Blogging with the Devils

ASU linebacker Ryan McFoy (2) tackles UCLA’s Matthew Slater on a kickoff return last season. McFoy played primarily on special teams in 2007.

In his search to fill the void left by the departure of Robert James, Arizona State’s most athletic linebacker the last two seasons, coach Dennis Erickson is turning first to two players of a similar mold.

Junior Ryan McFoy, who struggled to learn the nuances of the linebacker position after moving from safety last year, and redshirt freshman Oliver Aaron, who some feel could break out as soon as this fall, have gotten most of the first-team snaps at weak-side LB during spring drills.

McFoy is 6-feet-2 and 214 pounds; Aaron is 6-0, 200. Both possess the speed that Erickson and defensive coordinator Craig Bray crave from the position.

“We’re trying to find the right guy,” Erickson said after Saturday’s practice, in which Aaron received much of the first-string work.

For McFoy, spring practice has been a reward for what he considers a lost 2007 season.

He made an immediate impact at safety as a freshman, starting eight games and making two interceptions, one for a touchdown. Upon moving to LB, McFoy was slow to pick up the necessary reads and gap assignments and spent most of last year on special teams.

“It was frustrating, but I took it as a learning experience,” McFoy said. “Last season was pretty much a redshirt for me. I was learning a position.”

Before the Holiday Bowl in December, Erickson noted that McFoy, with the help of a lot of playbook and film study, was finally starting to get it.

“I was surprised it took as long as it did,” McFoy said. “I don’t have everything down pat, but I have a better concept of things now.”

Saturday’s workout concluded with a scrimmage situation in which the running backs shone brightest.

Dimitri Nance had a nifty run of about 40 yards in which he went off right tackle, juked cornerback Omar Bolden and sprinted back up the middle. Jarrell Woods raced 60 yards to the end zone on a draw play against the third-team defense.

On the same series as Nance’s run, Shaun DeWitty lost a fumble near the goal line. The book on DeWitty, who redshirted last season, is that he is too upright while running, leaving him more susceptible to having the ball knocked away.

“He’s got to get down, although he is down a lot more than where he was two years ago,” Erickson said. ”Obviously, we can’t drop the ball. We just can’t do it. But even Ryan Torain dropped it a couple of times (last spring), so it happens.”

Players sit in the shade prior to the Sun Devils’ intrasquad scrimmage at Camp Tontozona last year. (Darryl Webb/Tribune)

Erickson wants to determine how the team will utilize Camp Tontozona this year by the end of the spring. ASU’s indoor football practice facility is slated for completion on Aug. 1, meaning that it should be available for the start of preseason drills.

It has been long suggested that once the school built an indoor facility, Camp Tontozona — a university-owned recreation area where Frank Kush first brought the Sun Devils in 1960 — would become obsolete.

Erickson reiterated that ASU would spend some time at Tontozona, even if only for the Saturday scrimmage that is popular among fans.

“We’ll be up there, whether it’s for a scrimmage or the amount of time we usually spend (typically a week),” Erickson said. “We’re trying to make plans both ways right now. We have to wait and see.”

Thanks in big part to 200 points from the indoor national-title winning men’s and women’s track teams, Arizona State rose to eighth place in the U.S. Sports Academy Directors’ Cup standings released on Thursday.

ASU, which has 467.5 points, was 26th in the previous standings, which reflect the overall achievement of college athletic programs. The school’s best Directors’ Cup finish is ninth, in 2000-01.

Considering that ASU’s traditional strength has been its spring sports, it figures to better that placement this year. Baseball and softball could make another trip to their respective College World Series, both tennis squads are ranked and most of the women’s golf team that contended for a national title in 2007 are back.

Also, both track units will be among the favorites at the NCAA outdoor meet. (Thanks to a recent change in Cup points policy, indoor and outdoor track placements count in the standings, instead of the highest of the two.)

Three Pac-10 schools are in the top 10. Stanford, winner of 13 straight Cup titles, is first with 668 points, and California is fourth with 499.

Click here for a PDF file that extensively details ASU’s yearly performance in the Directors’ Cup, which was founded in 1993. 

