👋 GOOD MORNING

Happy Tuesday! I hope you’re ready for a late night, because the Sun Devils and Wildcats square off at McKale Center at 9 pm — yes, 9 pm — tonight (ESPN). There’s plenty more on that below, but before we jump to it, I just wanted to say how amazing it was to open my inbox earlier today and find so many responses from our amazing readers! This has been such a blast to bring to you every morning, and I can’t express how great it is to hear from you.

Keep it coming — this sports community here is truly something special, and I’m proud to be a part of it alongside you.

On to the show!

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ASU Looks For Revenge as Arizona Tries to Avoid Damaging Loss

Throw all common sense out the window.

It is March, after all.

The Sun Devils and No. 24 Wildcats meet tonight for the second-and-final time in the regular season; Arizona won the first battle 81-72 in Tempe on Feb. 1, and this time, the Sun Devils have to win at McKale Center if there’s any hope of pulling out an upset. The game comes between two teams that are on very different trajectories, but it’s March, so it’s probably best if you don’t pay any attention to that ​17.5 spread in favor of UA​, according to bet365.

Teams Need the Win For Very Different Reasons: This season has simply not gone according to plan for ASU, which is 4-14 in the Big 12, has dropped eight of its last nine games, and continues to battle an injury bug that has depleted its core lineup. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are playing to strengthen their position for the NCAA Tournament, fresh off an 84-67 loss to No. 9 Iowa State in Ames. Arizona has two games remaining in its regular season, and is nursing a one-game lead over Iowa State and BYU in the Big 12 standings. It’s currently projected as a four seed in the Big Dance by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.

• ASU is missing several key players, most notably the 17-year-old phenom Jayden Quaintance, who has been battling a knee injury for several weeks. Basheer Jihad and Adam Miller also missed Saturday’s game against Utah, and leading scorer BJ Freeman was dismissed from the team.
• The Sun Devils have no hope of any sort of postseason appearance unless they run the table at the Big 12 Tournament.
• Arizona has hit a slight bump, as it has lost four of its last six games. A strong finish against ASU at home and Kansas on the road could position it nicely for a solid stretch run.
• Tonight’s game is also Senior Night in Tucson, making the game that much more emotional for the student-athletes who will be playing their final game at McKale Center.

My take: Never underestimate the power of a rivalry game, but this is an uphill battle for ASU. Much depends on the Sun Devils’ health (little information was available prior to scheduling this email — sorry), but even a fully healthy lineup would struggle to stop this Wildcats team. Yes, Arizona has lost four of six, but three of those (Kansas State, Houston and BYU) came by a combined eight points. The Sun Devils’ last three defeats, meanwhile, have been by an average of 17 points.

Whatever. Throw out all common logic, grab a cup of coffee, and be sure to tune in at 9 pm tonight on ESPN!

Take a Deeper Dive (ASU): Anthony talks about why Bobby Hurley ​is the Sun Devils’ scapegoat​.

Take a Deeper Dive (Arizona): Damon and Kevin ​preview tonight’s matchup​ and look at what the Wildcats can to do recover from Saturday’s loss in Ames.

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How the Heck Did the Suns Get Here?

Things are not going well for the Phoenix Suns. There are just 21 games remaining in the regular season, yet it’s looking increasingly likely that the team won’t even have a chance to play their way into the postseason. A snapshot of just how god-awful things have been lately:

• Four games out of the NBA play-in spot
• 28-33 overall record after starting 9-2
• Most difficult schedule remaining in the NBA
• Losses in eight of their last 10 games

So what happened? Gerald is taking a good, hard look into the decisions the organization has made to get it to this very point, and this is must-read material. ​Check out Part 1​ of his two-part series, and Part 2 will drop sometime tomorrow.

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Musings From Around (and Sometimes Beyond) The Valley

Exhale: Corbin Carroll left Sunday’s Spring Training game in the third inning with lower back tightness, but it was simply out of an abundance of caution. He did not play in Monday’s 10-2 win over the Cubs, but both Carroll and manager Torey Lovullo have indicated the injury will not be long term.

Just Do It: The Arizona athletic department signed a longterm contract renewal with Nike, running through June 30, 2033. The university stated all student-athletes will have access to footwear, apparel and equipment, while the deal also provides the Wildcats with “significant branding and marketing support.”

March Mat-ness: Seeding has been announced for the Big 12 Wrestling Tournament on March 8-9, and the Sun Devils have a few grapplers to watch. Richard Figueroa earned the No. 1 seed at 125 pounds, while Cohlton Schultz is ranked second at heavyweight. The Sun Devils have some work to do with a 45-point team projection, placing them 10th out of 14 schools.

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🧢 Tip of the Hat

OK, this may be a few days late, but there are new food options at Phoenix Rising Stadium! See you at a Rising game sometime soon? The home opener is March 8.

🍴We've got new food items in Phoenix, and @rees11_ is trying them out.

First up: the 18-Yard Box Nachos pic.twitter.com/VqOZzaiQBO

— PHNX Rising (@PHNX__Rising) March 1, 2025