It's fairly common to score less than 40 points in a loss. Scoring less than 30, not so much. Yet it's already been done three times this season.

At this rate, we may see a team score less than 20.

This started when Washington State hammered Mississippi Valley State, 76-25, on Nov. 15. The Delta Devils made just 17 percent of their field-goal attempts and had just four players score against the Cougars. Then again, this result wasn't a surprise considering the Cougars hammered MVSU 71-26 last season.

Last week, San Francisco coasted by the San Francisco Academy of Art, 74-23. Then again, the game was just the second ever for the Academy of Art, which expects to become an official D-II school next year. The Dons wanted to ensure new coach Rex Walters won his debut.

But then there's Ohio State's 59-22 win against Samford.

MVSU is 0-8 and working on a 25-loss season. The Dons got to pummel a D-II hopeful. The Buckeyes beat a team that returning three starters from a team that won 14 games in 2007-08. The Bulldogs aren't an NCAA caliber team, but they're not a pushover, either.

Except on Saturday. Samford scored just 22 points on 61 possessions, good for .3607 points per possession. The Bulldogs hit 18.8 percent of their field-goal attempts (20.83 eFG%) and just 2-of-18 threes. Throw in 18 turnovers and a rebound margin of 20, and it's going to be one for the record books.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta wins for understatement of the day.

"Defensively, I thought we gave good effort," Matta told the Columbus Dispatch. "We knew coming in we would have to defend against easy lay-ups and the three-point line. Our primary focus was to take away the three, and I thought we did a good job of that for the most part."

No kidding. Samford had more shots blocked in the first half (four) than made baskets (three). Ouch. That's how it goes when a Princeton offense doesn't work.

Only three teams have scored fewer points in a game since 1986 (including Saint Louis' 20-point debacle last season). The question now: Who's next for offensive futility? (With any luck, it won't be on TV...)

During a week loaded with great basketball, who knew a mid-major coach would steal the show?

Just not in a good way.

Jimmy Patsos, the coach of Loyola (Md.) devised a way to prevent Davidson star Stephen Curry from scoring on Tuesday night. Curry, a sharpshooter who came into the game averaging more than 30 points a contest, was double-teamed whenever he was on the court. He took three shots and scored zero points.

"I don't think irritate is the word. Just confused," Curry said afterward. "When they're down by that much and still allowing us to get open shots. It kind of surprised me."

Curry's not a moron. He simply took his two defenders into a corner and let his Wildcat teammate play 4 on 3 the entire game. Davidson won, 78-48.

"I know the fans are mad at me, but I had to roll the dice as far as a coach goes. I'm not some rookie coach," said Patsos, a former longtime assistant at Maryland. "I won a national title as a top assistant coach to Gary Williams. For 13 years I spent on Tobacco Road. I coached a couple of No. 1 picks in the draft. And we scored 48 points. That's the problem that Loyola basketball had today."

OK, so Patsos took a chance. But didn't he ever realize his strategy wasn't working?

"We had to play against an NBA player tonight," Patsos explained. "Anybody else ever hold him scoreless? I'm a history major. They're going to remember that we held him scoreless or we lost by 30?"

Great job, Jimmy. We'll put you in the Hare Brained Hall of Fame alongside the Bucs letting the Jets score (so they could get the ball back) and Paul Westhead's defensive strategy with the Nuggets.

This isn't his first case of bizarre behavior. Last week Patsos watched most of Loyola's preseason NIT game against Cornell from the stands because he was worried about getting a second technical foul.

"I was trying to turn the other cheek," Patsos told the Baltimore Sun. "In the past, I've been too aggressive. I'm trying to find the middle ground and to be a better person."

For those interested in Patsos' next move, Loyola plays at Vermont on Nov. 29. Maybe Vermont is a good place for strange behavior.

Michigan's win against No. 4 UCLA shouldn't be a huge shock. Expect nothing less from a John Beilein team.

Sure, the Wolverines (3-0) started off hot this season, mostly behind Manny Harris' scoring touch. But it's the third time a Beilein-coached team has beaten the Bruins. In 2007, Beilein's West Virginia squad took advantage of a Darren Collison's absence to snag a 70-65 win. In 2006, Kevin Pittsnogle & Co. pulled off a 60-56 win.

Whether it's Beilein's perplexing 1-3-1 zone or some timely 3s, his teams get it done vs. UCLA. 'Nuff said. Especially since it wasn't Thursday's most remarkable game.

That would be Texas Tech's 167-115 win against East Central (Okla.). Yes, you read the score correctly. 167-115.

The Red Raiders had 10 players reach double figures, including a game-high 20 from Trevor Cook. They took 113 shots, hit 67 of 'em. They only made 13 3-pointers and 20 free throws.

So just how did Tech get to 167? (After all, VMI, college hoops' resident run-n-gun team, made 19-of-40 three-point attempts in its 133-72 win on Thursday.)

The Raiders committed to the run like few D-I teams have since Loyola Marymount.