Thomas Weber

At spring football practice on Thursday, auditions began for long snapper and holder, with the highest marks going to freshman Thomas Ohmart, a walk-on from Scottsdale Horizon High.

“Ohmart snapped on punts and field goals, and he’s our best guy right now, on both,” said coach Dennis Erickson, who also cited the snapping work of linebackers Travis Goethel and Mike Nixon.

Backup quarterback Danny Sullivan and kicker/punter Zach Richards held for Thomas Weber, who won the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top kicker a year ago. Weber will have a large say on who gets the holding job.

“If all things are equal, he’s the guy who is kicking, not me,” Erickson said. “I want him to have the guy he’s most comfortable with.”

Weber, who hit 24-of-25 field-goal attempts last season, said that he currently has the most synergy with Sullivan. The two worked together during the winter.

Placekicking might be Weber’s only duty next season.

“I grew to like (punting),” said Weber, who averaged 39.3 yards on 47 boots in 2007. “But coach Erickson has expressed that he’d prefer I not do both. But if it comes down to me being the best guy, I’ll do what the coaches want.”

The Sun Devils will conclude Saturday’s workout, which is at 10 a.m. at the Kajikawa Practice Facility, with a scrimmage.

Receiver Chris McGaha was limited on Thursday due to muscle tightness, but Erickson said that the wide receiver should be fine.

It’s 15 minutes before the start of Weekend No. 2 of March Madness (No other sporting event gets within a whiff of the NCAA Tournament), and there are two regional semifinal games at US Airways Center in Phoenix.

I like Xavier. As good and unexpected a season (and story) as West Virginia has become in Bob Huggins’ first season, I have a man-crush on Sean Miller. Plus, the Musketeers are so balanced on offense and most players have been through this tournament a few times before.

Joe Alexander hasn’t shot well this tournament for the Mountaineers, and since backcourts win this time of year, I like B.J. Raymond, Drew Lavender and Stanley Burrell from Xavier.

Hard to go against UCLA in the second game. The Bruins have come perilously close to defeat a few times this March, which some are chalking up to pure luck.

It may be true, but every tournament champion has luck on its side. I can’t see Western Kentucky being able to match up with Kevin Love inside or Darren Collison/Russell Westbrook combo in the backcourt. It’ll be close, mostly because the Bruins will need to slow the game down and avoid the break-neck transition game the Hilltoppers love to play. The Bruins’ defense is too good.

Xavier-UCLA matchup on Saturday. I can live with that.

Enjoy the Madness!

ASU wide receiver Nate Kimbrough catches a pass during Tuesday’s practice. He later left with a hamstring injury. (Jennifer Grimes/Tribune)

Arizona State on Thursday will devote some of its third spring practice, the first in pads, to start the process of filling two unheralded but important vacancies, snapper and holder on field-goal and extra-point attempts.

Coach Dennis Erickson said that he would like to have those two jobs manned by the end of spring drills, enabling that threesome — there are no problems at kicker, with Lou Groza Award winner Thomas Weber back — to continue working over the summer.

“Getting that snapper and new holder is critical,” Erickson said on Wednesday. “That’s a bigger deal than people think.”

Among the snapper candidates are linebackers Travis Goethel and Mike Nixon and walk-ons Thomas Ohmart and Clay Davie. The holder could be wide receiver Chris McGaha, backup quarterback Danny Sullivan or the third-string QB: Samson Szakacsy or Chasen Stangel.

Erickson said that Zach Richards is improving as a punter and hinted that Weber could have competition for that job in the fall.

Szakacsy, who was the No. 3 quarterback before undergoing elbow surgery in November, has been throwing during drills and said that he is at about 80 percent.

“I’m not where I want to be in terms of arm strength,” Szakacsy said. “But that will come as I keep throwing. I thought I would have to take it slow the first few days of spring, but it’s feeling good. I’m feeling good with the offense and learning every day, and that’s the most important thing.”

When healthy, Szakacsy throws the hardest, tightest spirals of any quarterback on the ASU roster. This spring is big for the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder, as his competition with fellow redshirt freshman Stangel resumes, and Jack Elway arrives in the fall.

