ASU basketball has found a big man. Eric Boateng, a McDonald’s All-America choice in high school who played sparingly at Duke this past season as a freshman, announced his choice to transfer to ASU Monday night.
Boateng, a 6-foot-11, 250-pound center from England, will sit out the upcoming season, then will have three years of eligibility remaining.
He took a number of recruiting visits, but “Arizona State stuck in my head and my heart,” Boateng said. “I feel it’s the best situation for me.
“I’m really excited to be a student-athlete at Arizona State.”
Boateng averaged 0.7 points and 0.6 rebounds in 2.5 minutes per game for Duke.
New coach Herb Sendek’s familiarity with Boateng paid off in the recruiting process; Sendek recruited Boateng out of St. Andrew’s School in Delaware when Sendek coached at North Carolina State.
“He sees something special in me,” Boateng said. “That’s something I really respect.”
Boateng said he also considered Michigan, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, George Washington and Delaware.
Boateng is the second recruit to commit to ASU under Sendek. Previously, Jerren Shipp, the leading scorer for one of the nation’s top high school teams – Fairfax of Los Angeles – signed on.
The two commitments mean ASU has no more scholarships to offer this year.
