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GOOD MORNING
Happy Monday! I hope you had a nice weekend, and hopefully your bracket is still alive — the Wildcats sure are! Proud to say both of my brackets still have my national champ intact (Michigan State and Auburn), which cushioned the blow after my alma mater, Iowa State, was routed in the second round.
Speaking of college basketball, ASU standout Joson Sanon is reportedly set to enter the transfer portal, ending his tenure in Tempe after just one season. He was part of an impressive recruiting class that was expected to excel under coach Bobby Hurley, but things never quite panned out. Sanon averaged 11.9 points in 27 games this season.
On to the show!
Wildcats Hang On to Punch Sweet 16 Ticket
How sweet it is.
The Arizona Wildcats are heading back to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year, and they had to get past an old foe to do it. UA topped former Pac-12 rival Oregon 87-83 at Climate Pledge Arena last night to earn yet another berth at the coveted second weekend of NCAA Tournament play, marking the school’s 13th Sweet 16 appearance since 2000.
For what it’s worth, the Wildcats have not advanced to the Elite Eight since 2015, and the path this season isn’t any easier.
Devils Are In The Details
Sunday night’s win has set up a showdown against another college basketball blue blood — No. 1 seeded Duke. The Blue Devils ousted Baylor on Sunday with an 89-66 win, improving to 33-3 on the season while seeking their second consecutive Elite Eight appearance. Duke fell 76-64 to 11th-seeded N.C. State in last year’s Regional Final, and last appeared in the Final Four in 2022. Believe it or not, the Blue Devils are looking for their first NCAA title since 2015.
- Duke’s last loss came on Feb. 8, a 77-71 loss to Clemson.
- The Blue Devils defeated the Wildcats 69-55 at McKale Center on Nov. 22.
- Caleb Love was limited to just eight points in the loss to Duke, while Jaden Bradley led the way with 18 points.
- Love led all scorers against Oregon with 29 points.
My take: This is what March is all about! Yes, Duke defeated Arizona earlier this season, but make no mistake, this is a much different Arizona team than you saw wayyyyyy back before Thanksgiving. Coach Tommy Lloyd has the team firing on all cylinders when it matters most, and that was evident in the nail-biting win over Oregon in which the Wildcats bent, but didn’t break. They’re battle-tested, dialed in, and have defeated five of the last seven opponents faced this season.
Take a deeper dive: Get Damon, Kevin, and Saul’s takeaways from yesterday’s win as the team looks ahead to the Sweet 16.
Molly Miller’s Message to ASU Fans
One of the most sought-after head coaching candidates in the NCAA women’s basketball realm was off the market, essentially, before the market even opened. New ASU women’s basketball coach Molly Miller posted a video from Tempe on Saturday, decked out in Sun Devils attire, just days after GCU was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament.
- Miller was 117-38 in five seasons at GCU, including 32-3 this season.
- The Lopes won 30 straight this season.
- The Springfield, Mo. native was 180-17 as a coach in six seasons with Division II Drury.
- She was inducted into the Drury Hall of Fame in 2012.
Hear from Espo about why hiring Miller speaks volumes about the trajectory of ASU athletics!
What’s in the Cards?
Given all of the free agency moves the Arizona Cardinals made this season, should expectations be elevated heading into next season? Johnny and Bo talk about just that in the lead-up to next month’s NFL Draft. Speaking of the NFL Draft, be sure to check out Fran Duffy’s Diehard Draft Guide, which has endless insight into everything related to the upcoming draft.
If you aren’t a Diehard yet but want access to perks like exclusive content, a raucous Discord server, free merch, event discounts, and more, join the PHNX family! When you do, give us a shout on X, and bask in the love that follows.
Musings From Around (and Sometimes Beyond) The Valley
Suns Rising? The Suns completed a stunning upset of the 57-14 Cavs on Friday, earning their third straight win while hanging tough in the race for the final postseason play-in spot. Phoenix hosts the 40-30 Milwaukee Bucks tonight before closing out its five-game home in stand against the 51-19 Boston Celtics on Wednesday.
Hanging by a Thread: The Tucson Roadrunners were swept by Colorado this weekend, but continue to hang in the AHL playoff race. The Roadrunners remain two points ahead of Bakersfield in the final Pacific Division playoff spot following the Condors’ loss to San Jose on Sunday night.
No More Magic: The ASU men’s hockey team saw its season come to an end following a 4-2 loss to Denver in the NCHC seminfinals on Friday. The Sun Devils came up just short in terms of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, but it’s hard to look at the season in a negative light following a second-place finish in the NCHC standings in their first year in the conference.
Setting the Bar: The Wildcats gymnastics team finished second at the Big 12 championships this weekend, while the Sun Devils finished fifth. UA earned several individual awards, as Elena Deets was named co-Specialist of the Year, while coach John Court earned Coach of the Year honors. ASU’s Sarah Clark placed third on uneven bars, while Wildcats gymnast Abigayle Martin took third in all-around.
Nothing Soft About It: The Arizona Wildcats softball team emerged victorious over in-state rival Arizona State this weekend, winning the first two games of the three-game set before the Sun Devils took yesterday’s series finale. It’s the only time the two will face each other this regular season.
Tip of the Hat
Looks like Sanon is one-and-done in Tempe, and so goes the NIL/transfer portal era in college sports.
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