“I have to come out and prove myself every day,” Szakacsy said. “Spring ball is always important, but these practices are key to showcase myself a little more.”

Receiver Nate Kimbrough did not participate in Wednesday’s practice after tweaking his hamstring during a drill on Tuesday. He will likely be unavailable until next week.

For the second time in eight months, sophomore receiver Rodney Glass is not with the team due to what Erickson labeled an academics issue.

“He’s dismissed for now,” Erickson said. “There’s a chance he (could return).”

Glass, who was recruited as a running back, missed practice time in August.

The differences between Arizona State and Florida will be plain to see during tonight’s NIT quarterfinals matchup at Wells Fargo Arena (6 p.m. on ESPN).

The Herb Sendek-Billy Donovan connection explains some of the similarities. Both coaches were partially raised and groomed under/around similar people (mostly through Rick Pitino).

But the styles vary, mostly because of new personnel.

The Gators reach their 78 points per game average by running and transitioning off mistakes. The Sun Devils reach their 67 points per game by grinding out games and defending.

For Florida, it’s been a transition year. After two consecutive national championships, the Gators are re-developing with one junior among their top eight players (Walter Hodge, who played at Florida Air Academy with ASU’s Rihards Kuksiks).

Still, a fast start led to a fizzling finish for the Gators. Unhappy about this, and, master motivator Donovan is, he banned his team from their upscale locker room, practice gym and training facilities. Knowing they wouldn’t be invited, the Gators practiced during Selection Sunday.

To date, Florida has steamrolled through the NIT.

“After watching two games in the NIT, it’s obvious to me if they were in the NCAA tournament they’d make a deep run,” Sendek said.

Sendek has one junior among his regular player rotations. While the Gators are trying to re-build, the Sun Devils are trying to build.

It adds up to two teams coached by friends of one another with opposite paths.

(Incidentally, how difficult a feat is consecutive championships in this era of national parity in college basketball, where most talented kids leave school early?).

“It’s not going to be some exhibition,” ASU forward Jeff Pendergraph said.

How dare we stray from the team vs. team matchup for five seconds, but Florida freshman Nick Calathes, and ASU freshman James Harden is the mini-matchup to watch.

At 6-foot-6, 195 pounds, Calathes (with ball) impressed ASU coach Herb Sendek throughout his high school days at Lake Powell, Fla.

Though not as physical as Harden, Calathes is no less the all-around player. The long, lanky Calathes averages a team-high 15.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.

He’s broken a number of school records, including single-season for assists (209) and his 15.6 points are the most for a freshman in coach Billy Donovan’s 12 years at Florida.

On Monday, Donovan pointed out Calathes and his youngens haven’t had anyone to show them the ropes in ways Pendergraph, Antwi Atuahene and Derek Glasser can do for Harden and the Sun Devils’ freshmen.

Still: “He averages 18 points per game, but it goes well beyond that,” Donovan said of Harden. “I love the way he plays. He’s a better version of (former N.C. State star) Julius Hodge. The impact each of them had is tremendous.”

He also noted his young team walking into a program which had been on top of the college basketball world left them naive, expecting another deep NCAA tournament run was a given.

Locking them out of the posh facilities was a reminder that wasn’t going to happen.

“It’s not their fault,” said Donovan, who’s first two seasons of building and reviving at Florida weren’t unlike Sendek’s first two at ASU. “They didn’t know any different.”

Meanwhile, after a few years of losing, the Sun Devils are learning there is, in fact, ‘different.’

About 7,000 fans are expected tonight to watch two teams still with something to play for.

Asked about Xavier and Stanford being in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen as possible validation the Sun Devils should have been in the Big Dance since they beat both teams during the season.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Sendek said in understated tone. “It doesn’t hurt the resume we were promoting.”

The NIT wasn’t the plan, but it’s reality, and more than one ASU player hasn’t been to New York City before.

“Playing at Madison Square Garden and a championship would be better,” Harden said. “We’re still playing for a ring.”

