ASU Digest: ASU basketball guard Devan Cambridge remains in Pac-12, transfers to Oregon

After initially announcing his plans to stay with the Arizona State men’s basketball program, Devan Cambridge entered the transfer portal and found his new destination at Oregon.

Cambridge announced his plans to transfer on April 6 and made his commitment to Oregon official on Friday.

In his only season at ASU, Cambridge averaged 9.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game and helped the Sun Devils to a 23-13 overall record. Oregon (12-8) finished just ahead of ASU (11-9) in the Pac-12 standings and the two schools split the season series 1-1.

The 6-foot-6, 215-pound guard shot 29.6% from three-point range and 49.4% from the floor.

In addition to Cambridge, the Sun Devils have lost Duke Brennan and D.J. Horne this week. ASU did add transfers this week, including San Francisco power forward Zane Meeks and LSU shooting guard Adam Miller.

More ASU transfer news: Big man Duke Brennan commits to Lopes

QB Bennett Meredith among Sun Devils to enter transfer portal

The Arizona State Sun Devils wrapped up spring football drills on Saturday and that also happened to be the same day the transfer portal opened. So as expected, a handful of players have opted to seek playing time elsewhere, although as of now that list doesn't include any players who were starters or key reserves.

The most notable player is Bennett Meredith, one of five quarterbacks fighting for a starting spot. The Alabama native was in just his second year with the program and did not see any action in 2022 as a true freshman.

Meredith had a solid showing in the spring and look much improved but it didn't look like he was going to climb higher than third on the depth chart at that position with incumbent Trenton Bourget and Notre Dame transfer Drew Pyne the top two candidates and high school prospect Jaden Rashada coming on toward the end of drills.

Three of the other departing players are defensive tackles, and coach Kenny Dillingham will be on the lookout for additions at that position. That trio includes red-shirt freshman Robby Harrison and juniors Jalil Rivera-Harvey and Brandon McElroy. Rivera-Harvey played sparingly in nine of 13 games while Harrison played in three. McElroy did not see any action and was a community college transfer.

Rounding out the portal entries are offensive linemen Danny Valenzuela and Thomas Le Boucher, both community college transfers who combined for a handful of plays in three games.

More: Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham 'disappointed' in spring game attendance

Sun Devils add LSU guard Adam Miller

Former LSU men’s basketball guard Adam Miller announced his commitment to Arizona State on Monday.

After coming back from an ACL injury, the redshirt junior averaged 11.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and shot 34% from the field.

The former four-star recruit and the No. 33 overall player in the 2020 class before starting his career at Illinois. In high school, Miller was coached under current ASU assistant Nick Irvin in the Chicago area.

He will have multiple years of eligibility after redshirting his first season at LSU.

Miller has multiple years of eligibility remaining after spending the 2020-21 season at Illinois and then redshirting in 2021-22 at LSU due to a season-ending ACL injury in the preseason.

DJ Horne commits to NC State

Horne will return home to close out his college career after announcing his commitment to NC State on Twitter.

Horne spent the last two seasons at ASU and started in 61 of his 64 games, including 34 games last year. Horned, a native of Raleigh, averaged 12.3 points and 3.1 rebounds over the last two seasons.

Last season, Horne averaged 12.2 points and shot 35.8% from the field.

ASU had its entire starting five enter the portal or declaring for the NBA Draft. Frankie Collins, Desmond Cambridge Jr. and Warren Washington have all declared for the draft, but Collins and Washington still maintain their eligibility and can return. Devan Cambridge announced he went back to the portal last week for his final season.

Sun Devils add defensive back transfer from Austin Peay

Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham continues to supplement his roster, the latest addition being defensive back Demetries Ford, who played the previous two seasons at FCS competitor Austin Peay.

The 5-foot-8, 170-pounder recorded 37 tackles, 16 breakups, one sack, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. His best game came against Alabama when he recorded six tackles (five solo tackles) and a sack.

Those numbers earned him a selection as Associated Press Third Team FCS All-America honors as well as All-ASUN Conference honors. He was the ASUN Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 14.

Ford, a product of Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, started his career at Youngstown State, appearing in 18 games over two seasons.

He has one season of eligibility left.

ASU football gets two Division I transfers to bolster roster

The Arizona State Sun Devils went into spring practice with an NCAA best 25 Division I transfers. But that doesn't mean new coach Kenny Dillingham was standing pat. He added to more players this weekend and one boasts a familiar last name.

The latest joining the fold are defensive back Roman Rashada and offensive lineman Sione Finau.

Rashada is the older brother of ASU's true freshman quarterback Jaden Rashada. He comes from University of Mississippi where he spent the 2022 season, although he did not play in a game. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder spent two years at Diablo Valley Community College before going to Ole Miss.

He had offers from many schools including Miami, Virginia Tech, Houston, BYU, Washington and Oregon and visited Washington, Oregon and BYU before ultimately going the junior college route. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Finau, a 6-foot-3, 300-pounder, comes from Purdue where he played in all 14 games as a reserve in 2022. He signed with Florida International out of Central High School in Keller, Texas. In 2019 he was an Conference USA All-Freshman Team election.

His addition is no surprise. Last week Dillingham said his team was still in search of offensive lineman. One whom the Sun Devils were counting on, California transfer Ben Coleman, will be out for the majority of the season at best with a lower leg injury.

Forward Warren Washington declares for NBA draft but maintains college eligibility

Arizona State senior forward Warren Washington has declared for the 2023 NBA draft but will maintain his college eligibility.

The 7-footer was a stellar contributor for the Sun Devils, who went 23-13 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 9.2 points and a team-best 6.9 rebounds. He scored in double figures 15 times with a best of 21 points coming against USC.