I wish I could've watched the game. According to the box score, the Red Raiders had 119 possessions. Did the ball ever touch the floor? Did they have someone cherry picking at the other end, just sitting under the basket? After all, you'd think they'd have gotten gassed flying up and down the floor like that, but they scored 1.406 PPP and had an eFG% of 65.0. (It's a monster box score. Someone check my math.)

Maybe Mike Leach installed a new offense for Pat Knight. Who knows?

All I do know is that I'm getting tired just sitting here thinking about it. East Central (A D-II school located in Ada, Okla.) wasn't too shabby either. By my math, the Tigers had 90 possessions and notched 1.278 PPP.

That means the average possession during the game was just over 10 seconds. Somewhere, Paul Westhead is smiling.

Stephen Curry effectively started the Player of the Year debate Tuesday. Scoring 44 points against the No. 12 team will do that.

It's an amazing thing, too. Oklahoma keyed on Curry from the start. It didn't matter. The guy is just good.

Sue Ogrocki/AP

Stephen Curry

Bigger players like Austin Johnson (6-3) and Willie Warren (6-4) checked Davidson's star guard with moderate success, but like any good scorer, Curry kept shooting. He needed 29 shots to get to 44, but was still awfully effective -- 1.23 PPWS and a 58.6 eFG% -- and even more so when one considers the Sooners' defense.

Still, Davidson lost. And part of the reason Curry emerged as such a superstar last March is because the Wildcats pulled off big win after big win. Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin all went down with Curry leading the way. Davidson needs to pull off an upset against BCS schools like West Virginia, Purdue and Duke for Curry to beat out guys like Tyler Hansbrough, Luke Harangody and Oklahoma's Blake Griffin (who's averaging 23 and 19 in three games).

To be sure, he'll be in the mix. He may well lean the nation in scoring. But Curry needs some marquee wins to go with his stellar shooting.

Onto the news from Wednesday.

• North Carolina lost a Tyler for the season. Freshman Tyler Zeller could be out 4 months because of a fractured wrist. Breakout time for Deon Thompson.
• Reaction to the Tar Heels' demolition of Kentucky. Yes, there's a long way to go, but there's also reason to remain optimistic. A Sea of Blue agrees (to a point).
• Does anyone else think Loyola's coach overreacted a little bit?
• Jim Calhoun is a little concerned about his guard play against a zone without A.J. Price in the lineup. Me too.
• If that's not enough to worry the Huskies, Pitt may have a star in the making in JUCO transfer Jermaine Dixon.
• When Southern Illinois plays Duke in the Coaches vs. Cancer semis, coach Chris Lowery wants to ensure his team isn't "in awe" of the Devils. Turns out Lowery was just that when he was part of the Salukis in a 1993 NCAA tournament loss.
• Even as a one-year player, Thad Matta says he'd recruit Greg Oden again. Duh. The Buckeyes won 35 and were national runner-ups. I'd take that bet, too.
• The NCAA announced sites for the next six NCAA tournaments, starting in 2012: New Orleans, Atlanta, Arlington, Indianapolis and Houston. For some reason, the photo on the Arlington link makes me laugh.

Tuesday night's main events went pretty much according to plan. North Carolina outran Kentucky. Stephen Curry scored a bunch, but Davidson lost to Oklahoma. And Kansas raised its championship banner.

Lost among the shuffle – and that late starting time – was a ridiculous finish between Arizona and UAB. Well, ridiculous is being nice. Stupid, maybe? Pick your favorite synonym because it applies. The House that Lute built is slowly crumbling.

The quick synopsis is this: A free-throw with .8 seconds remaining gave UAB a 72-71 win in the quarterfinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off. But that omits all the boneheaded details leading up to the end.

With about 30 seconds remaining, Arizona's Kyle Fogg tied the game at 71-71. On the in-bounds, Fogg fouls UAB's Aaron Johnson instead of simply playing defense. It almost worked out, because Johnson missed the one-and-one. Arizona calls timeout, sets up a play for Nic Wise, who misses with about three seconds left. UAB's Paul Delany grabs the rebound and races to the other end to try for a game-winner.

I'll let College Hoops Journal take it from here:

That's when Jamelle Horne completely forgets how to play the game of basketball, ignores the fact that the game is tied at 71 and lunges for Delaney III, causing the refs to call an intention foul on Horne, giving UAB two shots and the ball.

It was unlike anything I had ever seen. Horne was completley unaware of the situation DESPITE THE FACT FOGG HAD MADE THE SAME DUMB ERROR ON THE PREVIOUS POSSESSION.

After all, we're all thinking the same thing, right? Why did Horne just foul? Well?

"I saw the guy with the ball going 94 feet and the last thing I wanted to do was give him an uncontested shot," Horne told the Arizona Star. "And I saw him in front of me so I tried to foul him and the ref called what. … I don't know what he called it."

Interim Arizona coach Russ Pennell also couldn't believe it, telling the Star: "I think [Horne] thought that Delaney could get all the way to the rim. And he was caught between a rock and a hard place. And instead of just letting him go he made a poor decision and he's broken up about it."

