Here we are again. Friday night and only 15 hours away from gametime. The Devils are traveling to Utah to take on the Utes in a showdown that hasn't happened since 1993. While Utah was a preseason favorite to challenge for the Pac-12 South Title, it looks like they are just barely clinging on to hope. The Devils can put them away with a victory all while setting themselves apart from the rest of the South Division. So how will it all play out tomorrow? Well, I'm about to tell you.

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It had been 11 years. We had seen it before too many times. ASU with a big lead over USC going into the 2nd half. USC comes out on fire making it look easy and taking the lead. 2005? ASU was up 21-3. Then Bush, Leinart, and Lendale White came back to put up 35 2nd half points aided by 5 interceptions and won 38-28. 2010? A game where ASU had an XP blocked and returned for 2 points leading to a 34-33 final score.

Would it really happen again? How would the Devils lose this one? They wouldn't. Vontaze Burfict led the charge with a game changing interception which led to an ASU TD early in the game. Shelly Lyons finished it off with a pick 6 to put the game out of reach. The Devils (3-1) won 43-22, yep you read that right, 43-22 over USC.

An injured Cameron Marshall led the team with 141 rushing yards and 3 TDs, and an efficient Brock Osweiler proved once again, how great of a leader he is. Osweiler was 25/32 with 223 yards and 2 TDs. What is missing from that line is that he and the rest of the Sun Devils had 0 turnovers. It's crazy what a +4 turnover margin can do for a team.

The receivers came up with big catches. Gerell Robinson made a big TD catch fending off the DB to put the Devils 2nd TD on the board. Later in the game Pflugrad and Willie had some big first down catches to help the Devils preserve their lead. The defense held USC to FGs early in the game, showing the resiliency ASU fans expected coming into the season. This team out athelticized, out ran, out caught, out tackled, out smarted, out played USC. On a night that included a 70 yard TD by a hobbled RB, a haboob, and a USC comeback, it ended with a Gatorade bath for Erickson. Let's hope this is the first of many more to come.

How will the game play out? Can the Sun Devils bounce back after falling at Illinois? Can USC keep it's hot start by baiting Burfict into making dumb penalties? Here is a quarter by quarter prediction of how the game will turn out.

Coin Flip: Devils win the flip and decide to take the ball to start. Erickson wants to make a quick start to ending that 11 year losing streak against the Trojans, and why not put the ball in Osweiler's hands?

First Quarter: The game starts out sloppy, with both teams trading 3 and outs. On the Devils 2nd posession, Osweiler ends up running it in for a 8-yd TD and the Devils take a 7-0 lead. USC responds with a big kick return to the Devils 40. USC quarterback Matt Barkley connects with Robert Woods to move the ball inside the 10. The Devils defense prevails and holds the Trojans to a FG. The quarter ends with the ASU ball on their own 35.

Second Quarter: The Devils drive stalls with a couple of false start penalties and offensive holding. After a short punt, the Trojans inch their way up the field to score a TD after a 5-yd rush by Marc Tyler. The Trojans take a 10-7 lead with 8 minutes left in the half. Kyle Middlebrooks returns the kickoff to the USC 35, but after a holding call, it's brought back to the Devils 28 yd line. The Devils attack in the air and complete passes to Pflugrad, Robinson, and Willie to get to midfield. Osweiler sails 2 passes out of bounds before being sacked on 3rd and 10. Devils punt the ball and hold USC to end the half.

Halftime: At halftime, Erickson reminds the team that this is, in fact, NOT 2010, and sends them on their way to the field with some motivational words. The Devils are fired up!

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Let's take a quick look at the great, the good, the bad, and the ugly from last nights game:

The Great: There were several things that were great about last night. The atmosphere inside Sun Devil stadium was one that hadn't been seen in a long time. The student body and ASU fans clearly believe that this year is special. In the past, there were big games that were sparsely attended. The "Black Out" helped create a unity between the fans that carried ASU through trying times throughout the game

Brock Osweiler showed just how much of a leader he is. He has a certain poise that we haven't seen in a long time. He wants the ball with the game on the line and he's not afraid to take charge. On a national spotlight, he got the nation talking about ASU football, and that is exactly what this program needed.

Pflugrad showed up in a big way. On just about every big play, the offense was run through Pflu. He ended up with 180 yds and 2 TDs. Thank you Oregon.

The Good: Cameron Marshall provided some efficient running picking up some decent chunks of yards throughout the game. Pass protection was good, and he caught a few passes out of the backfield, picking up a total of 82 yards on the ground and in the air.

Jamal Miles was good. He threw for a TD and caught 2 TDs. His elusiveness helped create an early lead for the Sun Devils.

The Bad: The Defense. I'm not sure what they were doing yesterday, but you aren't going to arm tackle someone around their shoulders. James Franklin ran and threw all over us a week after looking like a high school QB against Miami (OH). Our Cornerbacks looked soft and made very few plays throughout the game. They came up with a big stop in OT when we needed it most, which keeps them from being "ugly," but for ASU to make a national impact this year, they've gotta play better.

