Three unbeaten teams stayed that way Monday night, as Oklahoma, Ohio State and Wake Forest all beat up on teams they should beat.

The question is, how much longer will college hoops' perfect teams stay that way?

Those three, along with North Carolina, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Clemson, Stanford, Minnesota and Illinois State comprise D-I's 10 unbeaten squads. Most of them will probably lose their first game in the first few weeks of January, but a couple have a chance to reach February without a loss.

ENJOY IT NOW

Illinois State (11-0) has played the easiest schedule among the 10, so it's no surprise the Redbirds are also the most likely to lose first. Not that they're a bad team (25-10 last season and a solid defensive unit), it's just that it's tough to say just how good Illinois State really is.

Its best win thus far was a 67-60 victory against Illinois-Chicago on Saturday. Seven of its 11 wins have come against teams in the bottom of kenpom.com's rankings. And with the next four games coming against four of the Missouri Valley's better teams (Missouri State, Evansville, Creighton and Bradley), the Redbirds aren't going to come away unscathed after Jan. 6.

Stanford (7-0) snagged a nice home win against Northwestern on Saturday (holding the Wildcats to 89.3 offensive efficiency, 22 below their average), and should hit 10-0 if it can play the same defense against Texas Tech on Dec. 28.

But that'll be it for the Cardinal.

Arizona State plays host to Stanford on Jan. 2. Unless James Harden doesn't play, the Sun Devils are winning that game. Making a trip to Tucson two days later won't be easy, either.

COLLISION COURSE

Minnesota (10-0) seems ready to rejoin the ranks of NCAA tournament teams. A 70-64 win against Louisville cemented Tubby Smith's squad as a steady, opportunistic team that can play some defense when needed.

It also may be the Gophers' best win of the season. Minnesota will be 12-0 when it plays host to Michigan State on New Year's Eve. The Spartans haven't been the powerhouse everyone expected yet, but they also just got center Goran Suton healthy. A 67-63 win against Texas was a better indication of what MSU is capable of.

If Minnesota does pull off a win against the Spartans, it'll face another unbeaten team on Jan. 3 – Ohio State. And that's a game Minnesota loses.

Ohio State (9-0) has two nasty games of its own before it travels to Minneapolis, though.

The Buckeyes play host to West Virginia (8-2 with a crushingly efficient defense) and an underrated Iowa team (9-3 behind some impressive shooting) then follow up the Minnesota contest with a game against Michigan State. Kenpom.com projects the Buckeyes' first loss on Jan. 20 against Illinois, but that's too far away. The Buckeyes have five toss-up games before then – and could very well lose all of them.

BRUTAL BIG EAST

UConn (10-0) is coming off a dramatic win against Gonzaga and is a bona-fide Final Four contender. A.J. Price turned in his best game of the season, while the Huskies also have Stanley Robinson back in the lineup.

But a home game against Georgetown on Dec. 29 could be the end of their perfect start. (Pomeroy thinks so.) If not then, Jan. 6 at West Virginia is another likely stumbling point. Or Jan. 10 at Cincinnati. UConn isn't making it through January without a loss. The Big East is too tough.

The same reasoning holds true for Pittsburgh (12-0).

The Panthers have started at least 9-0 every season since 2002-03. It's what they do. But by the time Big East play rolls around, January deals them a couple losses.

Georgetown on Jan. 3 is a likely starting point. Louisville (Jan. 17), Syracuse (Jan. 19), West Virginia (Jan. 25), Villanova (Jan. 28) and Notre Dame (Jan. 31) are Pitt's final five games of January. That'll do it.

FEELING BLUE

If Wake Forest (11-0) sneaks by BYU on Jan. 3, it plays host to North Carolina on Jan. 11. That's a week to prepare for – in all likelihood -- the nation's No. 1 team.

Wake has the depth to run with the Heels, but it'll need more efficient scoring out of Jeff Teague to win the game. James Johnson and Al-Farouq Aminu can bang with Tyler Hansbrough and Deon Thompson inside, but Teague's perimeter play will be the key.

If the Deacons win, their reward is facing Clemson a week later! Brutal.

The Tigers (12-0) are off to another fast start. and don't start ACC play until Jan. 10 against N.C. State. That means Clemson will almost certainly be 16-0 by the time it plays host to Wake Forest on Jan. 17. So Clemson gets the win. UNC awaits four days later. Done.

So when do the Heels (11-0) lose? According to Pomeroy, not until Feb. 11. But the Heels haven't made it through the last two Januarys without a loss. Last year it was Maryland, the year before, Va. Tech.

