BUTLER UNIVERSITY – I’m in Day Five of my trek that started in the Big Apple and will end Thursday in Norman, Okla. My nose is running and my voice sounds like I just woke up, but I’m not complaining.

I’ve got the best job in America. Who needs sleep, anyway? What could be better than seeing 11 games and 10 elite teams over a week-long span? Nothing. I’m pumped and jacked (to steal a line from USC coach Pete Carroll) to watch Duke invade West Lafayette tonight and then I’ll head to Detroit for the anticipated matchup between top-ranked North Carolina and Michigan State at Ford Field tomorrow night before finishing up with a Blake Griffin-Taj Gibson matchup on Thursday in Oklahoma.

Other than March, this is the ideal time of year because of all the intriguing early season matchups.

MEMPHIS SHUFFLE

Willie Kemp didn’t last long as Memphis’ starting point guard. Antonio Anderson’s turn out in Puerto Rico was short-lived as well.

Now long and talented 6-foot-6 ½ freshman Wesley Witherspoon will get a crack at the unenviable task of trying to fill the void left when Derrick Rose departed to the NBA.

``It’s definitely going to take some time, but he’ll be alright,” said Anderson, who has moved back to his role playing off the ball after a short three-game stint. ``It’s going to be a little different for him because we’re not going to ask him to score the ball.”

That’ll be up to the other guys – primarily Anderson, fellow senior Robert Dozier, big man Shawn Taggert, freshman Tyreke Evans and the team’s top perimeter threat, Doneal Mack.

Evans has struggled thus far with consistency and his perimeter shot. Anderson’s defense is that it takes time to learn the dribble-drive offense and people overlook the fact that Evans missed about 10 days in the preseason with an injury.

``He’s going to be alright,” Anderson said. “I just tell him to keep attacking. He’s learning.”

Anderson will return to the role that saw him explode against UMass a couple of weeks ago in which he’ll focus more on scoring – rather than trying to focus on running the team.

``Coach (John Calipari) wanted me to play the point in Puerto Rico and I had to step back,” Anderson said. “Now I’m back playing off the ball and it’s a lot easier for me. That’s how I play. I’ve never really played the point. It was a great learning experience, but I’m more comfortable now.”

Anderson will certainly take some of the pressure off Witherspoon, but it’ll be interesting to see if the Tigers can patch together a point guard situation that will allow them to go deep into the postseason. Anderson is on the money about Evans – he’s a prolific scorer and a more adept perimeter shooter than he’s displayed thus far.

But the key is whether someone can step up and run the show. For now, it’s Witherspoon’s turn.

NO SHOCKER FOR WICHITA STATE

There were many who questioned Gregg Marshall’s decision to leave Winthrop for Wichita State.

``They were wrong,” said the always blunt Marshall. ``I wouldn’t have come here if I thought we couldn’t win consistently.”

Marshall loves the support in Wichita – both from the administration and also from the fans. He’s got a lengthy, seven-year contract that pays him well, the Shockers have terrific facilities – and the fans pack the stands.

``People don’t know all the facts,” he said after beating Siena and playing Michigan State tough.

Wichita State has 10 players on his roster that are in the first year of the program and just one player is left from the Mark Turgeon Era and he didn’t even play for Turgeon.

So he realizes it may be premature to call the Shockers contenders in the Missouri Valley just yet.

``I don’t want to set myself of the team up for failure,” he said.

SUTON UNCERTAIN FOR WEDNESDAY

Michigan State senior big man Goran Suton didn’t sound overly optimistic about playing Wednesday against North Carolina at Ford Field.

``I’d love to play, but I don’t know yet,” said Suton, the Spartans starting center.

Suton suffered a knee injury against IPFW and sat out the entire tournament down in Orlando.

``Every day it’s getting a little better, but I’m not sure,” Suton said.

RANDOM NOTES: How about the fact that Tennessee punished Gonzaga on the glass the other night and still lost. The Vols won the battle of the boards, 50-26, and actually had more offensive boards (27) than the ‘Zags total rebounds. … Gonzaga’s Austin Daye said he’s 100 percent and wouldn’t be wearing a knee brace except the medical staff wants him to use it for the time being. … Washington State’s Clay Thompson is going to be a first-team all-league player in the Pac-10 – sooner rather than later. He’s long, skilled and tougher than he looks. He had trouble with Pittsburgh’s Jermaine Dixon draped all over him the other night, but Dixon is a big-time defender. … It’s still hard to comprehend that Sam Young is still in college while the guy who backed him up a few years ago at Hargrave Military Academy (Va.) and barely played, Joe Alexander, is a rookie with the Bucks. … UAB’s Robert Vaden said he’s down to 205 pounds. He weighed 235 while he was sitting out after transferring from Indiana a couple years ago. Vaden needs to be more aggressive taking the ball to the basket rather than relying so heavily on the 3-pointer. ``I’m trying not to,” Vaden said. “But the coaches want me to shoot it anytime I’ve got space. I know I’ve been forcing it a little lately.” … Marshall coach Donnie Jones is hoping guard Chris Lutz (hamstring) can return for Saturday’s game at Boston University.