Both Arizona State coach Herb Sendek and a couple players raved about Thursday night’s crowd of nearly 5,000, an impressive (and pretty accurate count) for a weekday game which started at 9 p.m. and could have been watched on TV instead.

The announced crowd was a few hundred more than Tuesday night. Southern Illinois had a nice pocket of followers behind its bench, but it was drowned out by Sun Devils fans.

It’s the NIT, but Wells Fargo was legitimately loud last night, especially considering the late start and size of the arena.

“Even though there weren’t as many people, it seemed like the U of A game,” guard Jamelle McMillan said. ”I’m sure a game like this, on the road, would almost be death.” 

They found plenty to boo, cheer and taunt about Thursday night, and to show appreciation, the Sun Devils circled the court after their victory for a second time this season.

ASU is expecting a little more than 5,000 on Tuesday night for the 6 p.m. tipoff. No word yet on who’s buying 200 tickets for Tuesday’s game, following in the footsteps of athletic director Lisa Love and football coach Dennis Erickson.

My money’s on Tom O’Connor. 

ASU fans may loathe O’Connor and his NCAA selection committee, but he’s indirectly ensured the Tempe school’s season lasts longer than Tucson’s.

Florida hosts Creighton Friday night, and the Gators are 8½-point favorites according to scoresandodds.com.  

Then again, anyone who watched Belmont-Duke, San Diego, Sienna or Western Kentucky in the NCAA tournament knows how much oddsmakers can matter.

“I think any matchup we play would be a good matchup,” forward Jeff Pendergraph said. “That’s why it’s the NIT. It’s not some little spring rec league where guys get together at random or some friends from work.”

“These guys are serious about what they do. They’re not just going to be here to show up and be on TV. They want to win.”

We’d never dream of getting ahead of ourselves, but should Florida advance to the quarterfinals, the two-time defending national champions  are the one title-winning team a Herb Sendek squad hasn’t beaten from 2001-05.

In 2003 and ‘03, Sendek’s North Carolina State team beat eventual-champion North Carolina.

In 2004 and 1999, N.C. State beat Connecticut.

2003: The Wolfpack beat Syracuse.

2002: The Wolfpack beat Maryland.

2001: N.C. State beat Duke.

2000: N.C. State beat Michigan State.

Furthermore, Sendek was an assistant at Providence under Rick Pitino when the Friars went to the Final Four in 1987, led by a point guard named Billy Donovan.

A few years later, Sendek and Donovan were assistants under Pitino at Kentucky.

Quick note on freshman Ty Abbott, who struggled with his shot on Thursday after a solid night Tuesday (though his 4-point play against Southern Illinois was a biggie):

Abbott’s two 3-pointers on Thursday gives him 75 for the season, the fourth-most by a freshman in Pac-10 history. Oregon’s Tajuan Porter nailed 110 from outside two years ago, and USC phenom O.J. Mayo hit 88 threes this season.

Abbott moved past former UCLA standout Jason Kapono.

It’s a 9 p.m. tipoff at Wells Fargo Arizona for Arizona State’s NIT second-round game against Southern Illinois on Thursday. Why so painfully late?

No idea, but one theory is because of how far the Salukis — who beat Oklahoma State on Tuesday night in Carbondale, Ill. – have to travel on such short notice.

“That’s almost Friday. It’s Friday for me, I can tell you that,” Sendek, whose team defeated Alabama State in its first-round contest on Tuesday, joked of Thursday’s extra-late start.

He was just getting started.

“We have to encourage all the Sun Devil fans to go home after work and school, take a long nap and get refreshed and come out for the late-night game,” he said.

“When you’re hip anyway, the action doesn’t start until about 9 o’clock anyway.”

Sendek’s hip?

“Very hip,” he said, “and you can quote me on that.”

All hail: “Hip” Sendek. We always suspected he had a little shake-’n'-bake suave.

Once the press-conference laughter finally subsided, it was noted the Sun Devils reached 20 wins for the ninth time in school history and first since 2002-03 season.

“It’s a good number,” Sendek said. “It’s an earmark we’ve made some progress. But that’s not where our attention is right now.”

