Valley Sports

A few notes of interest which emerged from ASU men’s basketball media day on Thursday …

–Practice can officially begin on Friday, but freshman forward Victor Rudd probably won’t be there. He’s waiting for some paperwork approval from the NCAA clearinghouse. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, but while the vibe was it wouldn’t take long for this to be sorted out, nobody at ASU could give a reasonable timetable. It’s at the whim of the NCAA. Could be Friday, could be Monday, could be in two weeks.

Rudd is a 6-foot-7 forward from Los Angeles who played last season at Findlay Prep near Las Vegas last season before leaving the school early  following an altercation. He finished school at home (which might have something to do with this NCAA process).

–Apparently when you lose James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph to the NBA, another shake-up was required. Acording to senior point guard Derek Glasser, this will essentially be his fifth different offensive system in four years at ASU.

(Replacing those two in some form was, understandably, asked about to players and coach Herb Sendek in about 125 different ways).

–For the little it’s worth at this point, freshman Trent Lockett (Hopkins, Minn.) drew the most praise among the newcomers.

–Juniors Jamelle McMillan and Ty Abbott looked like they gained 10 pounds.

–Sendek gushed optimism surrounding center Eric Boateng, predicting an “outstanding” season for the 6-foot-10 senior.

–Assistant coach Scott Pera was not in attendance for media day.  He was recruiting big men in New Jersey.

According to both Scout.com and Rivals.com, Sacramento-area point guard Josiah Turner has waffled from his verbal commitment to Arizona State.

Turner, considered to be a top-5 prospect among West Coast point guards, gave ASU a verbal commitment last fall before his sophomore year.

This isn’t terribly shocking given he’s 16 years old with several primo schools wanting him. The junior-to-be could still come to Tempe. Based on several published reports, he hasn’t denounced ASU.

The hours tick away and creep closer to Wednesday afternoon’s deadline in which NFL teams can sign “franchise” players to a contract extension before they must wait until after the regular season.

Given the unlikelihood of a contract extension coming in these few remaining hours, there’s little reason for Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby - who’s never made the Pro Bowl but has earned consideration the past two seasons - to lock himself up long-term.

The Cardinals could offer yet another one-year franchise contract to Dansby, but that would be even more foolish, financially-speaking, than what has already happened when they gave him the franchise tag twice. A third time would cost the team nearly $14 million for 2010-2011. Forget about that.

Dansby is guaranteed a little more than $9.6 million this season, and who knows what the future holds with the NFL in 2010 when the collective bargaining agreement expires and we’re faced with the possibility of a season sans salary cap.

Regardless of how the league’s finances change (or even if there is a 2010-2011 season), another healthy and productive season would probably land Dansby a Calvin Pace-esque payday next summer, whether it’s the Cardinals or someone else. Pro Bowl or not.

The “wall” between player and team isn’t finalized because Dansby could still negotiate through the season and sign an extension with the Cardinals after the regular season concludes, but if he’s looking for another huge chunk to put in his checkbook, there are more reasons for him to ride this process out to the very end.

So expect Dansby to have one of those “contract year” seasons similar to what Pace did with the Cardinals in 2007, which would only further price him out of the Cardinals’ long-term plans.

Through the first half of this baseball season, no pitcher has been better than Dan Haren. Not Tim Lincecum. Not Zack Greinke. Not Johan Santana.

The rest of the Diamondbacks, however, have largely missed the boat.

So in keeping with the not-good-enough theme of the summer of ‘09, it figures that Lincecum would get the starting nod over Haren in Tuesday’s All-Star game.

Fluky that it may be, the hope here is that the primary reason behind this is because the All-Star game falls on Lincecum’s regular pitching schedule, while Haren threw more than 110 pitches in shutting down the Marlins last weekend and would throw on three days rest.

Other than that, it doesn’t add up.

Lincecum has been, well Lincecum: 10-2 with a 2.33 earned run average and a league-leading 149 strikeouts, and the Giants have been the better team this season.

But Haren leads the NL in ERA (2.04), WHIP (.808), complete games (3) and has a dizzying 8-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.  Haren’s 9-5 record should be more like 11-3 or 12-2.

It’s quibbling, really, and not the type of thing that would keep Haren up late at night (he has a young child to do that).

