🇺🇸 GOOD MORNING

Happy Monday, and happy Presidents’ Day! Little-known piece of trivia, George Washington’s birthday (Feb. 22) was the origin for the federal holiday, but Abraham Lincoln’s was so close (Feb. 12) that the two were merged into one three-day weekend celebration back in 1968, hence the term Presidents’ Day.

Speaking of America, if you haven’t checked out the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, you’re missing out. I don’t think I ever want to watch another All-Star Game again. The US has already punched its ticket to the championship game, which is on Thursday (6 pm, ESPN). Let’s hear your opinion on the new All-Star format: Sound off in our poll below!

On to the show!

Sun Devils’ Season Teetering on the Brink

This is not how the ASU men’s basketball team’s season was supposed to go.

A roster loaded with talent — some of which is undeniably future NBA talent — suffered a damaging 74-70 defeat to TCU at home on Saturday, marking the team’s fifth consecutive loss. Perhaps more excruciating, three of those five losses have come by five points or less, and the Sun Devils have posted a 2-10 record since a 70-68 win at Colorado on Jan. 28. Freshman phenom Jayden Quaintance’s absence with a sprained ankle hasn’t helped matters one bit.

No Dancin’ with the Devils: The loss dropped ASU to under .500 for the first time this season (12-13), and their 3-11 Big 12 record places them 15th in the conference, ahead of only the 1-13 Buffaloes. With just six games left in the regular season, the Sun Devils can max out at 18 just regular season wins, but all is not completely lost — the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship kicks off on March 11. As unlikely as it may seem, an automatic berth awaits for the winner of the tournament at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.

• Three of ASU’s remaining six games are against teams ranked in the top 13 (as of Sunday night).
• Seeds 9-16 play in the tournament’s First Round on March 11.
• It would require five wins for the Sun Devils to run the table at the Big 12 Tourney.

My Take: I know I’m generally known for my optimism, and while I want to look on the bright side, an NCAA Tourney berth seems unlikely for Arizona State. Don’t get me wrong, there’s definitely an opportunity with several quality opponents still to come — the Sun Devils get No. 6 Houston and No. 12 Texas Tech at home — but even then there’s a log jam of teams ahead of them in the conference that boast more Big 12 wins against the same opposition. Still, you never know. March is a magical month.

Take a Deeper Dive: Anthony and Kyle break down the latest loss, and question whether or not ​it’s time to burn it down​ and start over.

Wildcats Stumble but Remain in Prime Position

• Arizona lost its highly-anticipated Big 12 matchup to No. 6 Houston at McKale Center on Saturday in a tightly contested match between the conference’s top two teams.
• The Wildcats have now dropped two straight after having previously won 13 of 14.
• UA has two ranked opponents remaining on its schedule: March 1 at No. 10 Iowa State, and March 8 at No. 17 Kansas.
• Arizona is tied with Texas Tech for second in the Big 12 at 11-3, while Houston leads the way at 13-1.
• The Wildcats can clinch a First Round bye by finishing in the top eight of the conference, which appears very likely. ESPN has them as a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament (as of Feb. 16).

Musings From Around (and Sometimes Beyond) The Valley

Suns Bright: TyTy Washington Jr. was held scoreless in the NBA G League Up Next Game, but his numbers this season place him among the top prospects in the entire developmental league. Kevin Durant, meanwhile, emerged victorious with Team Shaq yesterday, on a night where Steph Curry won All-Star MVP.

Ice Chips: Two hockey-related updates from the weekend:

• The ASU men’s hockey team split its road series against Minnesota Duluth this past weekend, falling 3-2 in overtime on Friday before eeking out a 4-3 shootout win on Saturday. The shootout win won’t do anything in the Pairwise rankings, but it does help the Sun Devils keep pace in the NCHC, and they are hosting conference-leading Western Michigan for a two-game set this weekend.
• The Roadrunners split their weekend series in Henderson, and are now 3-2-1 on their seven-game road trip. Tucson wraps it up in Coachella Valley on Wednesday before finally returning home this weekend to host Abbotsford, and there’s work to be done, as the Roadrunners are seventh in the 10-team Pacific Division.

Highs and Lows: The ASU baseball team started its season 3-0 with a weekend sweep over Ohio State (9-8, 7-6 and 17-10), while Arizona dropped all three of its games in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown (2-1 to Ole Miss, 16-5 to Clemson and 13-1 to Louisville) to start 0-3. The Wildcats host New Mexico in their home opener on Tuesday (2 pm, ESPN+), while the Sun Devils stay home to play Austin Peay tonight (1 pm, ESPN+).

🧢 Tip of the Hat

“I think they’re fairly frustrated.” — ASU coach Bobby Hurley following Saturday’s loss to TCU, the Sun Devils’ fifth straight defeat.