Men's Hoops Signs Curtis Millage and Chris Osborne

Two Signees include Southern California Community College Player of the Year.

The Arizona State men's basketball program has signed Curtis Millage (Los Angeles, Calif./Los Angeles Southwest College) and Chris Osborne (Los Angeles, Calif./Compton College) in the spring signing period. Both are expected to join the squad in the fall of 2001 and they each will have two years of eligibility.

"Both of these players are physical and tough players who we expect to help us immediately," says Rob Evans, who finished his third year at ASU in 2000-2001. "We really helped ourselves in the backcourt with the addition of Curtis and Chris will help our frontcourt with size. Also, they are junior college players who have some experience on the collegiate level. We have a nice nucleus returning, including three players who sat out this year, so we feel we are putting together a solid program with a lot of depth at various positions."

Millage is a high-scoring 6-2 southpaw guard who led Los Angeles Southwest College to the state championship and a 29-7 record. He averaged 23 points, 3.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game earning him the Southern California Community College Player of the Year. He averaged 18.3 points and shot 53 percent in the three-game playoffs as Los Angeles Southwest finished ninth in the state poll. In 1999-2000, Millage averaged 19.8 points, 4.3 steals and shot 51 percent from the field, including a 41-point effort in one contest.

"Curtis is very strong and powerful guard who was recruited by several schools at the major conference level. We like the fact he led his team to a championship and that he is strong enough to defend a number of positions. He has shown the ability to score and score quickly. The aspect of his game that can help us the most is that he can create his own shot. He is very energetic and competitive, and that can be very contagious, especially with younger players."

Osborne, at 6-9 and 240 pounds, is expected to be a physical presence underneath. An extremely intense player and a very hard worker, Osborne played in the Dada All-Star Classic at Pauley Pavilion in April of 1999 and was one of California's 34 players listed in USA Today's preseason state-by-state listing. A Street & Smith's honorable mention All-American, he is a strong, physical player who is a solid rebounder. He garnered 73 points in the Orange County Register's "Fabulous 15" rating system, putting him as a second-team selection and the 29th-best prospect on the west coast. He played one year at Mesa Community College and also played at Compton College this past season. He originally signed with ASU in the fall of 1998 signing period.

"Chris will give us depth in the frontcourt and can help Chad (Prewitt), Tommy (Smith) and Awvee (Storey) in rebounding and defending some of the better post players in the league. We did not have a lot of depth this year and as a result our frontcourt players were in foul trouble a lot. Chris will give us depth and size along with toughness. You need size underneath to combat some of the better front lines in the Pac-10 and Chris can help us right away in that regard."

Also, Kenny Crandall, who was a freshman in 1998-99 and started in 23 games, went on a two-year Mormon Mission to Eugene, Ore., and will return to the Sun Devils in 2001-2002. Crandall, a native of Mesa, Ariz., and a 6-4 swingman who prepped at Mountain View High School, averaged 5.9 points and 28.4 minutes per game in his initial season. He will have three years of eligibility beginning in 2001-2002. ASU also signed point guard Jason Braxton from Moreno Valley, Calif., and Canyon Springs High School in the fall. Alton Mason was the lone senior on this year's Sun Devil squad, which finished 13-16. ASU is expected to return four starters and nine lettermen from this year's team and also to have medical redshirts Tanner Shell and Justin Allen healthy.

2001 Arizona State Men's Basketball Spring Signees

Name (Position) Ht. Previous School Hometown

Curtis Millage (G) 6-2 Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles, Calif.

Chris Osborne (F) 6-9 Compton College Los Angeles, Calif.

2000 Arizona State Men's Basketball Fall Signee

Name (Position) Ht./Wt. Previous School Hometown

Jason Braxton (PG) 6-2/180 Canyon Springs High School Moreno Valley, Calif.