👋 GOOD MORNING — Happy Monday! I hope you had a nice weekend, though the D-backs decidedly did not.

Despite the club’s weekend struggles, the Diamondbacks are still very much in the Wild Card discussion, and have plenty of time to turn it around. Come cheer them on and have some fun at the Chase Field pool this week! I’m not going to lie — this is a bucket list item for me, and I’m truly looking forward to spending it with our amazing readers this Thursday!

There are very, very few tickets left, so make sure you snag yours today.

On to the show!

— Patrick Brown, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

Arizona State and the University of Arizona continue to make their mark in professional sports.

Last week was undeniable proof.

First, Wildcats star Carter Bryant was selected 14th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in last week’s NBA Draft, a testament to the forward’s stellar freshman season at Arizona. The 19-year-old shot 46 percent on the year, and he towers over the competition at 6-foot-8.

Two days later ASU hockey phenom Cullen Potter was selected in the first round of the NHL Draft, as the Flames took the Wisconsin native 32nd overall. The move isn’t just a nod to the incredible culture ASU coach Greg Powers has built (more on that later), but it was also historic in nature — Potter became the first-ever Sun Devil to be drafted in the first round of the NHL Draft.

Pretty special, and very significant.

There is one huge difference between how NBA and NHL prospects can proceed with their respective picks — NBA players report to their respective teams immediately, no longer eligible to participate in college basketball. NHL prospects, meanwhile, do report to their team’s prospect development camp, but are also eligible to play for their college or juniors team.

That’s exactly what Potter is going to do, and fans should line up out the door to see the Flames prospect lace ‘em up at Mullett Arena this season.

His selection, and the rise of ASU hockey, comes as no surprise to anyone who has followed Powers and his team over the last decade. The program’s rise to prominence has been as steady as it is impressive, and the Sun Devils have churned out a number of solid prospects over the years.

Arizona State has had seven players drafted from the program, and another seven who transferred to Powers’ program after being selected while with another program. What sticks out about Potter, though — aside from the fact that he is was just 17 years old when he started his college career — is that he flipped from Michigan State to ASU, further strengthening the street cred of ASU hockey.

Truly impressive stuff, and frankly, the best is yet to come for the star in the making.

Bryant was a standout high school star, so his decision to play for Tommy Lloyd’s blue blood NCAA program came as no surprise. The Riverside, Calif. native brings size, intelligence and athleticism with superb ability on both sides of the ball, and exited the Wildcats program after averaging 6.5 points and 4.1 rebounds during his one-and-done freshman season.

It’s easy to understand why scouts were so high on Bryant. His ability to finish at the rim is highly touted, but he also has shown a strong ability to shoot from the perimeter, as well, giving the Spurs a double threat that has a high ceiling, but will also almost assuredly make an immediate impact.

Of course, this wasn’t as historically significant as Potter’s selection — the Wildcats have had 27 (!!!) student athletes selected in the first round, most recently Dalen Terry and Bennedict Mathurin in 2022.

Deandre Ayton (2018) is the only Arizona player to be selected first overall, while Mike Bibby (1998) and Derrick Williams (2011) were both selected second.

My Take: It’s pretty darn cool to see the impact both Power-5 schools in the state have had, and will continue to have, on the landscape of professional sports.

Can’t Hang On: The Diamondbacks were swept by the Marlins over the weekend, surrendering two late-game leads, and they have now lost four straight heading into this week’s four-game set against the Giants. If it’s any consolation, the 41-40 D-backs are actually pacing ahead of last season’s 89-win team, which was 39-42 at the halfway mark.

All Good Things…: The Mercury kicked off the weekend with a 106-91 win over New York, but fell 84-81 at Las Vegas yesterday. The loss snapped a remarkable six-game winning streak for Phoenix, which trails Minnesota for the league’s best overall record by 2.5 games.

Better yet, the Mercury set a new franchise mark of 18 3-pointers in one game — breaking a record they had just set the game before.

To The Nines: Rising FC won a thriller over Texoma in their third Jagermeister cup match, keeping their hopes of advancing out of the group stage with the 5-4 victory. The four goals allowed against a League One opponent (a division below) are a bit concerning, however, they found a way to win, and it’s not too early to start daydreaming about the playoffs.

Phoenix is back in action at home on Friday, hosting Lexington FC for Military Appreciation Night (7:30 pm, 3TV).

The Oscar Goes To…: Four-star quarterback Oscar Rios committed to Arizona over UCLA, a nice boost for coach Brent Brennan and team. The Wildcats are looking to take a step up after stumbling despite high expectations last season, and recent wins on the recruiting trail will go a long way.

Feels like this one was a long time coming. Hey, if you’re not laughing, you’d be crying!

How it feels having such strong athletic programs in Arizona: