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BYU Officially Drops ASU From 2009 Schedule
by C.W.
on Jan 6, 2009 11:30 PM MST
in ASU Football
In a press release, BYU has announced their OOC schedule, and instead of ASU, they are now playing Oklahoma.
BYU will start the 2009 season on Sept. 5 against currently No. 1-ranked Oklahoma in a historic game being played at the Dallas Cowboys new stadium in Arlington, Texas. As two of only seven teams to win 10 or more games each of the last three seasons, the Cougars and Sooners will be featured in the first college game played in the new stadium. The Labor Day weekend contest will kick off in primetime and be televised on ABC or ESPN as part of the second annual ESPN Kickoff Week presented by Gillette.
Bring on Louisiana-Monroe. We really don't need another OOC demoralizing loss on our 2009 ledger, as Georgia will certainly lay the beat down on us (unless they lose both Stafford and Moreno, thus causing a possibility for our victory).
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Bracketologist Lunardi Sees the Devils as a 7 Seed
by mlev811
on Jan 6, 2009 11:58 AM MST
With Pac-10 play starting this past week, I've caught the ever dangerous March Madness fever. That means I will be slacking in almost all facets of life, and following NCAA hoops closer than ever. Sure it may be a little early to start thinking about March, but when you are stuck in your house in Pennsylvania with an impending wintery mess of a storm about to hit you, what else is there to do.
So where is the first place I turn to when I catch this annual illness? None other than ESPN.COM's Joe Lunardi and his bracketology. It really all means nothing until the selection committee has spoken, but that doesn't stop bracketology from being one of ESPN's most searched phrases. So, I've decided to dive in a bit and look at ASU's current road to the final four. For those who don't know, I annually finish with a top bracket in pools, so what I say is what would happen if this were the actual seedings(sarcasm).
Lunardi has 4 Pac-10 teams right now that are worthy of tourney talk. UCLA, CAL, ASU, and Stanford (yes, the team we beat by 30). At first glance I'm sure you are thinking, "Hey how could he leave U of A off his bracket?" Err...actually, I don't think anyone who is reading this is thinking that.
The first matchup for Harden and the Devils is a tough Illinois team. Oh, if only this were a BCS game, it would be a lock that we would win. The perennial 7-10 matchup is one that many bracketeers love going with the upset. Not me. They may be 13-2, with quality wins over Purdue and Mizzou, I forsee them hitting a rough patch in the Big Ten and I am predicting they won't even make the tourney come March, so lets just chalk this up as a win for the Devils.
The 2nd round takes the Devils to a tough matchup with the Longhorns from Texas. I don't know what to think about Bevo's team. They have some impressive wins against UCLA and Villanova, however they squeaked some wins out over Texas State and Texas Southern. Because of that, I give the upset win to the Devils. Harden and Pendy will go off...and the Longhorns will realize that Rudy Carpenter was trash talking to them about this matchup, not the Holiday Bowl(prob shouldn't have gone there).
After Texas, ASU plays Big East foe, Marquette. Since originally I completely overlooked this game and started writing about the Elite 8 matchup, I'm just going to give the Devils the win.
A young Xavier team will upset Pitt in the top half of the Midwest bracket to face the Devils in the Elite 8. Xavier is a team with just 1 senior and 2 juniors and are currently 11-2. They have 2 good wins, Memphis and Missouri(although this one was expected), and their 2 losses were to Duke and Butler. If the Devils can beat them last year, surely we can beat 'em again. Moving on to the Final 4.
The road stops here Devils fans. ASU faces UNC in the final four and well...we don't stand a chance. I've already given the National Championship to the Tar Heels, even after their loss to BC.
Well...snow has started to fall here in Eastern PA... time to startup the fireplace, put on my winter jacket and snow boots, and take care of the snow covered driveway.
GO DEVILS!
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ASU Comes Up Short Against 13-2 Cal
by mlev811
on Jan 4, 2009 8:11 PM MST
The Devils couldn't weather the storm against the Cal Bears' on Sunday night, falling short in an 81-71 loss. ASU showed little offensive spark outside of James Harden. Harden had 26 points, Kuksiks and Pendergraph had 16, and the rest of the Devils combined for just 13 points. Cal's Jerome Randle shot lights out from behind the arc while leading the Bears with 26 points.
The Devils need someone to step up as a consistent contributor on offense. James Harden can not carry this team night in and night out. Ty Abbott played a miserable game with no productivity and a few mental mistakes. Glasser struggled to gain control of the offense and Pendergraph missed a few key layups which would have helped slow the Bears 2nd half run. One bright spot for the 2nd consecutive game was Eric Boateng, who came in off the bench and had 3 offensive rebounds and scored 6 points.
ASU faces an Oregon State team coming off of a big win over USC. The game will be played Thursday @ 8:30 at Wells Fargo Arena.