ORLANDO – I drove to Gainesville late last night after watching Gonzaga hold off Tennessee and spent much of the day with Billy Donovan and the Gators. I’ll have more on them later this week or next week, but I need to make up for a weak effort of blogging today:

’ZAGS COMPLETE ME

I’ve already had an opportunity to watch eight of the top 13 teams in the current AP poll and while I haven’t gotten an in-person look at top-ranked North Carolina yet (I will see the Tar Heels on Wednesday in Detroit), Gonzaga is the most complete team I’ve seen.

The Zags have three quality guards – Jeremy Pargo, Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray – long and versatile wings Austin Daye and Micah Downs – and a legitimate big man with Josh Heytvelt.

They also have toughness off the bench with Ira Brown, Demetri Goodson and Robert Sacre.

HILLTOPPERS BEAT TOP THREE TEAM FOR FIRST TIME IN 41 YEARS

Western Kentucky rookie head coach Ken McDonald pulled off the biggest upset of the young season when the Hilltoppers knocked off Louisville in Nashville.

McDonald’s team had lost to an average Houston team (without top player A.J. Slaughter) and also was blown out at Murray State. But the Hilltoppers beat Southern Illinois at home and then pulled off the win against Rick Pitino and the Cardinals.

``Our guys really fought hard,” McDonald said. “We defended and made some big shots.”

McDonald played 6-foot-5, 215-pound Steffphon Pettigrew against Louisville’s big freshman Samardo Samuels.

Samuels finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, but only had seven field goal attempts. Pettigrew had 17 points and 12 boards while Slaughter had 25 points and nine rebounds for Western Kentucky.

FORD EVEN SMALLER

Travis Ford never imagined he’d have a team even smaller than his squad last season at UMass. But with 6-foot-3 Obi Muonelo playing power forward, that’s exactly what’s happened in his first season at Oklahoma State.

Ford said Muonelo has accepted his role without any hesitation.

``Probably more than any player I’ve ever coached,” Ford said. “He just wants to get out and play.”

``What else am I going to do?” Muonelo said.

Ford and the Cowboys were glad to get out of Orlando with a final-day win over Siena.

``Losing against Gonzaga and Michigan State isn’t going to make anyone look bad,” Ford said. ``The players are still learning the system.”

``We’re not even close to where we need to be as far as knowing the system,” Muonelo added. “The hardest thing for me is knowing when to drive and when not to drive.”

Ford’s issue is that he doesn’t have a legitimate low-post presence. Ibrahima Thomas is long and athletic, but it’s a guy who can score in the paint with any consistency.

``We are who we are,” he said.

Ford is hopeful, though, that talented 6-foot-9 freshman Teeng Akol will be cleared by the NCAA in the next week or so. Akol passed the test, but is unable to practice with the team until the NCAA makes a ruling.

SIENA WINLESS IN ORLANDO

Siena coach Fran McCaffery knew there was a chance his Saints could come out of Orlando without a victory even if they played well.

``But I thought we just played OK,” McCaffery said. “And that makes it harder to take.”

Big man Ryan Rossiter, who is averaging 11.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game for Siena, was happy with his team’s effort.

``You never want to go 0-3, but we’re not down on ourselves,” Rossiter said. “We feel like we proved we could play with anyone.”

BIG BEAST

For the first time in the history of the AP Poll, a conference has eight teams in the rankings.

The Big East has UConn (2), Pittsburgh (3), Notre Dame (7), Louisville (11), Syracuse (16), Villanova (17), Georgetown (20) and Marquette (25) in the poll.

RANDOM NOTES: How about Liberty off to a 5-1 start. The Flames got 22 points from freshman Seth Curry in a 69-66 win against George Mason on Monday night. … Villanova big man Casiem Drummond is transferring.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – This one was about as far from a consolation victory as it gets for Georgetown.

The Hoyas absolutely annihilated Maryland in the consolation game down in Orlando in a matchup between two programs 13 miles apart that hadn’t taken place since the NCAA tournament back in 2001.

Georgetown 74, Maryland 48.

It didn’t erase the Terps' victory over Michigan State a couple of nights earlier, but it certainly did make it seem like a distant memory.

"The stars were aligned," Georgetown coach John Thompson said.

No, that’s not the case at all.

It was actually the talent that was aligned.

The Hoyas are just the superior program these days.