To be clear, an Arizona player (Fogg) already committed one foolish foul. Did the coaching staff not make it clear to players during the timeout that fouls were not necessary?

It's tough to not feel bad for Horne, who clearly just lost his cool and made a mistake. We've all been there. But man, that was just … bad. No way around it.

It's just piling on what was already going to be a tough season in Arizona. Good luck, Wildcats fans.

Twenty-four hours of hoops. Now this is a proper start to the college basketball season.

If you need a quick primer on the details, click here and here. The schedule of games and times can be found here and below. (All times are ET)

Midnight: UMass at Memphis (ESPN)
2 a.m.: Fresno St. at St. Mary's (ESPN)
4 a.m.: Idaho St. at Hawaii (ESPN)
6 a.m.: College Hoops Tip-Off Special (ESPN)
10 a.m.: Penn at Drexel (ESPN)
Noon: Liberty at UNC-Asheville (ESPN)
2 p.m.: Iowa at Kansas (women) (ESPN)
4 p.m.: Centenary at Baylor (ESPN)
6 p.m.: Richmond at Syracuse (ESPN)
7 p.m.: NIT Regional Final-Purdue (ESPNU)
7:30 p.m.: NIT Regional Final-Boston College (ESPN2)
8 p.m.: College GameDay-Chapel Hill (ESPN)
9 p.m.: Kentucky at North Carolina (ESPN)
9 p.m.: Florida Gulf Coast at Kansas (ESPNU)
9:30 p.m.: NIT Regional Final: Davidson-Oklahoma (ESPN2)
11:30 p.m.: NIT Regional Final-Arizona (ESPN2)

If you want to follow the games online, several sites will be doing live blogs. Check out:

Rush the Court (which has one guy doing the whole she-bang; no word on how much Red Bull he's drinking.)

Storming the Floor (including their initial Umass-Memphis blog).

Ballin is a Habit (which has multiple blogs going, so use their main page.)

I'll be doing some occasional blogs as well, just not as often. Some NFL responsibilities for the site are getting in the way. Such is life. Enjoy the 24 hours!

It's amazing thing to have coached your last nearly 50 years ago, yet your influence in college basketball is still felt today. That's Pete Newell's legacy.

The former California, Michigan State and San Francisco coach died Monday. He was 93.

Newell, who guided Cal to the 1959 NCAA title and the Dons to the 1949 NIT crown, retired in 1960 after leading Team USA to a gold medal in basketball. Doctors advised Newell, then 44, to quit because the game was taking a toll on his health. His impact remained, though.

"Three coaches had the most influence on college basketball in terms of tactics, both offensively and defensively," Bob Knight told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Clair Bee, Hank Iba and Pete. And I think Pete had the greatest total grasp. He really studied it and kept abreast of it, both professional and collegiate. He was truly remarkable."

Much of Newell's influence was felt in recent years through his "big men" camps. If you wanted your post player to thrive, you sent him to Newell. He instructed stars such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Shaquille O'Neal and Ralph Sampson.

"He probably impacted more people when he left coaching," Jeff Fellenzer, the former tournament director and president of the Pete Newell Challenge, told the Chronicle. "He really reinvented himself. He never took a dime working those camps. He wanted to send a message to the NBA players it wasn't about money."

DON'T PANIC.

The "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" has it right. One can't afford to lose one's head at a time like this.

Of course, the book is referring to space travel, planets blowing up, coping with aliens and such. I'm merely focused on the early season college basketball games. Losses in November aren't the end of the world, no matter how dire the situation may seem after a fun opening weekend.

We saw as much last season when Kentucky lost to Gardner-Webb in its second game. The 'Cats eventually recovered (though they were 6-7 at one point), made a run at the SEC East crown and once again made the NCAA tournament.

Wait, Kentucky lost again this year? Other Big Dance hopefuls Alabama, Washington and Providence did the same? And others like Wisconsin, Kansas and UNLV all struggled? Yeesh. Maybe it is time to panic – at least for a few teams.

The sky is falling!
Alabama's Mark Gottfried may want to freshen up that résumé. The Tide turned the ball over in the final 10 seconds at home and lost to Mercer. It's the second straight season Alabama's lost to an Atlantic Sun team (Belmont last season).

Even with a healthy Ronald Steele and a McDonald's All-American in freshman JaMychal Green, the Tide can't pull off a win? Ouch.

Yes, fans are focusing on the Crimson Tide's BCS aspirations right now, but this won't help Gottfried's hot seat status.

"This one sits squarely on my shoulders," Gottfried told the Birmingham News. "It's my responsibility to have our team playing better. The effort was there, but our execution in a lot of areas was not."

'Bama has missed the last two NCAA tournaments. A trip to the Maui Invitational and home games against Texas A&M and Georgia Tech still remain before SEC play begins. If the defense doesn't improve, the Tide is toast.

Washington has the same issues. A 67-63 loss to Portland won't do any wonders for Seattle's sports doldrums. Losing to a team that won nine games last season? Ouch. The Huskies' issues can be summed up thusly:

Opening on the road. Always a bad idea for a BCS team.