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ASU Men's Basketball Rolls Over Stanford
by mlev811
on Jan 3, 2009 9:50 PM MST
Before Friday's game in Palo Alto, there was one assumption I made about this team. They can't win if Stanford shuts down James Harden. Harden was held to 0 points in the first half, yet the Devils found themselves up 13 at the half. Harden was anything but ineffective. His career-high 10 assists prove that the Devils are capable of winning without Harden scoring all the points. Pendergraph contributed 31 points and Glasser scored 13 to lead the Devils to a 12-1 (1-0) record. THE SUN DEVILS ARE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH NATIONALLY.
This team is finally gelling and getting the contributions from the players we need. The Devils next foe on Sunday is the Cal Bears. Cal is coming off of a win against the team 120 miles south of Tempe. Prediction: ASU 74 Cal 68.
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House of Sparky Interviews QB Brock Osweiler
by C.W.
on Dec 29, 2008 2:24 PM MST
in ASU Football
Already a two-sport legend in the vast state of Montana, Kalispell’s own Brock Osweiler is poised to begin his collegiate career at Arizona State, focusing his efforts on winning the open quarterback position.
With just ten days left before he graduates from Flathead High school, Osweiler will be making his way to Tempe on January 17, giving himself just two short days before classes begin on January 20, and he becomes a Sun Devil officially.
I caught up with Brock shortly after Christmas, when Kalispell was enjoying a heat wave of sorts, with weather reaching the mid-20s. He enjoys the HBO hit series Entourage and the Madden video game series.
Osweiler mentioned that both he and Matt Tucker (grade 77 from Colorado, #69 ATH in the 2009 rankings), will be arriving just in time for spring semester, giving them both an opportunity to participate in spring practice and improve their chances on making an early impact.
Originally committed to Gonzaga to play basketball, Osweiler made the big decision to instead play football at ASU on April 30, 2008. His commitment to Gonzaga was all the way back in 2006, before his sophomore year at Flathead.
What was your biggest moment playing for Flathead up in Montana?
There was a game in my sophomore year. It was the fifth game of the year, we were undefeated and #2 in the state. We had to play on the road at Butte, and they were undefeated and #1. Butte has always been known as a rowdy town.
The games are always exciting and physical. It was built up all week long around the state, and we went in there and beat them 21-14. It was a perfect game, with great memories. That year, in the first round of the playoffs we went back to Butte and beat them again 28-14. Those are two games that I will never forget.
How difficult was the decision to decommit from Gonzaga, and sign with ASU instead?
It was the hardest decision I have ever had to make in my life. It was something that had been on my mind for months. And when it finally came around, that week was so hard and I was in constant discussion with my parents, family, and friends. I finally decided that my best opportunity was in football.
The phone call to Gonzaga was tough, but they took it great and they have been supportive and understanding of what I had to do for my future. Gonzaga has a few power forwards graduating, and next year I could have started.
It was tough to turn down something that seemed so great, but when I looked at the upside that football had, I had to make a decision that was in my best interest.
ASU had a disappointing season, finishing 5-7. What is it about Arizona State that compelled you to commit here?
The biggest thing is to be able to work with Coach Erickson. He’s a legend in Montana, where he’s from. His record speaks for everything.
He’s won the national championship, he’s had successful seasons at every single college he’s been at, and he’s played at the Rose Bowl. To be able to play and learn from a guy with such great credentials, that excites me.
The second thing is the opportunity to compete for the starting quarterback position.
Will Brock actually be competing for the QB job this year? Has he talked to Herb Sendek about playing basketball at ASU? Continue reading!
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Game Preview: Central Connecticut State @ Arizona State
Here's a little preview of the basketball game tomorrow.
Look here tomorrow evening for a big update in regards to football.
9 days ago
C.W.
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Merry Christmas! Here's My Holiday Travel Story
by C.W.
on Dec 25, 2008 11:03 AM MST
in Miscellaneous
Hello everyone!
It has been a while since I last wrote anything. I've been busy, and ASUBoyd has done a great job keeping you up to date on the greatness of ASU basketball.
This Christmas is especially sweet for me, considering I am lucky to be home at all. Here's my story.
On Tuesday, I was scheduled to fly from Phoenix to Denver, to Chicago, then to Albany, NY on Southwest. My Denver flight left at 11:35, etc. With a two hour delay on that flight, I worried about my continuing connection out of Chicago. I went over to a Chicago flight, and was the last standby they took. Thus, I was on my way by 12:30.
Good, right? The weather at Midway was bad, and we had a medical emergency on board, and so we had to emergency land in Indianapolis (which is 184 miles SOUTHEAST of Chicago, mind you). After waiting an hour and a half there, we took off for Chicago, and we landed around 6 PM Central time. Upon landing, I found out my flight to Albany was delayed until 10.