“Hello, Tom O’Connor? (Clockwise) Seth Greenberg at Virginia Tech, Brian Gregory from Dayton and Herb Sendek from ASU here. Can we chat a minute?” 

Oops. Wrong tournament.

First off, apologies for the basketball portion of the blog going on hiatus for the past 10 days, but we’re back in tow.

For better or worse, the Arizona State-got-hosed mantra continues. It (and the RPI) is suddenly getting shredded on the TV networks, message boards, talk radio, everywhere.

Both the Sun Devils and Virginia Tech have been the poster teams for what’s wrong with the RPI and the committee’s selections, as sympathies have poured in from around the country.

There are good reasons why ASU should be in the tournament (namely, because their portfolio is at least equal to Oregon and Arizona, yet the Ducks somehow received a No. 9 seed and Arizona a No. 10 seed). There are also good reasons why ASU didn’t get in. Same goes for the Hokies.

Mystifying, however, is that few have wept for Dayton.

Yes, the Atlantic 10 wasn’t very good this year. But …

The Flyers were No. 32 in the RPI and finished 21-10 (12-1 non-conference). They were 33rd in strength of schedule (28th in nonconference strength-of-schedule), were 4-4 against the top 50 teams and went 5-5 in their last 10 games.

They won non-conference games at Louisville (No. 13) and destroyed Pittsburgh (No. 15) at home. The Flyers also beat tournament-bound St. Joseph’s (No. 44) and Temple (No. 47). Two close losses (three overall) to Xavier (No. 9) was probably their downfall.

ASU is justified in feeling robbed by the committee (especially because of the Oregon-Arizona factors), but the Devils and Hokies have Dayton on their side.

Heck, even ASU and Virginia Tech are No. 1 seeds in the NIT. The Flyers are No. 3 behind Ohio State and Illinois State, and ISU was one spot lower in the RPI than Dayton and played in a worse conference (Missouri Valley) this season.

Dennis Erickson

Last year, much of Arizona State’s early spring practices consisted of new coach Dennis Erickson and his staff giving the players the lay of the land.

There will be no such orientation when this year’s drills commence on March 25. With everyone in uniform well-aware of the routine, and the Sun Devils seeking to build on a 10-win season in 2007, Erickson expects to hit the practice-field ground running.

ASU’s schedule of 15 workouts concludes with the spring game on April 19 at Sun Devil Stadium.

“It took us a while last year just to get to know them,” Erickson said. “Now, the players have an idea of who our staff is and what we demand. As opposed to learning how to practice, we can go in this spring, put in our stuff in, evaluate the players and see where we are at.

“The coaches have a good idea what works and what doesn’t, and we have a better idea where to put people. So, we can be comfortable making changes.”

Two more players will have new positions this spring.

Sophomore Jamarr Robinson moves from linebacker to defensive end, giving ASU bulk (240 pounds) and quickness off the edge. Erickson has often moved defensive players closer to the scrimmage line to better utilize their speed, most recently by turning Ryan McFoy from a safety into a linebacker last season.

Robinson suffered a knee injury in last year’s spring game and did not return until October, appearing in three games on special teams.

After saying in February that he was contemplating moving Dane Guthrie back to tight end, Erickson followed through. Guthrie, a senior who came to ASU as a tight end when he transferred from Florida in 2005, was buried on the depth chart for two seasons before playing defensive end last year.

“We think he can have a more immediate impact at tight end,” Erickson said of Guthrie, who goes into spring first on the depth chart, ahead of senior Andrew Pettes, junior Jovon Williams, sophomore Lance Evbuomwan and redshirt freshman Dan Knapp.

In February, Erickson announced that sophomore Jon Hargis will move from defensive tackle to offensive tackle.

Redshirt freshman Samson Szakacsy, who started 2007 as the third-string quarterback but underwent elbow surgery in November, has been throwing. Erickson said that Szakacsy will be eased into practice but is expected to be close to 100 percent soon.