Washington reached double figures in rebounds five times, with two double-doubles, one in non-conference play against Texas Southern and the other against USC.

Now players are allowed to explore their draft prospects and get feedback from NBA personnel so they know what areas of their game need improvement should they return to college.

ASU point guard Frankie Collins has done the same thing.

The move appears to be good news for ASU because if they are not draft-ready, and projections don't seem to indicate they are, both would likely return. Washington has already transferred twice so he could not do so again without having to sit out a year. If he returns to college ball it would be at ASU.

Washington has one year of eligibility left and Collins has only used two years of eligibility.

Sun Devil basketball program lands Louisville transfer Kamari Lands

Arizona State men's basketball coach Bobby Hurley has added another player to his roster and it is not an unfamiliar commodity as 6-foot-8 forward Kamari Lands of Louisville indicated on social media he was heading to Tempe.

Lands is a product of Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix and was heavily sought after by the Sun Devils out of high school. In fact many projections had him picking ASU, although he eventually sided with Louisville.

He averaged 5.9 points and 1.9 rebounds this season on 32.6% shooting from the field. He played in 32 games, starting six of those. He reached double figures in four of the last 11 games after doing so in three of the first 21 outings. His season best of 15 points came three times, once against Western Kentucky, then later against Florida State and Georgia Tech.

Louisville went just 4-28 overall and 2-18 in the conference last season, leading to a mass exodus of players including Lands.

The news of his addition comes a day after Jamiya Neal indicated he was withdrawing from the transfer portal and returning which will give the Sun Devils a solid nucleus of returning players.

Jamiya Neal indicates return to Sun Devil basketball team

Sophomore basketball standout Jamiya Neal entered the transfer portal to take a look at other options. After doing so, Neal has decided he's better off in Tempe and indicated on social media today he plans on returning to the Sun Devils.

Neal was a key reserve for the Sun Devils during the past season, one in which they finished 23-13 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.

Neal, a sophomore wing, was a key reserve, particularly late in the season when freshman Austin Nunez was sidelined with a concussion. Neal averaged 4.9 points and 2.8 rebounds on the season. But in the last eight games with a more significant role, he scored 66 points with 19 rebounds, nine steals and two blocks.

His best game came in ASU's 98-73 thrashing of Nevada in the NCAA play-in game in which he scored 16 points with four rebounds, three assists in two steals in 27 minutes.

Neal's return gives the Sun Devils a solid nucleus of players returning, something they have not had the luxury of in recent years. Senior Devan Cambridge has already indicated he will used his extra season of eligibility and return while sophomore point guard Frankie Collins has put messages out on social media indicating his excitement of next season. The Sun Devils should also have returning bigs in Duke Brennan and Alonzo Gaffney.

Neal was one of four ASU players to enter the portal, a group that included Nunez and D.J. Horne. The other was center Enoch Boakye who did not see much action.

Sun Devils land commitment from high scoring JC guard Malachi Davis

Arizona State basketball coach is wasting no time adding to a roster for a team that won 23 games and made the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

Point guard Malachi Davis, a native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, comes to ASU from Tallahassee Community College (Fla.) were he averaged 17.1 points per game. He ended the season on a tear with games of 31, 48, 33 and 31 points in four games in the National Junior College Athletic Association playoffs.

Davis shot 50.5% from the field, including 34.9% from long distance. He also shot 78.3% from the free throw line for a team that went 31-6 on the season.

The Sun Devils have had four players enter the transfer portal since the end of the season, three of those being guards D.J. Horne, Jamiya Neal and Austin Nunez.

The Sun Devils are coming off a 23-13 showing that included a win over Nevada in an NCAA Tournament play in game. The season ended with a hard-fought 72-70 loss to No. 6 seed TCU in Denver.

Despite the departures, Hurley looks to have a good nucleus returning led by guard Devan Cambridge and point guard Frankie Collins as well as reserves Duke Brennan and Alonzo Gaffney. Hurley also says there is a possibility the players in the porta may opt to return.

The biggest question mark lies with senior forward Warren Washington who has a year of eligibility left but has not given an indication of his plans yet.

ASU wrestler Brandon Courtney named Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year

Sun Devil Wrestling's Brandon Courtney is this season's Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year, the conference announced Tuesday.

Courtney went 16-5 during the 2022-23 season (5-2 in duals, 10-4 in the regular season) en route to earning the honor. He became ASU's fifth four-time All-American after finishing third at the 2023 NCAA Championships, and he ends his career as a three-time conference champion with a 109-28 record

Courtney's honor is the 22nd time an ASU wrestler has received the honor, and it's the second consecutive season a Sun Devil earned Pac-12 WOTY as Cohlton Schultz picked it up in 2022.

Sun Devils sweep Territorial Cup baseball series

Arizona State swept the three-game baseball series against rival Arizona over the weekend. It is the first time since 2019 that the Sun Devils have swept a Territorial Cup series.

In the opener on Friday, Luke Keaschall hit a pair of two-out homers and finished with five RBIs. Jacob Tobias plated the winning run with an RBI-single in the sixth. The Sun Devils won 6-5.

On Saturday, Nu'u Contrades drove in a career-high five runs as ASU won 7-4.

In a 10-6 victory on Sunday, ASU scored in five straight innings during a stretch that included four home runs. Contrades went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs.

ASU swimming second at NCAA championships

The Arizona State men’s swim team secured the best finish in school history last week in Minneapolis, coming in second in the NCAA championships. The Sun Devils had never finished better than sixth at the national championships.

Leading the way was Léon Marchand, who won three events and set NCAA records in each: the 200 IM, 400 IM and 200 breast, where his NCAA record-setting time of 1:46.91 broke his own mark of 1:47.67 that he set at the Pac-12 Championships.

