Frankie Collins, Jamiya Neal set to lead ASU hoops

TEMPE, Ariz. — With the influx of new faces suiting up for Arizona State men’s basketball this season, guards Frankie Collins and Jamiya Neal look to take on larger leadership roles heading into the 2023-24 campaign.

Frankie Collins and Jamiya Neal look to lead Arizona State basketball this season

“I think they know what it takes, and we’ve been trying to just make sure the other guys are on board and practicing and training the way we need to,” head coach Bobby Hurley said at Pac-12 men’s basketball media day on Wednesday.

Arizona State found their calling card defensively last season, slotting in at 35th in KenPom-adjusted defensive ratings. The duo of Collins and Neal will be tasked with helping all the fresh faces fit into different schemes and roles. This will be crucial as Arizona State hopes to replicate its 2022-23 success.

“I think just understanding how Coach Hurley operates and being that voice and taking that next step in the leadership role and helping everybody out there on the court,” Collins stated. “Just getting them all on the same page and understanding what we’ve got going on.”

Nine newcomers are set to lace up for ASU this season. Collins and Neal will not only serve as vocal leaders off the court but leaders by example on the hardwood. “They were two of the better guards in the league late in the season,” Hurley said.

What Frankie Collins brings to the table

Collins returns this season as Arizona State’s starting point guard. The junior tallied 9.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 4.3 APG in the 2022-23 season. Collins excels at attacking in transition while controlling the pace of the game in a half-court set in order to initiate & open up the floor. On the other side of the floor, the Sacramento native is a feisty defender. He has proven his ability to fit into schemes on successful defenses, making him a viable all-around option.

Jamiya Neal primed for a big season

On the other hand, Neal’s skill set provides a nice foil to Collins in the backcourt. It took a bit of time for Neal to find a consistent role within Hurley’s rotation last season. However, his contributions toward the latter half of last season allowed him to carve out a bigger role for himself.

Standing at six-foot-six-inches, Neal is a bigger guard who, like Collins, excels at attacking in the open floor. His combination of ferocious slashing and a high-arching, quick release point gives him the sneaky potential to be one of the Pac-12’s premier three-level scorers. Neal averaged just 4.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.5 APG last season. Now the junior will be called upon to fill the void left by guards DJ Horne and Desmond Cambridge Jr. as the team’s premier wing scorer.

“Me and Frank are both willing passers, and we want to see each other do great,” Neal said. “Our games complement each other because we both can shoot, we both like to get downhill, we both like to make the right plays and we both guard.”

This tandem will be at the forefront of Sun Devil Hoops this season thanks to their cohesion and versatility. Collins and Neal are more than ready to embrace leadership roles. They will have to be leaders both on and off the court as Arizona State’s final season of Pac-12 play approaches.

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