Someone like Miami may pull off a big upset in Chapel Hill on Jan. 17, but…it's just hard to imagine. Maybe the Heels won't go unbeaten, but if they lose, it's going to be to a Top 10 team.

ARE SOONERS THE ONE?

Oklahoma (12-0) isn't the nation's best team. That's Carolina. But the Sooners may very well be the last team to lose a game this season because of their schedule. The Big 12 isn't a pushover like C-USA (read: Memphis of 2007-08), but Texas, Kansas and K-State aren't as good as last year and it's unclear just how good Baylor is.

The Sooners are the class of the conference. Their toughest road game until February is Jan. 10 at K-State. After that, OU doesn't play a Top 25 team on the road until Feb. 11 at Baylor. Oddly enough, that's the day Duke plays North Carolina.

If there ever was a day to see college hoops' final unbeaten teams lose, that's the day.

Sophomores are stealing the show this season. Guys like Oklahoma's Blake Griffin, Arizona State's James Harden, Pitt's DeJuan Blair, Kentucky's Patrick Patterson and Syracuse's Jonny Flynn have all been among the nation's top players. In fact, it's a pretty nice starting five.

So why would the ACC be any different?

North Carolina's loaded with upperclassmen, but the rest of conference is relying upon its sophomores to lead the way into March.

Wake Forest's dynamite duo of Jeff Teague (perhaps the conference's best all-around player; he's second in scoring, sixth in assists and second in steals) and James Johnson have led the Deacons to a 9-0 start and a No. 10 ranking in the AP poll.

Duke features an outstanding sophomore pair of its own in Kyle Singler (love him) and guard Nolan Smith, who's replaced Greg Paulus as the Devils' starting point guard, much to the rest of the conference's chagrin.

But other guys like Georgia Tech's Gani Lawal, Virginia Tech's Jeff Allen and Clemson's Terrence Oglesby are among the standouts figuring to make this the "Year of the Sophomore" in the ACC.

• Ah, who am I kidding? It's the year of Tyler Hansbrough. He's about to pass Phil Ford for the top spot on the UNC career scoring charts. The question is, what kind of shot will put him over the top?
• One coach who could sorely use a dynamic sophomore or two? N.C. State's Sidney Lowe. It's bad when you're staring at a losing streak to Eastern Carolina.
• Wish I had a "Baddass" name...
• Arizona finally agreed to give freshman Jeff Withey a release. Kansas and Indiana are both interested in the 6-11 freshman. The Wildcats (7-2) are faring well without Lute Olson, but interim coach Russ Pennell doesn't want the job full-time. He doesn't think he can bring in big-time recruits.
• Tougher rebuilding job: Obama and the U.S. economy or his brother-in-law Craig Robinson at Oregon State?
• Ohio State's David Lighty is the one guy left from the "Thad Five." (For those trivia-minded fans out there, the rest were Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Daequan Cook and JC transfer Othello Hunter) He's also the driving force behind the Buckeyes' 6-0 start.
• UCLA's getting ready for a cream-puff schedule before Pac-10 play begins.
• In case you hadn't heard, that Curry guy has a younger brother, Seth. The 6-1 freshman – who's averaging nearly 22 points a game – is making a name for himself at Liberty.
• Kentucky is looking for someone – anyone! – who can make a 3-pointer besides Jodie Meeks.
• And finally, what happens when you average more than 31 victories a season for the past four years yet only start 5-2? Talk circulates about "must-win games." Yeesh. To his credit, Memphis coach John Calipari says that kind of talk is ridiculous.

Would've blogged on this earlier, but today's been a wreck. Hate those days. On those kinds of days, it's best to just be brief.

On that note, a 60-foot buzzer-beater that sent Cleveland State to an upset of No. 11 Syracuse. We should be so lucky to see a finish like this in March.

OK, maybe the Stephen Curry adulation is going too far…

That may sound weird given this blog's man crush on the Davidson star. (What can I say? The guy makes for interesting posts.) But it's true. The Curry crush has reached such proportions that CBS is going to rob most of the country of a Top 10 showdown Saturday in favor of Curry's Wildcats.

Yes, it seems that No. 2 UConn vs. No. 8. Gonzaga may be a regional broadcast in favor of Davidson's game vs. Purdue. CBS' TV sked lists both UConn-Gonzaga and Purdue-Davidson as regional games, but check out this story from the Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy, who offers up the network's likely plan.

