What is the "standard?"
Well, it's relative per person. But for ASU, redshirt senior OL Leif Fautanu is the encapsulation.
Fautanu developed his leadership qualities in a disciplined, competitive family, and now brings those values to Tempe.
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@FautanuLeif
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@KennyDillingham
said his group practiced like a "1-11 team" for the majority of Tuesday's practice.
He saw guys getting comfortable -- and is looking to temper internal expectations to put ASU's statement victory in the rear view mirror.
"'Number one defense in America,'
Every WNBA All-Star that I spoke with recognizes Diana Taurasi as one of the pioneers who has helped shape women's basketball.
Taurasi admitted it's been humbling to receive this level of respect, and urges fans to embrace the WNBA's momentum and history.
#WNBAAllStar
Cam Skattebo said that ASU has "three seasons" with a bye in weeks five and nine. He said the team lost its fire on the road, and it's hard to stay positive when playing catch-up.
"Each four games needs to be a new season," Skattebo said. "When we go down early, trying to catch
"Trust is earned, not given."
Sam Leavitt (
@S_leav10
) replied to
@KennyDillingham
's praise, who said Leavitt is "linked strongly" to his tenure as head coach.
"Everybody says they're willing to die for something, but are you willing to live every single day?"
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Kenny Dillingham spoke to the competitiveness in the Big 12 and how home-field advantage plays into that:
"Every game could go either way ... Its the ultimate league of, 'did you see that score?'"
"If you're a team that doesn't have a distinct home-field advantage, your
ASU had 13,698 students in attendance for its season opener on Saturday.
@KennyDillingham
is raising that bar for Saturday when ASU plays host to Mississippi State.
"We want to break the record ... I want [students] to be part of the first time Arizona State's ever won an SEC
"They've dreamt of this."
Sold-out crowd. First conference win.
Tempe got its first taste of Big 12 football on Saturday. And it's only the beginning.
🔗 FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS
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Cam Skattebo — have a day.
262 rushing yards, 33 carries. Enough said.
Arizona State moves to 2-0 and gets its first SEC victory EVER 🔱
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@camskattebo5
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@KennyDillingham
claimed that ASU's OL group has been the epitome of the standard he's set for the entire team. He credits Leif Fautanu and Ben Coleman for being consistent every day as leaders:
"It's the standard that [offensive line] coach Saga [Tuitele] demands, but between
.
@KennyDillingham
says ASU's athletic department has a lot planned in the coming weeks in hopes of activating the Valley ahead of the season. Mentioned how the department is investing in the program and is heading in the right direction:
"There's going to be some really fun
Jayden Quaintance (
@qjayhoops
) believes ASU is ready to surprise in its first season in a stacked Big 12 conference:
"I feel like we're going to surprise a lot of people ... We have so many skilled transfers and freshmen."
MORE
@DevilsDigest
:
Adam Miller (
@AceWolf44
) said he's ready to play with "ultimate confidence" after all the adversity he's overcome:
"I lost a bit of confidence along the way, and I think I'm able to sit down now and regain that confidence and show everybody a different side of me this year."
“There was one thing in the contract that we couldn’t agree upon. I told him he had to admit that there was only one toe in bounds, and he wouldn’t do it.”
Kenny Dillingham has strong opinions on Santonio Holmes’ game winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII 😂
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@KennyDillingham
spoke on what excites him about ASU's upcoming trip to Camp Tontozona, and what he expects out of his group:
"Seeing if the guys play cards, seeing if they play spikeball... Do we play spades? I just want to get to know which guys are going to sit there and
Xavier Guillory's road to recovery wasn't easy.
After suffering a season-ending foot injury, the redshirt senior WR leaned on his 'why.'
Grounded in faith and his Nez Perce heritage, Guillory is determined to finish his race upon return.
@DevilsDigest
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@GuilloryXavier
ASU's coaching staff has been vocal about bringing in players who can compete within their position groups.
Redshirt sophomore WR and Brophy product Max Ware did just that on Wednesday.
Hines Ward: "Max, keep doing that s**t, you're gonna earn a spot dog."
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@KennyDillingham
commented on pranking his players with fake copies of EA Sports College Football 25:
"I thought it was hilarious... That's part of the culture we're building here. If you think that's taking it too far, then you're soft. I'm sorry, no offense."
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SCRAMBLE FOR ME THEN 🏃
Sam Leavitt (
@S_leav10
) finds the gap and uses his legs for a 17-yard rushing touchdown.
What a start. Fans are ROARING.
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Sam Leavitt does it again.
Quality drive for QB1 and ends it off with a score. It’s his third rushing TD of the season.
Sun Devils trailed for the first time this season and responded. Score knotted at 21 apiece heading into the break.
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Bobby Hurley worked hard this offseason in hopes of putting together a roster that could compete in the Big 12. And he certainly did that.
Now, ASU heads into the nation's premier basketball conference with a new-look roster and something to prove.
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@KennyDillingham
mentioned that he "has to trust the people to carry out the vision" regarding ASU's coaching staff, revealing that Hines Ward (
@mvp86hinesward
) "gets it" and "understands what wins."
"Two nights ago, he texted me a big notepad of notes from a meeting that he
.
@KennyDillingham
spoke on the importance of former Sun Devils attending practice today, mentioning that ASU is a "destination location" that people want to be at.
"Having those guys out here, back around, it just shows, where do they want to be? Neither of them are from here,
EXCLUSIVE: Leif Fautanu on what it means to be part of ASU's Polynesian Pipeline.