Georgetown has reeled in top-tier local guys like Austin Freeman, Chris Wright, Dajuan Summers and Henry Sims while the Terps have filled their roster with second-tier guys from the area – Adrian Bowie, Braxton Dupree, Dino Gregory, Eric Hayes, Sean Mosley and David Neal.

Maryland coach Gary Williams is a terrific coach who has a national title on his resume, but he’s overmatched these days.

Williams admitted his players looked tight from the outset, but questioned why it would be any different against Georgetown than it was against Michigan State.

C’mon, Gary. You know the answer. The Terps went into the game against Michigan State with nothing to lose and no expectations. After the upset against Michigan State combined with Georgetown allowing 90 points in a loss to Tennessee, this one was perceived as a game up for grabs.

But when Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez was shut down by the combination of Jessie Sapp and Chris Wright, it was over. The Terps just don’t have enough of a supporting cast.

Vasquez was held scoreless in the first half and finished with just two points.

"We play and we talk junk," Sapp said. "I didn’t let it get to me at all. As the game went on, it started to get less and less talk."

Seriously, what could Vasquez and his teammates possibly say? This game was a rout with five minutes left in the first half.

Maybe now we know why these two teams don’t play one another. It wasn’t exactly a game.

The field for next year's Orlando event was announced and it doesn't have the star power that this year's field had. There will still be one team added at a later date:

Baylor
Marquette (loses three senior guards)
Alabama (loses Ron Steele and Alonzo Gee)
Creighton
Xavier
Michigan
Iona

ORLANDO – I just landed in Orlando and am headed over to see the first of four games, highlighted by a Gonzaga-Tennessee matchup tonight. At the end of this week-long trip, I’ll have seen 11 games in six different states.

KNIGHT EFFECT

I finally got a chance to meet Texas Tech coach Pat Knight last night and he just isn’t what you’d expect. He’s about as easygoing a guy as you’ll find and nearly the polar opposite of his father.

``It’s easier to play for him,” Red Raiders big man Trevor Cook said of the younger Knight. “There’s not as much pressure on offense. Nobody’s scared.”

It’s still shocking to watch the new-look up-tempo Red Raiders, who try and push the ball as much as possible. It worked for the most part against a far more-athletic Mississippi State team as Texas Tech pulled out the victory at the Legends Classic.

``I like this style a lot better than last year,” Cook admitted.

My feeling is he’s not alone and while he shares that sentiment with most of his teammates, my guess is he won’t be so bold to admit that to Bob Knight.
 
``No,” he laughed. “I don’t know about that.”

Cook said that while he and his teammates are given more freedom offensive, there are still similarities between father and son - they’ll be yanked quickly if they don’t defend and Pat Knight has been known to explode in the locker room at halftime.

``They’re both fiery in the locker room,” Cook said. “If we don’t play hard, he’ll rip into us just like his dad did.”

Cook scored 24 points in the loss to Pittsburgh on Friday night and had another quality performance in the victory over Mississippi State.

While Washington State’s Taylor Rochestie – who was also in the building on Saturday night – received plenty of attention for his decision to give up his scholarship last season, Cook has done the same for this year without much fanfare.

Texas Tech got word that signee Tyree Graham, who wasn’t expected to qualify out of South Plains, had made it – but the Red Raiders didn’t have any scholarships available. Pat Knight was ready to sign Graham anyway and take a loss of scholarships the following year, but Cook volunteered to give up his scholarship.

``If he wasn’t able to come here, the team would really take a hit next year,” Cook said. ``So I signed over my scholarship to Tyree.”

Cook said his family does well enough financially – his father owns his own equity firm in Dallas – to give up his scholarship. However, Pat Knight was still blown away by the move.

``He came into me and said, `We need that guy’,” Knight said. ``How many kids would do that? Very few.”

YOUNG’S PUMP-FAKE BY ACCIDENT

Even Sam Young will laugh sometimes when he’s sees defenders flying out of the picture after having fallen for one of his patented pump-fakes.

Young didn’t have it in his arsenal back in his high school or prep school days. Trust me, I saw him 20 or so times in AAU ball and while at Hargrave and his way of getting points on the board was to outwork guys in the paint.

But Young has developed one of the most effective pump-fakes in the country – and he did it by accident.

``A couple times when I was a freshman, I was about to shoot it – and didn’t,” Young said. “Guys were flying by me, so then I started doing it on purpose.”

STANSBURY’S BAFFLING DECISION

Mississippi State took a timeout trailing by three points, 74-71.

When they inbounded the ball, the first option appeared to be to get the ball down low to Jarvis Varnado.

This was shocking because Varnado is not an offensive threat. He’s a dominant defensive player, especially at the college level, and while he had made a nice jump hook early in the game, he’s not exactly a guy you can dump the ball down to in the paint and expect a hoop.

Freshman point guard Dee Bost was unable to get the ball to Varnado and shot an airball as the shot clock expired.

