House Of Sparky

This Is So 2007: ASU #1 Seed in NIT Tournament

2010-03-15T01:46:44Z

More photos » Mark J. Terrill - AP

Come watch us play in the NIT!

We knew this was coming. Heck, I saw Rihards Kuksiks and Ty Abbott at the Royals/A's spring training game during the selection show, so I had a feeling we knew our destination long before 6:00 EST rolled around.

We are a #1 seed in the 2010 NIT, and you can get the bracket here. The best part about this? Arizona didn't even make the NIT. As a matter of fact, we're the only Pac-10 school. Thus, the CBI may represent us well.

ASU takes on #8 seed Jacksonville, the regular season Atlantic Sun champions, on Tuesday evening at 8:00 in Wells Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils, should they win, would play the winner of the Seton Hall/Texas Tech match up.

All in all, this is what we expected. I am a little surprised we are hosting again, but it is deserved for being 22-10, I guess. I'd ask you to show up on Tuesday, but I won't. The game will be on ESPN2.

POP Goes the Bubble: Sun Devils On the Outside Looking In

2010-03-12T07:09:06Z

More photos » Mark J. Terrill - AP

5 days ago: Arizona State team members react on the bench in the closing seconds of their NCAA college basketball game against Stanford at the Pac-10 Conference tournament, Thursday, March 11, 2010, in Los Angeles. Stanford won 70-61. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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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.

The Return: Bracketology Report

2010-03-10T05:58:12Z

More photos » Paul Sakuma - AP

19 days ago: Arizona State guard Derek Glasser (12) drives in front of Stanford forward Jack Trotter (50) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Stanford, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010. Arizona State defeated Stanford 68-60. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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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!

Sun Devils Breakdown: NCAA Tournament Profile, 3/7/2010

2010-03-07T18:18:50Z

If you were watching the halftime show on CBS during the break of the Florida/Kentucky game, you would have seen something very rare: media love for Arizona State.

Seth Davis has picked us as one of the "last four in" on national television. While I don't personally believe we have to worry too much about the bubble as long as we win one or two in Los Angeles, this media boost doesn't hurt our chances.

As for the rest of the statistics...

Record = 22-9

Pac-10 Record = 12-6

RPI = 52

SOS = 72

Signature Wins (RPI 1-30) = None

Quality Wins (RPI 31-100) = San Diego State (RPI 33), Washington (RPI 49), @Arizona (RPI 86)

Bad Losses (RPI 101 or greater) = @UCLA (RPI 145)

"Quality" Losses (RPI 1-50) = Duke (RPI 2) Baylor (RPI 8), @BYU (RPI 23), California (RPI 19), @California (RPI 19)

UPDATE (7:36 PM): Joe Lunardi has put us into the field as well.

You can see video of this as proof here. Go Devils!

ASU Wins Again, Now 22-9: Bubble Watch Update

2010-03-07T02:49:04Z

Good day to be a Devil fan.

Several "bubble teams" were burst today, but thankfully ASU was not one of them. Take a look at ESPN's bubble watch:

1. Rhode Island shockingly lost to hapless UMass, which should take them out of the picture.

2. Dayton lost a tough home game to St. Louis, and they are 0-2 on the final weekend of the season.

3. Mississippi State got taken to the house by Tennessee and with their terrible SOS should be done.

4. Cincinnati is now out of the picture after a 74-47 pasting at the hands of Georgetown.

5. UConn, who can't seem to lose enough games, may have finally exhausted its chances with a loss to South Florida today.

6. Georgia Tech lost to Virginia Tech (at home, which is a bad sign)

I truly believe that the Devils will go dancing, especially if they can win a few games in the Pac-10 Tournament. I don't believe the hype that the P10 is a one-school conference - I'm siding with 2 or 3 depending on who wins the tournament.

As for those who say California isn't a lock - give me a break. They have won the Pac-10 regular season title. That is quite enough.