Jon Brockman wasn't involved early. He took one shot in the first 12 minutes when the Huskies fell behind 28-16. He finished with 30 points and 14 rebounds. Let the All-America candidate carry the load.

Isaiah Thomas will be better. Chalk it up to freshman nerves. UW's point guard played just 15 minutes. The more he's on the court, the better.

I'd like to say the Huskies will rebound, but I'm not sold. Lorenzo Romar's teams usually suck on defense (progressively worse the last three seasons; see here, here and here), but could usually stay in games because of their offense. If Brockman's not getting any help AND Washington doesn't get him the ball in times of need, the Huskies aren't going to be a player in the Pac-10, let alone the Big Dance.

Worrisome, but not the end
It's déjà vu all over again in Lexington. Kentucky's 111-103 loss to VMI – the new millennium's answer to Loyola-Marymount – was a surprise in that the 'Cats got caught up in running with the Keydets. Only one team had more possessions per game last season than VMI, which wants to run, run, run. Not playing your style and committing too many turnovers never helps.

Maybe more aggravating to 'Cats fans is that VMI lost its next game to Virginia, which is picked to finish in the ACC's cellar. So why shouldn't Kentucky panic? Two things: Jodie Meeks and that huge roster.

Meeks' 39 point-night signals UK has another genuine scoring threat to pair with Patrick Patterson. Expect those two to play off each other more and more. Kentucky's 20-man roster isn't a good thing. Sure, it gives coach Billy Gillispie options, but once he settles on an 8- or 9-man rotation, it should create more cohesion among the players.

Losing to Portland – which hasn't been to the Big dance since '96 and won nine games last year – is embarrassing, but that's about it.

Wisconsin need a big three from Marcus Landry, then a big defensive play moments later to seal a 68-62 home win against Long Beach State.

Normally, close calls with the Badgers wouldn't bother me. But when a Bo Ryan team allows an opponent to make 48 percent of its attempts, that's an issue.

Wisconsin's been among the nation's top 10 most efficient defensive teams four of the last five years. If the defense isn't up to its usual standard, the Badgers will be in more close games than they can handle.

Don't worry, you weren't going dancin' anyway
Keno Davis didn't win his Providence debut. Don't sweat it, Keno. The Friars are playing against a stacked deck (the loaded big East) this season. A .500 record would be gravy.

Same goes for Craig Robinson. His Oregon State debut was a big thud against Howard, but for a team that was winless in the Pac-10 last season, getting to 10 wins would be a big deal.

After two sub-.500 seasons, Utah won 18 games last season. But losing to D-II school Southwest Baptist at home? Ouch. Maybe the Utes will just hope for a BCS bowl.

Ever wondered what percentage of college basketball teams run the Princeton offense? Or play zone defense? What about featuring international players? Or, if you're a top recruit, who wears Nike?

Good news, because SI.com has answers.

The Hoops Ideology Report, a sampling of 301 of the 341 D-I schools, has 50 items relating to hoops. And it's great stuff.

Some samples:

• Nearly 60 percent of teams plan to start 3 guards this season. Four-guard lineups are still rare, though. Just five schools will use those.
• Only 30 teams listed their primary defense as zone. Even Syracuse said it was "man and 2-3 zone."
• UMass and Georgia State have the most transfers with six. Davidson and Hawaii have the most international players with six.
• Nike outfits 72 percent of the schools. Adidas 26 percent. Reebok just 2 schools, BC and La Salle. Ouch.
• And, in these cash-strapped times, no Pac-10 school is among the top 20 in spending. Kentucky and Florida spend the most.

Check it out, if you haven't already. On to more links.

• It's official: Tyler Hansbrough won't play in North Carolina's opener. But is that a reason why the Tar Heels won't win it all?
• More opener injuries: Pitt's Levance Fields isn't likely to start. And is that why Doug Gottlieb kept the Panthers out of his top 25? He certainly took some grief for it.
• In off-court news (or court-related, depending on your point of view), Kansas coach Bill Self breathed a sigh of relief when a civil lawsuit against Sherron Collins was dropped. But this Binghamton player was apparently getting ready for a BIG weekend.
• At least one member of the Knight family is warming to Indiana again.
• A rundown of the all-time "Best in the West" from Frank Burlison. Paul Pierce? Jason Kidd? Hell yes. But isn't it a little early for Kevin Love?
• Also, not feeling the term "Kevin-ize." Get with it, Ernie Kent.
• Lastly, is this cat cool or a little creepy?

North Carolina is the heavy favorite to win it all this season. Get used to it.

Wednesday's early signing period secured more riches for the nation's No. 1 team. Recruiting sites Scout.com and Rivals.com both gave the Tar Heels the top classes for 2009, which features an elite prospect in power forward John Henson.

True, several other top recruits haven't committed to a school yet, but the Heels are bringing in an elite class no matter who everyone else gets.

The last time UNC snagged the top recruiting class? Two years ago, which featured guards Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington.

