ARIZONA STATE BASKETBALL

ASU AD: Carrick Felix is a draftable player

Jan 30, 2013, 6:14 PM | Updated: 6:45 pm

LISTEN: Steve Patterson, ASU Athletic Director

Going into this season, Arizona State senior Carrick Felix was not really looked at as an NBA prospect.

Coming off a season in which he averaged 10.5 points and 4 rebounds per game while shooting .421 from the field, the 6-foot-6 swingman was a solid college player but nothing more.

All that’s changed.

Felix is averaging 15.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, while shooting .535 from the floor and blocking at least one bush league UCLA layup attempt for the surprising Sun Devils, and after winning his third Pac-12 Player of the Week Award, seems like he might have the NBA in his future.

Arizona State Athletic Director Steve Patterson, who used to be a general manager in the NBA, thinks Felix will get a shot.

“The great thing about Carrick is he’s got his head screwed on, he works hard every day, he works hard every play, day in and day out in practice,” he told Arizona Sports 620’s Doug and Wolf. “He never takes a play off in a game, plays good defense and has shown the capacity for his game to grow considerably.”

Patterson said if Felix can stay on his current trajectory there will be a place for him in the NBA, and it’s tough to argue. While Felix may not be a first-round selection, players with his size, athletic ability and motor tend to get a look.

Of course, teams never would have been able to see that had Felix not stayed for his senior year.

“I think, unfortunately, everybody focuses on the LeBron Jameses or the Kobe Bryants that are spectacular players that probably don’t need four years in college,” Patterson said. “But every year, when I was a general manager, you’d sit there and you’d look at the list, and there’d be 200 names on it of guys that are coming out of college.

“Maybe two or three are really ready to go in the pros, and the rest of those guys have given up their college education, given up their chance to grow as players and really eventually put themselves in a position where they could have a career in the NBA, or if not have a far better career outside of basketball doing something else.”

Arizona State Basketball

Jadrian Tracey...

Associated Press

Oregon captures final Pac-12 Tournament championship with win over Colorado

Oregon secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by defeating Colorado 75-68 on Saturday night, ending the Pac-12 basketball era.

2 days ago

Arizona State basketball coach Bobby Hurley...

Jesse Morrison

State of the Sun Devils podcast: What is the future of Bobby Hurley at Arizona State

On the latest edition of the State of the Sun Devils podcast, the guys discuss the future of ASU men's basketball coach Bobby Hurley.

3 days ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: What is Bobby Hurley’s future at Arizona State?

On the latest State of the Sun Devil podcast the guys react to the end of men's basketball season, and wonder what the future of the program will be and how the offseason will unfold. Plus, reactions to football's pro day.

3 days ago

ASU football field...

Dan Bickley

Arizona State reaches rock bottom at end of Pac-12 stay

Rock bottom is mostly a metaphor, a cliché for sports teams that have fallen and can’t get up. But you can find it on the map at ASU.

4 days ago

Michael Crow, Arizona State University president...

Kevin Zimmerman

Now would be a good time for Arizona State to hire an athletic director

Who's to make a decision on Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley without an athletic director? Michael Crow must make a decision soon.

5 days ago

Utah guard Gabe Madsen (55) fouls Arizona State center Shawn Phillips Jr. (9) during the first half...

Arizona Sports

Bobby Hurley: ‘I failed miserably’ in Arizona State’s Pac-12 Tournament loss to Utah

Arizona State's basketball season ended in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas after the team started 4-0 in conference play this year.

5 days ago

ASU AD: Carrick Felix is a draftable player