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Tuesday, 3 March 2026

Bobby Hurley ready to ‘go to battle’ in what could be his last ASU home game

March 03, 2026  ,  No comments

Arizona State men’s basketball coach Bobby Hurley could very well be embarking on his final home game Tuesday night at Desert Financial Arena.

And while he acknowledged that possibility speaking with Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta, the head coach remains focused on his present team amid a contract year.

“I’ve done this to try to help young men. I’ve had a great career and basketball has been so good to me and my family. It’s been special here,” Hurley said.

“But really all my thoughts are with the guys that I’m coaching. This will be the last time we go to battle this year at DFA. We’re one game over .500 and there’s still some things to play for. I’m just excited to go to war with my guys tonight. Just overall, (the thought of potentially coaching one last ASU home game) hasn’t really hit home and hasn’t resonated.”

At 15-14 with No. 14 Kansas and No. 6 Iowa State as their last two regular-season opponents, the Sun Devils would need Big 12 Tournament championship to earn an NCAA Tournament bid this year.

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And with his current contract up at the end of the year, a head-coaching change seems likely.

Many expect this to be Hurley’s final season at ASU, though athletic director Graham Rossini told Bickley & Marotta last month he wanted to see how the rest of the season unfolded when asked about Hurley’s future.

“I’m really proud of how these guys have played hard all season long. And a lot of people wanted to write them off after last season,” he said. “They were begging for us to make a change after last season.

“We didn’t want to do it. He’s left a tremendous mark on this program, and so we’re not ready to make a decision either way. We want to see how the season plays out.”

Currently in his 11th season as head coach, Hurley has posted a 183-165 (.526) record and four winning seasons. He sits second for the most wins in program history behind only Ned Wulk (405-257).

He’s coached three ASU teams to NCAA Tournament bids, though has never reached the second round.



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Terry Francona was ready to get ejected from Reds’ spring game to watch his Wildcats

March 03, 2026  ,  No comments

Hardcore Arizona Wildcats fan Terry Francona, whose side hustle is managing the Cincinnati Reds, was caught in a predicament Monday afternoon.

The Reds were hosting the Chicago Cubs, the pace was dragging and the manager had somewhere to be later in the day.

He, Cincinnati general manager Brad Meador and assistant bench coach Mike Napoli had tickets for the No. 2 Wildcats’ hosting of No. 6 Iowa State in Tucson. During a midgame interview of his Cactus League battle against Chicago, Francona admitted he had concepts of a plan to make sure he didn’t miss a quick flight to attend.

“We know you’re a college hoops fan and you love your alma mater in the Wildcats. Did you have a Final Four prediction?” Francona was asked.

“Guys, I love them enough where me, Nap and Brad Meador, we’re jumping on a plane right when this game is over and we’re going down to that game tonight,” the skipper said. “And if this game has the pace it has right now, you might see me get tossed in the eighth.”

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The Reds and Cubs combined for 26 runs, but the spring game that started at 1:06 p.m. officially was over within three hours. And sure enough, Francona made it on time to see Arizona beat Iowa State, 73-57. He even got a shout from ESPN’s broadcasters, Boog Sciambi and Fran Fraschilla.

“There he is: Terry Francona, Cincinnati Reds manager and a proud Arizona Wildcat,” Sciambi said. “He was part of the team that won the College World Series, 1980, and he was the most outstanding player. Tito also won the Golden Spikes award that year. He loves Arizona basketball.”



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Monday, 2 March 2026

Arizona remains No. 2 behind Duke in AP Top 25 poll

March 02, 2026  ,  No comments

Duke is No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the second straight week, extending its all-time record with the program’s 149th appearance in the top spot.

The Blue Devils received 55 of 59 first-place votes in Monday’s poll following lopsided wins over Notre Dame and then- No. 11 Virginia last week.

No. 2 Arizona received four first-place votes after clinching a share of the Big 12 regular-season title with Saturday’s 84-61 win over No. 14 Kansas. Michigan, UConn and Florida rounded out the top five.

Duke (27-2) has been dominant defensively since losing to rival North Carolina on Feb. 7, holding its last six opponents to an average of 57 points per game.