No big deal. I went to the one place that people go when trouble strikes, and they need a respite. The chapel? No... The bar.
Proceeded to watch TCU and Boise State. What a game. That entertained me well. I met a nice 32 year old woman named Molly who bought me a Jack and coke.
My flight got pushed back to 10:55! Then 12:00! Then it finally landed, and the pilot timed out. So they "looked for another pilot." None was to be found. They cancelled my flight.
I tried to get a flight for the next day, but they were booked solid. The earliest flight I could get to Albany was 8 AM today, Christmas. Terrible feeling.
Over the course of the night in which I did not sleep a wink, I worked as hard as I could to get home. It was difficult to figure out. I made some great friends, Jason and Weldon, and we stuck together and watched out for each other's things so that the night wasn't as awful as it could have been. I am extremely thankful to have met them.
Weldon got a flight into Providence, and her dad was going to drive 3 hours from Albany and pick her up. This set into motion my interest in flying to Manchester NH or maybe Providence. I didn't want to spend Christmas in Chicago; anywhere on the East coast would be far better.
Eventually, I asked the big question. Could I get a ride to Albany? She was happy to oblige.
Jason and I had to act quickly to get on the 7:30 AM flight to Providence. We rebooked through the phone, and went to the gate at 5:30. Apparently, we had to leave security, go get our ticket, come back through security, and then we could get on the flight.
ON CHRISTMAS EVE!
The place was a madhouse, and we had to wait in line to get our tickets for 30-40 minutes. I was concerned we might not make it through in time. Jason was more confident. But I was exhausted and at that point, not making it home would have truly killed me.
We were put in the extra security line, which is shorter, but they check you for bombs and residues. That got us through quickly, and we were at the gate by 6:45 AM. We had left our bags with Weldon, which had worried me for multiple reasons. 1) What if we missed our flight? Where would the bags go? and 2) What if she needed to get up and move around? What would she do with all of our stuff?
It was all too surreal. We got to Providence, and her kind father drove us all the way to Albany, through the rain and dreary conditions. Had to wait in line at the Albany airport for our checked baggage, but I finally got picked up at 2:30 PM on Wednesday, Christmas eve. Then, drove an hour and a half to get to my home in Vermont.
Just in time for Christmas service.
I just wanted to tell you this story, not because my ordeal was terrible, but because of the Christmas spirit.
Christmas isn't about getting the gifts you desired, or the delicious meal you consume. It's the compassion shared between people, the brotherhood we all cherish at the holidays. Being with your family is a gift that cannot be ignored, and this year I am just thankful to be home, safe and warm from the cold weather, and away from the Chicago Midway International Airport.
I wanted to thank Jason and Weldon one more time, in a public sphere. Without you two, my Christmas would have turned out terribly, and I would have felt a lonely despair that is now unimaginable. In a sense, you both saved my Christmas, and for that I will never forget you both. Merry Christmas.
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#17 ASU 90 - Idaho State 55: ASU now 10-1
by ASUBoyd
on Dec 23, 2008 5:09 PM MST
Not a very interesting game, ASU simply manhandled ISU.
The defense looked great, the zone was in full force. Driving lanes were non-existent and ISU took 48% of their shots from three point land - hitting only 29% (7-24).
Saw pretty much everything I wanted to. McMillan got the most minutes he has had all season, putting up a line of 6 points, 4 assits, 2 rebounds. Glasser contributed finally, with 11 points 9 assists and only 1 turnover.
Abbott made some shots, with 14 points, 4 steals and 4-6 from three. Kuksiks hit 5 threes for 15 points and had 4 boards.
Pendergraph had a solid game, and Harden had 18.
Every starter scored at least 11 points, and the bench actually got to see some court time.
All in all, an expected, but nice blow out. Oh yeah, we also hit 17 threes at 53% shooting - a scool record.
"I've been coaching 30 years," Idaho State coach Joe O'Brien said, "and I don't know that I've been involved in a game where the opponent shot the ball that well that long. ... They shot the ball well from start to finish, everybody that played."
Next game is the 29th against Central Connecticut State University - CCSU. They're 5-5 and have a stud sophomore forward named Ken Horton who is averaging 20.6 points per... oh, who am I kidding? It should be another blow out.
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Saved By The Bell! - #17 Sun Devils Bests BYU (barely) 76-75
by ASUBoyd
on Dec 21, 2008 5:17 PM MST
in ASU Basketball
Continuing the trend of 1 game a week, ASU plays an extremely close game after not playing for a week and nearly loses - frankly, it could be argued we did lose this game. But the officials took a look at BYU's game winning shot and determined it came after the buzzer - so we were saved. BYU is a really good team - they were 10-0 before this loss, and i would not be surprised to see them crack the top 25 before the end of the season.
