On the basketball side, optimism was in the air Tuesday as Arizona State talked about this huge weekend against a couple NCAA Tournament teams in UCLA (and USC, but nobody’s talking Trojans yet).

The Boston Bruins snapped a seven-game losing streak and got their first win in Phoenix in 10 years, though it came with a price.

UCLA’s upset of Southern California in its regular season finale last year was so hyped that it’s easy to forget the Bruins were later embarrassed by Florida State in the lower-tier Emerald Bowl.

Lost and crawling helplessly in the desert of defeat for almost a month, the UCLA football team finally found an oasis last week.

Despite the resumé it built in 2005 — one of the most prolific offenses in the country, 10 victories and a top-10 ranking for much of the year — the UCLA football team was not taken seriously by everyone.

LOS ANGELES - Sooner or later, if you’re an Arizona State basketball fan who lives a long life, you’ll see your team beat a ranked opponent.

LOS ANGELES - Sooner or later, if you're an Arizona State basketball fan who lives a long life, you'll see your team beat a ranked opponent.

LOS ANGELES - If UCLA needed more proof its program is on the upswing, the 14th-ranked Bruins got it with their largest margin of victory over Arizona since 1983.

LOS ANGELES - If UCLA needed more proof its program is on the upswing, the 14th-ranked Bruins got it with their largest margin of victory over Arizona since 1983.

TUCSON -Against Arizona, this would seem the weekend when No. 7 UCLA gets a rare routing victory. Then again, the same could have been said for Washington State and Stanford — two of the Bruins’ last three opponents.

Tommy Smith wasn't born the last time Arizona State swept UCLA in basketball. So he understands what he and the seniors accomplished Saturday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena.

Mesa High has scored 111 points in two weeks but coach Dennis Parker is still talking defense and doesn’t seem completely convinced on the strength of his team.

April 24, 2005

February 24, 2005

Top-seeded Mountain View hasn’t had the opportunity to play the style of basketball it craves lately, but the Toros were able to get back to it in the second half Wednesday night and it felt good.

PASADENA, Calif. — The form sheet said if Arizona State ever had to play without quarterback Andrew Walter, school was out.

PASADENA, Calif. — The form sheet said if Arizona State ever had to play without quarterback Andrew Walter, school was out.