Of course, the Heels won't be as dominant as the last two years. UNC loses at least four players after this season – seniors Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green, Marcus Ginyard and Bobby Frasor – and could potentially lose Lawson and Ellington as well.

Still, Roy Williams has re-stocked the roster with NBA talent. Don't expect a huge dropoff.

The other schools who snagged star classes are the usual suspects.

Texas was a consensus No. 2 (two elite prospects and another top 50 player), while Villanova, Florida, Kansas and Indiana were rated in the top seven by both Rivals and Scout. (Duke was No. 5 in Scout, but 11^th in Rivals.)

Some not-so-usual suspects in the top 25 were UAB (thanks to elite recruit DeMarcus Cousins) and Washington (Abdul Gaddy's switch from Arizona boosted the Huskies).

So who's left? Here's a rundown.

For some historical perspective on recruits, check out Dave Telep's story from Scout.com. It's interesting that no top prospect this century has won a national title (by Scout's rankings) and that the Pac-10 has beaten the ACC for the most top 10 players since 2006.

Officially, the college hoops season began Monday. True, it was an underwhelming two games – including a Duke rout, stunner – but the season is finally here.

It also means most of the season preview stories have been written. How much build-up does one need? If you're late to party, three  general previews can be found here, here and here.

With that, here's our final preview: bold predictions for 2008-09.

The breakout team: Arizona State.
The Sun Devils are ranked 15^th in both the AP and coaches' preseason polls, but don't be surprised to see them creep into the top 10. They'll also give UCLA a run for the Pac-10 title.

More importantly, expect the Sun Devils' five-year NCAA tournament drought to end. That's a sure-thing. Herb Sendek's built ASU into a nasty team to play because of its deliberate, efficient offense and underrated defense.

They feature the Pac-10's best player in James Harden and are carrying a chip on their shoulder from missing last season's Big Dance despite a 9-9 conference record (better than in-state rival Arizona). ASU is headed for a 25-win season and will be flirting with the Elite Eight.

Team landing with a thud: Kansas State.
The Wildcats' 21-win season was a direct result of two players: Michael Beasley and Bill Walker. They accounted for more than half of K-State's points and their shot attempts.

That's tough for any team to replace.

K-State may hover around .500, but it won't have any of the flair or results from last season. And without some hype or some postseason hope, there isn't much to cheer for in Manhattan this winter.

One Final Four drought will end.
There are six teams ranked in the AP top 25 that are poised for big seasons – and one could have a big finish. These six are desperate for a Final Four appearance. One will break through.

Pittsburgh hasn't been since '41. The Panthers have the talent in Sam Young and DeJuan Blair to get it done after 19 trips without.

Purdue has been twice, but not since 1980. That's 19 NCAA appearances without a spot in the final weekend. The Boilermakers will be a trendy darkhorse pick.

Tennessee's never been to the Final Four in 16 appearances. Bruce Pearl's talented teams will end that streak at some point.

Wake Forest has been once (in '62), but has gone 16 tournaments without. Few teams are as balanced as this year's Demon Deacons.

Notre Dame's also been to the Final Four once (in '78), but hasn't been back in 14 appearances. Luke Harangody inside and Kyle McAlarney outside could change that.

Gonzaga is another darkhorse pick. Then again the Zags, who've never been to a Final Four in 11 trips to the Big Dance, always seem like Final Four material.

Scoring leaders for some of the bigger conferences:

• Atlantic 10: Dionte Christmas, Temple.
• ACC: Tyrese Rice, Boston College.
• Big East: Sam Young, Pitt.
• Big Ten: Manny Harris, Michigan.
• Big 12: Sherron Collins, Kansas.
• Conference USA: Robert Vaden, UAB.
• Mountain West: Wink Adams, UNLV.
• Missouri Valley: Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State.
• Pac-10: Chase Budinger, Arizona.
• Southeastern Conference: Devan Downey, South Conference.

Coach of the year: Ben Howland, UCLA.
The Bruins have been to three straight Final Fours, replacing a key player (or more) each time. If UCLA reaches a fourth straight Final Four after replacing Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook and Luc Richard a Moute, someone give Howland his due.

First coach fired: Ed DeChellis. Penn State.

It's tempting to go with St. John's coach Norm Roberts, who's 48-67 in four seasons, including a 20-46 Big East mark. The Red Storm aren't likely to be any better this season, but Roberts got a five-year contract rollover last spring.

That leaves DeChellis (57-92 in five seasons) as the most likely coach out. The Lions will be hovering just about .500 by the time Big Ten play begins.

National Player of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina.
Stephen Curry is tempting, but I'll stick with the tried and true. I doubt Hansbrough will be slowed by his shin injury. He'll still be the same high-scoring, rebounding machine.

And if Hansbrough isn't any different from previous seasons, why pick against him here? He's the best player on the favorite to win it all. Sometimes, you just go with the odds.

National champion: Connecticut.
Sometimes, you buck the odds. North Carolina is a smart pick to win it all. The Heels have everything – great guards, a go-to guy, NBA talent and depth – and a coach in Roy Williams who's already won a title.