Given Saturday's monster hoops slate -- Connecticut vs. Gonzaga, Michigan State at Texas, Duke vs. Xavier, Syracuse at Memphis and Purdue vs. Davidson, all Top 25 showdowns -- and the heat Curry's garnered this season, there may not be a huge outcry over the decision. People want to see the kid play. Simple as that.

Sigh.

The other factor conspiring against hoops fans wishing to see the game is that the sport doesn't garner much attention until after the Super Bowl and March Madness comes into view. TV ratings never jump off the charts until March (and sometimes not even then), which means a December game featuring schools not named North Carolina, Kentucky, Duke or UCLA isn't likely to fare well.

With any luck, CBS will make the Huskies and Zags the national game. Some of us would love to see a Final Four preview three months in advance.

Spent Friday and Saturday moving. Emerged from a no-news cocoon Sunday morning, only to read in wonder about Ben Woodside's monster Friday night.

Man, 60 points. And I thought I was busy.

The senior guard tied an NCAA record by hitting 30-of-35 free throws in a 112-111 loss triple overtime loss. It tied a mark by – who else? – LSU's Pete Maravich and was the highest point total by a D-I player since Arizona State's Eddie House dumped 61 on Cal.

"Woodside's performance was absolutely phenomenal," North Dakota State coach Saul Phillips said. "He really played well and he played hard. We certainly saw something special tonight."

Woodside's scoring outburst grabbed some national attention Saturday. He received a phone call from ESPN's Jimmy Dykes and was lauded by Seth Davis and Fran Fraschilla. No surprise there. We love scoring.

Some historic nuggets on high-scoring nights:

• Woodside is the 19^th D-I player to score at least 60 points against a D-I foe and the first since House. Pistol Pete topped 60 four times, with a high of 69 vs. Alabama in 1970. Only U.S. International's Kevin Bradshaw has broken 70.
• Sixty has been broken 25 times in all – including seven times during the 1969-70 season. (Seven players averaged more than 30 points a game that season, headed by Maravich's 44.5 ppg; what everyone was doing that season, I have no idea.)
• Furman's Frank Selvy holds the overall D-I scoring record, hitting 100 against Newberry in 1954.
• Portland State's Freeman Williams topped 60 three times (including 81 against Rocky Mountain in 1978), but they were all against non D-I foes.

The season's other scoring star, Stephen Curry, dumped 41 on Chattanooga Saturday. Will he hit 60 this season? If he gets to the free-throw line 35 times, I'd say it's a done deal.

Gonzaga's dismantling (well, second-half dismantling) of Washington State on Wednesday has the Pacific Northwest buzzing.

Jeremy Pargo was brilliant, Josh Heytvelt has never played better and the Zags' supporting cast is full of long, athletic players. The Zags don't lack confidence, either. How good are they? "As good as everyone says we are," Heytvelt told the Seattle Times.

Hey, the guy's got a point.

The Zags are ranked No. 4 in both polls and have already beaten Tennessee, Maryland and Oklahoma State. With Arizona looming Sunday and UConn on Dec. 20, Gonzaga's non-conference schedule has plenty of marquee opponents that builds an impressive résumé for March. The Bulldogs have long been one of college hoops' standout teams, but they're trying to reach another level this season. Looks like they'll get there, too.

The quick sum-up: Gonzaga is loaded with talent, plays defense (once a rarity in Spokane) and can score like usual. That makes 'em prime Final Four material, along with North Carolina, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Duke and Oklahoma (or so). So there's that. We'll see if it happens.

Until then, here's a better question: Who's going to beat Gonzaga?

We've already had speculation about North Carolina going undefeated this season (mostly because the Heels are so good, it's insane). Yes, once ACC play is loaded with potential pitfalls. But the Heels are really good.

Gonzaga isn't as good, but its road to an unbeaten season is just as probable. If they get by the Wildcats and Huskies, only five games remain that could derail a perfect regular season – if that.

• Dec. 31 at Utah
• Jan. 7 at Tennessee
• Jan. 29 vs. St. Mary's
• Feb. 7 vs. Memphis
• Feb 12 at St. Mary's

At Utah and the home game against St. Mary's, the WCC's second-best team, should actually be locks, but they could be close to start. The other three are more interesting. I'd guess Gonzaga will be favored against Memphis and in trip to St. Mary's, but consider those toss-ups.