NIGHTLIGHTS

- Kentucky pulled an impressive comeback victory over West Virginia. Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson combined for 34 of the team’s 54 points. One day after refusing to go into the game with a couple minutes left, freshman DeAndre Liggins played 27 minutes and finished with 4 points, 3 assists and 4 turnovers.

- Ohio State freshman 7-footer B.J. Mullens had eight points in 18 minutes and is averaging 5.7 points, 2.3 rebounds in 16 minutes of play through three games.

- Florida State is 7-0 after a victory over Cal out in Las Vegas. The Seminoles also knocked off UNLV in the event and could really get some momentum with a win against Florida on Dec. 7.

- Illinois is another team that has gotten off to a nice start at 6-0 after a win at Vandy a few weeks ago and a victory last night against Tulsa out in Las Vegas. The Illini will get Kentucky transfer Alex Legion back soon.

- Dayton pulled off the upset against Marquette in Chjcago. Chris Wright scored 13 points and grabbed 13 boards and Golden Eagles coach Buzz Williams lost his first game as head coach. Williams got a combined 63 points from the guard trio of Wesley Matthews, Jerel McNeal and Dominic James, but he’s got virtually nothing up front.

I’m headed out for the afternoon with my family around New York City and then I’ll head to the Legends Classic to see how Tony Bennett’s new Washington State squad fares against Pittsburgh.

Then I’m off to Orlando in the morning to catch the final day in which there aree four quality games. Here’s how good they’ll be: Siena will play Oklahoma State with the loser finishing in eighth-place. The title game should be terrific – Gonzaga vs. Tennessee.

NEW YORK – It sounded as though a brawl erupted in UAB’s locker room following the Blazers loss to Boston College yesterday afternoon.

UAB coach Mike Davis is known to be emotional, but he was on his best behavior in the two games – both losses – he coached in Madison Square Garden.

But after watching his team blow a eight-point halftime lead against BC, he lost it in the locker room.

``Until you play with toughness, it’s going to prevent you from winning games,’ Davis said after the 83-77 loss.

Davis said that BC “out-toughed” his squad in the second half.

``He was upset because we haven’t been able to close out the last two games and we let Arizona back into the game,” said UAB’s Robert Vaden. ``It’s kind of frustrating.”

Vaden, who has been with Davis since his days at Indiana, said that his coach has taken a different approach this season.

``It’s something he’s trying to change,” Vaden said. “He’s trying to let us play, but my guess is he’ll start to change that now.”

The outcome might have been different had standout guard Paul Delaney, arguably the Blazers most important player, been healthy and able to play against BC.

Delaney injured his ankle on Wednesday in the loss to Oklahoma.

``We knew yesterday (Thursday) that he couldn’t go,” Davis said. “Hopefully he’ll be able to go on Wednesday.”

NIGHTLIGHTS

- Baylor has established itself as a clear Top 25 team after wins over Arizona State last night and also Providence. The duo of LaceDarius Dunn and Curtis Jerrells combined for 49 points in the victory over James Harden and the Sun Devils. Harden was as good as advertised with 32 points and nine boards, but Herb Sendek will need more from his supporting cast.

- Kentucky knocked off Kansas State despite committing 31 turnovers. Jodie Meeks scored 37 points, but turned it over nine times. Freshman point guard DeAndre Liggins logged just two minutes as Michael Porter played 36 minutes and had four turnovers.

- The biggest shock of the night came when Cal beat UNLV. Cal guard Jerome Randle is one of the most underrated guards in the country.

- Charlotte dropped to 1-5 after a loss to Providence out in Anaheim.

I’ve been critical of Gary Williams and the Maryland’s performance over the past few years – the Terps have gone to the NIT in three of the past four seasons.

However, Williams & Co. put up a huge win against a Michigan State team that could wind up being the cream of the crop in the Big Ten and a legitimate Final Four team by the end of the season.

A year ago, the Terps started off slow – with non-conference losses to UCLA, Missouri, VCU and American – and also losing their ACC opener to Boston College – before going on a mid-season run that helped get them into the discussion for an NCAA tournament berth.

But Maryland hadn’t done enough – and wound up going to the NIT yet again.

This isn’t nearly enough for fans in College Park, who watched their Terps win the national title in 2002.

This Maryland squad certainly isn’t Williams’ most talented, but he has a way of performing mastery with teams that aren’t exactly loaded.

This could be a perfect example.

Talented and versatile guard Greivis Vasquez is the only player on the team that will be mentioned as an all-league player, but Williams has gone small and still managed to hold his own on the boards with Tom Izzo’s Spartans – typically one of the elite rebounding teams in the country.

Adrian Bowie, Landon Milbourne, Eric Hayes and Cliff Tucker have all been productive on the perimeter – and David Neal, who many questioned could play in the ACC, matched Vasquez with 17 points in the win against Michigan State.