The thing is, UConn also has the goods to win it. The Huskies are just a step behind UNC offensively, but who isn't? And I expect the Huskies to be vastly improved on defense, which has always been a staple of Jim Calhoun's national title teams.

But most striking to me is how balanced the Huskies are. The last three champions have been the same way. Kansas and Florida featured rosters with efficient, balanced scoring. When one player struggled, another filled that void. UConn has that same aura.

At least, that's the way it seems now. Check back in March when seeds are assigned.

Mike Krzyzewski became one of college basketball's coaching legends by being smart, aggressive and direct in his demands.

But there are times when the Duke coach is a little too turbo.

The Devils crushed Lenior-Rhyne in their final exhibition game Wednesday, 95-42. Coach K was pleased with his team's effort. Not so much with the crowd's.

From the Raleigh News & Observer:

"We played well, but there was something a little bit missing," Krzyzewski said. "The same thing with the crowd. We should remind all our Duke fans that we start our season on Monday and every game counts, and if you're not going to come, let us know and we'll sell the seats.

"We should not have an empty seat in Cameron," he continued. "That's the way it is. I know I can sell them. I'll go sell them. If you're not coming, I'll go sell them."

He wasn't kidding. There wasn't any humor in his voice (check out the audio here).

Ellen Ozier/Reuters

Mike Krzyzewski has coached at Duke since 1980.

Maybe Krzyzewski never came down from his hectic summer of coaching Team USA. Maybe he's worried his team – which is ranked No. 8 in AP's preseason poll and returns nearly every important player from last season's 28-6 team – is going to struggle to start the season.

Or maybe he's a jerk. Criticizing fans for not attending an exhibition game? Give it a rest. Taking the time to watch Duke beat down a D-II school shouldn't be high on anyone's list of priorities.

There's no denying Krzyzewski's place among the all-time coaching greats. The man has his sights on 1,000 career wins, has won 3 NCAA titles, been to 10 Final Fours and has built Duke into perhaps the nation's most prestigious program. He's beloved by millions of Duke fans, but loathed by even more non-Duke fans. Such is the price of success.

But success doesn't mean ripping your team's fans. Especially when you know those fans will still be among college basketball's most devoted supporters.

Wednesday links, as the country makes the transition from one poll to another that really counted.

• One guy that surely paid close attention Tuesday night was Oregon State coach Craig Robinson. He celebrated in Chicago, and was back to work in Corvallis Wednesday, preparing the Beavers for their opener. Hopefully, his brother-in-law has a similar work ethic.
• Florida guard Jai Lucas, one of Billy Donovan's prize recruits from 2008, announced he's transferring. Apparently, he decided the Gators weren't the "best fit for him." I tend to agree with Rush the Court: Lucas knew the incoming players (freshman Erving Walker and 2009 stud Kenny Boynton) would nab his playing time.
• Why can't Lucas just have the same attitude of Louisville guards Andrew McGee and Edgar Sosa? They "both feel like [they] could start," but want to win even more. That's just another reason why the Cards are a Final Four favorite.
• Maybe Duke invested in Muscle Milk this summer. Or maybe the team just hired Kenny Bania to be its trainer.
• Is Sherron Collins ready to be Kansas' leader?
• Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie has a motto this season: "He who earns it, gets it." Such is life when you have a 20-man roster. Patrick Patterson's always gonna be a stud, but it'll be interesting to see just how good Jodie Meeks is this season.
• UConn's figuring out its guard rotation starting … now.

• Most exhibition games are dogs, but I hope to catch highlights of "Daddy Mass" returning to Villanova. Just how did Rollie Massimino's team make 22-of-28 shot attempts against Georgetown in 1985? March Madness, indeed.

The 2008-09 college basketball season doesn't feature a Michael Beasley. Or a Greg Oden. Or a Kevin Durant, Kevin Love or O.J. Mayo. It's full of good, but not great players.

At least, that's the general opinion by most media outlets. (Nevermind that DraftExpress.com has freshmen as four of the top 10 picks in this year's draft, not including Brandon Jennings.)

Garry Jones/AP

Louisville freshman Samardo Samuels is one of the country's best incoming freshmen.

Still, even if the player of the year isn't a freshmen, there are plenty of dynamic newcomers you'll need to know. Here are 10.

DeMar DeRozan, USC
Another season, another impact Trojan. O.J. Mayo was a complete basketball player, but DeRozan is on another level with his athletic ability. The 6-foot-6 guard has already wowed his teammates.

"When he's on the fastbreak by himself, I'm like, 'Wow, I have never seen anybody with that jumping ability,' " junior Taj Gibson told the L.A. Times. "He's so strong for a freshman."

It's not surprise that DeRozan is touted as the best NBA prospect among this year's freshmen. DraftExpress.com has him rated behind Spanish star Ricky Rubio and Oklahoma's Blake Griffin.

