Undrafted, ASU's Zylan Cheatham agrees to deal with New Orleans Pelicans

Zylan Cheatham has agreed to a free agent deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype.

The former Sun Devil and Phoenix South Mountain High School standout went undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft.

Growing up in South Phoenix, Cheatham played football through middle school before switching to basketball on a friend's suggestion. Basketball became his calling, and he found himself being asked to play on several club teams and high schools. 

After playing two seasons at South Mountain, Cheatham transferred to Phoenix Westwind Prep Academy for his junior year.

He ran into early trouble when the school that he hoped would raise his profile among Division I schools was not recognized by the NCAA. 

Going back to South Mountain for his senior year, Cheatham had to retake his classes from junior year to earn eligibility.

He finished his high school career as a four-star recruit and chose San Diego State over Arizona State and New Mexico.

At San Diego State, he redshirted his first year after breaking the fifth metatarsal in his left foot. When he returned on the team, he averaged 8.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game over 69 games.

Cheatham transferred to ASU as a redshirt junior after two seasons at San Diego State. His decision to head home was primarily basketball-related, and it was another step in fulfilling his NBA dream.

The forward sat out in the 2017-18 season per NCAA rules.

During this time, he practiced with the team and anticipated returning to the court for his hometown team. He instantly made an impact.

In his first and only season with Arizona State, Cheatham averaged 12.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists through 25 games. He led the conference in rebounds and received first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

Aside from his offensive achievements, he acquired first-team Pac-12 All-Defensive accolades. 

Cheatham made an impact in his short time with the Sun Devils, becoming the first player in 21 years to grab 20 rebounds in a single game twice. On December 1, he posted the second triple-double in ASU history against Texas Southern.

The 6-foot-8 forward finished with 14 double-doubles for the season. One of those double-doubles came during ASU's 74-65 win over St. John's in the NCAA Tournament, their first postseason victory since 2014.

Cheatham and Wisconsin's Ethan Happ were the only two players in the country to average a double-double and three assists per game this season. The last time a Pac-12 player did that was in the 1974-75 season.

Last month, he received the Bill Kajikawa Award from ASU, given to the top graduating senior athletes. The award highlights athletes based on athletic accomplishments, academic achievement, community service and leadership.