On Monday, Marchand, a sophomore from Toulouse, France, was named Men's Swimmer of the Year by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America for the second consecutive season.

Marchand was one of 15 Sun Devils to earn CSCAA All-American honors following the completion of the NCAAs. He now has five career NCAA titles, breaking a tie with diver Joonha Pukka for most in Sun Devils men's history. Marchand won all 27 individual events he raced in this year.

Men's basketball standouts Jamiya Neal, D.J. Horne enter transfer portal

The Arizona State men's basketball season ended less than a week ago, but two of the team's more pivotal players during the late run have decided to explore their options.

Starting guard D.J. Horne and reserve guard Jamiya Neal have entered the transfer portal after helping the team to a 23-13 record, highlighted by a victory in the NCAA Tournament.

Horne averaged 12.5 points but had his best late in the season. He averaged 15.7 points over the last eight games, with 20-point games against USC in the Pac-12 tournament quarterfinal and in the First Four play-in victory over Nevada. He had a total of four games in which he scored 20 or more points.

Horne played for two years at ASU, coming to Tempe after starting his college career at Illinois State. He has one year of eligibility left.

Neal, a sophomore wing, was a key reserve, particularly late in the season when freshman Austin Nunez was sidelined with a concussion. Neal averaged 4.9 points and 2.8 rebounds on the season. But in the last eight games with a more significant role, he scored 66 points with 19 rebounds, nine steals and two blocks.

Both players are likely looking at NIL opportunities with ASU lagging behind other Power 5 schools when it comes to those options. Neal had no other Power 5 scholarships when he signed with ASU and his stock has never been higher than it is now thanks to his showing at the end of the season.

The same goes for Horne, who came to ASU two years ago from a mid-major college. Now that he has proven himself at a Power 5 program, he could land opportunities from even higher-profile programs.

Heroic shot against Arizona helps land Desmond Cambridge Pac-12 weekly honor

Fifth-year senior Desmond Cambridge has been named the Pac-12 men's basketball player of the week for a league-leading third time.

Cambridge scored 19 points with four rebounds and four assists in Saturday's 89-88 upset of No. 7 Arizona at McKale Center. The difference in the game was his shot from beyond halfcourt at the buzzer to win the matchup.

The Nashville, Tennessee native scored nine of his 19 points - on a trio of threes - inside the final five minutes as the Sun Devils erased an 80-72 deficit.

It marked the first top-10 road win since knocking off No. 2 Kansas in 2017, and the first win in Tucson as an unranked team in 30 tries (1-29).

Other nominees included N'Faly Dante of Oregon; Brandon Angel of Stanford; Jaime Jaquez Jr., of UCLA; Boogie Ellis of USC and Mouhamed Gueye, Washington State.

Read more: How much will ASU's win over UA help postseason bid?

ASU track sending 3 to NCAA indoor championships

Arizona State track and field will be represented in three events next week at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships.

Four-time national champion Turner Washington, USATF Indoor Champion Justin Robinson, and the group of Robinson, Jalen Drayden, Gamali Felix and Jeremiah Curry will all compete for NCAA gold March 10 and 11 at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

They will compete in the shot put, 400m, and 4x400 relay, respectively.

Arizona State athletes Emilio Ysaguirre, Jordyn VanHook earn weekly Pac-12 honors

Arizona State athletes Emilio Ysaguirre and Jordyn VanHook have earned Pac-12 Athlete of the Week honors in their respective sports.

In wrestling, 141-pounder Emilio Ysaguirre, a native of Eloy, earned Pac-12 Wrestler of the Week honors after a solid debut in the varsity lineup. The true freshman filled in against CSU Bakersfield and No. 2 Nebraska and collected both a major decision and an upset over No. 4 Brock Hardy.

He is ASU's fifth WOTW honor this year.

The Sun Devils finished the regular season 7-5 overall and 4-1 in the Pac-12. The Pac-12 Wrestling Championships are coming up on March 5 in Palo Alto, California, hosted by Stanford. The NCAA Championships kick off March 16 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  In softball, VanHook earns the first weekly award of her career. The senior from Woodland Hills, California led the Sun Devils to a 4-1 showing at the Littlewood Classic.

He had a hit in all five games and finished 9-of-14 (.643) with two doubles, four home runs and 10 RBIs. She homered in the first four games of the weekend and finished the week with a career-best five-game hitting streak.

Two weeks into the season, VanHook is tied for tops in the country with six home runs and at 0.60 home runs per game. She can also be found 70th nationally with a .483 batting average and 33rd with 14 hits.

The Sun Devils will travel to Cathedral City, Calif., this weekend to participate in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. They will open the event by facing Loyola Marymount on Friday at 9 p.m. MST.

Arizona State gymnastics knocks off No. 4 Utah

With the 11th-best team score in program history, No. 22 Arizona State edges No. 4 Utah at Desert Financial Arena on Monday 197.550 to 197.500 for the first win over the Utes since 2003.  For coach Jay Santos, it was the highest ranked team his ASU teams have defeated, and the 19th win of his tenure over ranked opponents.

On her birthday, senior Hannah Scharf set a personal high score in all-around, 39.675, which ranks as 10th-best all around in Sun Devils history. Her best score was a 9.975 on bars, a new career high not only on that event, but in any event.

"I was not expecting that score at all," Scharf said. "I had a shaky warmup. I was falling on handstands, which is a little bit out of the normal. I did not want to shy away from the routine. It feels good, really good."

ASU won three other events in the team win: junior Anaya Smith in vault (9.900), Scharf and Clark tied on bars (9.975) and Scharf won on floor (9.900).

