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Looking towards 2012 in Arizona sports

By Tyler Bassett/Arizona Sports
Published: December 28, 2011 @ 9:44pm

With 2011 all but wrapped up I'm going to look forward to 2012. No looking back on the year that was.

If you want to do that we have the Top 25 AZ Sports Stories of 2011 that have done a fantastic job sorting through the 2011 sports year for Arizona.

I see a bright future for Arizona in 2012 except when it comes to the Sun(s) Devils on the hardwood.

Anticipation on the gridiron, anxiousness on the ice and ambition on the diamond.

My optimism sees a few successful rides in the desert.

Below is what I'm looking forward to in 2012 along with my expectations with each team.

<B>Arizona Cardinals</b><br><br>

I'm ready to see what this Kevin Kolb guy is
all about. Seriously. Let's go through the
entire off-season and go into next season
with an open mind. The defense will continue
to improve and I think the offense can get
another two wins in those late game must-have
drive situations. That puts them in the 9-10
win range and a spot in January.

<B>Arizona Diamondbacks</b> <br><br>

I could not be more excited about the
Diamondbacks. I was driving the Towers train
when he arrived and I'm still driving... the
train is getting full (and that's a good
thing). I'm nervous about 3B and that's about
it. I expect them to win the NL West again. I
don't think anyone else in the division
improved much (the D-backs improved the most
and they were already the best) and I think
what we saw last year was what these teams
are, mediocre at best.

<B>Phoenix Suns</b> <br><br>

My expectations are low. They were already
low and this week has dropped them even more.
The biggest thing to see is a vision and
direction going into 2012-13 with a go-to guy
down the stretch.

If a team in the strike-shortened season
thinks they are a veteran away from a playoff
run then the team needs to move Steve Nash
and/or Grant Hill. I see a top five pick
coming and truly a "new" Suns team come next
October.

<B>Phoenix Coyotes</b><br><br>

In the perfect puck world I'd like to see the
Coyotes not have to play the Red Wings in the
first round of the playoffs. This team is
ready to get past the first round of the
playoffs. It'll be the next step for the town
that LOVES their winners. Three consecutive
seasons playing in late April is a good
foundation for a team that needs a little
consistent success in its life.

<B>Arizona State Football</b><br> <br>

Todd Graham, I need two things from you in
2012. First, a bowl game to build off the
early
success in 2011 because I know the talent is
there. And the second thing would be
discipline. Straighten these guys out between
their ears. That's it.

<B>Arizona Football</b><br> <br>

The thinking and expectations are a bowl
game. Rich Rod inherits a team that went
bowling three straight years and was on the
wrong end of a brutal schedule more than
anything in 2011.

This isn't a rock bottom rebuilding project
and it shouldn't be treated like one.

<B>Arizona Basketball</b> <br><br>

Arizona lost the league Player of the Year
and No. 2 overall pick but they brought in a
good recruiting class and the Pac-12 is a bad
league. Sean Miller should have his team
fighting for the league title with freshmen
playing a big role. They should also have
higher expectations going into 2012-13 with
those freshman growing and another great
class coming in.

<B>Arizona State Basketball</b><br> <br>

In 2012 we need to see progression to back a
contract extension to coach Herb Sendek. I
don't feel like I'm going out on a limb here,
but the extension didn't make sense to me.
They
have to be in the middle of a not very good
Pac-12. I don't think that's asking a lot.

Tyler Bassett is a columnist for ArizonaSports.com. He can be reached with your questions and comments by e-mail here and can follow him on Twitter @Tyler_Bassett, or you can be friends with him on Facebook. All of Tyler Bassett's past columns.

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so true -- so true

G-Jer (February 6, 2012 7:54 pm)

Does K.K. have the "fire in belly" of a John Elway ?? or just a paycheck in the wallet of Jake Plummer ?? What do we have ???

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