The Jan. 7 game against the Vols figures to be the biggest obstacle to a perfect season. The Zags already handled Tennessee once this season (83-74 at the Old Spice Classic in November), but heading to Knoxville is an entirely different animal. The Vols ended Memphis' run at a perfect season last year, and while they're not as impressive this season, expect Bruce Pearl's squad to be ready for the Bulldogs.

And for the rest of us to see a run at history.

So you've got Stephen Curry fever? Don't worry. It's spreading.

Here's what you do.

Click on this link. Either print out or write down the dates listed. Take note of any notable Davidson opponents (Purdue and Duke, for instance) because those games will be on TV (like Tuesday night's game against West Virginia).

If the Wildcats aren't on TV, try this online link to the radio broadcast. But be sure to catch the televised games. Once Davidson begins Southern Conference play, Curry won't be on the tube until the Big Dance begins.

Chuck Burton/AP

That's the problem with the nation's must-see hoops phenomenon. Curry just isn't on TV enough.

Maybe this is what it was like back in the day when people wanted to watch Pistol Pete. People had to search for LSU box scores to read about Maravich's exploits. Soon, that'll be the case for Curry.

After all, how many times will you see a player score 44 points one night, be held scoreless a week later because an opponent double-teamed him the entire game, then come back with another 44-point performance?

I can't wait to see what Curry does next. It's a Curry Contagion.

The last player that really took college hoops by storm like this was Kevin Durant, but that didn't really start until he dueled Oklahoma State's Mario Boggan in a double OT thriller in Jan. Everyone's known about Curry because of last March, and he's exceeded expectations this season.

He's can't-miss material. Simple as that.

(UPDATE: Even when he struggles, like against the Mountaineers, it's good TV. He scored 8 points in the final 1:12, including two 23-foot 3s. And, if you haven't yet, be sure to read this Q&A with Curry. Sounds very humble -- and a five-handicap in golf!)

I'm curious – who was the last "can't-miss" player in college hoops? Who was the last guy that was so good you couldn't miss them on TV?

Duke's Jay Williams was close (for the vicious Dunks and silly shooting range). Same with Kenyon Martin (he was good for a jaw-dropping block every game as a senior). But neither one was in Curry's class.

What do you think? Who have been your "can't-miss" players?

Old school refrain: The best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores. And sometimes, they become really good sophomores.

Example A: Arizona State's James Harden.

The 6-foot-5 guard was already one of the nation's top freshmen last season, averaging 17.8 points per game, which was 8^th best in Pac-10 history. But he was just one of several fabulous freshmen. Even the Pac-10 featured two freshmen in O.J. Mayo and Jerryd Bayless who bested Harden's scoring average, and another in Kevin love who was the conference's player of the year.

This season, forget all of that. Harden's taken his game to another level.

In a season where Steph Curry's already dropped 44 on two different teams, Blake Griffin is going for nearly 20-20 a game and vying with Luke Harangody and DeJuan Blair as the dominant big men and where Tyler Hansbrough hasn't even become fully healthy, Harden's making his own case in the player of the year race.

The raw numbers alone are impressive: 25.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 4.3 apg and nearly 2 steals an outing.

But when you consider that Harden's Points Per Weighted Shot (1.44) tops beats an efficient low-post beast like Griffin (1.37) and perhaps the nation's best shooter in Curry (1.3), it's a tribute to just how much better Harden's filling it up this season.

Nevermind that Harden's 67.3 eFG% percentage boggles the mind. Dude scores and few people can stop him. Witness the 40-point night he turned in earlier this season against UTEP.

"Yeah, it's crazy, because it doesn't really seem like he's doing that," senior Jeff Pendergraph told the East Valley Tribune.

"You'll just watch and he'll get a couple buckets, and you'll be like, 'All right, he has 10. Cool, cool.' And then he'll mellow out for a bit, (but) then the next thing I know, I'm looking up at the (scoreboard) and I'm like, 'Yo, is that like 30-something? Are you kidding me? Where the heck did he get 30 points from?' It's insane."

Take Sunday, for instance. Harden didn't have a field goal for more than 19 minutes, but he still turned in a fine all-around effort of 20 points, nine boards and six assists in an easy win vs. Nebraska. This doesn't even get into Harden's defense – which star scorers usually forget to play.

"So many of the good things that happen to us are a function of James,'' ASU coach Herb Sendek said. "Whether he scores or sets the table for one of his teammates, he's really special.''

It makes sense. Harden's not a brash player and mostly wants to ensure the Sun Devils end their NCAA tournament drought. It shouldn't be a problem.