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The Blue Devils opened the week by handing Notre Dame its worst home loss since 1898 with a 100-56 win. Duke then turned its showdown with Virginia into another rout, crushing the Cavaliers 77-51 on Saturday to clinch the top seed for the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

Rising and falling

No. 10 Texas Tech had the biggest jump of the week, climbing six places with wins over Cincinnati and at Iowa State last week.

No. 8 Michigan State moved up five places following its 76-74 win over Purdue on Thursday and Sunday’s 13-point win over Indiana.

No. 19 Miami (Ohio), Division I’s only remaining undefeated team, climbed two spots for its highest ranking since reaching No. 12 in 1952-53.

No. 15 Purdue had the biggest drop of the week, losing seven places following losses to Michigan State and Ohio State.

No. 12 Gonzaga lost three places following its 70-59 loss to rival Saint Mary’s.

In and out

Saint Mary’s win over Gonzaga not only earned the Gaels a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season, it moved into the AP Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 21.

No. 22 Miami is ranked for the first time since 2023 following wins over Florida State and Boston College.

BYU dropped out of the poll from No. 19 with three losses in four games since sharpshooting guard Richie Saunders went down with a season-ending knee injury.

Louisville’s losses to North Carolina and Clemson last week knocked the Cardinals out of the poll from No. 25.

Conference watch

The Big 12 is tied with the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences for most ranked teams at five following BYU’s departure. The ACC is next with four teams, followed by the Big East and West Coast conferences with two each. The Mid-American Conference and Atlantic 10 each have one ranked team.

Arizona remains No. 2 among AP Top 25

Record Pts Prv
1. Duke (56) 27-2 1471 1
2. Arizona (5) 27-2 1392 2
3. Michigan 27-2 1385 3
4. UConn 27-3 1275 6
5. Florida 23-6 1234 7
6. Iowa State 24-5 1118 4
7. Houston 24-5 1094 5
8. Michigan St. 24-5 1055 13
9. Nebraska 25-4 1002 12
10. Texas Tech 22-7 855 16
11. Illinois 22-7 838 10
12. Gonzaga 28-3 752 9
13. Virginia 25-4 731 11
14. Kansas 21-8 722 14
15. Purdue 22-7 712 8
16. Alabama 22-7 657 17
17. North Carolina 23-6 554 18
18. St. John’s 23-6 547 15
19. Miami (OH) 29-0 360 21
20. Arkansas 21-8 333 20
21. St. Mary’s 27-4 304 NR
22. Miami 23-6 153 NR
23. Tennessee 20-9 118 22
24. Vanderbilt 22-7 117 25
25. Saint Louis 26-3 103 23

Others receiving votes: BYU 74, Kentucky 47, Louisville 47, Missouri 40, Wisconsin 27, Clemson 16, Utah St. 10, UCF 7, High Point 7, Dayton 5, Villanova 4, Navy 3, NC State 2, TCU 2, Ohio St. 1, Santa Clara 1.



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ESPN’s Yates tabs Max Iheanachor as an NFL Draft riser, excited by Stukes

March 02, 2026  ,  No comments

Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor and Arizona defensive back Treydan Stukes both received praise from ESPN NFL analyst Field Yates for their performances at the 2026 NFL Combine this past week.

A month removed from being named a standout at the Senior Bowl, Iheanachor continues to boost his draft stock from a Day 2 prospect to a potential first-round talent after a strong outing in Indianapolis on Sunday. He recorded a 4.91 in the 40-yard dash, tied for second-fastest amongst all offensive linemen, and a broad jump of nine feet and seven inches. That was good enough for third best.

Iheanachor met with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions during his time at the Combine. Both teams possess mid-to-late first-round picks and pressing needs at offensive tackle.

Yates predicted the Sun Devil to go No. 23 overall to the Eagles in a Feb. 11 mock draft, and the analyst foresees his ranking on NFL draft boards climbing up even higher.

Iheanachor’s measurables were a good place to start his day, as he measured in at nearly 6-foot-6, 321 pounds and a wingspan north of 83 inches.