—Staff report

ASU softball opens season with two wins in California

The ASU softball team opened the season at the SDSU Season Kickoff with two victories.

No. 22 Arizona State woke up late to rally past CSUN 6-3 in eight innings to start the festivities. The Sun Devils (2-0) then spoiled San Diego State's party with an 8-2 win to close the day and give Megan Bartlett a 2-0 start as head coach at ASU.

In the opener against CSUN (0-1), the Sun Devils overcame a 3-0 deficit with six unanswered runs to win in extras. Makenna Harper had two triples and drove in four runs, with Marissa Schuld allowing just one hit in 3.1 innings of relief to earn the win.

The long ball returned in the win against San Diego State (1-1) as ASU hit four home runs in one of the deepest parks in the country. The pitching was just as solid in holding SDSU to only three singles.

Arizona State women's golfer Ashley Menne invited back to Augusta

Sun Devil Women's Golf standout Ashley Menne has accepted an invitation to return to the Augusta National Women's Amateur.The 2023 edition will once again give female amateur golfers the opportunity to play the iconic Augusta National Golf Course. This is the second consecutive year Menne has qualified for this prestigious event, doing so based on her standing in the United States amateur rankings."Going back is a dream come true once again," Menne reflected. "I look forward to this event every year and getting to play in it is special."In the 2022 edition, Menne was one of 30 golfers to make the initial cut after two rounds and earn the opportunity to play Augusta National Golf Course for a third round, which was broadcasted worldwide on NBC.

Arizona State's Nesta Jade Silvera gets invite to NFL Combine

Defensive lineman Nesta Jade Silvera will be Arizona State's lone representative at the NFL combine to be held Feb. 28-March 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, home of the Indianapolis Colts.

The 6-foot-2, 315-pound nose tackle spent one season in Tempe. He registered 56 tackles, three breakups, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. His season high of 12 came in a loss to Utah.

Silvera, a graduate transfer from the University of Miami (Fla.), also represented ASU at the Reese's Senior Bowl earlier this month in Mobile, Alabama.

A total of 319 athletes earned invites, 51 of those defensive linemen.

ASU defensive lineman Nesta Jade Silvera to compete in Reese's Senior Bowl

The next senior all-star game on the college football schedule is the prestigious Reese's Senior Bowl to be held at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. It will air on the NFL Network.

This is the most highly regarded game and serves as a precursor to the NFL draft. Representatives from every NFL organization are in attendance for the weeklong festivities.

Nose tackle Nesta Jade Silvera will represent the Arizona State Sun Devils. He played just one year for the Sun Devils, transferring from the University of Miami. The 6-foot-2, 315-pounder tallied 56 tackles, three breakups, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble in his lone season in Tempe.

Linebacker Kyle Soelle and running back Xazavian Valladay participated in the East-West Shrine Game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Thursday night. The West, which included Valladay, defeated the East 12-3 in a game in which all the scoring came on field goals.

Valladay led all ball carriers with 76 yards on 13 tries. He also had a pass reception for four yards.

Kyle Soelle, Xazavian Valladay to represent Arizona State football at Shrine Bowl

Linebacker Kyle Soelle and running back Xazavian Valladay will participate in the 98th annual East-West Shine Bowl to be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Valladay, a native of Chicago who transferred to ASU from Wyoming, was the catalyst of the offense, chalking up 1,192 yards and 16 touchdowns on 215 tries. He rushed for more than 100 yards in seven games with a best of 134 yards coming late in the season against Washington State, which helped earn him second-team All-Pac 12 honors. He also had 37 receptions for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

Soelle, a product of Saguaro High School, posted a team-leading 110 tackles, 56 of those solo. In 11 games he also registered two interceptions, two breakups and two quarterback hurries. His tackle total led the Pac-12 and his 10 per game ranked him 11th among all FBS defenders.

The two will be on opposite teams in this one. Soelle will play for the East which will be coached by Marquise Williams, special teams coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. Valladay will play for the West which will be headed by Troy Brown, wide receivers and kick return coach for the New England Patriots.

The game will air on the NFL Network.

Sun Devils add DL prospect from New Orleans Kyran Bourda

A successful official visit over the weekend resulted in a 20th commitment for the 2023 signing class and it comes from 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive lineman Kyran Bourda out of St. Augustine High School in New Orleans.

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Bourda entertained offers from 14 other schools including Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Texas and Arkansas. His only other Pac-12 offer was from Colorado. He is the ninth defensive line addition and was recruited by new line coach Vince Amey.

ASU currently has 15 high school athletes who have already signed with Bourda one of five who have pledged but not yet signed. Wednesday marks the annual National Signing Day for football players.

The Sun Devils also have 25 Division I transfers coming who they have acquired through the transfer portal.

That means ASU should surpass the number of newcomers they added last year which was 40, with more additions likely added between the end of spring practice and the start of fall camp.

Sun Devils land commitment from LB K'Vion Thunderbird

The Arizona State football program landed it 19th commitment of the 2023 class and it comes in the form of linebacker K'Vion Thunderbird out of Kenwood Academy in Chicago.

He made the announcement today at his school, picking ASU over a final five that also included Colorado, Purdue, Oregon and Tennessee. He had 20 offers with Penn State, Auburn, Missouri, Michigan State and Nebraska among the others. Thunderbird, a 6-foot-1, 215-pounder, visited Tempe last weekend.

Thunderbird was All-State selection the past fall. As a senior he racked up 109 tackles, three forced three fumbles and recovered two others. He is regarded as a three-star prospect by both 247Sport and Rivals.

He is pegged as the No. 72 linebacker nationally, the No. 20 player out of the state of Illinois by 247Sports.

