Tag: Arizona State

With GCU setting the standard, Arizona is becoming a hotbed of college esports

by Bob Young
  • Slug: Sports-College Esports, about 785 words.
  • Photos available.

By Warren Younger
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Arizona State and Arizona are regarded as the pillars of collegiate athletics in the state, and the same is proving true in collegiate esports. Both schools recently showed their potential at the inaugural Arizona Esports Collegiate Cup at the Arizona State Fair.

The Sun Devils defeated the Wildcats for first place in that tournament, but while ASU and Arizona may have the best Overwatch teams right now, their team leaders agree that it is Grand Canyon that is setting the standard for overall esports programs in the state.

Credit Albert Lee, GCU’s esports coordinator, for setting a high bar. Since he was hired to lead the school’s esports initiative in August 2018, he has overseen the construction of a massive esports arena and the implementation of new scholarships for the program’s most important teams. Creating these resources for the school’s 19 teams, Lee said, is new territory.

Continue reading “With GCU setting the standard, Arizona is becoming a hotbed of college esports”

Early Pac-12 exit dampens ASU’s NCAA Tournament hopes

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-ASU slipping, 500 words
  • Photo available

By MATTHEW TONIS
Cronkite News

LAS VEGAS — How did we get here?

At Christmas, the Arizona State Sun Devils were the toast of the college basketball world. The final unbeaten team in the nation, a win over the Arizona Wildcats on Dec. 30 likely would have propelled them to No. 1 in the country.

Since then, a dream season has turned into something of a nightmare.

After losing to Colorado 97-85 in the first round of the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament Wednesday, the Sun Devils must wait until Selection Sunday to see if they’ll be dancing or just watching from the side.

Continue reading “Early Pac-12 exit dampens ASU’s NCAA Tournament hopes”

Posters, shoe deals, international success find Millage after ASU basketball career

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-ASU Millage, 1,000 words
  • Photo available

By JOSE ESPARZA
Cronkite News

SCOTTSDALE — After hitting the shot of his life, Curtis Millage raced down the court of Riga Arena in Latvia with pure joy, flexing his muscles to the crowd.

“I hit the game-winning shot,” he said. “I got so excited. I took my shirt off.”

It was a defining moment in the former Arizona State player’s career. Continue reading “Posters, shoe deals, international success find Millage after ASU basketball career”

With some online help, ASU club baseball team lands in World Series

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-Club Baseball,600
  • Photo available

By ALEXIS RAMANJULU
Cronkite News

PHOENIX — With a goal of raising $8,000 and a chance to be a national champion, one Arizona State team has turned to the online community for help.

Eight teams from around the country, including one from ASU, have gathered in Pittsburg, Kansas, for the National Club Baseball Association Division II World Series that starts Friday.

“It’s pretty incredible that we have made it this far and that there has been this much of a turnaround for our club,” ASU player and assistant coach Robert Valentine said.

Continue reading “With some online help, ASU club baseball team lands in World Series”

Recruiting the right players can be difficult in collegiate beach volleyball

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-ASU Beach, 800 words.
  • Photo included

By Tyler Handlan
Cronkite News

TEMPE — ASU fledgling women’s beach volleyball program is in its third year, but recruiting players that fit the beach game at the Pac-12 level is proving difficult.

“It’s challenging to get tall girls to commit to just playing beach because they have a bigger chance of getting a scholarship for indoor, ” said ASU sand volleyball coach Brad Keenan. “There’s a lot of 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-8 girls that are like, ‘I’m beach only now.’

“And I’m like ‘Well, I already have 15 5-foot-7 girls, so I need to find someone who’s 6-foot-1, 6-foot-2 that can block.’ ”

Continue reading “Recruiting the right players can be difficult in collegiate beach volleyball”

Changes, competition highlight start of Arizona State spring football

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-ASU football preview, 507 words
  • Photos available.

By CHRISTOPHER WHITCOMB
Cronkite News

TEMPE — The sound of whistles, plays being run and Todd Graham’s voice radiating from practice field speakers Tuesday signaled the beginning of spring practice for the 2017 Arizona State football team.

The Sun Devils are looking forward to a fresh start this season with changes to their coaching staff and the addition of touted quarterback Blake Barnett, who transferred from Alabama.

They are coming off a pair of disappointing seasons that resulted in sub .500 records and unfulfilled expectations.

Continue reading “Changes, competition highlight start of Arizona State spring football”

Arizona State women await return of forward Kelsey Moos

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-ASU’s Moos,409

By KATIE WOO
Cronkite News

TEMPE – With five weeks remaining in the regular season, Arizona State’s women’s basketball team isn’t sure yet whether senior forward Kelsey Moos will return from a foot injury in time for postseason play.

She suffered an injury to the plantar fascia, a band of muscle and ligaments  that supports the arch, during the final minute of ASU’s double-overtime victory against California on New Year’s Day.

Moos has not played since, and the Sun Devils have missed her toughness and leadership.  

“It’s a week-by-week thing right now,” Moos said. “When I come back, hopefully we can be playing some of our best basketball as we head into March.” Continue reading “Arizona State women await return of forward Kelsey Moos”

Graham says ASU needs better blocking, tackling against Washington State

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-ASU Home,500

By CARLEE SWANSON
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Arizona State University’s football team hit a pothole Saturday and returned home 1-2 on the road.  Coach Todd Graham blamed the lack of tackling for the 40-16 loss against the Colorado Buffaloes. But the good news Graham said is that “we are 5-2.”

The better news: The Sun Devils play Washington State at home Saturday, where they are 4-0.

Washington State is 1-1 on the road and has recently beat Oregon State, Stanford and UCLA. Although the Devils have the advantage as the home team, that does not ensure a victory.

“You can tell their kids play hard,” Graham said. “But mostly, they’re an attacking group that try to force you into quite a few errors. They’ve done well.  I think that the big difference in their team has been how they have played defense. Obviously they’re going to put up the numbers and the yards on offense. But they’ve got them attacking and playing solid defense.”

Continue reading “Graham says ASU needs better blocking, tackling against Washington State”