Following his 25 years at the helm of Saint Mary’s, Randy Bennett came to ASU and faced an immediate challenge: constructing an entirely new roster after retaining just two players from the 2025-26 campaign. 

Bennett, along with the two returners, senior guard Bryce Ford and junior guard Vijay Wallace, outlined on Tuesday what they expect from the team in 2026. Despite limited leadership experience, the guards aim to set the standard for ASU basketball and build a fundamentally sound program under their new head coach. 

Yet Bennett cautioned that it's too early to evaluate his team's potential. 

“I don’t know our team that well,” Bennett said. “I do like our personnel.”

One thing Bennett said that stood out about his squad is their size, with three 7-footers on the roster. However, Bennett believes height is not a luxury but a necessity in the Big 12, citing last year’s Arizona team, which reached the Final Four, as an example of the need for size on the floor. 

“I think you have to be (big),” Bennett said. “I don’t think you can play small and get it done.”

Because Bennett hasn’t seen the team play enough, his expectations on Tuesday focused largely on the values he wants to establish in the program.

“The biggest stuff is laying a foundation for your program,” Bennett said. 

Bennett said building a program toward success includes preaching toughness and togetherness, playing as a team, and a work ethic.

After a series of offseason workouts over the summer, Bennett said they’ll be fundamentally ready once school begins in the fall. 

Despite facing a drastic roster turnover, Bennett’s coaching staff brings a sense of familiarity. 

Associate head coach Rick Croy arrives after leading California Baptist to an NCAA Tournament appearance last season. Prior to CBU, Croy spent three seasons coaching under Bennett.

“They know exactly what I want, (what) we want,” Bennett said. “I don’t have to say, ‘Hey, do it like this.’ They know how to do it.”

With many new faces, Bennett said his squad will rely on its two returnees for on-court leadership. The Sun Devils will primarily look to Ford, who is the only returner with Division I basketball experience. 

“Bryce (Ford) is a sharp guy, so he needs to help lead,” Bennett said. 

Ford said he’s embracing his relatively new leadership role and wants to set the standard of Sun Devil basketball.

“(With) me coming back, I want to show (the newcomers) the Sun Devil way and how we get stuff early, lift, how we hoop,” Ford said.

Bennett said Wallace, the other returner and junior college transfer who missed all of last season with an ankle injury, is quieter but needs to find his voice because of his position as a guard.

“Everybody already feels kind of together as a team,” Wallace said.

While the Sun Devils have their work cut out for them this year and beyond, Bennett was optimistic about where the program is headed. 

Bennett believes the resources are there at ASU to compete in the Big 12. Now, it's a matter of turning that opportunity into wins at Desert Financial Arena. 

“We have what we need to be good,” Bennett said.