How Remaining Arizona State Roster Vacancies Will Be Filled

TEMPE -- Work is well underway for the 2026-27 Arizona State men's basketball roster to be fully constructed roughly six weeks into the Randy Bennett era.

Bennett briefly expressed his thrill at how the roster has turned out during his introductory press conference on Thursday, after overcoming health challenges and having to virtually rebuild the 2025-26 team from scratch, as the team stood at 11 players heading into the week.

grerg — May 7, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils basketball head coach Randy Bennett speaks to the media during an introductory press conference at the Weatherup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Bennett ultimately revealed an interesting tidbit about the roster during his availability on Thursday, which will be discussed below.

Arizona State's Roster To Stand at 12 Soon

Saint Mary's head coach Randy Bennett walks in front of the bench in the first half during a first round men’s basketball game of the NCAA Tournament between St. Mary's and Texas A&M, at Paycom in Oklahoma City on Thursday, March 19, 2026. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bennett surprised many with his assessment of the current roster, subtly suggesting that the team stands at 12 players despite only 11 additions being confirmed at this time.

The speculation is that there is a European big man who is slated to make the move to Tempe after the upcoming professional season ends - an announcement cannot be made until then. If this is true, that would mean that a third center would join Ben Defty and Nate Garcia in the rotation.

Bennett's first roster in Tempe is well-rounded and athletic, and it features a plethora of strong three-point shooters, but there is still work to be done with the final three spots.

Randy Bennett answers questions during a news conference at the Weatherup Center in Tempe on May 7, 2026. | Mark Henle/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What This Means for Remainder of Roster Building

There's not much debate surrounding whether Arizona State should add a backup point guard or not heading into the heart of the offseason. Joel Foxwell is firmly entrenched as the starting "1" after an exceptional freshman season at Portland, but there must be reinforcements set behind him. The lack of a true point guard behind Moe Odum on last season's squad truly hindered the team's ceiling on a game-by-game basis in Hurley's final campaign - this must be corrected here.

Beyond adding a second point guard, there is a need for another combo guard and perhaps one more wing player. The Sun Devils are likely set at center and point guard under these parameters, which opens the door to add two more players either via the portal or the international ranks.

Feb 25, 2026; Spokane, Washington, USA; Portland Pilots guard Joel Foxwell (23) controls the ball against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

The primary 2026-27 rotation is largely set, even as the roster remains incomplete, but additional players need to be added to ensure the team has depth, youth with tangible upside, and players who are hungry to succeed after being overlooked at earlier stages of their journey. Expect additional pieces to be added to the roster sooner rather than later.

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