The Terps will face Gonzaga in the semifinals of the Old ####e tournament on Friday and are basically playing with house money. If Maryland can return back to College Park with a couple of wins, it would certainly put itself in position to get back to the NCAA tournament with a solid ACC showing.

RANDOM NOTES: Wake Forest point guard Ishmael Smith returned and played eight minutes in the win over Cal State Fullerton. … I am a huge fan of Saint Mary’s Patty Mills, but the sophomore guard was 5-of-20 from the field and missed all nine of his shots from long distance in the Gaels loss to UTEP. … How about UMKC coach Matt Brown knocking off a pair of Missouri Valley teams – Wichita State and Bradley - within a week with 11 freshman and sophomores

Since it is Thanksgiving, I have to admit I'm a turkey for omitting Notre Dame's Kyle McAlarney when I put up the list of the 30 guys who would be unaffected by the new three-point line prior to the start of the season (http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/8763906/30-gu
ys-who-can-handle-3-pointer-change)

If I had to revise my list so far this year, it might look like this:

1) Stephen Curry, Davidson
2) Jimmy Baron, Rhode Island
3) A.J. Abrams, Texas
4) Rotnei Clarke, Arkansas
5) Robert Vaden, UAB
5b) Ryan Toolson, Utah Valley

TERRIFIC SLATE TODAY

How about the riveting matchup between the winless Detroit Lions and the Tennessee Titans?  It's a no-brainer to watch Tennessee-Siena at 12 p.m. ET over that pathetic excuse for an NFL game.

The day is filled with intriguing matchups:

- Saint Mary's vs. UTEP, 2 p.m.
- Maryland vs. Michigan State, 7 p.m.
- Oklahoma State vs. Gonzaga, 9 p.m.
- Arizona State vs. Charlotte, 9 p.m.
- Providence vs. Baylor, 11:30 p.m.

Don’t feel sorry for Kelvin Sampson. While I still believe the penalty was somewhat harsh for the crime, the ex-Indiana head man still has plenty of money in his bank account – and is set to earn plenty more as an NBA assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The guy who really got the short end of the stick here is former IU assistant Rob Senderoff, now an assistant for Geno Ford at Kent State.

Sure, Senderoff made a handful of three-way calls to Sampson, but if he had worked for any other coach in America, it never would have gotten to this point where Senderoff received sanctions from the NCAA for the next three years – including a complete one-year ban on recruiting in which he’s not allowed to make a single phone call, attend an event or even meet a prospective recruit while on campus for a visit.

Senderoff wasn’t a repeat offender – unlike Sampson. No blemishes.

Senderoff’s reputation was impeccable dating back to his days at Kent State, Towson, Yale, Fordham and Miami (Ohio).

The severity of the penalty – Senderoff was given a three-year show-cause order that will restrict him to half the calls and evaluations in his second year and then limited to half the allowable phone calls in the third year – doesn’t fit the crime.

Yes, Senderoff #### up.

But if he really wanted to cheat, wouldn’t he have bought himself another cell phone – an untraceable one – like many coaches in the industry have done lately?

Absolutely.

His crime doesn’t compare to coaches playing kids, coaches and agents.

That’s why Kent State athletic director Laing Kennedy, who is on the NCAA selection committee, hasn’t changed his stance since approving the re-hiring of Senderoff.

"We are committed to keeping Rob as an integral part of our staff," Kennedy said in a statement. "His impact and long-term value to our program, both on the court and heading up our academic efforts, far outweigh these penalties."

Tyler Hansbrough vs. Luke Harangody.

It’ll be like looking in the mirror.

Two of the hardest-working big men in the country will face one another at 10 p.m. ET tonight in the championship game of the Maui Invitational.

When I spoke to Harangody after Notre Dame’s victory over Texas, he had just turned on the North Carolina rout against Oregon and realized that he would finally get the opportunity to play against Psycho T.

``I’ve never played against him,” Harangody said. “Even in AAU.”

``A lot of people are already talking about it,” he added. ``It’ll be a challenge. He’s one of the best.”

Harangody admitted that the Irish probably wouldn’t have pulled out a game like Tuesday’s against the Longhorns a year or two ago.

``It was a huge game for us,” he said. “We’re much more mature and we kept our composure.”

The Hansbrough-Harangody matchup should be entertaining, but it might not be fair to judge Hansbrough with just two games under his belt – and coming back from a stress reaction in his shin.

THE “OTHER” CURRY

Stephen Curry may have been shut out last night, but his kid brother, Seth, went for a career-high 26 to lead Liberty to a huge upset over Virginia.

``It’s a big-time win because it came against an ACC team,” said Seth, who hadn’t yet found out about the defense that Loyola’s Jimmy Patsos employed on his brother.

The younger Curry was 9-of-17 from the field – including 4-of-8 from long distance.

