How Did Jose Perez Perform in Professional Debut?

A day after leaving Arizona State, Jose Perez was already on the court playing professionally. But if his first game overseas is any indication, he may need some time to adjust and make the transition.

Perez, who left ASU to deal with a personal matter before the regular season finale vs. UCLA, scored eight points in just over 39 minutes. He was 3-11 (0-4 3p, 2-3 ft), 5 rebounds and 4 assists in the game.

jose perez played his first pro game yesterday since leaving asu for plaza valerio in the santiago superior basketball tournament (dominican republic).

he totaled 8 points on 3-11 (0-4 3p, 2-3 ft), 5 rebounds and 4 assists, a +1 in a 9-point ot loss (played 39:39 out of 45 min). https://t.co/J5x0AM2v0m pic.twitter.com/Tx23RM946h

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) March 11, 2024

Perez explained to WV Sports Now that he’s dealing with a situation in his family.

Original reports mentioned that Perez left the team to pursue professional opportunities. That’s even what ASU HC Bobby Hurley said to the media after the game.

“Jose is not going to be with the team moving forward. He’s decided to take a position overseas so he’ll be playing overseas for the remainder of the season,” Hurley said.

Perez, the Sun Devils’ second-leading scorer, was inactive against UCLA on Saturday and won’t be available during the Pac-12 tournament. Perez is averaging 13.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2,7 assists during his final season of eligibility.

Perez joined ASU in October after parting ways with West Virginia and interim HC Josh Eilert for academic reasons. Perez was with WVU’s program for nearly a year and had to sit the 2022-23 season without a transfer waiver. Perez tested the transfer portal waters after Bob Huggins’ resignation during the summer but decided to remain at WVU until he and Eilert parted ways.

Perez will now begin his professional career as he has run out of collegiate eligibility.