Running backs Keegan Herring and Jarrell Woods, who both underwent offseason ankle surgery, will be ready for the start of workouts. Defensive lineman Saia Falahola (triceps) and offensive lineman Matt Hustad (knee) will be kept from contact for at least the first two weeks of practice. Defensive end Eric Tanner, still rehabilitating after knee surgery, will miss spring drills.

Scout-teamers in 2007 who could make a spring impact include Knapp, offensive linemen Garth Gerhart (who will compete to start at center) and Adam Tello, defensive lineman James Brooks and linebackers Oliver Aaron and Derrall Anderson.

ASU’s pass-protection problems in 2007 reached their nadir at Oregon, as quarterback Rudy Carpenter was sacked nine times. (Darryl Webb/Tribune)

Erickson’s biggest position concern is the offensive line, which surrendered a school-record 55 sacks last season. One of the reasons cited by the linemen for the struggles was a slower-than-expected adjustment to the new system.

For that reason, and the fact that the Sun Devils must replace three of the unit’s five starters, blocking schemes will be simplified this spring. 

“What happened last year happened for a number of reasons — offensive line, running backs, quarterback,” Erickson said. “But as we sat and evaluated, we have to make what we’re doing on the offensive line a little easier, cutting our protections down a bit.”

Utilizing more four- and five-receiver sets should help ASU protect the passer by spreading the defense, which typically makes it more difficult to disguise where pressure is coming from. And there will be more quick drops and throws.

Erickson said that sophomore defensive tackle Jonathan English, who is in the mix to replace the graduated Michael Marquardt, is down to 300 pounds. Last season, English was listed at 330.

ASU indoor practice facility is slated for completion on Aug. 1, which could result in an abbreviated stay at Camp Tontozona outside Payson.

“It depends on where we are at with the indoor facility,” Erickson said. “We’ll still do something up (at Tontozona), I just don’t know how much.”

With Chase Field’s center-field wall as a backdrop, former ASU pitcher Brian Flores makes a delivery during last year’s Challenge at Chase game against Arizona.

Arizona State’s non-conference contest against Arizona on Tuesday at Packard Stadium, which will likely be a matchup of the consensus top two-ranked teams in the nation, has sold out.

It is a scenario that screams for a stage much bigger than Packard, which has a capacity of 3,879. The last two seasons, the schools had one, playing a non-league contest at Chase Field, a benefit game labeled the Challenge at Chase.

Proceeds went to the Diamondbacks Foundation’s youth field building program. But attendance at both games — 5,201 in 2006 and 4,296 last year — was lower than expected, and the event was not scheduled this season. Perhaps it is just as well for the Sun Devils, as the Wildcats won both games.

Still, the Chase Field setting was nice for college baseball, and here is hoping that it can be revived in the future, possibly with a different format.

ASU could explore holding its early-season tournament there, inviting Arizona and national powers such as Vanderbilt and Oregon State, who took part in the DeMarini Invitational last month at Packard. Such an event would mirror the Houston College Classic at Minute Maid Park, one of the most successful regular-season tournaments and one the Sun Devils participated in last year.

Multiple games at Chase Field would help in coach Pat Murphy’s early-season objective of playing on bigger parks. He feels that helps his team prepare for Pac-10 games in the Northwest, where the field dimensions are similar to Packard’s, but the ball does not travel as well in the heavier air.

“You get on a big field like that, one that plays totally different than what we’re used to, that can only help us,” Murphy said.

ASU is one of 16 schools taking part in the Gridiron Bash, a spring football fan festival. The main event at Sun Devil Stadium on April 18 — the day before the spring game – is a musical performance by 3 Doors Down, which has sold 12 million records and boasts six No. 1 singles.

Tickets can be purchased at the Gridiron Bash’s official Web site.

This week, the New York Times published “The Scholarship Divide,” a well-done series that details the misconceptions that some athletes and parents have about athletic financial aid — and the challenges that college coaches have in determining who gets how much. The latter is something that baseball coaches, with only 11.7 scholarships available for rosters in excess of 30 players, wrestle with constantly.

Clicking on the above link will take you to the first story in the Times series; the other articles are available via a menu on the left side of the page.