``We’re similar in many ways,” Seth said. “We can both shoot the ball and we both know the game well and play with poise. We also both play the one and the two.”

Curry said he’s spending more time at shooting guard right now.

NIGHTLIGHTS

- It’s going to be a long season for Indiana coach Tom Crean and the Hoosiers, who could very well finish in the cellar in the Big Ten. IU got pummeled by Saint Joseph’s, 80-54.

- Jimmy Baron was 6-of-11 from long range in a win against Hartford.

- Georgia freshman Howard Thompkins had 23 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes in a rout over Mississippi Valley State.

- Creighton lost to Arkansas-Little Rock, 71-69, after being outrebounded, 40-21. Dana Altman is playing 6-foot-4 Justin Carter at power forward.

- Syracuse junior guard, forward or whatever-you-wanna-call-him, Paul Harris, put up 14 points and 14 boards in the win against Kansas last night. Jonny Flynn finished with 25 points and five assists and Arinze Onuaku had 19 points and 12 boards.

GOOD IN CHARGE

Max Good didn’t want to be put in this position.

The former Bryant University head coach, who left his spot to become the associate head coach with Bill Bayno at Loyola-Marymount, is back in charge – as was the case years ago when he took over at UNLV following Bayno’s drinking problems.

This time, though, Good said it’s not because of drinking. It’s more dealing with the anxiety.

``He’s one of the most generous, caring people I’ve ever met,” Good said. “I’m still hoping it’ll all work out.”

Good said Bayno hasn’t had a drink in six or seven years, has virtually no social life and spend most of his team with the team or with his fiancée.

``I had seen signs the last couple weeks,” Good said. ``It’s been tough because we’ve been starting so many freshman and had so many bad breaks.”

Terron Sutton is out for the season with a torn ACL, the team’s leading returning scorer, Tim Diederichs, is out for the year with a shoulder injury – and Vernon Teel broke his foot and is out 4-6 weeks.

``Everything that can happen seems to have happened,” Good said. ``But the biggest thing for Billy right now is for him to get well. This is about him. We’re all playing he’ll come back.”

COWLEY NO. 1

With just a pair of sophomores and also lacking a big-time name, Cowley College has achieved a top junior college ranking in the land.

The Tigers are 7-0, but Cowley coach Steve Eck is the first one to admit his team may not be worthy of the lofty ranking.

``We’re getting to the real meat of our schedule soon, and that’s when we’ll find out how good we are,” Eck said. “I think everyone’s overrated right now.”

This is actually the third different school that Eck has taken to the No. 1 spot. He did it at Redlands Community College – and also while at Butler Community College.

Eck said he is still trying to get his rotation down, but for now the team is lead by one of its sophomores – Jack Crowder – an unsigned wing who is averaging 21 points per game.

RANDOM NOTES: Florida associate head coach Larry Shyatt conveyed an impressive story regarding walk-on guard Hudson Fricke, who broke both of his wrists in a freak accident in which a 95-pound weight on a large, heavy ball burst. ``He was in unbelievable pain,” Shyatt said. “As he was going to the hospital, he told the trainer, `I’m glad it happened to me. Dan Werner was up next.’” Fricke has casts on both wrists. ``It was the ultimate teammate response,” Shyatt said. “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard anything like that.” ... USC sophomore forward Kasey Cunningham had knee surgery and will be out indefinitely.

Stephen Curry has seen plenty of defenses. Box-and-ones, diamond-and-ones, triangle-and-twos and plenty of double teams throughout his career.

But this was ridiculous.

From the moment the ball was tossed up to start Tuesday night’s game against Loyola (Md.), Davidson’s star guard was hounded by two defenders.

They didn't leave him - no matter where he went.

That was the instruction put forth by Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos, who has added to his recent antics - which included sitting down the end of the bench a couple weeks ago for the entire game and handing off the coaching duties to his assistants in a loss to Cornell.

"I’ve never seen anything like it,” Davidson coach Bob McKillop told FOXSports.com shortly after the victory. “From the time the ball entered the court, there were two guys on him and they didn’t leave him the entire game.”

"I felt like I was dreaming,” Curry added. "It was the weirdest thing ever."

Curry put up the goose-egg for the first time in his career.

That’s right. No points on just three shots against Loyola.

Most players would have called it a nightmare instead of a dream. Not Curry.

Instead of trying to force shots and get his numbers, Curry decided to stand in the corner and take the two defenders with him, allowing his teammates to play four-on-three the entire game.

"I had the best seat in the house," Curry said.

The legend of Stephen Curry grows.

Many players would have been upset – even frustrated. Curry missed a quick shot 10 seconds into the game and it wasn't until the third time down the court that he realized that two defenders were basically glued to him no matter where he was headed.