USC may not dethrone UCLA atop the Pac-10 standings, but DeRozan will ensure the Trojans are back in the Big Dance and making a run to the Sweet 16.

Tyreke Evans, Memphis
The Tigers lost three starters from their 38-2 national runner-up squad, including Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts. That's ideal for an explosive player like Evans, who's likely to fill that role.

The 6-6 guard is a dynamic scorer and stellar mid-range shooter, which is ideal for Memphis' Dribble-Drive offense. That's already crossed Evans' mind.

"With this offense I can be unstoppable and have an impact,'' Evans told ESPN. "I love the style of the play, the Dribble-Drive [Motion]. I can score off the drive a lot.''

Jrue Holiday, UCLA
Holiday has a simple prediction for the Bruins.

"National championship, national championship," Holiday told the L.A. Times. "We've gone to the Final Four three years in a row, the history here. What else do I have to say? National championship."

The 6-3 guard should UCLA's best all-around player. He can score, defend, pass and rebound. If Monday's exhibition line was any indication -- 12 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and six steals -- Holiday figures to be a star in Tinseltown.

B.J. Mullens, Ohio State
The top prospect from Rivals.com, Mullens is another 7-foot center who should thrive in Columbus, like Greg Oden and Kosta Koufas did. He's best viewed as a mix of the two -- not as dominant as Oden, but a step up from Koufas.

Mullens isn't expected to be the Buckeyes' go-to guy on offense, but should play in his favor. He can focus on controlling the boards, blocking shots and overpowering smaller defenders.

By season's end, he could too much for most post players to handle.

Samardo Samuels, Louisville
Samuels is another freshman who doesn't have to carry his team -- but he may anyway. Paired with Terrence Williams and Earl Clark, Louisville is loaded up front.

The 6-8 power forward recently dominated an intersquad scrimmage, scoring 36 points and grabbing 16 rebounds, prompting Cards coach Rick Pitino to label him a "killer forward."

Makes sense. Samuels (Scout.com's top freshman prospect) is 250 pounds, has long arms and essentially controls the low block. The Cardinals needed to replace their three departed post players, and he should do just that.

Those five freshmen are considered to be top of the class. The next five should be equally impressive, though.

Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest
The ACC's preseason pick as freshman of the year gives the Demon Deacons another big body on an already monstrous frontline (five players are 6-8 or taller). His mid-range game allows him to play several positions, too.

In short, he's exactly what Wake needs to return to the Big Dance.

"Everybody knows the hype Farouq came in with," junior L.D. Williams told the Winston-Salem Journal. "And to be honest with you, it's not hype. He can really go out and help us."

Devin Ebanks, West Virginia
West Virginia got a big boost when Ebanks de-committed from Indiana last spring when Kelvin Sampson was fired. The 6-9 forward isn't a bruiser, but a skilled, smooth wing who should thrive in Bob Huggins' offense.

He's a little concerned about playing in the physical Big East, but that's about the only worry.

"The hardest thing for me is taking a bump right now," Ebanks noted. "I'll get by somebody and they will give me a little bump and it will get me off-balance. I will take a shot that's tougher than I probably would have made if I was a little stronger."

Huggins, for his part, thinks Ebanks and the rest of his freshmen are ready now.

"If we played today, we could put them in a game," he told the Times West Virginian. "A year ago I don't think we put anybody in there at this time. So I think we're ahead."

Greg Monroe, Georgetown
Monroe was tabbed the preseason Big East rookie of the year (along with Samuels), and with good reason. He's not a perfect replacement for Roy Hibbert, but the 6-10 post player should thrive in the Hoyas' system.

"Style-wise, he couldn't have made a better choice. Georgetown will accentuate what he's good at," Rivals.com recruiting analyst Jerry Meyer told USA Today.

Especially when that system goes up-tempo. Well, a little more up-tempo.

"This team has the aptitude and athletic ability to play at a faster pace than the team in the past," coach John Thompson told the Washington Post. "But at the same time, they understand that end-of-the-game, half-court execution is what wins games."

Chris Singleton, Florida State
The 'Noles aren't supposed to be an ACC contender, but that's doesn't bode ill for Singleton. The McDonald's All-American is a nightmare matchup on the wing -- he's big, fast and can hit the three.

On this list of stellar freshmen, Singleton's the most likely to record a triple double with some highlight-reel dunks to go with it.

"He plays hard, he defends, he likes to rebound, he blocks shots," Hamilton said after Singleton recorded 11 points, six boards and six steals in an exhibition last week. "He takes pride in kind of doing the dirty work. And that's kind of unusual for a guy that's been as heralded as him coming in."

Willie Warren, Oklahoma
If Blake Griffin is the Sooners' star, Warren will be the guy who drives them. The 6-4 point guard will improve OU's offense immensely thanks to his scoring and swagger.

"Going and watching them last year," Warren told the Daily Oklahoman, "I didn't feel like the guard play had the swagger, the confidence to go and compete. This year, maybe because we have the talent that can push them in practice, they know if they don't bring it, they're going to get shown up in practice. You can just tell how much better the guard play is this year."

