“I’ve just decided to continue my career as a Sun Devil,” Carson said. “it was really more my decision, I got positive feedback I was happy with everything I just thought it was the best thing for me to come back.”

The Mesa High product averaged 18.5 points, 5.1 assists, and 37.2 minutes per game on his way to earning Pac-12 co- freshman of the year with UCLA guard Shabazz Muhammad.

“I also looked at the guys who had been successful in college as well and took that into consideration when making my decision,” Carson said.

Taylor joined the Sun Devils in 2006, the same time ASU hired Herb Sendek. The Sun Devils went 120-109 during Taylor’s time at ASU. He will become the ninth assistant coach under Herb Sendek to become head coach at another division one basketball program.

The ASU basketball program has been a roller coaster during Taylor’s stay in Tempe. The Sun Devils only garnered eight wins in Taylor’s first year but saw tremendous success with the addition of James Harden. ASU then fell off once again before Jahii Carson arrived on campus, and that story is unfinished.

The Sun Devils prevailed 83-68, and that margin of victory pretty well summed up this NIT first round game.

Coming into the matchup, there was some thought the Horizon League Player of the Year Ray McCallum Jr. would put up big numbers that could keep this contest close. However, it was apparent early on that ASU was ready to come out and beat down this mid-major school the way a power conference team should.

Point guard Jahii Carson shined in the game by putting up 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. With his performance, Carson surpassed James Harden’s freshman record of 20-plus point games by recording his 17^th.

“I don’t try to go out there and get points, I just try to go out there and attack the basket. It’s tough for teams to guard somebody so small,” Carson said. “It’s been great for me this season just being able to go out there and score the basketball and help my teammates get the win.”

Everything was peachy midway through conference play; ASU was 6-3 and just a week removed from a blowout win over UCLA at home. Things quickly took a turn for the worse after beating Cal to start the second half of the season, though.

They weren’t able to continue the momentum of the win against Cal and went on to lose to Stanford, followed by a crushing loss to Utah.

ASU scored first after winning the tip when Jordan Bachynski scored from under the basket, and looked to have something going when Jahii Carson hit a three to make the score 5 to 2, but Arizona put together a run and never relinquished the lead to the visiting Sun Devils Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats took a 15 point lead into the first half, up 40 to 25.

“We let them jump on us in the first half, and that’s definitely what got us. We played well in the second half, but it wasn’t enough,” said senior forward Carrick Felix.

The most controversial call of the afternoon came with 18 seconds left, when a shot clock violation should have seemingly been called on the Trojans. Referees ruled that junior big man Jordan Bachynski committed a foul before the violation would have occurred, giving USC two free throws and a 57-52 lead. 

Jahii Carson then made a jumper to pull ASU to within three points 57-54 and forced a turnover on an inbounds pass. Carson made another layup, cutting the USC lead to one 57-56 with five seconds left.

The Sun Devils then fouled, and Eric Wise missed the front end of the one and one, giving ASU the last chance. Carson couldn’t pull out the win when he missed a buzzer beater from just past half court.