They played us tough, lead for 75% of the game - and were even up by 10 with 8 mintutes to go.
But - it was not enough.
ASU showed once again the resiliency that has become a staple of these Sendek coached teams. The guy just breeds this atmosphere of no-quit basketball and the players have bought in. The guys might have been outplayed, but they never gave up.
Before I get to the good things, the bad.
The defense was ok, but we need to capitalize on the turnovers. They turned the ball over 16 times, and often we would rush down and waste the possession with a stupid three. I'm looking at you Ty Abbott. The not so super-soph was 2-10 FG, 2-7 3PA, had NO free throws, and ended up with 6 points, 3 rebs, 3 ast, 1 steal, 1 TO. The kid just is not producing. He played 29 mins, and really has not found a groove all seasonl. He needs to step up, because if he is going to continually play 30 mins a game, he cant do this kind of thing. He is supposed to be the third, if not second, scoring option on offense. Two thirds of his field goal attempts have been three pointers, and he is shooting 25% on threes. That is awful. Frankly, if he does not improve, i think there is reason to start Shipp or McMillan over him, just to send a message. He could still get his 20-25 mins, but he needs to shoot a higher percentage.
Another thing is the amount of minutes Derek Glasser has been getting - and the lack of production the team has been getting for those minutes. For example this game - 32 mins. 1 point. 1 assist. 3 turnovers. 3 rebounds. 1 steal. 0-1 FG, 1-4 FT.
Are you joking me? His counterpart on BYU also scored 16 points and shot 50%, so he wasn't exactly providing stellar defense. The guy shouldn't be getting these kinds of minutes - not when McMillan is behind him. ANd while McMillan has been lacking confidence and is still raw - the kid's upside is so much bigger. Look at what happens when he gets his shot to play. 18 mins, 10 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks (one at a huge moment near the end of the game) and 2 turnovers. He just is a better, more athletic player. I know Harden loves Glasser, but i think its time to give McMillan some more PT.
Kuksiks also disappeared - he has trouble creating his own shot, but he played ok and demanded a defender at all times.
The bright spots of the night came from Harden (natch) and Pendergraph. Jeff had 22 points and 9 rebounds. He shot a high percentage, avoided mistakes, and held his man to 7 points. He needs to become more aggressive offensively, our tallest guy only getting 5 FTA is not ok, but he has really mastered his midrange game.
Harden - he carried us to victory again. He was so aggressive on offense, I love it. His 21 FTAs were more than all of BYU's team (19). 30 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assits, 5 steals. The kid was ballin'. He is ASU basketball at the moment. The team lives and dies by his production. We lived tonight, even though it was close.
#17 ASU (9-1) will face the Idaho State Bengals (2-8) at home on Tuesday, December 23rd at 2 PM. Expect a blow out.
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BYU's 2009 Football Schedule "Close" To Done
"BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said Wednesday that the 2009 schedule is "very close" to being finalized and that it could happen within the next week or two. Holmoe said he still cannot comment on the rumored matchup between Oklahoma and BYU in Dallas to open the 2009 season because contracts have not been signed.
"Right now, it is pretty obvious there are a lot of things that are going on. It is not that I have been trying to keep anything from the fans or the press or anything, but we are very close to solidifying a change," he said. There is speculation that BYU will drop Arizona State from its 2009 schedule to fit in the Oklahoma game and one other game, perhaps against Tulane. BYU's current nonconference schedule for 2009 includes ASU, Utah State and Florida State.
It became a topic Wednesday because Louisiana-Monroe released its schedule showing a game against ASU, which means ASU would have to drop one of its 2009 nonconference games, presumably vs. BYU.
"I think we have a good opportunity to put together a really competitive schedule next year with some great games, and do a little travel, and it is going to come together soon," Holmoe said."
I won't come out and say that I would rather play BYU next year rather than ULM. But really, playing BYU was going to be a good thing for our program if we could have pulled out the win. Playing Louisiana-Monroe does NOTHING for ASU.
18 days ago
C.W.
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Pacific-10 Conference Standings
(updated 1.5.2009 at 2:45 AM MST)
| Conf | Overall | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
|
California Golden Bears
|
2 | 0 | 13 | 2 |
|
UCLA Bruins
|
2 | 0 | 12 | 2 |
|
Washington Huskies
|
1 | 0 | 10 | 3 |
|
Arizona St. Sun Devils
|
1 | 1 | 12 | 2 |
|
USC Trojans
|
1 | 1 | 10 | 4 |
|
Oregon St. Beavers
|
1 | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Stanford Cardinal | 0 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| Arizona Wildcats | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 |
|
Washington St. Cougars
|
0 | 1 | 8 | 5 |
|
Oregon Ducks
|
0 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
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