Thunderbird is expected to sign on Wednesday which is the annual National Signing Day. He helps with a position group much in need of help as all three starters from last year are gong with Merlin Robertson and Kyle Soelle graduating and Connor Soelle hitting the transfer portal.

Thunderbird is the only linebacker in this signing class although the Sun Devils have three Division I transfers expected to contribute immediately

Former ASU football standout signs with European Football League team

Former Arizona State linebacker Khaylan Kearse-Thomas has signed with the Stuttgart Surge entry of the European Football League.

Kearse-Thomas, 25, played for the Sun Devils from 2015 to 2019. In 2019 as a senior he helped the squad to an 8-5 record, registering 66 tackles with two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

He was not drafted but did sign with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent, going to the team's mini-camp in 2020.

Most recently, he played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL.

The Stuttgart franchise is one of the eight founding members of the European League of Football (ELF), established in 2020. The entry was supposed to start go by the Stuttgart Scorpion, adopting the name of Stuttgart's German Football League franchise. The member's assembly of the Stuttgart Scorpions decided to disallow the use of the name, the team formed as Stuttgart Surge reviving the World League of American Football (WLAF) "Surge" franchise of the 1992 World Bowl champion Sacramento Surge.

Arizona State football gets commitment from California offensive lineman Sean Na'a

The Arizona State Sun Devils may have 25 Division I transfers set to join the fold, but that doesn't mean they are not on the lookout for high school prospects, too.

New head coach Kenny Dillingham just landed a commitment from offensive lineman Sean Na'a, who started at tackle for St. John Bosco, which went 13-1 and finished as the nation's top-ranked high school team in multiple rankings.

Na'a, who was recruited by new ASU offensive line coach Saga Tuitele, visited Tempe last weekend. Tuitele had also been recruiting Na'a in his previous position at Fresno State before coming over to ASU.

Na'a had also visited San Jose State and canceled an upcoming visit to Weber State after pledging to the Sun Devils. Among the 10 schools extending offers were Hawaii, Fresno State, Louisville, Nevada and Utah State.

The 6-foot-4, 275-pounder was tabbed a three-star prospect by multiple recruiting services. He is pegged as the No. 76 interior lineman in the country the No. 117 prospect out of California in the 247Sports Composite ranking. Rivals also has him rated as the No. 90 prospect out of California.

ASU currently has 15 additions coming from either high schools or community colleges who have already signed.

Na'a is one of three who have not yet signed. The National Signing Day for those that didn't already sign in December is Feb. 1.

St. John Bosco's only loss this season was to another national private school power in Mater Dei during the regular season. The teams ended up playing again in the postseason and Bosco won the rematch in the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 championship Thanksgiving weekend.

ASU basketball's Desmond Cambridge named Pac-12 Player of the Week

Arizona State basketball standout Desmond Cambridge Jr. is this week's Pac-12 Player of the Week.

He scored 21 points in each of ASU's road wins last week, one at Oregon and the other at Oregon State. He shot 53 percent from the field, 7-of-15 behind the arc. His contribution helped the Sun Devils (15-3, 6-1) to their first road sweep of the Oregon schools in 13 years.

It is his second weekly honor. He also was honored after being named MVP at the Legends Classic in which ASU beat Michigan in November.

ASU returns home this week with first pace on the line in Thursday's 8:30 p.m. showdown against UCLA. The Sun Devils will host USC on Saturday.

-Michelle Gardner

Sun Devils continue pursuit of players through the transfer portal

When Kenny Dillingham took over the Arizona State football program in December he vowed to attack the transfer portal. He has done exactly that.

The Sun Devils landed commitments from four more transfers over the weekend giving them a total of 23 which leads all Division I programs. ASU's transfer class is ranked No. 6 by 247Sports. On3 Transfer Portal at one time had ASU at No. but now has it at No. 7 although two players are not yet listed on that ranking.

Those added to the mix over the weekend include wide receiver Troy Omeire (Texas), safety Xavion Alford (USC), defensive lineman Dashaun Mallory (Michigan State) and kicker Dario Longhetto (Cal).

Longhetto is the third player ASU has gotten from Cal and fills the void left when true freshman Carter Brown decided to leave. Longhetto was the Bears primary kicker the last three years, making 26 of 36 field goal attempts with his career best coming from 54 yards out.

Others also fill significant voids. Mallory was a started 27 games at Michigan State, including a career-high 10 in 2021 in which he managed 44 tackles, five tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.

Omerie is one of the more intriguing prospects. He was a four-star recruit out of high school but has dealt with season-ending injuries in fall camp the last two years.

As far as ASU players transferring out, two today indicated they are headed to Cincinnati. That duo includes Brown and defensive back-kick return specialist D.J. Taylor. They join quarterback Emory Jones who committed there late last month giving the Bearcats three former Sun Devils.

Saguaro High School product Connor Soelle, who started alongside brother Kyle and Merlin Robertson when the Sun Devils played with three linebackers, is headed to Oregon.

The Sun Devils got some added good news late today as Gharin Stansbury withdrew his name from the portal, becoming the third defensive lineman to do so. He missed the balance of last season with a pulled hamstring.

Kicker Carter Brown the latest ASU football player to hit transfer portal

True freshman placekicker Carter Brown is the latest Arizona State football player to enter the transfer portal.

The Pearland, Texas native made 11 of 14 field goal tries last season as well as all 33 extra-point kicks. He was an upgrade over kickers the previous seasons with a best of 53 yards that is the best kick in school history from a true freshman. The year before he arrived the longest field goal ASU managed was just 40 yards

Brown also earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors twice, including the first week of the season after he made four field goals in his Sun Devil debut.