Poll

Will the Devils go dancing?

Yes

74 votes

No

10 votes

84 votes | Poll has closed

VOTE on SB Nation Pac-10 all-conference teams!

2010-03-06T03:44:55Z

Last year, we CougCenter.com authors put together our inaugural Pac-10 all-conference awards. As we were working on this year's edition, a thought hit us.

What if we did a fan vote across all the SB Nation Pac-10 sites?

Here's your chance to get your voice heard. After the text is a link to a form you can fill out to submit your votes. It's pretty lengthy, but you have to fill the whole thing out for your vote to be counted.

Just a few points of clarification.

We're asking for your home blog because it might be interesting to see how certain fan bases vote.
We're asking for your SB Nation user name because it will hopefully help keep us from getting spammed. Don't worry, we won't share how you voted, unless ...
If you leave a comment and we use it on the results post, we'll attribute it to your user name. If you don't want that to happen, don't leave any comments.
Base your selections on performance in conference, not the whole year.
This is an all-conference team, therefore, you are asked to select players who would actually comprise a basketball team. None of this wishy-washy, best five or 10 players regardless of position crap the actual conference does.

That's about it. We'll post the results on our site next week.

VOTE HERE NOW.

ASU Beats USC 59-54, Moves to 21-9 on the Season

2010-03-05T03:42:02Z

More photos » Rick Scuteri - AP

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Good win for the Sun Devils tonight. ASU moves to 21-9 on the season, and one step closer to the big dance. Rihards Kuksiks performed nicely, scoring 24 points and shooting 6/9 from behind the stripe.

Saturday at 1:00 is Senior "night", and Glasser, Shipp and Boateng will be honored pregame. Lets show up and support our surprisingly decent basketball team.

Outmanned, Outcoached, Outplayed: California Romps ASU to Win Pac-10 Title

2010-02-28T04:32:10Z

California took home their first Pac-10 title in 50 years today, handily beating our Sun Devils 62-46 today in Haas Pavilion.

It was truly a tale of two halves. In the first half, ASU came out shooting a very high percentage inside the arc, taking into the break a 30-29 lead. By the end of the game, however, the Sun Devils shot 40% from the field, including an abysmal 3-22 (13.6%) from long distance.

California is a strong, physical team with a lot of talent. ASU is a system team that needs space to operate on the offensive end. The Devils had no answer for the plethora of offensive options that the Bears threw at them.

If ASU would stop running their screens on offense and actually institute some playcalling, we might have seen a closer game today. I personally think Mike Montgomery outcoached Herb today - but at the same time, we're looking at a sold out crowd, an emotional senior game, and a whole lot of blue and gold confetti.

It just wasn't our day. All the Devils can do now is sweep the LA schools next weekend at home, and hope for the best come Selection Sunday.

ASU Takes on California in Possible Pac-10 Title Game

2010-02-27T19:29:12Z

Paul Sakuma - AP

Air Glasser.

View full size photo »

Huge game today against the Bears. Matt has been summoned to press row in Haas Pavilion, and will be providing us with coverage from the epicenter of California basketball.

I am ready to see Matt storm the court if we win today. Check out coverage of the game below:

Sun Devils vs Golden Bears coverage

California Golden Blogs

Sun Devils vs Golden Bears preview

Lets have a quality discussion today. Go Devils!

Q&A With California Golden Blogs: The Preview

2010-02-27T18:37:46Z

Here's another installment of our Q&A series with our fellow SBN blog, California Golden Blogs.

1. California crushed the Wildcats on Thursday night. What did you see from the Bears that you liked?

A lot really. Good shooting, good hustle, good energy on both sides of the ball. Only question is can they replicate that two games straight...Cal has usually destroyed teams on Thursday only to come out flat on Saturday. Could be a nailbiter against the Devils with that matchup zone of theirs.

2. After an embarrassing defeat to Oregon State, Cal has played quite well in back-to-back victories. What has Mike Montgomery done to right the ship?

