Why Arizona State Should Target Transfer Portal Bound Christian Hammond

Will Arizona State be able to land elite players in the transfer portal beyond those following the new HC?

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Santa Clara Broncos guard Christian Hammond (1) warms up before a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Kentucky Wildcats at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The resounding theme surrounding Arizona State men's basketball over the last several days is that a new era is upon fans in Tempe.

The hiring of 63-year old Randy Bennett to take over the program from Bobby Hurley has injected life into a program where promise was previously flashed under the latter.

Mar 18, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Saint Mary's Gaels head coach Randy Bennett speaks to the team during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Now, much work is required from Bennett from a roster-building perspective, as retention of players currently on the roster, attempting to reel in class of 2026 recruits, and supplementing the roster with transfer portal players will all play a role in constructing the 2026-27 group.

A four-star guard in the 2026 class JRob Croy already flipped his commitment from St. Mary's to Arizona State, while two players on the Gaels' 2025-26 roster in Mikey Lewis and Paulius
Murauskas are intending to enter the portal - which sets the stage for Bennett to already build out a well-rounded squad.

Mar 19, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Saint Mary's (CA) Gaels forward Paulius Murauskas (23) dribbles the ball during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

However, there are outside-the-box options that Bennett might become privy to in the weeks ahead as well - including a familiar player that he faced in the West Coast Conference.

Joe Tipton was the first to report that Santa Clara guard Christian Hammond is planning to enter the transfer portal when the window officially opens on April 7 - making the junior an intriguing option for the Sun Devils at the very least.

Santa Clara guard Christian Hammond plans to enter the @TransferPortal, he told @On3. ⁰⁰The 6-4 sophomore was the Broncos leading scorer, averaging 15.6 points per game, while shooting over 39% from three. All-WCC First Team. https://t.co/P2CLLLO2iq pic.twitter.com/Ym926hIiji

— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) March 25, 2026

Why Hammond Should be Targeted

Hammond struggled in two of Santa Clara's three games this season against Bennett's pack-line defense, but he would translate into the system - even if it took time for the 6'4" guard to develop as a playmaker even more.

Hammond's 25 point showing against St. Mary's on January 17 and 22 point performance against Arizona State on December 13 displays how strong of a shotmaker he has the ability to be. Beyond this, Hammond improved drastically on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in generating off-ball steals, which would translate into Bennett's defensive scheme.

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Santa Clara Broncos guard Christian Hammond (1) sets the play against Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

The presence of Noah Meeusen, Bryce Ford, and others on the roster - as well as potential portal adds - complicates a potential matchup between the two. There is also sure to be a wide array of suitors for the upcoming junior, including national contenders such as Florida - which also dims Arizona State's chances to successfully recruit a prospect that is sure to be considered among the best in the portal once it officially opens.