Brown's departure means there will be a complete turnover on the special teams unit for ASU next season. Punter Eddie Czaplicki transferred to USC while Jace Feely, who lost the kicking battle to Brown, also is in the portal, along with ASU's top two long snappers.

While ASU has lost a lot of talent in the portal, presumably a lot of that coming with the coaching change, the Sun Devils have landed 19 Division I transfers, most of any other Power 5 program. Some of the specialist spots already seem to have been addressed. Among the incoming players are punter Josh Carlson (New Mexico State) and long snapper Slater Zellers (California).

Arizona State sports digest: ASU names J.J. Van Niel volleyball head coach

J.J. Van Niel has been named the head volleyball coach at Arizona State, as announced by Vice President of University Athletics Ray Anderson.

"We are excited to welcome J.J. to Tempe," Anderson said. "His background is fantastic on so many levels and he has been a part of building a program and getting it back to where it belongs. His work in the USA volleyball community, his tremendous Pac-12 knowledge and his understanding of what we aspire to achieve with our volleyball program makes him the ideal fit for ASU."

Van Niel comes to Tempe after five seasons at USC, most recently as the associate head coach. While with the Trojans, he helped the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances (2018, 2019, 2022), advancing to the second round in each of those.

ASU men's swim team earns first No. 1 ranking

The Arizona State men's swimming and diving team has received its first No. 1 ranking in school history.

The Sun Devils are No. 1 in the country in the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America poll that was released Thursday, going up from No. 5, where it had been ranked for the first two polls of the season.

In November, ASU won the seven-team NC State Invite to surge in the poll.

ASU is scheduled to return to action on Friday, Jan. 20 against Stanford at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center.

Super Bowl Experience, Opening Night event tickets on sale Saturday

Tickets for the Super Bowl Experience, NFL’s interactive football theme park tied to Super Bowl 57, go on sale Saturday. The same day, tickets will also be available for Super Bowl Opening Night, set for 6 p.m. Feb. 6 at Footprint Center.

The Super Bowl Experience is taking place in two different downtown Phoenix locations. The traditional experience set-up will be at the Phoenix Convention Center, complete with autograph sessions with NFL players, interactive games, youth football clinics and more. It will be open Feb. 4-5 and again Feb. 9-11. Tickets are $20 for adults; children 12 and under are free.

The other location is at Hance Park Feb. 9-12, and will be a free outdoor festival featuring live music and entertainment, local cuisine and multicultural celebrations. It culminates with Super Bowl watch party starting at 11 a.m. on game day, Feb. 12.

Super Bowl Opening Night is the official kickoff to Super Bowl week, as players and coaches from both teams will be interviewed by hundreds of media members. There will be live entertainment, special appearances and autographs by NFL Legends and more. Tickets are $20.

Tickets for both paid events are available at SuperBowl.com/ExperienceTickets; they also will be available at the convention center during days of operation.

The NFL OnePass app is required for entry into Super Bowl Experience at the convention center. For more information, a complete schedule of events and to download the app, visit SuperBowl.com. Fans who download and register for the app will also be entered for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the Super Bowl.

—Staff report

QB Emory Jones decides to transfer for final year

Quarterback Emory Jones only has one more season to make an impression on NFL scouts. After losing the starting spot at Arizona State this season, there was no guarantee he'd be the first-teamer next season. So, it isn't surprising he has entered the transfer portal.

It will be the second time in the portal for Jones who played three years at the University of Florida before going to the portal for the first time in the spring and winding up in Tempe.

Jones was not in Arizona here for the spring but arrived over the summer and eventually won the starting job in fall camp. He started the first seven games of the season but was knocked out of the game against Washington in the first half and it was backup Trenton Bourguet igniting the team to victory.

Jones started the following game against Stanford but struggled so interim coach Shaun Aguano opted to start Bourguet against Colorado and he delivered a career-best performance. That led to him holding down the starting job the rest of the season.

Jones, a native of LaGrange, Georgia, completed 125 of 199 passes for 1,533 yards and seven touchdowns with four interceptions.

Jones is the second ASU quarterback to enter the portal following Paul Tyson who saw mop-up duty in only one game. That leaves Bourguet as the incumbent with true freshman Bennett Meredith and red-shirt sophomore Daylin McLemore on the roster.

The Sun Devils also have a commitment from BYU transfer Jacob Conover as well as a commit in the next high school signing class in Israel Carter of Corona Centennial.

While ASU lost another player to the portal there was a small victory of sorts for the newly appointed coaching staff as defensive lineman Anthonie Cooper decided to return after originally putting his name in the portal. That looms large because ASU graduate three defensive linemen and have had three others go to the portal.

Punter Eddie Czaplicki headed to rival USC

For two straight seasons ASU has lost a player to its South Division rival USC. Last season it was linebacker Eric Gentry. This season it is sophomore punter Eddie Czaplicki who put the word out on his social media accounts today.

Czaplicki led the Pac-12 with 45.98 average on 50 punts with a long of 75 yards. He set 15 punts inside the 20 and had 16 kicks of 50 or more yards. He also handled kickoff duties for the 3-9 Sun Devils.

The Charlotte, North Carolina native was a first-team All-conference selection twice this season, once in the balloting of conference coaches and also by the Associated Press in a balloting of the print media that cover the conference.

Sun Devils get two athletes on first-team All-Pac 12 team

The Sun Devils may have struggled in the win column but they had two players earn All-Pac12 honors for their showings the past football season. Sun Devils get two athletes on first-team All-Pac 12 team

Running back Xazavian Valladay and punter Eddie Czaplicki were first-team selections in the balloting of the media. Earlier this week the conference selections voted on by the coaches were released. Czaplicki was a first-team honoree in that one as well but Valladay was a second-team selection in that one.

