Elias Valtonen, a 6-foot-6 wing from Helsinki (Finland) Basketball Academy, committed to Arizona State over Illinois on Friday.
“One reason was the coaching staff,” Valtonen told Scout.com. “I like their style of play and how they play quick up and down basketball. I think I can get better as a guard there.”
Playing for Finland in the 2016 FIBA U18 European Championship, he averaged 7.7 points and 4.5 rebounds. At the U17 World Championship that year, he averaged 14.1 points and 4.4 rebounds a game against his age group.
“Elias bring great size at 6-6 (without shoes) to ASU’s perimeter,” Valtonen’s mentor and coach Hanno Möttölä told ZAGSBLOG. “He is a good shooter and has chance to develop into really good one. He has well rounded game with outside shot, dribble drive and post-up game. I think he will learn a lot from Coach [Bobby] Hurley and fit their 3-guard offense really well.”
Valtonen is Arizona State’s first pledge in 2018.