I dunno. Yell at his guys more? There haven't been any real adjustments to the way Cal has played. We play standard halfcourt offense and try to find the best shot we possibly can without a true big. Our win against Oregon was ugly (if you didn't watch it that score looks a lot nicer than it actually was), and our win against Arizona was pretty. Both times we just shot lights out early in the second half to end it.

3. One of our writers will be in attendance on Saturday. What is the best part of the Haas Pavilion experience, and what should he do after the game is over?

Haas used to be a formidable homecourt advantage, but the Ben Braun years really took the life out of the crowd after each team performed worse than the previous one. It was back in force Thursday night, and it should be packed to the brim on Saturday with the Bears one win away from at least a share of the Pac-10 title in 50 years.

So if you guys win, tell your man to charge homecourt and start trashtalking like Eddie House. If not, flee. Top Dog isn't too far away--get the best weiners in the Bay Area and head home.

4. What does ASU need to do to beat California?

Pressure shots until the shot clock expires. Get out in transition and grab easy points for your offense. Make sure the Bears don't exploit the inside with Boykin like they did in Tempe. Take them out of their comfort zone like Oregon State did last week and you should be in it until the end.

5. How can you possibly stop Eric Boateng? He went 11 for 11 from the field against Stanford on Thursday.

Boykin made Boateng work for his points last time (19 points on 15 shots is pretty good, but not as crazy as what he did in Maples); I guess we'll employ the same strategy again of playing him straight up and forcing other guys to hit shots. They couldn't do that in Tempe and hopefully they can't do it in Haas.

6. Which team in the Mountain West Conference has the best mascot? Since, after all, they supposedly will have 4 bids to the big dance...

No contest. New Mexico's superhero the Lobo.

Badass.

The Bubble: Welcome Back Sun Devils

2010-02-27T01:46:07Z

More photos » Paul Sakuma - AP

19 days ago: Arizona State center Eric Boateng (2) smiles with guard Jerren Shipp (44) late in the second half against Stanford of an NCAA college basketball game in Stanford, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010. Arizona State defeated Stanford 68-60. Boateng was game high scorer with 24 points. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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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

Poll

How will the Devils fare come Selection Sunday?

Pac-10 Tourney Champs - Auto Bid

5 votes

At-Large as the 2nd Pac-10 team

19 votes

Bubble Popped (NIT)

10 votes

34 votes | Poll has closed

ASU Heads to Palo Alto to Take on Stanford, 8 PM MST

2010-02-26T02:20:02Z

Stop Landry Fields, please.

The game is going to be streamed live on Fox Sports Arizona's website. You can get the direct link here.

Lets pull together and have a good game thread for this one! Go Devils!

Sun Devils Breakdown: NCAA Tournament Profile, 2/22/2010

2010-02-22T19:50:05Z

Most of this information was garnered from RealTimeRPI.

Record = 19-8

Pac-10 Record = 9-5

RPI = 58

SOS = 74

Signature Wins (RPI 1-30) = None

Quality Wins (RPI 31-100) = San Diego State (RPI 38), UCSB (RPI 97), Washington (RPI 60), @Arizona (RPI 95)

Bad Losses (RPI 101 or greater) = @UCLA (RPI 117)

"Quality" Losses (RPI 1-50) = Duke (RPI 2) Baylor (RPI 17), @BYU (RPI 22), California (RPI 23)

So what does it all mean?

This was a solid week for the Sun Devils. Not only did they get a huge win against a "quality" opponent in Tucson, they also earned another "quality win" by virtue of UCSB's RPI getting into the Top 100.

As it stands, we are on the "Next Four Out" on both Lunardi's and SBNation's bracketology reports. We've got a long way to go before we get respect from anyone, but if we can win both games this week it won't matter much what the pundits think, as we'll have the "auto bid" in all brackets.

Go Devils!