Valladay, who transferred to ASU from Wyoming, led the conference in scoring with 16 touchdowns and was second in rushing with 1,192 yards on 215 tries (5.5 ypc). He rushed for more than 100 yards in seven games and was the career leader in rushing among all active FBS runningbacks.

Czaplicki, who announced he was entering the transfer portal earlier this week, averaged a conference-best 45.98 average on 50 punts with a long of 75 yards. He landed 15 punts inside the 20 and had 16 kicks of 50 or more yards.

Punter Eddie Czaplicki, running back Xazavian Valladay honored by Pac-12

Sophomore punter Eddie Czaplicki and senior running back Xazavian Valladay were named to the All-Pac-12 football team selected by member coaches and released by the conference Tuesday.

Czaplicki led the conference with 45.98 average on 50 attempts with a long of 75 yards. He dropped 15 punts inside the 20 and had 16 kicks of 50 or more yards. He also handled kickoff duties for the 3-9 Sun Devils.

Valladay settled for a second team with UCLA's Zach Charbonnet and Oregon State's Damien Martinez the first team backs. Valladay tallied 1,192 yards on 215 tries (5.5 ypc) with 16 touchdowns. He also factored into the passing game with 37 receptions for 289 yards and another two scores.

Valladay, who rushed for more than 100 yards in seven games, was second in the Pac-12 in rushing and led it in scoring.

Several ASU players made honorable mention. That group included wide receiver Elijhah Badger, defensive back Jordan Clark, tight end Jalin Conyers, running back and return specialist Daniyel Ngata, linebacker Merlin Robertson, defensive lineman Nesta Jade Slivera, linebacker Kyle Soelle and defensive back Ro Torrance.

The conference's top honors went to:

Offensive Player of Year: QB Caleb Williams, USC

Pat Tillman Defensive Player of Year: Tuli Tuipulotu, USC

Freshman Offensive Player of Year: RB Damien Martinez, Oregon State

Freshman Defensive Player of Year: Lander Barton, Utah

Co-Coaches of the Year: Kalen DeBoer, Washington, Jonathan Smith, Oregon State

The lone representative on first or second team for University of Arizona was wide receiver Dorian Singer who was named second team. Honorable mention went to wide receiver Jacob Cowing, quarterback Jayden de Laura, kicker Tyler Loop and offensive linemen Jordan Morgan and Jonah Savaiinaea.

-Michelle Gardner

Running back Daniyel Ngata to be next Sun Devil to hit transfer portal

For two years, Daniyel Ngata waited his turn behind Rachaad White. Then last season the Northern California native had to watch Wyoming transfer Xazavian Valladay get the majority of the workload.

So after three years of hoping for the lead ball carrier role, Ngata is looking for a new opportunity and will reportedly enter the transfer portal when it opens on Monday.

Although the portal formally opens Monday, players who are graduate transfers can put their names in at any time. Ngata is the third ASU player to put his name in the portal following little-used quarterback Paul Tyson and defensive lineman Anthonie Cooper, both of who did so as grad transfers last week.

With White departing to the NFL, the 5-foot-10, 200-pounder was hoping his time would come but he actually saw fewer carries than he did the previous year when White was here. In the just-completed season, Ngata tallied 272 yards on 54 carries for an impressive 5 yards per carry with one touchdown.

In the 2021 campaign, he had 56 tries and 309 yards (4.2 ypg) with four touchdowns.

The one difference was this season he also saw some action on special teams as the primary kick return specialist where he had 18 returns for 411 yards (22.83 avg) with a long of 58 yards.

Ngata was a four-star prospect out of Folsom High School where he was a teammate of ASU's Elijhah Badger. As a true freshman in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he had 26 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown.

There had been speculation Ngata would do so because he was underutilized but he also voiced his frustration about losing earlier in the season. He has also wiped away any reference to ASU in social media accounts.

Defensive lineman Anthonie Cooper looking for new home

Red-shirt junior defensive lineman Anthonie Cooper has become the second Sun Devil to enter the transfer portal. The first was quarterback Paul Tyson who did so on Monday.

The transfer portal opens on Dec. 5 but grad transfers can put their names in at any time. Both Tyson and Cooper will be grad transfers.

Cooper, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound defensive end is a product of Millennium High School in Goodyear. He registered 21 tackles, two sacks and had a team-high five quarterback hurries the past season. He started every game for the Sun Devils this season and had 16 career starts.

In 2021, his first season drawing significant playing time, Cooper chalked up 30 tackles, with five tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks. He played 262 snaps as a pass rusher, most on the team.

Little-used QB Paul Tyson enters transfer portal

The end of the regular season is just days old and the first Arizona State football player is in the transfer portal. That player is quarterback Paul Tyson, who saw action in just one game last season. Tyson's father Marc confirmed the move.

Tyson was a newcomer to ASU this past season, transferring to the school in January from Alabama, but he played in just one game, getting a handful of snaps in the Sun Devils' season-opening 40-3 win against Northern Arizona.

The move is not necessarily a surprise since ASU has five other quarterbacks on its roster and none of those are out of eligibility. They also have one quarterback commitment in its next high school signing class which gives the Sun Devils a lot of options at the position.

Tyson was one of five players competing for the starting spot during spring drills. He and Trenton Bourguet had been getting most of the first-team reps over those 15 practices. But when no quarterback separated himself from the rest of the competition, then-coach Herm Edwards added another over the summer in Emory Jones from Florida.