Philadelphia/NL All-Star manager Charlie Manuel couldn’t have gone wrong (he already did that by enlisting his starting Phillies outfield), but even for something as relatively menial as throwing the first inning instead of the second inning of an All-Star game, it would have been nice to see the starting nod to the hard-luck Haren.

Talk about a mad-dash month of NBA free agency. It’s easy to forget about our economic woes when teams have wheeled and dealed as if the 2009-2010 season was next week instead of three months away.

The Suns, of course, have exempted themselves, which should put to rest the idea this team has any chance of competing in the Western Conference.

Consider:

Los Angeles won the championship, lost unknown-turned-playoff-stud Trevor Ariza and promptly replaced him with Ron Artest, which means he and Kobe could be the two best defensive wings in the league.

Lamar Odom’s free agency is a big deal, but today, count them as moving up one-half step.

Dallas stuck it to the Suns’ flashbacking fans when they acquired Shawn Marion on Thursday after they retained Jason Kidd. Add in the likely arrival of Orlando big man Marcin Gortat and it’s a lineup with Kidd, Josh Howard, Marion and Dirk Nowitzki.  Yikes.

Call them significantly improved.

San Antonio jumped back into the fray by signing Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess and first-round pick Dejuan Blair. Plus they are the Spurs, where most acquisitions go to prosper at exactly the right time(s).

Call them improved.

Houston has big issues with Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady coming back from injuries. Yao may not play next season and McGrady might miss at least half the schedule. Then again, look what the Rockets did without those two in the playoffs.

Portland, Denver and New Orleans were already better than the Suns and haven’t changed (yet).

As for Planet Orange, the Suns traded Shaq (which had to be done) and avoided the luxury tax. That may work well in the business world, but that’s exactly what fans want to escape.

With or without Amare and Grant Hill, Phoenix has fewer and fewer spots to fall in another loaded conference.

The day-after hangover from Thursday night’s NBA draft still lingers, and, in the case of the Suns, may linger for days to come.

In the wake of Shaquille O’Neal being traded, the Suns  took Earl Clark with the 14th pick out of Rick Pitino’s Louisville program, which means in the immediate future he’s raw for the NBA level, athletic and can - or, at least, willing - to play defense.

None of that was of much interest. We were  much more fascinated with rumors flying about Amare Stoudemire possibly going to Golden State for Andris Biedrins, Stephen Curry (the Warriors No. 7 pick) and perhaps Brandan Wright.

Suns general manager Steve Kerr acknowledged they received several phone calls about Amare, Leandro Barbosa and Robin Lopez (Really? Robin Lopez?) but, post-Shaq, denied anyone on the roster was being shopped.

Of course that’s a crock, unless you believe the jubilation from the Suns draft room after Minnesota took Jonny Flynn at No. 6 was because of some fairy tale not involving the Warriors getting Curry.  The Suns have nothing to gain by publicly acknowledging or discussing such proposals, so they should keep quiet.

But as history suggests, it’s a cliche for a reason: Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

If I’m Steve Kerr, I pull the trigger.

Regardless, we probably won’t know the outcome of this latest rumor until the first week in July, but at this point even that is a wild card for two reasons.

First, Golden State is giving up a lot, especially since they like Curry and figured he wouldn’t be around at No. 7, even though Curry is rumored to be less than thrilled about being a Warrior  (I wouldn’t want to live in Oakland either, but why wouldn’t Curry want to play for Don Nelson’s track-meet team?).

Secondly, while Amare would fit nicely into the Warriors with his size, quickness and athleticism (not to mention a no-defense-required style), would the Warriors take on Amare’s contract this season in the wake of his eye surugery/recovery, and give him a maximum contract extension he’ll demand after next season when he can opt out and become a free agent?  If the Warriors think they’d lose him to free agency after next season, there’s no chance they make a deal.

The Suns have no chance to make a championship run in the West given their current roster. If they’re not going to give Amare a maximum contract extension, the earlier they can trade him, the more pieces figure to come in return so they can start over.

In another court hearing which draws more headlines than any transaction or game in years, U.S. Bankruptcy Court moved up the date for prospective local buyers of the Coyotes to Aug. 5.

It sounds like a potential life raft for the Coyotes, but this boat is sinking.