NCAA Bubble Watch, February 18

2010-02-19T02:51:47Z

When ASU doesn't play for an entire week, things can get a little... stagnant. With that in mind, lets take a look at ESPN's incredibly handy "Bubble Watch " scoreboard.

There are several moderately important bubble games tonight.

#21 Pittsburgh @ Marquette (bubble team, 16-8, 7-5 Big East): When you break down this matchup, you just hope Pittsburgh can beat a tough team on the road. Pitt is currently winning 20-18, but this game is dangerous for all Pac-10 bubble dreams. Can be watched on ESPN360.

USC @ Washington (bubble team, 17-8, 7-6 Pac-10): Luckily, Washington is at home this weekend and can improve their record against a good USC team tonight.

California (bubble team, 17-8, 9-4 Pac-10) @ Oregon State: California should romp here.

Saint Mary's (bubble team, 21-5) @ San Diego: One can only dream that the 9-18 USD squad can take this game down. Can be watched on ESPN360.

On to the final scores in the books...

#18 Vanderbilt won 82-78 at Mississippi (bubble team, now 17-8 and 5-6 in SEC play): This was a big win for Vanderbilt and a huge letdown for Ole Miss. They needed this win; now they look like complete pretenders.

Florida (bubble team, now 18-8 and 7-4 in the SEC) beat a mediocre Auburn team at home, 78-70. Florida may actually have a good shot at getting into the 2010 bracket.

Dayton is now 18-7 after beating La Salle. Wonder how they are going to play into the tournament selections.

I'm cheering for Pittsburgh, California, Washington, and San Diego tonight. The more the good Pac-10 teams win, the more respectable our records begin to look.... right? RIGHT?

NFL Draft Projections 2010 -- Arizona State

2010-02-16T23:21:16Z

via forkemsundevils.com

Even this being the second in two down years of Sun Devil football, many of Erickson's Class of 2010 could have a future in the NFL. Let's review who may have a NFL contract in their near future...

Shawn Lauvao (OL) -- Shawn was probably the most consistent lineman the Sun Devils have had in the past three years. In the last three years, he has played every game at different line positions moving between guard and tackle and starting in all, but four. Shawn played 17 games at left guard and 14 games at left tackle showing he can protect any quarterback's blind side. ESPN reported he can bench over 500 pounds and squat over 600. His high bench numbers could entice many coaches and general managers to take a chance and draft him earlier (see Heyward-Bey.) Shawn, despite his strength, may have to put on ten to fifteen pounds to be in the average for NFL offensive lineman. I projected Shawn at a early sixth round pick and will probably stick with a team in need of versatility and/or plagued by injuries.

Dexter Davis (DE/OLB) -- Going into the 2009 season, Dexter was considered one of the best pass-rushers in the country and a lock to be draft. Now, after a 2009 season, where he went from 11 sacks to 3.5, he'll be lucky to be drafted. Dexter went to the East-West Shrine practices and was torn to shreds by scouts saying he will not be able to play linebacker because of his lack of coverage ability. Without coverage ability, any team with a 3-4 defense will be out of the question as he will be too small to play defensive end in the 3-4 defensive alignment. If he wishes to play defensive end in another 4-3 system, he will have to located the pass-rushing ability he had in 2009. I project Dexter will catch on as a late seventh round pick with a team running the 4-3 willing to try and find that former pass rushing ability.

Chris McGaha (WR) -- Chris has started in every game since 2007, but never put up a stellar season. His highest receiving yards total was in 2007 where he ran up 830 yards and catch a season-high 61 throws. Chris contributed to the Arizona State offense, but never was a true number one receiver, which the NFL thrives on. Against Georgia, Chris vanished in two years straight only catching 6 balls and 41 yards. I project Chris will most likely go undrafted and, hopefully, catch on with team in need of wide receivers.