Jamal Miles. Muffed punt. Enough said.

The Ugly: The special teams unit was once again an achilles heel. A blocked XP, a muffed punt, some questionable decisions on punt returns. For about the 9th straight year, ASU's special teams still aren't where they need to be. For once, I'd like to tune out on extra points, since they should be a given. That won't happen and Erickson has got to figure out how to address this problem.

Penalties played a major factor in this game. Several times ASU kept Missouri drives alive with careless penalties. It seems that when the momentum in a game shifts to the opposing team, ASU adds to it with a slew of penalties piled on top of each other. This team MUST play smarter.

Here is a quick and good read from Sports Illustrated on why the Devils could be the dark horse favorite for winning the BCS championship. Do I think this is a possibility? Sure, it's May. Everything is possible. Am I expecting this? Nope, but it's fun to dream.

Corey Hawkins announced, in what seems to be an offseason trend, that he will transfer from Arizona State, and try to find a school where he can garner more playing time. While it is unknown exactly how big of an impact this will have on the Sun Devil squad, it brings up a bigger issue with the coaching staff and recruiting.

In the past 2 seasons, nearly an entire basketball team has transferred from ASU to other schools. Hawkins joins Brandon Dunson on the list of transfers for 2011, and in 2010 Demetrius Walker, Taylor Rohde, Victor Rudd, and Brandon Thompson all transferred.

This brings up one question. What is Herb promising his recruits and failing to deliver on? Sure, every school will have a few players transfer from time to time as the depth chart gets sorted.

Herb's recruits seem to jump ship even when they are likely to get significant playing time in the future. While this may be a knee-jerk reaction, ASU's athletics department needs to take a serious look into what is going on.

Either Sendek's recruits aren't cut out for Pac-12 basketball to begin with, Herb doesn't play freshman enough, or the players egos are getting in the way of reality. All I know is that it seems like the hot seat might be starting to heat up just a bit.

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In the week leading up to Pat's Run, I decided to try and learn a little more about Pat, by watching 'The Tillman Story.' I won't lie, up until now, I didn't truly understand the whole story of Tillman. I understood the basics. He was a gutsy undersized football player at ASU. Despite being undersized, he worked his way into the NFL while graduating from the prestigious W.P. Carey Business School with a high GPA. Against all odds, he became one of the hardest working safeties in the League. Then he did the unthinkable. Leaving the NFL and it's millions to fight for his country in the war against Terrorism. Past that, all I understood was that he was killed in battle, which we later found out was by friendly fire. 

If you don't know the whole story, watch the movie. If you want a quick (and not doing the movie justice) summary...here ya go.

When Pat died in April 2004, the media took the Army's story as is, and reported that he was killed while saving the lives of his counterparts. The Army played it up as truly heroic. They gave the Tillman family a 3000 page document with "details" of what happened. Most likely assuming that it would be overwhelming for a grief stricken family, the Army said he died in the "fog of war." Clearly, they didn't know the Tillmans.

Tillman's mother Mary looked into the investigation and began to find shortcomings in the story. Finding that the Army burned Pat's uniform, body armor, and diary, Mary began questioning all the details of his death.  The Tillman family demanded answers, and refused to settle with the "fluff" the Army had fed to the media. She found that the other soldiers had been craving a firefight. They were willing to do anything to shoot their guns, leading to an aggressive group of soldiers willing to fire upon anyone that could possibly be mistaken as the enemy. The Tillmans were relentless in uncovering the Army's false heresy and were able to deliver the truth about Pat's death. 

So is Pat Tillman an American hero? As Pat stated himself, he didn't want the attention. He was just like every other soldier, standing by his commitment to serve his country, even when he started to not believe in the mission. Tillman did what few people could imagine doing. Giving up the American dream of money and fame, to do what is most honorable. Pat Tillman will forever be remembered as one of the greatest Sun Devils to ever play at Sun Devil Stadium. PT42.

Fresh off the heels of a relatively successful, albeit up and down, playing career by Rihards Kuksiks, the Sun Devils look to have locked up another European player. Jonathan Gilling from Denmark has committed to the Sun Devils to play basketball in 2012. Gilling looks like he may be the real deal, as coaches have praised his all around performance. Offensively he puts up solid assists and points,while contributing on the defensive side as well. In an interview with Doug Haller, Gilling refers to himself as a "Tall shooter. Very creative. Good off the dribble (with) nice assists."

At 6-7, 205, Gilling is seen as either a SG or SF. With his size, he could be a tough matchup for teams to guard as he has the ability to knock down the outside shot. Gilling also had scholarship offers from Gonzaga, Michigan, and Boston College. He chose ASU based on the coaches, facilities, and climate. It looks like the 2012 recruiting class is off to a good start. Hopefully Herb can get some big bodies to mash down low and pick up some rebounds.

