ASU News: AllSunDevils Round Table Recapping the Week
Time zoomed by in Tempe for what was a very eventful and powerful week across the country. Here are 5 Sun Devil must know as we recap what went on around the Pac 12 and ASU:
1. A rival legend passes on.
Hall of Fame University of Arizona Basketball Head Coach Lute Olson passed away this week at age 84. During Olson's 24 seasons in Tucson, between 1983-2008, he amassed a record of 589-187 and his 327 Pac-10 wins are the most by any coach in conference history. His first conference win came in the 1984-85 season against the Sun Devils with a freshman, Steve Kerr, leading the charge in a 71-49 win. 1984-85 became the first of what would be 23 straight years of tournament play for Olson's Wildcats. Olson was a five-time National Coach of the Year, seven-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year, and 1997 National Champion.
2. ASU football finds a Center
Ezra Dotson-Oyetade - learn the name - the interior O-lineman committed to ASU this week. Oyetade is listed at 6'3",300-pounds and is ranked by 247sports as the first overall center in the 2021 recruiting class with four stars. Why is he special? Well, to put it simply, there aren't many O-lineman who can dunk a basketball and keep up with wide receivers in ladder drills.
You can read more about Oyetade here.
3. Herm starts the conversation
Herm Edwards spoke out in support of the recent athlete strikes across the country this week. While on the Brad Cesmat Show, Edwards talked about how he's having the same conversations with his kids that his father has had with him; and he doesn't want the same for his future grandkids. Edwards elaborated, saying he understands change takes time and talked about how he wants his players, with the platform they have, to always have a plan with the post saying, "Don't speak up until you know what to say that will help people."
You can read more about what Herm said here.
4. 2020 College Sports? Maybe?
Sports, might actually start in the fall, maybe? It was announced on Friday by Bruce Feldman on Twitter that the Big Ten Conference is rediscussing, possibly playing football in the fall after all. The Big Ten and Pac-12 have been running somewhat parallel throughout the COVID-19 process, canceling their football seasons within days of each other. The idea is to have games begin around Thanksgiving, as reported by David Pollack.
By Thanksgiving, basketball may already be in full swing! The NCAA currently is toying with the idea with four start dates in mind - that are not in 2021. Those dates are November 10th (the original date), November 20th, November 25th and December 4th. A vote is expected later in September to decide when basketball will resume.
5.Finally... Checking up on an old friend
Kalen Ballage is a Jet! In a trade on Thursday, the Miami Dolphins sent the former ASU running back to New York for a conditional late-round pick. Seeing consistent reps may be difficult for the former week one starter with a crowded backfield of Le' Veon Bell, Frank Gore, and 2020 4th round pick La'Mical Perine. Ballage could see time on special teams as a kickoff returner, with that experience being a driving force in the trade.
Find out more about the Ballage trade here.