Cal Basketball: Bears Get Commitment From Kentucky/Texas Transfer Devin Askew
Cal landed its first player out of the transfer portal this spring. Now the Bears wait to see if he is granted eligibility to play next season.
Devin Askew, a 6-foot-3 point guard, was rated a consensus four-star prospect out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana. He signed with Kentucky, part of a six-player 2020 class that was ranked No. 1 in the country.
Askew played one season at Kentucky, then transferred to Texas, where he also played just one year. He entered the transfer portal on April 19 and on Friday announced on social media he will enroll at Cal.
Devin Askew
Because Askew already transferred once with immediate eligibility, he will have to apply for a waiver in order to play with the Bears in 2022-23.
Born in Los Angeles, Askew identifies Sacramento as his hometown on his Kentucky and Texas bios. He could provide coach Mark Fox’s squad a nice boost after the Bears lost their three top scorers from a year ago — Jordan Shepherd, Andre Kelly and Grant Anticevich.
Certainly the Bears need lots of help. Cal has assembled five consecutive losing seasons -- unprecedented in program history -- and have lost 20 games or more four of the past five.
Askew averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 assists and 4.9 rebounds in his senior season at Mater Dei High and was named to the Jordan Brand Classic roster. ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals all listed him among the top-35 players in his high school class.
He picked Kentucky over a long list of suitors that included Cal, but also Kansas, Ohio State and Villanova along with Pac-12 rivals Arizona, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Arizona State.
Jerry Meyer, director of basketball scout for 247Sports when Askew was in high school, called him a potential first-round NBA draft pick.
“Good physique for a point guard. More of a smooth athlete than an explosive athlete. Great bod control and change of pace with enough of a burst. Dangerous three-point shooter with ability to score at all three levels.
“Has the ball on a string as a handler. Loves hesitation move going right and has a sharp pull up jumper going left. Accurate passer who can deliver on the move and while under duress. Adequate on the ball defender who comes up with steals off the ball. Quality rebounder. High basketball IQ and skill level.”
Of course, that evaluation was made before Askew stepped onto a college basketball practice floor. The reality is he had modest success as a freshman on young Kentucky team that under-performed at 9-16 in 2020-21.
Askew averaged 6.5 points and 2.9 assists that season, making 20 starts and averaging 28.9 minutes. He scored double digits seven times, including a high of 14 points against Tennessee.
Devin Askew with Texas coach Chris Beard
Photo by Ben Queen, USA Today
At Texas this past season, Askew’s playing time diminished to 14.9 minutes per game. He made just three starts, averaging 2.1 points and 1.3 assists. His highest-scoring game was a nine-point outing vs. Gonzaga in the season’s second game.
In two college seasons, he has 117 assists and 76 turnovers, with 49 steals. He has shot just 36 percent from the field, 29 percent on 3-pointers. After converting 81 percent at the free throw line his freshman season, his accuracy dipped to 55 percent this past season.
Cover photo of Devin Askew as a freshman at Kentucky by Ken Blaze, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