What high school has produced more NFL players than any other in the country? Long Beach Polytechnic. In a matter of 2 days, ASU has tapped into the high school and managed to get 4 3-star commits for the class of 2012. It started with WR Josiah Blandin. In his junior season, Blandin averaged over 15 ypc, and showed good solid hands. At 6-4, 192 lbs, Blandin could pose as a deep athletic threat that ASU hasn't seen since Derek Hagan. Following Blandin was ATH Randall Goforth. It looks like this tightly knit team has aspired to take it to the next level together.  

ASU wasn't settling with just those 2 players. Later in the day, 2 more LB stars decided to commit to the Sun Devils. OLB Salamo Fiso, 6-1, 215lbs decided to join his teammates in Tempe. Fiso, the 41st ranked OLB in the country, is a quick and hard hitting LB who has a knack to find the ball carrier and stop him behind the line. The 4th commit from LBHS is WR Richard Smith. Running a 4.4-40 and standing at 5'9, 161 lbs, Smith could be a posession receiver who can make things happen after the catch. Smith is the most highly recruited of the 4 players, with current offers from U of A, Colorado, UCLA, and Washington.

It looks like the Devils have established themselves as a top choice for years to come for players coming out of Long Beach. With this pipeline building, you may even find Snoop Dogg switching from his USC jersey to the soon to be new and improved Sun Devil jersey.

The Devils are taking on the Trojans tonight. Talk about the game here!

This was one to forget. Erickson should be ashamed that after a bye week, the team looked as unprepared as they did. ASU hasn't beaten a Pac-10 team that doesn't hail from the state of Washington since 2008, when they beat UCLA 34-9.  It's the sad but true story of ASU football. Samson came in to take over the offense in the 2nd half, but didn't add much life to it.  As the rain picked up, the offense stayed put.  The only ASU TDs came from a blocked punt which was returned for a TD and a fumble that Clint Floyd returned 25 yds for a TD.

Flags + drops + bad tackles + horrible protection = the equation for losing.  The Devils would've been better off staying in AZ, and forfeiting. This was one of the worst performances I've seen from this team in awhile. It was almost as if they had no shot from the beginning.  The Devils go on to face WSU next week at home, which doesn't look like as easy of a win anymore. If this team has any resiliency, they will show up next week in a big way, after being embarrassed in Berkeley.

Here are the concerns from todays game:

Injuries: Oliver Aaron, Steven Threet, and Shelly Lyons all left todays game.  Lyons left on crutches, something to look out for in the upcoming week.

Penalties: The undisciplined play came back again and although it hardly made a difference, it is disappointing.

Thomas Weber: Still can't kick.  Where is Bobby Wenzig?

Steven Threet: 2 First half interceptions along with numerous other passes that could've been intercepted.  He's got to find a way to stop making mistakes, find the check down receivers, or throw the ball away.

Defense: Where was it?

Kick Coverage: Where was it?

Well, it is time for me to make a cold and rainy trek back through UC Berkeley's campus and get on the BART for what should be a long, painful ride back home.

It's been ugly. Like, really ugly. ASU of '08 and '09 ugly. If there were one bright spot today, I'd share it with you. The offense has been non-existent. The D has looked porous upfront and in the secondary. Thomas Weber missed a 37 yard field-goal. That's the story for how the Sun Devils are down 26-3 in the first half.

Threet started the game off with a series of errant throws, running into some luck, and Weber capitalized on a FG. After that, it was all Cal. With 2:58 left in the 1st quarter, Cal drove the ball 72 yards in 4 plays ending the drive with a Shane Vereen direct snap TD. The very next drive Riley hooked up with Keenan Allen for a 4 yard TD toss. After a blocked extra point, the Bears led 16-3. 3 Minutes later, Riley threw a 52 yd bomb to Marvin Jones to put the Bears up 23-3. With the half winding down, Riley led the Bears on a 1:30 drive passing all over the Sun Devils and bringing the Bears inside the 10 yard line. The Bears kicked a FG as time expired to give them a 23 point first half lead.

It's going to take a much greater effort from ASU to pull back in this one.

We're a half hour from kickoff in a brisk, chilly, windy, and overcast Berkeley, California.  Although the forecast is calling for rain, it's been a dry morning so far.  If the rain does pickup, play could get sloppy real quick.  The Devils are coming into the matchup with the Cal Bears with some rest and momentum after picking up a win in Seattle against the Washington Huskies.  The Sun Devils played some disciplined football keeping the penalties under control and the turnovers down.

The Golden Bears are coming off of a brutal 48-14 loss at USC.  Matt Barkley tore up the secondary, throwing for 5 touchdowns and 352 yards.  The versatile and always dangerous Shane Vereen racked up only 53 rushing yards, but was able to get 45 through the air and a receiving TD.  Kevin Riley, who seems to have been playing for Cal for 100 years, was 15/29 with 2 INTs, 193 yards, and 2 passing TDs.  Let's see if the Devils can manage to capitalize on the turnovers just like the Trojans did.  

Here are some quick facts about recent meetings between ASU and Cal:

-Since Jeff Tedford arrived, Cal has won 6 out of the last 7 meetings against the Devils.