The Wildcats' coaching staff was set to run Curry off screens in an effort to get him free for shots.

Curry wanted no part of it.

"He told me that he wanted to stay in the corner with the two guys and we could play 4-on-3,” McKillop said. “He said we’ll just dice them up.”

"That was the best way to attack it and get a win," Curry added.

That’s exactly what happened as Davidson beat Loyola by 30 points. Curry didn't take his second shot until five minutes into the second half, when he launched a shot from 35 or so feet. His final shot attempt came with about four minutes left in the rout.

Curry entered the game leading the nation averaging 35 points per contest and is in the discussion, along with Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin and North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough, as a legitimate Player of the Year candidate.

But Curry wasn’t concerned with his numbers, although he did find it a little comical since he often checks box scores each night of players around the country that he is friendly with.

"I check out their stat lines and make assumptions based on the stat lines,” Curry laughed. "Now all the guys that check out my line and see 0-for-3 with three assists and two turnovers with probably start laughing. Hopefully they’ll figure it out.”

Xavier freshman point guard Terrell Holloway will miss the next 2-4 weeks with a stress fracture in his left foot.

Luckily, though, for Xavier coach Sean Miller, he got through the tournament in Puerto Rico - in which Holloway was key in the team's championship run.

Holloway committed just five turnovers in the three victories against Missouri, Virginia Tech and Memphis.

He is averaging 7.8 points and has also made 27-of-28 free throws and while he wasn't yet technically the starter, it's just a matter of time.

Sean Miller is back to reality.

"It was a great trip,” the Xavier coach said after knocking off Virginia Tech, Missouri and Memphis to win the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. "It couldn’t have gotten any better.”

I’ll be honest. I didn’t think Xavier could pull it off this early in the season while having to rely on a freshman point guard.

However, the Musketeers found a way to pull out close games and Miller said one of the keys is that guys like Derrick Brown, Jason Love, B.J. Raymond and C.J. Anderson have played in big games over their careers.

"There was a lot of carry-over from one season to the next,” Miller said. “Those guys played huge roles last year and didn’t get rattled.”

Miller said this group is still a work in progress, especially on the offensive end, after losing Drew Lavender and Josh Duncan from last year’s club.

Freshman point guard Terrell Holloway will continue to improve – although he did a nice job taking care of the ball against three teams that continuously pressured him throughout the game.

Holloway had just five turnovers in 67 minutes and also made all 20 of his free throws in the tournament.

"I couldn’t be happier to have Terrell Holloway as our future,” Miller said.

Derrick Brown, who had 16 points in the first two games, struggled against Memphis and finished with just two points – but they were two critical points down the stretch from the foul line.

"He turned his ankle a couple weeks ago and in fairness to him, he wasn’t as explosive as he normally is,” Miller said.

Miller also praised two other newcomers, freshman big man Kenny Frease, and sophomore forward Jamel McLean – who transferred from Tulsa.

Miller, who is extremely close with Memphis coach John Calipari, said the win against the Tigers was huge because Memphis set the standard for non-BCS teams in terms of getting to the national title game a year ago.

"They are the benchmark for a program like ours,” Miller said.

PITINO’S CARDS ROLLING EARLY

Louisville coach Rick Pitino has plenty of praise for freshman big man Samardo Samuels.

In fact, he called the 6-foot-8½ Jamaican arguably the "second-best freshman he’s ever coached" behind Jamal Mashburn. That’s a pretty strong statement.

But Samuels still has work to do – especially on the glass.

"He does a good job scoring and he plays hard, but he’s just got to start rebounding,” Pitino said.

Samuels has averaged 21 points in the first couple of games, but is only averaging five boards per contest.

"That’s his one weakness,” Pitino said. “He’s got to be quicker to the ball and really pursue it.”

"But the guys really like him and are getting him the ball,” he added. “Because they know it’s an assist. He’ll finish it.”

Pitino has alternated starting Andre McGee and Edgar Sosa in the two games so far this season and Pitino doesn’t envision anything changing.

"I’m going to keep it that way for the season,” Pitino said. ``Both of them are playing well and they bring a lot to the table. I don’t want them trying to kill each other in practice.”

SOONER CLASS

How about the fact that Oklahoma, after beating Gardner-Webb on Saturday afternoon in a close game, gave Rick Scruggs and his team 25 tickets to the Texas Tech football game against Oklahoma that night.

"That’s a pretty good touch of class,” Scruggs said. “That’s a pretty tough ticket to get.”

Not only were Scruggs and his team in the stadium, they were sitting in the first two rows in the end zone.

This was the second season that Scruggs and the Bulldogs faced Blake Griffin and the Sooners. A year ago, it came at Madison Square Garden after Gardner-Webb knocked off Kentucky.

