resolution on that issue now.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Foreign trip has Arizona State men's basketball in a better place