-Cal beat ASU on a 24-yd field-goal last year with just 21 ticks on the clock left.

-ASU will be looking to tie the all-time series up with a win today.  Cal leads the series 15-14.

-ASU hasn't won in Memorial Stadium since 1997.

-Cal is 36-6 over it's last 42 games at home.

As the NFL preseason winds down, let’s take a look at where all your favorite Sun Devils, young and old, stand.  There are currently 24 Sun Devils in the NFL. Here is a look at those currently on an AFC team.

Josh Barrett, New England Patriots – Barrett was claimed off of waivers by the Patriots on August 6 after being waived/injured with the Broncos. Had he cleared waivers he would’ve gone to the Broncos IR list. He doesn’t look to be much of a factor with the Patriots as he is limited by a shoulder injury. Barrett played in 14 games in 2009 recording 10 tackles. 

Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens – Todd Heap has been a staple at TE for the Ravens. Heap is approaching 5,000 receiving yards and currently has 36 TD’s in the NFL.

Terrell Suggs, Baltimore Ravens – Suggs has helped anchor the feared Ravens defense alongside Ray Lewis. Currently in his 8^th NFL season, Suggs has proven to be one of the all-time most successful Sun Devils in the NFL. With 57 career sacks, T-Suggs has intimidated many QB’s throughout his career.

Paul Fanika, Cleveland Browns – Paul Fanika was originally drafted by the Eagles, played on their practice squad for 10 weeks before being signed to the Redskins active squad. He signed with the Browns in June 2010. 

Shawn Lauvao, Cleveland Browns – Lauvao was a third round pick by the Browns this year and enters his rookie season. He started in one preseason game on the OL.  You can follow his rookie blog here.

Troy Nolan, Houston Texans – Nolan spent his first year on the IR with the Texans.  He was drafted by the Texans in 2009 and signed a 4-yr contract. He is the 2^nd string FS sitting behind Eugene Wilson. It looks like a healthy Nolan will garner some playing time this year, whether it be in mop-up duty or special teams.

Mike Pollak, Indianapolis Colts – Pollak was a 2^nd round draft pick in 2008 by the Colts. He started 13 games as a rookie and 7 games in his 2^nd year.  He looks to continue starting this year at RG.

 Travis Goethel, Oakland Raiders – Travis was a 6^th round pick in this year’s draft and fits right in with the Raiders. Goethel sits 3^rd on the depth chart at MLB and most likely won’t contribute much this year.

Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders – Zach Miller is entering his 4^th season with the Raiders.  He has been one of the few consistencies of the Raiders offense and looks to benefit from a new starting QB in Jason Campbell. He has 7 career Touchdowns and just over 2000 yards.

Brandon Rodd, Oakland Raiders – Rodd is the backup RG for the Raiders and has yet to see any playing time in a regular season game. 

Mike Nixon, San Diego Padres…errr Chargers – Ex baseball player Mike Nixon signed with the Chargers after going undrafted. He is buried on the depth chart, but looks to get some minutes playing special teams. Nixon is a high IQ player with football intelligence and is a good fit for the Chargers.

After playing Friday's mock scrimmage with the first-team offense, it appears that Dennis' starting QB announcement on Monday is leaning towards Steven Threet. 

The vagabond QB may have finally found his place in college football in his second-to-final season of eligibility. Threet started out at Georgia Tech, but lasted just one season before deciding to transfer to the Michigan Wolverines.  

Threet looked like he had gained control of the starting job as Wolverine QB, but he got off to a shaky 2-7 start and was replaced by Nick Sheridan.  

After the 2008-2009 season, Threet decided to shed his snow boots and winter coats for some flip flops and board shorts as he found his way to Tempe. ASU was a good fit for Threet as it gave him a chance to learn the offense while sitting out due to the transfer, and enter his senior season as the most experienced QB on the roster.  

While Threet most likely picked up the ASU offense (if that is what you call it) in 2009, he has been forced to quickly erase it from memory and relearn new OC Noel Mazzonne's offense.  

So far, neither Threet nor Osweiler have pulled ahead as a clear-cut choice, but Threet's big game experience may have proven to be the edge he needed to win the spot.  

With gameday just a few short weeks away, and everyones attention turned towards who is going to be taking snaps on opening night, let's take a look at how the Sun Devil football team makes a difference in the community.  

Here is a short video on how the Sun Devils have adopted 3 year old Kyle Oden as one of their own. 

Click here to watch the video

Breathe a little.  It looks like the Sun Devils football schedule will not be top 10 in the SOS rankings every year.  With the decision of the Longhorns, Aggies, Sooners, and Cowboys to remain in the Big-12 minus 2, the Devils will continue to have a shot at a Pac-10 title, a longshot for the time being.  

Pac-10 commish Larry Scott will continue to look for other expansion opportunities (cough...cough...UTAH...cough...New Mexico...cough).  Utah seems a likely candidate, although with the addition of Boise St. to the Mountain West, they may find it best suited to stay put.  Chime in with who else you think might join the Pac-11!

