The Arizona St. Sun Devils didn't get a pretty win on Thursday night but did enough to hold off the Utah Utes for a 57-52 victory. Jordan Bachynski served as the anchor with 11 points and 12 rebounds. He also had four blocks and controlled the paint against Utah's big men.

The first half bore witness to only 41 offensive points, with the Sun Devils taking a 23-18 lead into halftime. ASU's advantage could have been much larger (at one point ASU had a 15-0 run to move ahead) but the Utes fought back and kept the game within striking distance at the end of the half.

The second half featured much of the same storyline as ASU pushed ahead only to watch Utah catch up. Led by 15 points from Carrick Felix and 12 points by Trent Lockett, the Sun Devils managed to maintain just enough of an edge to come out victorious.

Lockett played in his first game since spraining his right ankle, and his presence definitely made an impact. In addition to the points, Lockett chipped in with six rebounds and two assists. He should only get better as he adjusts back to the speed of the game.

The win snaps a two-game losing streak, and it gives ASU some momentum with the Colorado Buffaloes slated to play at Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday. If Bachynski can continue to be assertive, the Sun Devils may have a shot to pull off the upset.

The ASU basketball team will hope to play a little better this around tonight against the Utah Utes. In the first meeting of these two squads, back on Jan. 21st, the Sun Devils got blown out to the tune of an embarrassing 64-43 road loss. The Sun Devils get a chance to redeem that performance once things tip off at 6:30 MT tonight.

You can find a live stream of the game at FoxSportsArizona.com. Make sure to watch the game and share your thoughts on this GameThread throughout the contest.

Already in the hearts and minds of Sun Devils worldwide, one of the most revered figures in Arizona State history may soon find his way onto your license plate for a very good cause.

In December, State Representative Michelle Ugenti of District 8 sponsored House Bill 2042. With the title of "Fallen Hero Special Plates" and informally known as the Pat Tillman Legacy bill, the legislation would institute a commutative license plate available to Arizona drivers that would serve to honor the legacy of Tillman and others who have paid the ultimate sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

If passed, HB 2042 would create a special Pat Tillman license plate that celebrates the life of the former ASU legend, Arizona Cardinal and U.S. Army Ranger who was tragically killed by friendly fire on April 22, 2004. For an additional $25 on top of their annual registration fees to the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division, drivers would receive the plate, currently under design by the Pat Tillman Foundation.

Of the $25, $17 would go to the Pat Tillman Foundation to help fund the Tillman Miltary Scholars program, which provides educational opportunities for active service members and veterans, as well as their families.

On Thursday, the bill passed a vote in the Arizona House of Representatives Transportation Committee, and now moves on to a vote by the full 60-member House. That vote is tentatively schedule for sometime next week.

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It may be the offseason, but Speak of the Devils is still going strong with the most in-depth ASU coverage you'll find.

In our 25th episode, we analyze the very busy coaching carousel for the Sun Devils, as Todd Graham's staff finally appears set. We then introduce a new segment to showcase non-football sporting excellence ast ASU, and then buy and sell in the Sun Devil Stock Report before our main event.

Joining the show is one of the newest Sun Devils, wide receiver Alonzo Agwuenu. The 6'4" playmaker details his journey to ASU, what to expect from his tremendous on-field talent and why he loves having lofty expectations.

Click here to stream or listen via iTunes

Losing at Utah hurts. Coming in to that matchup the Sun Devils had the advantages despite losing Trent Lockett and Keala King. They have more proven players and took care of more of their business than the Utes, non-conference or conference-wise. Unfortunately, the Devils started out slow and never caught up, giving Utah its second win in the Pac 12. In this rematch, the venue will be the comfy confines of Wells Fargo Arena, and we hopefully might have Trent back as well. A quick summary of the Utes after the jump.

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The final defensive coaching vacancy on Todd Graham's staff has seemingly been filled, as the Albuquerque Journal reports that New Mexico defensive coordinator Ron West has accepted an offer to become Arizona State's co-defensive coordinator. This will be West's second stint as a co-defensive coordinator under Graham.

West was only a Lobo for less than a month, having joined new coach Bob Davie's staff in late of January.

Prior to his fortnight in Albuquerque, West served for two seasons as the linebackers coach at Illinois. He helped turn around an average defense into one of the nation's top units this past year, as the Illini ranked 7th in total defense and 3rd against the pass. With ASU moving to a more aggressive and attacking defensive style, Sun Devil fans will be pleased to know that Illinois ranked No. 6 in the nation in sacks (3.15 per game) and 4th in tackles for loss (7.92 per game).

In 2009, West was Graham's co-defensive coordinator at Tulsa. Prior to that, he spent 10 years at his alma mater Clemson, where he played offensive line during the 1977 and 1978 seasons. Returning to Clemson, he was the offensive line coach from 1998 to 2002 before moving over to coach the linebackers for the final five seasons of his tenure.

He began his coaching career with stops at West Alabama, North Texas and Texas Tech as a position coach before becoming Louisiana-Lafayette's defensive coordinator for seven years. West then coached offensive lines at Baylor for four seasons and Tulane before his time at Clemson.

At ASU, he will serve as co-defensive coordinator alongside Paul Randolph.

West's hiring would have completed Graham's staff, but last week running backs coach Chris Thomsen left Tempe to take over the offensive line coaching duties at Texas Tech.

Follow me on Twitter @BDenny29 for the latest on ASU football

Dealing with injuries and the loss of several key players over the past few weeks, the ASU basketball team has struggled mightily. Fortunately, the program should get some bright news in the coming week with the return of Trent Lockett.

Lockett, who sprained his right ankle on Jan. 14th in a victory against the Oregon St. Beavers, has missed ASU's past six games while tending to his injury. During that span, the Sun Devils have only recorded one victory (Jan. 28th against the Washington St. Cougars). They have also failed to score more than 50 points in three of their last five games.

Lockett could return to the floor on Thursday against the Utah Utes for a game that he missed the first time around. Though it's too late for his return to have any meaningful significance on ASU's season (given that the Sun Devils are 3-8 in the conference), his return can and should rejuvenate a team that has struggled to compete lately. If nothing else, his play and ball-handling responsibilities should provide a point of intrigue heading into the final stretch of conference play.

The Sun Devils close out their schedule with seven conference games, five of which are at home. The homestand begins with Utah on Thursday, and ASU will look to avenge an embarrassing 64-43 road loss at the hands of the Utes from two weeks ago. Lockett's status is still in question for Thursday's game, but if all goes well, we will hopefully get to watch Lockett pioneer ASU's offense to a total far greater than 43 points in Thursday's game.

This is a special edition of a preview, because this time, I will let some more qualified folks do a lot of the previewing for the game against the California Golden Bears. My colleagues have hooked me up with some Cal basketball experts, allowing me to ask five questions about their team.

Throughout this session I'll chip in with statistics and what not to further your understanding of our opponents. My questions, their answers, and much more after the jump. And of course, all the thanks to the California Golden Blogs as a whole, NorCalNick and LeonPowe for answering my questions.

For our answers to CGB's questions, go here.

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