…

Iheanachor did not play high school football, so he’s still very much a developing player. But the upside is impressive. I’ve felt throughout the process that Iheanachor could sneak into Round 1, and the combine has only furthered the notion that he could go in the top 20 picks.

Two days earlier, Stukes took the field at Lucas Oil Stadium alongside teammates Dalton Johnson and Genesis Smith and left as one of the top safety standouts of the Combine.

The First-Team All-Big 12 defensive back showed off his blazing speed by posting a 4.33 40-yard dash before displaying his athleticism with a 38-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 10 feet 10 inches. He also took part in a formal interview with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Stukes’ performance didn’t go unnoticed by Yates, who now likes his chances to hear his name called around Day 2. That would put him in a position to be the first Wildcat off the board and the first Arizona defensive back to be drafted since 2018 (Dane Cruikshank).

The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder is a super-versatile player who often hovered over the slot last season, displaying serious physicality and ball skills. Stukes’ four interceptions in 2025 surpassed his previous career total, and I loved the way he tracked and attacked the ball on tape. Stukes is an older prospect who played six college seasons and missed time due to a major knee injury in 2024, but he’d be one of my favorite picks in the Round 3 range.



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Sunday, 1 March 2026

ASU’s Jordyn Tyson nearly breaks NFL Draft Combine record, Max Iheanachor shows off speed

March 01, 2026  ,  No comments

Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson nearly broke an NFL Draft Combine record, and Max Iheanachor was among the fastest offensive lineman on Sunday.

Tyson was one repetition away from tying the wide receiver record for bench press with 26 repetitions benched at 225 pounds.

The current record is 27 repetitions, set by Brooks Foster in 2009 and matched by Greg Little in 2011 and DK Metcalf and former Sun Devil N’Keal Harry in 2019.

Max Iheanachor nearly fastest 40-time among position group

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Iheanachor impressed in his own right, showcasing his speed in the 40-yard dash. The Arizona State offensive lineman’s 4.91-second 40-yard dash tied the second-fastest time among offensive linemen.

He matched Utah’s Spencer Fano for second and was narrowly behind Iowa’s Logan Jones, who ran a 4.90. Fano has been among the favorite mocks to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3 overall.

Iheanachor is just the seventh offensive tackle since at least 2003 to weigh at least 320 pounds and run a sub-5.0 40-yard dash at the NFL Draft Combine.

Iheanachor’s official measurements dazzled scouts at the combine as well, giving the prospect a 90 Athleticism score, per NFL Next Gen Stats, ranking him first among his position. He was measured at 6-foot-6 and 321 pounds.



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Filipinas just fall short against favored Matildas in opener

March 01, 2026  ,  No comments

The Philippine women’s football team made sure it wouldn’t end up losing to a crack Australia side to open the AFC Women’s Asian Cup without putting up a gallant stand. That, however, doesn’t mean that a 1-0 setback to the Matildas to begin the qualifier for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup should be a

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Diamondbacks reassign 8 to minor league camp in series of roster moves

March 01, 2026  ,  No comments

The Arizona Diamondbacks reassigned eight players to minor league camp on Sunday to trim the major league camp roster down to 65 players.

The roster will need to be whittled down to 26 before Opening Day.

Arizona reassigned right-handed pitchers Daniel Eagen, Derek Law, Alfred Morillo and Landon Sims, left-handed pitcher Tommy Henry, infielders Ben McLaughlin and Ivan Melendez and outfielder Druw Jones.

Players sent to minor league camp are still allowed to play in Cactus League competition and the healthy players among the group are still expected to feature for Arizona, especially with the World Baseball Classic getting underway this week.

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Henry continues his rehabilitation from internal brace surgery and is expected to miss the majority of the season, Law will look to return midseason after missing last season with shoulder issues, while Jones is playing for The Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic.

Jones has long been known for his defense and last season was named Minor League Defensive Player of the Year and was also a minor league Gold Glove recipient.

However, his bat has also impressed this spring. He is slashing .333/.333/.500 and has two doubles in 12 plate appearances.

Eagen made his Cactus League debut on Friday in a 3-1 win over the Seattle Mariners. The right-hander recorded a scoreless, six-out save and struck out two batters.



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