Jones was named the starter and got the call for the first seven games. When asked about the second-team quarterback when Jones was named the starter, Edwards didn't single out one saying both Tyson and Bourguet would be ready if needed.

When Jones went down in the game against Washington it was Bourguet getting the call. And it was Bourguet starting the last five games of the regular season even after Jones was healthy so that seemed to indicate Tyson was low enough on the depth chart he wasn't going to get playing time.

Tyson, the great-grandson of legendary coach Bear Bryant, was previously a backup at Alabama, appearing in 13 games for the Crimson Tide over three years. He saw mop-up duty in 12 games in 2021, completing 10-of-16 passes for 150 yards.

He ended up getting less playing time here than he did at his former school.

— Michelle Gardner

Cambridge Jr., Nunez sweep Pac-12 MBB Player of the Week honors

Two Arizona State men's basketball players received Pac-12 Player of the Week awards, the conference announced on Monday.

Desmond Cambridge Jr. was named Pac-12 Player of the Week after an incredible week at the Legends Classic tournament. Austin Nunez was awarded Pac-12 Freshman of the Week following his performance coming off the bench in the Sun Devils' two wins over Virginia Commonwealth and No. 20 Michigan. ASU won the Legends Classic Championship.

This marks the 11th and 12th time a Sun Devil has won a Pac-12 Player of the Week award under head coach Bobby Hurley. Cambridge Jr. is the first winner of Pac-12 Player of the Week from ASU for men's basketball since 2020. Nunez becomes the first men's basketball player to claim Pac-12 Freshman of the Week since Josh Christopher in 2020.

—Republic news sources

No. 5 wrestling upsets No. 3 Missouri in Mullett Arena opener

No. 5 ASU wrestling (2-0) opened its first dual Thursday at Mullett Arena in dramatic fashion, winning the final match of the night via major decision from heavyweight Cohlton Schultz as the Sun Devils won 19-17 over No. 3 Missouri.

ASU went 12-0 to start the night and had upsets from Richard Figueroa at 125 and Jesse Vasquez at 141. Figueroa, who was unranked, won by a 6-4 decision over No. 14 Noah Surtin. No. 24 Vasquez won by a 3-2 decision over No. 6 Allan Hart.

Schultz, who is top-ranked in the nation at heavyweight, had to secure a win for ASU with Missouri up 17-15. Schultz had multiple takedowns before winning by a 12-4 major decision.

ASU recorded its second-largest attendance at a dual with 2,947 fans at Mullett Arena. ASU will alternate home duals between Desert Financial Arena and Mullett Arena. Its next dual at Mullett Arena will be on Feb. 3 against Little Rock.

-Republic news sources

Arizona State sports digest: Men's basketball signs pair of four-star prospects

The Arizona State men's basketball team announced the signing of a pair of four-star prospects that will join the roster for the 2023-24 season.ASU coach Bobby Hurley announced the signings of guard Braelon Green and forward Akil Watson on Monday.

The duo received a four-star rating and were tabbed as Top-100 prospects by at least one major national recruiting publication."Akil and Braelon are both just quality kids and at one point super highly rated," Hurley recently said. "I think both will have a chip on the shoulder getting here. Both have great families, so that's a positive and they just bring different things to the table. Akil's a versatile forward and Braelon could play multiple positions in the guard spot, so we're super excited for those two guys."

Green is a 6-3 guard with the ability to play either position in the backcourt. He is from Michigan, but moved to California to play for Southern California Academy.

Watson is a 6-9 forward from New York who plays for Roselle Catholic, the No. 1 team in the nation in the 2022-23 Max Preps Preseason Rankings.

—Republic news sources

ASU soccer's Nicole Douglas honored

Sun Devil Soccer forward Nicole Douglas was named the Pac-12's Forward of the Year, the conference announced Tuesday. Douglas was one of four Sun Devils ­– fellow fifth-year players Alexia Delgado (second-team All-Pac-12) and Eva van Deursen (third-team All-Pac-12) and freshman goalkeeper Pauline Nelles (third-team All-Pac-12, Pac-12 All-Freshman team) – to be recognized by the league's head coaches who voted for the awards. All four players played significant roles in helping the Sun Devils qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons.

Douglas also earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

The program's all-time career leader in goals (60), points (140) and game-winning goals (17), Douglas concluded the regular season ranked seventh nationally in goals per game (0.82), 11th in points per game (1.82), 25th in shots on goal per game (1.88) and 29th in game-winning goals (4).

ASU opens NCAA Tournament play on Saturday when it plays at No. 8 seed Portland.

—Republic news sources

Marcus Bagley, DJ Horne receive preseason Pac-12 recognition

ASU guard DJ Horne and forward Marcus Bagley were named to the Pac-12 men's basketball preseason All-Conference second team on Monday.

This is the second consecutive year that Bagley, a sophomore, has been a Preseason All-Conference selection, previously landing on the First Team prior to last season. He has averaged 10.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game in his career, a career slowed by injuries.

Horne, a junior, is the fifth-leading returning scorer in the Pac-12. He averaged 12.5 points in 30 minutes per game last season, starting 28 of the 30 games he played in.

Five players were second-team All-Pac-12 preseason selections and 10 players were first-team choices.

The first-team picks were Tyger Campbell, UCLA; Branden Carlson, Utah; Boogie Ellis, USC; Mouhamed Gueye, Washington State; Harrison Ingram, Stanford; Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA; Spencer Jones, Stanford; Drew Peterson, USC; Will Richardson, Oregon and Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona.

Tristan da Silva of Colorado and Arizona's Kerr Kriisa and Pelle Larsson joined Bagley and Horne as second-team selections.

—Republic news sources

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU guard Devan Cambridge remains in Pac-12, transfers to Oregon