Some people say baseball is boring.  They say it's a slow paced, low action game.  I've got the perfect video to prove otherwise.  The ASU vs. Arkansas regional game held at Packard Stadium on Saturday night was a game to remember.  How's this for drama?  With 2-outs in the 9th inning, a runner on 3rd base, and a 2 strike count,  Pac-10 player of the year Zack MacPhee hits a chopper to the left side of the infield.  The pitcher fields the ball, overthrowing first base as the tying run crosses the plate.  The Devils proceed to load the bases and Ruettiger hits a chopper up the middle.  The SS fields the ball and flips it to the 2nd baseman to get the out by a matter of inches.  How is that for a dose of drama?  

Mitchell Lambson came on to pitch 5 innings of 1-hit ball and shut down a feisty Arkansas lineup which climbed out of an early 3-0 deficit.  Fast forward to the bottom of the 12th inning.  Calhoun led off with a walk.  Riccio Torrez got plunked by a pitch to put men at first and second.  Ruettiger came up and bunted a ball hard down the line, which the third basemen fielded perfectly and got the force out at 2nd, leaving men on first and third, and a chance for a double play to end the inning.  Deven Marrero came up to bat in what was a perfect intentional walk situation.  Why not load the bases and get the easy force at home on a ground ball?  Instead, Arkansas decided to pitch to Marrero and he made them pay.  With a liner up the middle into the outfield, the Devils took game one of the best of 3 series and with it all the momentum there is to be had.

With one more win against the Razorbacks, the Devils will be heading to Omaha as the likely favorite to win the WS.  Incase you missed the game, check out ESPN3.COM for a replay, it's worth it.

A storms a brewin' out there.  No, not the microbrews on every corner in Berkeley.  It's a storm filled with sinking ships, traitors, bandwagoneers, and a few universities forced to walk the plank.  

How exactly this realignment will shake out is up in the air.  With Colorado defecting to the Pacific-X conference, Nebraska will probably be next, heading east to the Big Ten.  

Who does that leave in limbo?

The new Big Ten (which is the old Big-12). Mostly Mizzou, Kansas, KSU, and Baylor. 

Following suit to the new Pac-X - Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma St., and Oooooooooklahomaa jump ship to the Pac-X and make it the Pac-16.  What does that leave ASU with?  Losses.  

Do we stand a chance against Oklahoma or Texas?  No, they quickly become the USC and Oregon of the old Pac-10.  What about Texas Tech and Oklahoma State?  Rarely. Texas A&M? It'll be a game. Colorado? Yes. Arizona? Easy win.

Tack on a pairing from the West division (USC and UCLA, UW and Wazzou, Stanford and Cal, Oregon and Oregon St.) and the Devils better start shelling out some $$ to the NAU's of the world.  What might our 2013 schedule look like?  

Sacramento State - W

Wisconsin - L

Stanford - W (Assuming we play them)

Cal - L (Assuming we play them)

Texas - L 

TAMU - W

Notre Dame - L (in Texas, nonetheless)

TT - W

Oklahoma - L

Oklahoma State - L

Colorado - W

Arizona - W

2014? Repeat.  I'm really not sure ASU will ever eclipse .500 in the new conference as the talent gap between the Pac-10 and the Big-12 is significant.  Our best year and Texas' off year ended with a Texas thumping of the Devils.

This convergence can cause a lot of different scenarios. Maybe we get a rush of talent from Texas. Maybe we lose our grip in California and struggle to get a grip in Texas, leaving us fighting with U of A for a whiff of skilled players.

The future scares me, but what I do know is that ASU can use the revenue from the big TV contract. Spending it on some renovations for Sun Devil Stadium wouldn't be such a bad idea.  

However it all plays out, there is one thing I can guarantee: USC isn't going to a bowl game the next two years and I won't miss them a bit.

If there is a theme that sums up the short couple of weeks that have passed since the Devils loss to Jacksonville, it might be one of abandoning ship.  It has been a tumultuous offseason so far with 3 players defecting from the Devils and finding a new gym to call home.  Brandon Thompson, Demetrius Walker, and Taylor Rohde have all decided to hang up their Sun Devil jerseys and move on from Herb Sendek's system.  

It is understandable, to me, that Thompson left, as he rarely saw the court and with the influx of talent entering the system this year would likely have been buried on the depth chart a la Christian Polk, Kraidon Woods, and other players who've left the Devils.  Rohde seemed somewhat lost on the court and I don't think he truly is the answer down low.  With Pateev and Bachynski, the Devils aren't much worse off with the loss of Mr. Rohde.  

Walker...hmmm.  Could this be one of those situations where in 2 years we wonder what could've been of the Devils had Walker stayed?  I'm not sure.  He showed flashes of his athleticism, but showed the weakness of his jump shot.   It would've been nice to see what would've come of Walker, as his time of the court most likely would've been increased next year.  We lost some talent, but hopefully can make it up with this years incoming recruiting class. 

