Four or 65 AP voters have ASU in the top 10. One doesn’t have us in the top 25. Who is it? Plus, Charli Turner Thorne lands a big commitment and Mike Jones is hurt.

Four of the Associated Press’ 65 voters believe Arizona State is a top 10 team. One doesn’t believe ASU is a top 25 team at all. (Thank you Pollspeak.com.)

That’s right, Glenn Guilbeau of the Shreveport Times has Penn State ranked 13th, South Carolina ranked 15th, and Florida State ranked 20th. But he has the Sun Devils outside the top 25. He’s the only voter to leave ASU off his ballot in either poll this season.

For those keeping score at home, the voters with ASU in the top 10 are Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Tom Keegan of the Lawrence Journal World, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald and Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star.

There’s not much rhyme of reason to the under- or over-valuing of the Devils. McLane also loves him some BYU and Auburn. Keegan doesn’t dig BYU but likes Texas. Conroy and DeArmond devalue Texas Tech and Alabama, respectively, and DeArmond is one of two voters with Bowling Green in the top 25.

What does it all mean? Not much, except that ASU better take care of business this weekend against Stanford or else Glenn Guilbeau is going to start looking a whole lot smarter.

(If you’re wondering who’s been putting Arizona in his top 25, that would be Craig James of ABC, who must be impressed with the Cats’ nine consecutive bowl-less seasons and recent beat down of the worst team in Division I-A. Good times.)

Meanwhile, women’s baseball coach Charli Turner Thorne has received a verbal commitment from Deja Mann, a sharpshooting 5-foot-8 point guard from Merced, Calif., who’s ranked in the top 30 at her position. She is the Devils’ first commitment from the Class of 2009.

And finally, the Maroon & Gold Illustrated cover jinx is alive and well as Mike Jones sprained the Achilles tendon in his right ankle during practice yesterday. He’ll undergo an MRI today and should be available Saturday.

New to Echo from the Buttes? Don’t miss:
Our salute to the overlooked, under-appreciated Keegan Herring.
Our debate on Tempe’s top five bars.
Our assessment of the divisive Rudy Carpenter’s legacy.

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