👋 GOOD MORNING

Happy Wednesday! There’s much to discuss around the Roadrunners’ playoff hopes, but I need to get something off my chest, first. I know I’m a little biased as an Iowa State alum, but if you didn’t have a chance to catch that instant classic last night, you should check out some highlights. The Cyclones rallied from a 21-point second-half deficit to force overtime — and ultimately double overtime — in one of the more thrilling regular season college basketball games I have ever witnessed.

It’s too bad BYU went on to win 89-85 in the end. Sigh. (No, not Cy. Sorry. Couldn’t help myself).

On to the show!

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Roadrunners’ Playoff Hopes Hinge On Next Month of Play

It all comes down to this.

The Tucson Roadrunners are clinging to the Pacific Division’s final playoff spot, ranking seventh out of 10 teams as the AHL season hits critical mass. Tucson is just two points ahead of Bakersfield in the standings, but the Condors have two games in hand. As luck would have it, the Roadrunners have five games remaining against Bakersfield, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg of how the next month will shape the team’s postseason fate.

Pacific Division Gauntlet Awaits Roadrunners

It doesn’t start and end with the Condors, either, because 18 of the Roadrunners’ 20 remaining games come against divisional opponents. 16 straight, by the way — Tucson faces Rockford (Central Division) on April 11 and April 12 — and it’s likely we’ll have a very good idea of where the Roadrunners stand by the time those games approach. A look at their upcoming schedule highlights just how critical — and difficult — the next few weeks are.

• 4 games vs. Ontario (4th place in the Pacific)
• 5 games vs. Bakersfield (8th place in the Pacific)
• 2 games vs. San Jose (5th place in the Pacific)
• 4 games vs. Colorado (1st place in the Pacific)
• 1 game vs. San Diego (9th place in the Pacific)
• 2 games vs. Calgary (2nd place in the Pacific)

My take: This is a difficult road for Tucson, but the opportunity is there. 11 of its final 18 games within the division come against teams that are higher in the standings, offering an opportunity, albeit a tough one, to make up a little ground while creating some separation from the teams threatening for the final playoff spot. The team is a little bit stronger on the blue line as well, given the addition of experienced NHL defenseman Juuso Välimäki, though he would assuredly be called up to the Utah Hockey Club if injuries become an issue down the stretch for the parent team.

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How the Heck Did the Suns Get Here?

Things are not going well for the Phoenix Suns. There are just 20 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, despite last night’s 119-117 win over the Clippers. Gerald is taking a two-part look into the decisions the organization has made to get to this point. If you missed Part 1, you ​can check it out here​. A few highlights from Part 2:

• Mike Budenholzer has not gotten team buy-in
• Minutes have been inconsistent for important role players
• Communication has clearly broken down between the coaching staff and players

Make sure to check out the ​second-and-final​ part of Gerald’s series, which also takes a look at what the future has in store for the Suns.

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Musings From Around (and Sometimes Beyond) The Valley

Bragging Rights: The Wildcats topped the Sun Devils 113-100 in Tucson last night, completing a season sweep of their in-state rival. Henri Veesaar led Arizona with 22 points while chipping in eight rebounds, and the Wildcats are in a solid position in the Big 12 standings heading into their regular season finale — Saturday against the Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kans.

Lacrosse Honors: ASU women’s lacrosse player Anna Viglione was named the Big 12 Midfielder of the Week after recording 25 draw controls over two games last week. She is the only player in the Big 12 to record 15 draw controls in a single game, and has the fourth-highest per-game average by an individual in the NCAA (10.40).

Feelin the Love: Arizona’s Caleb Love has been named one of the five finalists for the 2025 Jerry West Award, which is given to the top shooting guard in the country. He is one of 14 players in NCAA history to score 1,000 points at two different schools, and is one of five active players in the country that has scored over 2,500 points in his college career.

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🧢 Tip of the Hat

Awkward….

What did you think about this moment between KD and Bud? pic.twitter.com/YsrRqLrAef

— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) March 5, 2025