Speaking of the recruiting class, it isn't complete.  Herb is working hard to pull-in another player or two.  He is chasing after the #7 SG in the nation Trey Zeigler.  Zeigler will visit Tempe this week along with JUCO PF Dwight McCombs. McCombs is deciding between Arkansas, Auburn, Minnesota, Murray State, and of course, ASU.  McCombs originally went to Miami of Ohio, before transferring to play at the junior college level.  Either Zeigler and/or McCombs would make a very good incoming class a great incoming class.

Here is a write up from ESPN's Ted Miller on ASU putting last year behind them.

And just like that, the thoughts of whether we had to beat Washington to make the tournament are quieted.  In what can only sum up our season, ASU lost in a frustrating fashion in the first round of the Pac-10 Tournament to Stanford.  17 turnovers will doom any team, especially a team that relies on defense and long possession offense.  So can we still make the dance?  Unlikely.  

Washington beat OSU tonight in a close game and likely jump the Devils as one of the last four teams in.  ASU looked pathetic on the court and didn't prove to anyone that they wanted to be out there.  The team that played tonight doesn't deserve to be in the tournament.  

So bring on the NIT.  I hope we play the freshmen.  It's time for them to get some "big" game experience as we need them to carry this team next year.  With some maturity and their athleticism, the Devils will likely be in competition for one of the top 3 spots in the Pac-10.  In what was an all around frustrating push to make the tournament, we can only sit and wait.  I know for one thing, I don't have my hopes up.

While I'll quickly admit that it has been more laziness than anything else thats kept me from writing up a bracketology report.  It's back.  We've been in and out of the last four in, last four out, next four out over the past few weeks .  With Thursday rolling around, my excitement for basketball is in full swing.   Right now, Lunardi has us as a 12 seed against the Aggies of Texas A&M.

Can we beat the Aggies?  The 22-8 Aggies have quietly put together a great season.  Their worst loss was to the Washington Huskies, proving how well they have played.  But if UW can beat them, so can we.  And we will.  Our defense is something unseen to the Big 12 outside of Baylor and we all saw how tough it was for Baylor to pull the win off in Tempe.  Shipp comes off the bench to help carry us into the 2nd round like he has done much of the past few weeks. 

2nd Round... Rematch.   Bring on SDSU.  Yep you've got it.  12  seed vs. 13 seed.  Who wins?  ASU handled the Aztecs from tip off to the last horn.  No reason to think that it wouldn't happen again.  Abbott and Kuksiks team up to shoot lights out from the outside and carry the Devils to the oh so sweet 16.  How are the Devils, predicted to be 7th/8th/9th in the Pac-10 in the Sweet 16?  Destiny.  Herb Sendek.

3rd Round....Rematch.  Bring on Syracuse.  Can we win? Nope.  Not a chance.  They are even better than last year and we are significantly less talented.  Talent wins out in the tournament and while we might hang with them for a half, they'll blow us away by the end.  There is no way around it.  Syracuse to the Final Four.

For now...BEAT THE CARDINAL!

Oh the ever tumultuous bubble.  It is what we live and die by.  The Sun Devils have climbed their way back on to the bubble, perhaps flirting with a tournament bid and a regular season championship all at the same time.  In a normal year, when you are fighting for the conference championship, you are probably pretty safe to make the NCAA Tournament.  But this is 2010, a new decade, and hopefully an outlier of the future of Pac-10 basketball.  Yeah, we've all heard about the losses to the NBA this year depleting the talent pool.  But, perhaps the biggest problem is the replacement of that talent.  There is no John Wall.  There are no Scottie Reynolds.  Go to the Eastcoast and ask for who the best player in the Pac-10 is and you'll likely hear crickets chirping...if even.  Yes the Pac-10 is down.  And that means we are stuck in the bubble talk until Selection Sunday (unless we take matters in to our own hands).  

Maybe this will send the message to schedule some tougher teams.  Make a trip to schools like Syracuse, UNC, Kansas, Michigan State, and you will be rewarded come bubble busting time.  Nonetheless we are where we are...squarely on the bubble.  Joe Lunardi has ASU as the last team out.   Go to the front page of ESPN's CBB section and there stands Rihards Kuksiks himself.  Apparently he is the symbol of bubble-ism. I know what you are thinking, NOT AGAIN!.  Last time we were on the bubble we saw a U of A team which we not only beat twice but also had a better record then, scheme their way onto the dance floor much to the dismay of Sparkyland.  We watched an under .500 Georgia team win the SEC tournament and burst our bubble like a bunch of 7 year olds on a sunny day in the park.  

This year can be different.  I feel it.  We are a team.  One of the best teams in the nation.  Not because we are more talented.  Not because we can defeat the powerhouses.  Frankly, we probably can't do either.  But there is no school that defines team better than the Sun Devils.  We have the senior leadership of a 4-year starting PG.  We have a sharpshooting junior who can be electric on the floor, but isn't afraid to pass.  We have a one game resurgence of a center whose career can be summarized as "clumsy and a disappointment."  We have a European influence, in Kuksiks who when on fire, is ON FIRE.  We have freshmen contributing serviceable minutes off the bench.  We have the smarts of an NBA coaches son.  This team is unselfish and hardworking and when it comes to March Madness, one man shows don't prove to win championships.   