Travis Goethel (ILB) -- Travis played in all the games in his four year college career. Despite the emergence of freshman Vontaze Burflict at linebacker, Travis still managed to register 57 tackles, only losing 14 tackles from 2008. He is most likely stuck at ILB because of his apparent lack of pass rushing skills (2 sacks at ASU). Travis could play in either a 4-3 or 3-4 at ILB, while he may not be able to play OLB in either. I project Travis to go in the middle seventh round to a team willing to take a chance on a consistent college player.

Dimitri Nance (RB) -- Nance led Arizona State in rushing the last two years, but that does no say very much. In 2008, he only ran for 410 yards and, in 2009, only ran for 795. He is a tough inside runner and would rather lower his shoulder, then spin out of a tackle. In his 2006 and 2008 seasons, his longest rush was only for 17 and 18 yards, which shows he lacks break-out speed. In his career, however, he ran for 19 touchdowns which shows he has a nose for the goal line and could be a goal line specialist in the NFL. I project Dimitri will go undrafted because many teams will not use a draft pick on only a goal line talent.

Thomas Altieri (C) -- Altieri started a total of 22 games over his last two seasons. He replace Mike Pollak after he went to the NFL. Altieri is slightly underweight like Lauvao. He missed two games in his last season which adds a durability question to an already weak portfolio. I project Alteri will go undrafted and will maybe catch on a practice squad.

Disagree? Agree with all your heart? Either way, comment below and give me your own projections.

Poll

Who will be the most successful Sun Devil in the NFL?

Dimitri Nance (RB)

3 votes

Thomas Altieri (C)

1 votes

Chris McGaha (WR)

18 votes

Dexter Davis (DE/OLB)

10 votes

Travis Goethel (ILB)

1 votes

Shawn Lauvao (OL)

16 votes

49 votes | Poll has closed

Sun Devils Breakdown: NCAA Tournament Profile, 2/15/2010

2010-02-16T01:52:57Z

Here is a quick update of how ASU looks in the eyes of the selection committee as of today. After a home sweep of the Oregon schools, we have greatly improved our record to 18-8. While 20 wins is often considered the gold standard of an NCAA Tournament team, this is Arizona State, not the University of Arizona. We will need 22 wins minimum to get a look from an at-large perspective.

Most of this information was garnered from RealTimeRPI.

Record = 18-8

Pac-10 Record = 8-5

RPI = 64

SOS = 76

Signature Wins (RPI 1-30) = None

Quality Wins (RPI 31-100) = San Diego State (RPI 40), Washington (RPI 52)

Bad Losses (RPI 101 or greater) = @UCLA (RPI 134)

"Quality" Losses (RPI 1-50) = Duke (RPI 2) Baylor (RPI 17), @BYU (RPI 22), California (RPI 24)

So what does it all mean?

Basically, ASU is on the outside looking in - but most of the pundits agree that the Sun Devils are starting to look better and better each week.

SBNation's Bracketology lists us on the "Next Four Out" section.

SI's Seth Davis notes that the we are one of the eight teams left off the media mock bracket:

Among the teams left out were: Cal, Siena, Virginia Tech, Minnesota, UAB, Arizona State, South Carolina and Mississippi State.

What, California is also being left out of the tournament? Why is that, Seth Davis?

In addition, the NCAA staff gave the committee make-believe results coming out of make-believe conference tournaments in order to simulate what happens during the actual selection weekend. This year, the NCAA tapped the following teams as conference tournament champions: Arizona (Pac-10), Wichita State (Missouri Valley), Tulsa (C-USA) and Iona (MAAC).

Wouldn't that just be terrible.

Lunardi left us entirely off the board for the ESPN version. All in all, we have a LOT of work to do in order to get into the NCAA Tournament. The first step would be to win in Tucson, something that is never easy to do. Lets get to work, gentlemen.

Sad Day for ASU: Bill Kajikawa Passes Away at Age 97

2010-02-15T17:27:02Z

An ASU legend has passed away today. Affectionately known as "Kaji", Bill Kajikawa was an influential building block of the football, basketball, and baseball programs at Arizona State.

