Josh Christopher

Joshua Christopher (born December 8, 2001) is an American college basketball player for the Arizona State Sun Devils of the Pac-12 Conference. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the best shooting guards in the 2020 class. At the high school level, he competed for Mayfair High School in Lakewood, California.

Josh Christopher
No. 13 – Arizona State Sun Devils
PositionShooting guard
LeaguePac-12 Conference
Personal information
Born (2001-12-08) December 8, 2001
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolMayfair
(Lakewood, California)
CollegeArizona State (2020–present)
Career highlights and awards

Early life and high school career

Christopher grew up playing basketball with his older brother, Caleb, in elementary school, middle school and his first two years with Mayfair High School in Lakewood, California, as well as on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit.[1][2] In his childhood, he often played against older opponents.[3] As a sophomore at Mayfair, Christopher averaged 25.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4 steals and 3.6 assists per game, leading his team to a 21–8 record.[4] In his junior season, he averaged 25 points per game and won the Division 2AA championship.[5] As a senior, Christopher was joined by Dior Johnson, one of the highest rated sophomores in the country. He averaged 29.2 points, 8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.1 steals per game, leading his team to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals.[6][7] Christopher was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit, but all three games were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.[8]

Recruiting

Christopher is a consensus five-star recruit and the number two shooting guard in the 2020 recruiting class. On April 13, 2020, he announced his commitment to Arizona State over Michigan, USC, Missouri and UCLA. His brother, Caleb, was heavily involved in recruiting Christopher to Arizona State even though Caleb is purely a bench and team player. As such, Christopher became Arizona State's highest-ranked recruit in the modern recruiting era and the program's first five-star recruit since James Harden in 2007.[9]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Josh Christopher
SG		 Carson, CA Mayfair (CA) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Apr 13, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 95
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 12  247Sports: 8  ESPN: 11
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Arizona State 2020 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  • "2020 Arizona State Sun Devils Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 3, 2020.

    Personal life

    Christopher is the youngest of four siblings, all of whom have played basketball.[10] His brother, Patrick, played professionally, including a brief stint with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Patrick's godbrother is former NBA player Tayshaun Prince.[1] Christopher's sister, Paris, played college basketball for Saint Mary's but suffered a career-ending injury as a freshman.[11] His brother, Caleb, plays collegiately for Arizona State. Christopher's father, Laron, is a musician.[3] His parents are devout Christians.[2]

    Christopher is often known as "Jaygup," a nickname created in his childhood.[2]

    References
    1. Turner, Josiah (January 24, 2020). "Josh Christopher's Family Tree Is Paving the Way for Success". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
    2. Yeboah, Eric (December 13, 2019). "There's No Changing the One and Only Jaygup". Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
    3. Sondheimer, Eric (December 21, 2017). "Sophomore guard Joshua Christopher is making basketball fun at Mayfair". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
    4. Ugland, Devin (January 6, 2018). "Mayfair boys basketball's Josh Christopher is a rising star". Press-Telegram. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
    5. John, Andrew L. (December 28, 2018). "Star recruit Josh Christopher trying to enjoy every moment of his basketball journey". The Desert Sun. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
    6. Jordan, Jason (April 1, 2020). "SI All-American Josh Christopher Highlights". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
    7. Divens, Jordan (March 25, 2020). "MaxPreps 2019-20 High School Boys Basketball All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
    8. Jordan, Jason (March 12, 2019). "McDonald's All American Game Cancelled Amid COVID-19 Concerns". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
    9. Borzello, Jeff (April 13, 2020). "Arizona State lands top-10 senior Josh Christopher". ESPN. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
    10. Woods, Erik (September 9, 2018). "Josh & Caleb Christopher: Family Secret Sauce to Success, Part 1". Rivals. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
    11. Gorcey, Ryan (June 26, 2017). "History repeats itself with Christopher". 247Sports. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
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