With 3 games remaining on our schedule before we head to LA for the Pac-10 tournament, the Sun Devils sit where no one thought they would.  2nd place, just a half game behind Saturday's opponent, the Cal Bears.  The Sun Devils were expected to be the bottom feeder in the Pac-10 after the departure of Harden and Pendy.  Not under Herb Sendeks watch.  In who I strongly feel is one of the best coaches in the nation, the Sun Devils have rallied and proved the critics wrong.  Saturday's matchup gives the Devils a shot at what 6 years ago seemed impossible.  Winning the Pac-10.  I'll be covering the game Saturday live from Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, CA.  In what I expect to be an electric atmosphere, rarely felt by Sun Devil basketball fans, I can see the Devils prevailing and continuing to prove everyone wrong.  

My prediction: ASU 65 Cal 59

Player of the Game: Ty Abbott.  Who else would it be this season?  He started out cold, but came out hot in the 2nd half hitting three after three to bring the Devils back.

Welcome Back: Rihards Kuksiks.  He looked a little more like the Kuksiks of last year.  While his season has been much like Abbott's last year, we can hope he finds his shot in time for the Devils to make a late-season run at the Pac-10 title.

Breaking the Slump?: Derek Glasser.  He looks to be finding a little more confidence in his shot, but he still is not performing at the level we need.

Continuing to contribute: Eric Boateng.  He looked really good in the first few minutes of the game and ended up with decent points.  What I don't understand is why he can't set a pick, without picking up a foul.  Coach him please.

Where we stand: 2nd in the Pac-10.  One game behind the Cal Bears and all alone in 2nd place as the Beavers were able to knock off the Wildcats in Tucson (Read the last point in Forde's blog about Kentucky and Tenn.).  A win against U of A next week could make the game @ Cal the biggest of the Pac-10 season so far.

The Pac-10 is looking into a supposed 2-team expansion.  Do I like this idea? Yes.  Do we NEED this? Sorta.  Will it show the entire country what we are made of? OH YES.  With expansion, most likely, comes a new TV-deal.  So just how bad is our TV-deal?  Take a look at this link to see how the WCC(West Coast Conference) compares to the Pac-10 for televised basketball games.  Although this year, the WCC might have just as many tournament teams as the Pac-10... the viewing audience for the Pac-10 has got to be many times larger than that of the WCC.  The previous Pac-10 commish failed to realize the potential of the greatest league in college sports (arguably).  With this epic fail comes a lack of respect on a national level for what perhaps was the best b-ballin league in college last year.  Enough is enough, bring on the expansion. 

But who?  What two schools will be lucky enough to join the coolest conference out there?  Will it be Utah and BYU?  Afterall, they are a fitting rivalry that much like the rest of the conference sit just double digits in miles apart.  Dealing with BYU however, proves to be troublesome due to their religious affiliation and inability to play on Sundays.  I don't remember ASU ever playing football or basketball on Sundays, but I am not sure about the rest of the athletic department teams.  I feel that we (we = Pac-10) can get over this hindrance and be very accepting of BYU.  They have a very competitive athletics program and combining them with perennial left-out-of-the-BCS powerhouse University of Utah, or the U as they like to call themselves.  For the BYU-Utah combo, I vote yes.

Colorado and TCU?  Colorado and Boise St.?  Sure.  These additions bring one Big Twelve school and perhaps a great football school in Boise or TCU.  What does this do for our basketball schedule?  Chalk up a couple more wins for the Devils!  Colorado is a great fit.  With it comes the Denver market and a much needed expansion East of the Rockies (although just barely).  TCU might partially bring in the Dallas market and Boise St. brings with it the majority of Idahoans.  My vote?  Colorado - sure, but do they really want to leave the Big-12?  TCU - Pass.  I don't think they provide enough of a boost in nationwide market, nor do they provide much outside of Football.  Boise St.? Yes, but i don't see it happening.  Boise strives on playing one big market  game per year, and beating up on the rest of the WAC.  All it takes is one big win and they get to a BCS game.  Along with that BCS game comes a good payday.  Can they keep up what they've been doing with a schedule that includes punch-filled Oregon, USC, and the rest of the crew? I bet they don't see a BCS game for another 10 years.

Then there are the Aztecs of SDSU.  Their basketball team is competitive, just ask U of A.  Football?  Do we really need another southern california team in the Pac-10.  Although I won't argue about visiting Qualcomm and the SD area for a game in September, SDSU would continually be a bottom feeder in football.  Adding SDSU makes little sense as it does nothing but add a team that keeps with the Pacific theme of the conference.  My vote? No thank you.

There are a lot of things to take into consideration when choosing how to expand.  Hopefully we do it right by adding an already established rivalry, rule-abiding universities, and good competition.  If we don't expand...can we atleast get away from FSN? 