"He didn’t beat us last year, but the improvement he’s made in the last year is astronomical,” Scruggs said. “We were double- and triple-teaming him and he was beating them by himself. He plays like a madman and is the real deal. We’ve played against (Tyler) Hansbrough and he plays a lot like him in that he plays hard every possession. He doesn’t take a play off, but he’s got so much bounce – and just gets off the floor so fast.”

"If he’s not a lottery pick, I don’t want to play against one,” Scruggs added.

Scruggs was without sophomore forward Nate Blank for the team’s first three losses, which came by a combined eight points. Blanks will return tonight against South Carolina.

RANDOM NOTES: North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough was held out of the rout over Chaminade last night due to a minor ankle injury suffered in his first game of the season against UC Santa Barbara. … Georgia freshman Howard Thompkins made his college debut and scored 10 points and blocked five shots in 18 minutes in a victory against Santa Clara. … UConn freshman guard Kemba Walker makes the Huskies legitimate national title contenders. Walker had 12 points, eight rebounds and four steals in a rout against Wisconsin last night. … UMass blew a five-point lead with less than 30 seconds left against Jacksonville State and lost Derek Kellogg’s home opener. … The Stephen Curry Watch: The Davidson junior scored 39 points (13-of-21 from the field, 5-of-9 from long distance) in a win over Mike Jarvis and Florida Atlantic. … Another bad loss for Alabama, who was crushed by Oregon, 92-69, out in Maui. The Crimson Tide didn’t get enough from Ron Steele (3-of-11 from the field) and freshman JaMychal Green, who fouled out with four points in 11 minutes.

Southern Illinois 6-foot-11 freshman big man Nick Evans, who played well for the Salukis in New York last week, will miss 4-6 weeks with a broken left wrist.

Evans suffered the injury against UCLA on Friday.

He was averaging 6.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game and had nine points against Duke and 10 boards in the two losses at Madison Square Garden.

KINGSTON, R.I. – Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy.

That’s all everyone talked about after Rhode Island senior guard Jimmy Baron’s remarkable second-half shooting display against Duke on Sunday afternoon.

Rightfully so after the performance that even had Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski raving about Baron.

But the Rams proved they have more than just Baron in the fiirst half of the Duke loss and also their victory against VCU on Saturday night. Juniors Keith Cothran and Delroy James have emerged and made significant jumps from their freshman campaigns.

Both could care less about Baron getting most of the attention, either.

``He’s the best shooter in the country,” Cothran said.

``It makes life easier for us because everyone focuses so much on Jimmy,” added James.

The Rams have gone from a team that was heavily dependent on one player, Will Daniels, to a club that has four guys (Baron, Cothran, James and big man Kahiem Seawright) capable of getting 20 points. All four are averaging in double-figures.

Cothran scored 23 points in the win against VCU and James added 14 points, six rebounds and four assists. Baron struggled in the first half – as he has in three of the first four games – but knocked down a huge 3-pointer with 1:44 left in the game to put the Rams up 86-82.

``He’s a game-breaker,” VCU coach Anthony Grant said of Baron. “He gets so much attention that other guys take advantage.”

``Our team is unique because we can really score the ball,” added Baron, who finished with 17 points. “Teams can’t worry about stopping one person because we have too many weapons.”

Baron was 7-of-10 from the foul line against VCU, which meant he missed more free throws in the game than he did in the entire season at home last year.

MAIN MAYNOR

A year ago, Eric Maynor was one of the hottest names in the country after spearheading the upset against Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

However, Maynor has seemingly fallen off the radar after the Rams failed to make the Big Dance last season.

``He doesn’t care,” Grant said. “He’s a different type of kid. He’s all about winning.”

VCU’s chances of winning against URI took a hit when talented forward Larry Sanders picked up two quick fouls and was in foul trouble for the entire game. He played just one minute in the first half and seven minutes overall.

The last thing I’d expect from an Anthony Grant-led team is for them to be soft and scared, but that’s exactly what VCU displayed against Rhode Island – except for Maynor, who finished with 22 points, eight assists and made a couple of NBA 3-pointers late in the game that gave the Rams a chance.

I’m not sure this team is tough enough to beat Northeastern and win the CAA.

VCU, which prides itself on defense, allowed Rhode Island to come down with 19 offensive rebounds in the game.  The Rams also had 26 turnovers, including 10 from Maynor.

``It’s amazing we even had a chance to be in the game,” said a visibly frustrated Grant.

RANDOM NOTES: A couple of freshman who haven’t gotten the hype, but are putting up impressive numbers: Virginia guard Sylven Landesberg (23.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Rutgers big man Gregory Echenique (9/8 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.8 bpg). … Austin Peay will retire James “Fly” Williams’ number on Feb. 5 at halftime of the game against UT Martin. … Cincinnati will replace Louisville in the 2009 Maui Invitational. The Cardinals will likely play in the field in 2012.