Sound brash? Warren can back it up. He's already shown his teammates he can score and that makes everyone else's life easier.

"He can definitely score," Griffin said. "I think it will keep teams honest. They won't be able to double down as easy with a guy like Willie Warren out there. Or Tony Crocker, or Austin Johnson.

Ken Mink's in the record books. Now he can focus on the rest of the season.

Mink, a 73-year-old college basketball player for Roane State (Tenn.), scored two points in a 93-42 win on Monday night. He's the oldest person to play college hoops.

Mink, who played for Lees College (Ky.) in the '50s, missed his first shot attempt, but later sunk two free throws to cement his spot in history.

"I found myself on the free-throw line 52 years after my last college game," Mink told reporters after the game. "I said, 'Just relax and shoot it like you know how to all day long.' I just floated the shots in there. I'm in the books now. I can relax a little bit."

You can see video of Mink's game here (it's at the end of the feature) and read more about his backstory and why he's playing this season here.

Mink's become quite the celebrity. Various media outlets, including Sports Illustrated, the Wall Street Journal, The Today Show and several other news outlets have done stories on his college hoops career. Monday's game's was no different.

Stories popped up around the country and overseas. The International Herald Tribune (The N.Y. Times' Global edition) and the London Daily Telegraph both carried stories about Mink.

Now, we'll wait to see what else Mink has in store for us. After all, he's gunning for more than just two points in a single game.

"Ideally what I'd like to do is play 10 minutes of a game. That's what I'm training my body to do," Mink said last week. "But I'd like to hit a couple of shots and score in several games."

Ken Mink's ready for his shot.

The Roane State (Tenn.) senior may become the world's oldest college basketball player on Monday. He's no ordinary senior. The last time Mink played college hoops, Dwight Eisenhower was President.

The 73-year-old hoopster has garnered plenty of attention in his return to the court. Newspapers, TV and Internet stories have popped up about Mink. "The Today Show" wants him as a guest. A Hollywood screenwriter reportedly wants to capture his story.

When the Raiders open their season against King College, the Guinness Book of World Records will be paying attention. "Inside Edition" will have a film crew on hand.

The attention's nice, but right now, Mink's more concerned about how he'll fare. He last played college hoops at Lees College (Ky.) in 1956. If Mink does see the court, he knows he'll be a little nervous. It's been a while since he's been on that stage.

"Fifty-two years," Mink says. "Can I retain that memory? Can I recapture that? I don't know. It's going to be a mystery for me."

Thankfully, there won't be a lot of pressure on Mink. Roane, a community college about 35 miles west of Knoxville, is expected to be among its league's better teams this season. According to its coach, Randy Nesbit, the Raiders are a deep, fairly talented team. If Mink does play, it'll probably be for a few minutes. But don't expect him to be left behind.

"He does have his physical limitations," Nesbit says. "But he's also got this moxie about him. He's going to hit his shots if he's open. You think 'Oh, he's 73, he's going to freeze up. Nope. He'll hit that 20 footer."

That shooting ability keeps Mink from being a publicity stunt. He's extremely mobile (his 40-yard dash is 6.6 seconds) and agile (he sports a 20-inch vertical) for a septuagenarian, but isn't in the same class as some of the team's other players. That's not the point, though. He just plays his game.

"I don't profess to be as good as these guys," Mink says. "But I do know they can't let me roam free."

Besides, he's seen plenty of stiff defense in practice, usually because of his teammates' pride.

"They don't want to be the guy who has their buddies say 'The old guy took you to the bank!' " Mink says. "I'm not getting anything easy."

Nesbit wants other teams to approach Mink the same way. His spot on the roster isn't a publicity stunt, even if it could seem that way.

"We're not trying to show anyone up," Nesbit says. "I'm trying to put myself in the opposing team's place. We're not a juggernaut, but we're going to be pretty good. There are probably going to be some games where we have comfortable leads. All of a sudden, there's a 73-year-old guy coming in? What's the other team going to think?"

Nesbit said he'd try to tell other coaches about Mink in an effort to avoid any kind of embarrassment, though the media attention has alleviated some of that pressure.

Besides, Mink's sure to become a fan favorite. How many other players will have their own cheering squad?

Mink's wife, Emilia, was skeptical about his hoops dream. ("She was a little dubious about the idea at the beginning," Mink says.) Now, she's trying to convince some of their friends to form a '50s-style cheerleading group, complete with poodle skirts and personalized cheers. He's become quite the "Golden Oldie."

"They might use 'Ken, Ken, he's our Medicare man," Mink says. "That might be a moniker the other kids pick up."

Actually, various cheers have already been a hit. Mink's become a bit of a local celebrity at Roane, usually in the form of well-wishers and enthusiastic hoops fans.

"People have recognized me around campus," he says. "Everywhere I go, it's 'Ken!' like in the old 'Cheers' episodes where they'd go 'Norm!'"

If Mink hits a jumper on Monday, the crowd will probably make a "Ken!" cheer bring down the house. Expect nothing less with a bit of history on the line.