"Our community and foundation is founded on respect. I feel like having that on the team really impacts other players as well."
Story on Fautanu coming soon.
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@FautanuLeif
Kenny Dillingham took accountability for ASU's uncharacteristic penalties vs. Texas Tech:
"That's all my fault ... I think that's our first game since I've been here that I can say we were undisciplined."
ASU had eight penalties for 69 yards in Lubbock.
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Nice grab by freshman WR Zechariah Sample (
@SampleZechariah
) during Monday’s practice.
Sample continuing to put his speed & burst on full display. Bright future ahead.
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Raleek Brown (
@raleek2
) getting his legs back under him. Speedy and explosive — another piece to an already deep RB room once he gets cleared.
@KennyDillingham
said Brown was at “90 percent” last week. This is the second day in a row he’s had pads on.
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At the age of 2-years old, freshman OL Joey Su’a (
@joeysua54
) spent 54 days in the hospital battling streptococcal meningitis — a fatal bacterial infection.
Today, Su’a wears the number 54 to symbolize strength, the power of God, and the adversity he’s overcome.
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Senior WR Malik McClain shakes past his defender for a nasty reception. Leaps over the fence for one of the hardest celebrations I’ve seen:
Camp Tontozona bringing out the best 🏈
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Four-star wide receiver and recent Arizona State commit Adrian Wilson (
@adr1anwilson
) here at Saturday’s practice, watching his new WR group get some reps.
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I asked
@KennyDillingham
how he finds different ways to motivate and relate to his players. He mentioned how his father raised him to be disciplined and treat others with respect, the same way he's trying to build a culture at ASU.
Honored to be with
@DevilsDigest
at Big 12
C.J. Fite (
@FiteCullen
) on the Texas to Tempe movement and what it means to play back-to-back games in the Lone Star State:
"Showing recruits what ASU is about ... They might not want to go to ASU games, but they go to a game in Texas, see that team play ASU and say, 'I'll look
I asked former Arizona State and current Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels about how his time at ASU put things into perspective for him:
"I came here at 18-years-old, still trying to find myself. Once I made that move to transfer, I was 21 and able to find out who I am as
.
@KennyDillingham
on ASU's post-spring additions:
"There were guys that weren't highly sought after ... We got to dig into their past and learn about them ... They're really good people. Everything that was said about them was not accurate."
"We got lucky."
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Cam Skattebo (
@camskattebo5
) takes the direct snap right into the end zone, gives ASU the 21-17 lead in the first seconds of the 4Q.
Sixth rushing TD for Skatt in just five games.
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Welcome to Tempe,
@basheerjihad11
👋
Basheer Jihad is the first transfer making the move to ASU this off-season. Coming from Ball State, the six-foot-nine forward brings versatility on both ends, and will fit into Bobby Hurley’s run-and-gun oriented scheme.
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🎶 Let it all work out
Tried my hand at something a bit different. Scenes from ASU’s win over Mississippi State in week two 👇
🔗 FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
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The landscape of
@SunDevilHoops
has drastically changed following the commitment of five-star center Jayden Quaintance (
@qjayhoops
). The 6-foot-9 big is ASU’s highest-ranked commit EVER, and showcases fascinating NBA upside at just 16-years-old.
@DevilsDigest
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@KennyDillingham
claimed that Wednesday's practice was a "really good work day all-around."
He said that his guys didn't fully understand the importance of Sunday's & Monday's to recover and get their bodies right:
"Part of that is me hounding on 'how do we take care of our
ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt on how the competition within the QB room fuels him:
"It holds you to a higher standard in every aspect of life."
@DevilsDigest
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@KennyDillingham
and company have heated up on the recruiting trail in recent weeks, and in a search for recruits to help activate the valley, Dillingham is looking for those committed to the process for the long haul.
“This is not a fallback plan.”
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San Tan Ford partnering with Sun Angel Collective to provide 10 Ford Mach-E’s to ASU student-athletes 🔱
“We couldn’t be more proud to have them represent us every day,” said San Tan Ford President Tim Hovik.
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@KennyDillingham
was proud of how the Sun Devils overcame adversity in the second half against Mississippi State. But he still has yet to see them compete with their backs against the wall.
ASU has yet to trail through two games, and Dillingham is preparing his team for the
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@KennyDillingham
said that Saturday's practice was ASU's worst yet. He said it "wasn't the standard, it was convenient," and practicing four days in a row took a toll on the team.
But that's by design.
"It's hard to go four days in a row. This week we have six days in a
Former Missouri State guard
@AlstonMason
is the latest transfer to make the move to ASU. Mason, a second generation Sun Devil, will follow in his father’s footsteps by suiting up in the maroon and gold, providing a much needed spark in ASU’s backcourt.
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@KennyDillingham
said that this next week-plus will be important for determining which players earn certain spots, but ASU's depth will allow it to throw out various looks throughout the season:
"This next week to 10 days is huge for a lot of different spots. But for us, we may
Bobby Hurley speaks on Jayden Quaintance and Joson Sanon:
"Quaintance's ceiling is scary ... He's more like a point guard than he is a center ... He's very advanced."
"Joson's adjustment has been very smooth. He could really make shots."
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ASU had some unwanted guests at Camp T 🐁🦇
“There was a mouse in the coach’s cabin, I thought coach Ragle saw a ghost” 🤣
“Kids remember those things… When they get back together at an alumni event in 20-years, ‘Remember when there was a bat in there?’”
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