Move Over Wildcats, the SI Cover Belongs to the Sun Devils
Sports Illustrated’s college basketball preview hits newsstands today and features James Harden (as opposed to, say, Chase “goatboy” Budinger) on the cover. That’s got former Sun Devil Ike Diogu walking a bit taller in the NBA.
The cover of Sports Illustrated’s west region college basketball preview has long been the domain of the University of Arizona. Well, not any more.
When the issue hits newsstands today, the cover will be graced by Arizona State stars James Harden and Briann January. The magazine’s choice further illustrates the momentum that has the Sun Devils and Wildcats trading places in the hoops world like two people passing one another on opposite sides of an escalator.
Let us reminisce on the passing of the torch.
- January 9, 2008: Harden scores 22 points after halftime as ASU breaks a 12-game losing streak to UA with a 64-59 overtime win in Tempe.
- February 10, 2008: Jeff Pendergraph leads ASU to a come-from-behind 59-54 win in Tucson that completes ASU’s first series sweep of UA since 1995.
- October 28, 2008: Longtime ASU tormentor Lute Olson retires, ending the soap opera that led to the downfall of his own program.
The role reversal has even convinced the typically modest Ike Diogu to puff his chest out in the Portland Trailblazers locker room that he shares with former Wildcats Channing Frye and Jerryd Bayless.
Quoth Diogu in the East Valley Tirbune: “It’s our day to be good. I haven’t heard too much jawing (from Frye and Bayless) right now because there is a Sun Devil leading the helm.”
And this from a guy who was winless in six match-ups with the Wildcats.
Diogu can afford to be happy. He’s a fan like us now. At least the players’ heads seem to be in the right place vis-à-vis the boys down South.
Quoth Pendergraph: “I don’t think you can beat somebody once or twice and that makes you better than them. It’s not like they have beaten us just once or twice. They have been beating us for awhile.”
Here’s hoping those days are behind us.
What’s Your Take, Sun Devils?
This will probably be our last hoops post of the week. So we’re curious how many of you plan on going to Friday’s game?Are there any first-time season ticket holders? Give us your thoughts on the hype for hoops in the comments below.
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You gotta love regional covers! It’s like having 7 classes in high school sports: Everyone is a state champion!
Perhaps this would’ve been better to note on the “Top 25″ post from last week, but I picked up a USA TODAY at my Chicago hotel on Friday and noticed that despite being preseason No. 15 in both polls, Sagarin rated the Devils 81st.
And now they have to deal with the SI cover jinx.
Then again, a football-esque freefall can’t happen to another ASU team this season … can it?
ESPN stole yor idea. Devils hot. Rats not …
Arizona State: The program is so rising so quickly, its former radio analyst is now the head coach at Arizona. Bah-dump-bump. But seriously folks, Herb Sendek engineered the nation’s best turnaround last season (from eight wins to 21) and with James Harden leading a pack of five returners, the Sun Devils are as hot as their desert address.
Arizona: Lute Olson left, came back, left, came back and left for good. We think. Nic Wise rolled his ankle; an attack of teamwide leg cramps cut short an exhibition game; and the new head coach, Russ Pennell, spent last year talking about games rather than coaching them. Honestly, Susan Lucci needs to get on the bench of this soap opera. Chase Budinger and Wise have an awful lot of melodrama to overcome to keep the Wildcats’ string of 24 consecutive NCAA bids alive.
Hey guys, it’s a pretty great cover. Over at House of Sparky, we have a hi-res version of the cover to share with you all.
http://www.houseofsparky.com/2008/11/11/659053/here-it-is-james-harden-an
Feel free to make it your desktop image … or your wallpaper in your bedroom.. whatever it is you wish.
Or if you’re a UofA fan you can stare at it and weep over your crumbling hoops empire
[...] star of the group was and remains Briann January, who memorably shared the cover of Sports Illustrated with James Harden. She was joined by Kate Engelbrecht, Kirsten Thompson, Danielle Orsillo and walk-on Nia [...]
[...] We trumpeted James Harden’s theft of Wildcat real estate. [...]