👋 GOOD MORNING — Happy Tuesday! I hope your week is off to a good start.

How are you handling the crazy heat that has finally sweltered us here in The Valley? Honestly, I feel like we’ve been let off pretty easy so far this summer, though the non-soon has been awfully disappointing to date. Even so, what are your biggest tricks to staying cool? Pool time? A trip to the Ice Den in Scottsdale? Let me know what you’re doing to beat the heat by sending me an email at [email protected].

On to the show!

— Patrick Brown, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

The Sun Devils aren’t sneaking up on anyone this season.

The ASU football team got its first bit of national recognition yesterday, as the Sun Devils are ranked 11th overall in the newly-released preseason coaches poll. That’s a far cry from just one season ago, when the team did not receive an official top-25 ranking in the coaches poll until Week 13 en route to a Big 12 title and College Football Playoff semifinal appearance.

It’s a different story this season, and though coach Kenny Dillingham has made it repeatedly clear he doesn’t care where national or local media rank ASU, the preseason ranking speaks volumes to the culture Dillingham and his staff have cultivated in such a short amount of time.

The recognition is the first time Arizona State has been ranked in the preseason coaches poll since a No. 25 designation in 2021, and it’s highest such ranking since the team was No. 5 in the 1981 preseason poll.

In all, the Sun Devils have been listed in 19 preseason coaches polls, and this season is the third-highest ranking, behind 1965 (No. 10) and the aforementioned 1981 season.

You generally won’t need to worry about a false sense of security under a Dillingham-coached team, but I’m going to put it out there anyways — beware of preseason expectations. Case in point: Arizona was ranked 18th in last year’s preseason coaches poll before stumbling to a 4-8 finish, a sobering development after a strong finish the year before.

Granted, the two scenarios are very different. For starters, ASU players have appeared on 13 preseason watch lists, and quarterback Sam Leavitt and receiver Jordyn Tyson earned more recognition yesterday, as they were both included on the Walter Camp Award Preseason Watch List. That honor recognizes the most outstanding player in all of NCAA football.

Previous winners include Travis Hunter (2024), Jayden Daniels (2023) and Caleb Williams (2022).

It should be noted, the Sun Devils are one of five Big 12 teams to be listed on the coaches poll, ahead of Kansas State (20), Iowa State (21), BYU (23) and Texas Tech (24).

Arizona State will enter the majority of its games as the favorite, which is a stark contrast to what has been seen in recent years. In fact, the Sun Devils are the favorite to win the Big 12 according to bet365, tied with Kansas State at +270 and ahead of Texas Tech (+280), Utah (+280), Baylor (+325) and TCU (+400).

That quest begins in just 25 days.

My Take: Last year’s ride was incredible to watch, and it was so meaningful to be able to attend, and write about, even a handful of games. That BYU win was so memorable — and not just the part where I was pinned back against the fence in the end zone for the final play after fans stormed the field so early.

Culture is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but I truly believe Dillingham has instilled a culture of accountability within the program, and it’s evident everywhere you look. Highly sought-after players have returned despite promises of NIL riches elsewhere, and in this day and age, that’s a huge credit to Dillingham, his staff and the team leaders.

Looking forward to the season!

The Kids Can Play: You’ve got to hand it to the D-backs, who have approached their post-trade deadline reality head on. The Snakes topped the second-place Padres 6-2 in yesterday’s series opener, thanks to contributions from a number of newly acquired players.

Arizona continues its series against the Padres tonight, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 pm.

The Stuff of Legends: The Wildcats are inducting star wideout Tetairoa McMillan and defensive ack Randy Robbins into the Arizona Football Ring of Honor, which will take place at the 2025 football home opener against Hawai’i on Aug. 30. McMillan recorded 213 catches for 3,423 yards and 26 touchdowns during his career with the Wildcats, and was selected eighth overall in the NFL Draft.

Robbins played from 1980-83, and was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. He recorded 12 interceptions and 28 pass breakups, and played in three Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos during his nine-year NFL career.

Texas-Sized Challenge: The Sun Devils’ opponent in the first round of the 2025 Maui Invitational was announced yesterday, and ASU will face off against the Longhorns at Lahaina Civic Center in November. One of the most popular in-season tournaments, the field also includes North Carolina State, Seton Hall, Boise State, USC, Washington State and Chaminade, and runs from Nov. 24-26. The Sun Devils and Longhorns face off on Nov. 24 at 9 pm on ESPN2.

A must-watch from Anthony!

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