The Arizona State Sun Devils were looking to upgrade their roster after finishing the 2025-26 college basketball season with a 17-16 overall record. On Tuesday, new Arizona State head coach Randy Bennett saw one of his former players join him.
St. Mary’s forward Paulius Murauskas announced that he’s transferring to Arizona State to reunite with his head coach. The Sun Devils hired Bennett, who previously coached at St. Mary’s for 25 seasons, in March 2026.
Paulius Murauskas’ Decision Sparks Strong Reaction From College Basketball World
Murauskas played a big role in getting the Gaels into this season’s NCAA Tournament. However, the Gaels lost to Texas A&M, and their season came to an end.
Jeff Goodman, the college basketball insider and co-founder of “The Field of 68,” had an immediate response to the news of Murauskas joining Arizona State.
“BREAKING: Arizona State has signed Saint Mary’s transfer Paulius Murauskas, source told @TheFieldof68. The 6-8 junior forward averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 boards last season for Randy Bennett. HUGE pickup for the Sun Devils,” he wrote.
BREAKING: Arizona State has signed Saint Mary’s transfer Paulius Murauskas, source told @TheFieldOf68.
The 6-8 junior forward averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 boards last season for Randy Bennett.
HUGE pickup for the Sun Devils.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 21, 2026
ESPN’s college basketball Insider Jeff Borzello also shared the news about Murauskas moving to Tempe, Ariz. and what it means for the program.
“Saint Mary’s transfer Paulius Murauskas has officially signed with Arizona State, sources told ESPN,” Borzello posted on X.
“A top-10 player in the portal, Murauskas will follow Randy Bennett to the Sun Devils. Two-time All-WCC performer averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds last season.”
NEWS: Saint Mary’s transfer Paulius Murauskas has officially signed with Arizona State, sources told ESPN. A top-10 player in the portal, Murauskas will follow Randy Bennett to the Sun Devils. Two-time All-WCC performer averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds last season. pic.twitter.com/8apKWiIpEp
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 21, 2026
Murauskas is a native of Kaunas, Lithuania. He played one season for the Arizona Wildcats before spending the last two seasons playing for Bennett at St. Mary’s.
In three college basketball seasons, Murauskas has averaged 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.
Throughout his career, he has shot 46.5% from the floor, 33.5% from beyond the 3-point arc, and 80.2% from the free-throw line. Last season, he posted 48.2/33.3/84.0 shooting splits while averaging a career-high 18.4 points per game.
The 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward is a huge pickup for Bennett and Arizona State, as one of the top names remaining in the transfer portal comes off the board.