As many of you have heard, Portland State has been written in permanent marker on the Sun Devils football schedule.  So what does our daunting out of conference schedule look like?  Portland State(FCS), NAU(FCS), and Wisconsin.  Scheduling 2 FCS teams means the Devils have to win 7(assuming they win against both NAU and Portland St.) in order to go to a bowl game.  Like we don't make things difficult enough for ourselves.

Talks with schools like South Florida, Cincinnati, Kansas State, and Nevada all failed, leaving ASU in search of anyone...ANYONE...who was available to play.  What bothers me most about this is Lisa Love sugar-coating the disappointment. 

"We're pleased Portland state said yes, and we'll make it work," ASU Vice President for Athletics Lisa Love said. "We're playing a western regional team. Our fans can appreciate that instead of bringing a (FBS) team from another part of the country they may not be familiar with."

HELLO? No one is familiar with Portland State Football.  I would MUCH rather see a FBS team from a different part of the country that I am not familiar with.  Make it a road game and have ASU travel to a team like Cincy, KSU, USF.  It surely can't hurt for the Devils to play across the country and get some exposure.  I can tell you what ABC/ESPN/CBS/NBC/FSN will not be covering... ASU vs Portland St.  This game will most likely be the lowest attendance of the year.  Portland State was 2-9 last year...in FCS football. Here is to hoping we crush them and avoid any early season embarrassment.

SIGNING DAY!  The Devils signed 26 players today, 6 of those being JUCO recruits.  There has been criticism about the number of JUCO signees, but I say its a great way to sure up a porous OL and somewhat brick-handed WR group.  Let's not forget that Ryan Torain was a JUCO transfer and he made an immediate impact in the Devils 10-3 season in 2007.  For a breakdown of each individual recruit, visit scout.com.

What signee are you most excited about?  I am looking forward to seeing George Bell and Mike Willie, who have drawn comparisons to Chad Ochocino and T.J. Houshmanzadeh.  Highly touted Brice Schwab is also a key new Sun Devil who will have a chance to protect whoever our QB is, and open up holes for whoever our RB is.  If there is one thing Sun Devil fans might get excited about, its the possibility of a decent offensive line.

Doug Haller of the AZ Republic wrote that ASU is talking about shrinking down WFA to a capacity close to 10k.  This would create a better atmosphere for the fans and provide a bigger home court advantage.  In what is the 2nd largest arena in the Pac-10, ASU draws an average of approx. 7,500 fans a game.  Last years team averaged the biggest crowd since 1995-96 (approx 9,500) and in such a saturated market, will probably rarely eclipse that number. 

What I hope to see with this change is a complete overhaul of the seating.  For years people have been complaining of the discomfort from the person behind you jamming their knees into the back of their head.  The arena is in need of a continued facelift, perhaps matching the seats with the athletic department's dream of a gold out.  Why not help out with gold seats, or at least Sun Devil maroon.  What do you think about changes to WFA?

Electric. On-Fire. Unstoppable. Can't Miss.  Those are just a few of the adjectives which sum up the Devils first half against Stanford Saturday morning.  ASU came out chomping at the bit, and unfortunately for Stanford, they were the bit.  Ty Abbott was 6-6 from behind the arc in the first 10 minutes of the game, catapulting the Devils to a commanding 41-11 lead.  Abbott posted a double-double, with 29 points and 12 rebounds.  For a team that has been mired in poor and sometimes pathetic shooting the past two games, they sure broke out of it in a big way.

Trent Lockett also contributed in a big way, with 17 points, 8 assists, and 6 boards.  In a game where Herb Sendek was sending a message from the beginning to senior PG Derek Glasser by starting Demetrius Walker, Glasser somewhat answered the call.  Glasser scored 10 points and had 12 assists, including his 500th career assist, to help provide a spark off the bench (although no spark was really needed).  

Stanford may have been run down after hanging with Arizona on Thursday, and their sluggishness showed.  Making an appearance for the Trees was fifth year senior and once starting QB Tavita Pritchard.  Pritchard started for Stanford in 2007 and 2008 and made his basketball debut against the Sun Devils with 2 solid minutes of playing time.

What this game tells us all is that when the Devils shoot well, it transitions to their defense.  Their D played as well as it has all season in the first half. Abbott showed us all that he can take over this team and be the energetic leader on both sides of the ball.  If only we had this version of Ty last year to compliment Harden, Pendergraph, and last years version of Rik Kuksiks.  

The second half was a slightly different story, but how could it not be?  The Cardinal outscored the Devils and made the game appear much closer than it actually was.  The final score was 88-70 as Stanford closed the gap.

Looking forward, the Devils play the Washington schools next week and it looks like J-Mac (Jamelle McMillan for those who were wondering) will return.  He plans to practice on Tuesday and play Thursday.  This could be exactly what the Devils need as McMillan's poise tends to be a good change from Glasser.  With a sweep of the Washington schools, the Devils will once again find themselves perched near the top of the league and in talks for the tournament.