Here is some information from the official press release:

Kajikawa began his coaching career at Arizona State in 1937 and retired from ASU in 1978. He began coaching the Arizona State Teacher’s College freshman football team in 1937, when the players were known as the Bulldogs. During his tenure, Kajikawa watched the Bulldogs become the Sun Devils in 1946, and he saw his alma mater gain university status in 1958.

Before retiring in 1978, Kajikawa had worked as the freshman football coach under nine ASU head football coaches. In addition, he served as head basketball coach from 1948 to 1957, and he was head coach of ASU’s club baseball team from 1947 to 1957. He was inducted into the Arizona Basketball Hall of Fame in 1968 and the ASU Hall of Distinction in 1982.

During World War II, Kajikawa took his only hiatus from ASU to serve with distinction in the Army’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The 442nd, manned entirely by Japanese Americans, was the Army’s most decorated combat unit.

He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from ASU in 1937 and 1948, respectively, and he played on the varsity football team while he was an undergraduate. Kajikawa received an honorary doctor of laws degree from ASU during the summer 1989 commencement ceremony.

Kajikawa, who was a professor emeritus of physical education at ASU, was recognized on April 6, 1995, in a ceremony that named the Sun Devil football practice field The Bill Kajikawa Practice Facility.

A Sun Devil through and through. Let him always be remembered by the fans that fill the seats, and the players that adorn the maroon and gold.

The Tempe History Museum did a two hour interview with the coach in 1995. You can read the transcript of the interview here. There is some interesting stuff in there.

Quick Wrap-Up: ASU vs Oregon

2010-02-14T03:48:51Z

More photos » Aaron J. Latham - AP

about 1 month ago: Arizona State's Ty Abbott gets pressure from Oregon's defense, including Matthew Humphrey, right, in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Tempe, Ariz., Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010. Arizona State won 61-51. (AP Photo/Aaron J. Latham)

Browse more photos »

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.

Essential Game For ASU Today Against The Oregon Ducks, 4:00 MST

2010-02-13T19:59:06Z

Rick Scuteri - AP

Give this man the rock!

View full size photo »

Every game remaining on the schedule is a must-win. There is no room for a letdown against a terrible Pac-10 opponent. Oregon is 12-11 and 4-7 in conference, which implies one thing: we should win today. Does that mean it will happen? I'm not so sure.

After witnessing firsthand the monstrosity that was the Oregon State game on Thursday, our weaknesses may have been fully outlined, the "playbook for beating ASU" revealed. By stretching the zone against us, the Beavers forced Derek Glasser and Jamelle McMillan to handle the ball for long periods of time, passing back and forth like it was a hot potato.

Meanwhile, our wings stood in corner on the baselines, waiting for something to happen. Eric Boateng and Taylor Rohde tried not to get 3 second calls against them. It was ugly. While we won, I hated the entire game from start to finish. If we can't break a zone against OSU, we are in serious trouble.

What is needed is an infusion of speed. I am calling for increased playing time for Demetrius Walker, a speedy talent who can light up the mid-range game with his slashing abilities. At 17-8, we are an outside shot for the NCAA Tournament unless we can go on a huge winning streak. With 6 games left in the regular season, that is entirely possible.

22-23 wins can still get us into the dance, but we need to take care of the lower-level teams first. Down with the Ducks!

ASU Schedules Missouri for 2011 and 2012 Football Seasons

2010-02-12T20:19:23Z

This is for a home and home in 2011 and 2012.

http://espn.go.com/blog/pac10/post/_/id/7921/arizona-state-will-play-missouri-in-2001-2012

The home schedule for 2011 is going to be pretty solid. We will have Utah State, Washington, Missouri, Oregon State, Cal, USC, and U of A. Thank goodness I get season tickets. Go Devils!!

Just in case anyone was wondering the away games for 2011 are Illinois, Oregon, UCLA, Stanford, and Washington St