Judge Redfield T. Baum made it clear that hockey fans were going to have to help this cause by lapping up tickets and spending money to help a woefully sunken franchise.  It’s a nice sentiment, if only fans had been given any reason to drive an hour across town in rush hour and fork over scarce dollars to watch an inferior product.

But most don’t, and even if a local mogul or Jerry Reinsdorf comes swooning in and buys the franchise, the money will continue to freefall. A franchise in limbo doesn’t attract free agents (neither would their salary requests for a team financially sunken in the red).

The Coyotes aren’t on the cusp of a significant playoff run, are hemorraging money, and beyond a miniscule, passionate group of fans, haven’t been of Joe Fan’s interest regardless of the economy.

Jim Balsillie offered $213 million to move the team to Ontario. Given the state of the franchise and local NHL interest, I can’t imagine Reinsdorf or any other local ownership group would match that figure.  And even if someone(s) does keep the team here beyond the 2009-2010 season, how long until that group is tired of bleeding their bank accounts dry, and we’re back in courtrooms?

The NHL has been too stubborn to acknowledge defeat in the desert. That’s an odd thought for a league with $213 million in-waiting while it continues to be an afterthought in all but a hand’s worth of “hockey town” markets.

Should Balsillie’s original offer remain when relocation owners make a bid September 10, it would move the team into a hockey haven.

A league desperate for dollars would be wise to let outsiders enter, take the money and run.

It might be the only way to make Pat Murphy go silent:  Ask him who’s the starting pitcher for Sunday’s Game 1 of the College World Series against North Carolina.

He didn’t answer that one Friday, and this hunch says Murphy won’t reveal it Saturday either.

History suggests Murphy loves the sideshow of the CWS, and seems to enjoy the spotlight that goes with it. Better to leave UNC, media and fans all guessing.

It’s comedy, or at least amusement, for Murphy. Ultimately it doesn’t really matter, the Tar Heels have likely watched footage of both Mike Leake and Josh Spence.

But given this team has two aces for the first time in ages, why should Murphy tip his hand?  Prove he’s not paranoid about such things?

Ha!  He’s become his own show at times during ASU’s recent trips to Omaha, so whether it’s paranoia, being coy or comedy, Murphy is adept at all three.

That’s Pat.

Answer:  Mucho wacky.

To further punctuate what can be dug up in the wake of marathons such a Sunday’s 18-inning game between the Diamondbacks and San Diego, here are some day-after musings (Monday) from a numbers-cruncher in ESPN columnist Jayson Stark (with help from others).

It’d be a lot more painful to read if Padres utility infielder-turned-pitcher Josh Wilson had beaten his former team.

It’s not that Mike Leake has gone unnoticed in three years at Arizona State.

He’s either won or still remains  a candidate for every significant player/pitcher award in college baseball.

His final collegiate start at Packard Stadium is Saturday night against Clemson to open the NCAA Tempe Super Regional. That game is sold out.

It’s that Saturday feels like a foregone conclusion:  The best-of-three series to get back to the College World Series will only require one additional ASU win either Sunday or (if necessary) Monday.

Since Leake is 15-1 this season, who could argue? If he wins, it’ll be No. 40 for his career, tied with Eddie Bane for the most of any pitcher in school history through three seasons. He could stand alone among three-year pitchers if he gets to the CWS.

There’s an element of flukiness involved in a pitcher’s victories, if only because it’s significantly dependent upon offense and defense, but Leake has a 1.23 earned run average.

Again, that’s 1.23 runs allowed per nine innings, against aluminum bats, warm weather and sandbox ballparks.

He doesn’t throw 100 miles per hour, more like 89-92 mph. Yet opponents are hitting .169 against him and he has 143 strikeouts to 20 walks for the season, a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 7-to-1.

There are four pitches in his arsenal he throws at any time, and eight different locations he consistently hits. That makes for a futile guessing game.

Leake’s projected to be a top-20 pick in Tuesday’s MLB draft. It’s a longshot, but possible he’s around at No. 16 when the Diamondbacks pick.

For now, forget about that stuff, and enjoy his final starts as a Sun Devil. There aren’t - and shouldn’t be - projections for when a pitcher this dominant comes around Tempe again.