Good evening Huddle members,

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24 hours after what head coach Willie Bloomquist described as an embarrassing and offensive performance, the Sun Devils scrubbed their Thursday throwaway loss to Ohio State with an emphatic 14-4 victory

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I'll try and provide updates from the baseball game during the basketball game, but my man Scott has you covered on Twitter if you need more updates

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On a night when history was made by Frankie Collins, ASU nearly recorded its largest comeback victory in school history as well. Justin LaCertosa and I discuss the roller coaster affair that took place in the overtime loss on Thursday night

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"I’m gonna get the guys in, work on their psyche, their spirits, and ensure that they are not defeated from losing the way we did." Halftime deficit comeback wins aren't rare in the Hurley era in Tempe. Yet, a 21-point hole proved to be a hurdle that could be cleared

“18-22-year-old kids that think they’ve got it figured out after four games. I’ll take the responsibility for not locking these guys in better." An ASU offense that racked up 47 runs in three games was humbled by Ohio State and its elite MLB pitching prospect

I heard from a reliable source (long-time high school athletic director) that Texas Tech offered $1.5 million to a girl's basketball player from Lubbock Monterey.

The Sun Angel Collective has successfully secured commitments totaling $1 million for its "Million Dollar Match" campaign. This significant achievement follows a private fundraising event hosted by Christine and Chuck Michaels on November 30th, attended by about two dozen influential boosters.

The "Million Dollar Match" is a bold initiative where every donation to the Sun Angel Collective between now and the 2024 Spring Football Game will be matched dollar for dollar by several generous donors, up to a maximum of $1,000,000. This program is designed to maximize the impact of individual contributions, effectively doubling the support for the collective's mission. These matching funds are earmarked at the donors’ request for NIL opportunities for Sun Devil Football players.

The event's highlight was an impassioned appeal from Head Football Coach Kenny Dillingham, who emphasized the collective's vital role in empowering and supporting athletes. His presentation profoundly resonated with the attendees, sparking an immediate and enthusiastic response.

Brittani Willett, the Executive Director of the Sun Angel Collective, expressed her admiration for Coach Dillingham's compelling presentation and the attendees' swift commitment to the cause. "The energy in the room was electric. Coach Dillingham's words not only inspired our esteemed boosters but also laid a strong foundation for leveraging their generosity to engage a wider community of fans. This is just the beginning of a broader movement to activate support throughout the valley," said Willett.

Chris Michaels, President of the Sun Devil Club Board, and a Board Member of the Sun Angel Collective, shared her excitement about the event's success and gratitude for the opportunity to host it. "It was an honor to have the event at our home. The overwhelming support and commitment we witnessed is a testament to the collective passion and dedication of the Sun Devil family. We are deeply grateful for the success of this initiative," Michaels remarked.

The presence of most of Sun Devil Football's coaching staff underscored the importance of Name, Image, and
Likeness (NIL) in modern collegiate athletics. Coaches had conversations with boosters and provided valuable
insights about the evolving landscape of collegiate sports and athlete support.

The Sun Angel Collective looks forward to leveraging this momentum to further its mission of supporting and
enhancing the experiences of Sun Devil athletes across all sports.

The Collective recently announced the ability for donors at any level to restrict their gifts in support of a particular sport through the Collective’s donor portal.

For more information or to contribute to the "Million Dollar Match" initiative, please visit sunangels.org

Just curious if there are any updates on this front at all?

No. 3 prospect in the state

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Trying to quickly put a 45-point loss to Arizona in the rearview mirror, ASU will host a Washington squad that could offer a good chance to get back on the winning track. Nonetheless, it will require an offense effective enough to combat a zone defense

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The Texas-to-Tempe pipeline is flowing, and the Sun Devils are reaping the benefits. One of the key pieces is Keith Abney II, a former national champion speed roller blader as a kid who is now a promising young cornerback for the defense. After flashing his potential as a true freshman last year, Abney is primed to make a big leap in Year 2 this fall. On this episode, Keith and I discuss his speed skating days and how it’s helped his game, balancing being a football player and an honors student, what the Texas takeover in Tempe can do for the Devils, and much more.

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"That’s a big win for us, and hopefully a confidence builder that we didn’t play our best baseball today.” ASU tapped into their small-ball, scattering nine runs with clutch outs to overcome 12 walks from eight pitchers in a 9-6 win over No. 24 Kansas State

That's one of the headlines in today's Daily Star related to a column written by Michail Lev...

The subheading reads: "In men's BB, ASU rarely strong enough to test UA"

He bemoans the fact that AU won't be facing UCLA any more on a regular conference basis and asks who is going to replace that rivalry...

"I know one thing for certain...it won't be ASU"...he says

He doesn't base that assessment on last Sat's massacre but, rather, what the Cats have done in the way of dominance for decades now...

The Cats have won 65 of 84 contests since the mid-80s and the Cats have won 8 of the last 10 usually by large margins...

Basically, as we Sun Devil fans know, we don't even have "competitive traction" most of the time against the Cats in BB...

Lev contacted Bobby who told Lev that his "team was doing the best that it can" (given all the circumstances conspiring against it these days with the transfer portal and NIL reality)...

Bobby didn't say what the circumstances were but Lev pointed them out since they are so obvious...

Lev also goes on to say that the Devils under Hurley have had some "moderate success" but not enough success to think they will add much to the Big12 in basketball...

Any way, after reviewing some other teams like Utah and Colorado as potential better rivals for the Cats moving forward Lev concludes..."For better or worse, ASU is no threat whatsoever"...

It's the sad truth but a real truth as the Cats have already gotten another AD who talks about taking all AU sports to a championship level, while our president throws out names like some third rate AD from Temple...

AU is serious about their athletics while Crow is not, IMHO, and that's the way it is this fine day in the desert...

Go Devils!!!