They're off to their second 7-1 start since 1990, but unlike last season's 14-2 start that resulted in a stumbling finish and a spot in the NIT, ASU should be in the Pac-10 title hunt. UCLA is struggling, while Oregon, Washington State and Arizona don't have the same firepower from previous seasons.

And if Harden can lead ASU – Arizona State!—to a Pac-10 title, he might just snag some of the national hardware from those guys in Chapel Hill, Davidson, Norman and South Bend.

Some things never change.

Duke continues to rule the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, turning in an impressive 76-60 road win at No. 9 Purdue.

The Devils are now 10-0 in the event, and will likely help the ACC win the event once again. UNC and Wake Forest are pretty much locks to win on Wednesday, which leaves Maryland, Florida State and Georgia Tech to win one game between them. Like I said, some things never change.

What should change, however, is Kyle Singler's star status. He was an impressive freshman last season, but through eight games this year, he's making a case to be an All-American.

Lynn Hey/AP

Kyle Singler

The 6-8 forward is averaging 17.1 points and 7.5 rebounds an outing, with an impressive 1.185 PPWS. (Singler doesn't make 3s at a high percentage, which drags down his PPWS a bit.) Nice stats, to be sure.

But let's go old media and throw out a little praise FireJoeMorgan (RIP) would likely tear apart.

Singler's a pleasure to watch play. Simple as that. He's a smooth, selfless player who attacks the boards and blends into Duke's offense with ease. As a freshman, he sometimes took a backseat to his teammates, but he's a more complete, more confident player this season. Part of that comes with maturity, and part of it comes with Duke's need to fill DaMarcus Nelson's leadership role.

"I'm just myself," Singler told the News & Observer. "The main thing the guys are seeing now, last year I was a freshman. I deferred to other guys. This year, I know I have to be myself. I tell our freshmen, as soon as you learn that, you'll start playing better."

It's showing. He was confident down the stretch in a nerve-testing Nov. 16 win against Rhode Island, earning praise from Coach K as a guy who "willed us to win." Less than a week later, Singler helped Duke claim the 2K Sports Classic title and took MVP honors after a 71-56 win against Michigan (who he'll see again on Saturday.)

As the Devils (8-0) continue to win, expect more and more attention to be heaped upon Singler. He's their best all-around player and, along with swingman Gerald Henderson, the Devils' best pro prospect, which means plenty of NBA talk will surround him later this season.

And he'll be worth the hype.

The 10^th annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge began with a rarity – a Big Ten victory.

Still, the odds of the Big Ten taking its first-ever Challenge "title" aren't so good. It's going to be close, though.

Wisconsin's last second 74-72 victory (Trevon Hughes delivers!) was just the second time in the event's history that the Big Ten opened the event with a win. Ohio State was the other, in 2005. It's a nice start for a league which has a couple of Final Four contenders and a handful of Sweet 16 teams.

But if the ratings on kenpom.com or from Jeff Sagarin are to be believed, the ACC is going to win this thing, again. (Click here for a preview and here for TV listings.)

Tuesday figures to be a fun day with probably the best basketball.

Boston College should win easily at home against Iowa. Same for Minnesota against Virginia. The ratings favor Duke on the road vs. Purdue (me too, though it's gonna be tight), while the other two games are toss-ups.

The Blue Devils and Purdue matchup is probably the best game of the week. They're evenly matched in terms of offensive and defensive efficiency (both are right around 112.0-80.0) and love to shoot the 3. If you set up a game for athletic guards and swingmen who could shoot, this would be it.

Sagarin likes Miami to beat Ohio State and Illinois to hold off Clemson, mostly because of a home-court advantage. You ask me, it'll be just as accurate to flip a coin.

Wednesday should feature a massive blowout – Wake Forest beating Indiana –one marquee matchup – North Carolina vs. Michigan State, which the Heels should win – and one massively entertaining game in Michigan vs. Maryland. (Penn State at Georgia Tech and Florida State at Northwestern? Eh…)

The marquee game could be over quickly if UNC finds its rhythm early on, which is why Maryland-Michigan may be the more entertaining game to watch. John Beilein's Wolverines have already beaten UCLA, but the Terps were dynamite vs. Michigan State. Not sure what to expect except a good game.

For more on the Challenge, check out the Spartans Weblog and the Big Ten Geeks. Both sites will have Big Ten spins, but the reading is worth it.

As if No. 1 North Carolina didn't have enough going for it this season.

The reigning national player of the year, one of the nation's top backcourts, loads of talented freshmen, a deep bench and the guidance of coach Roy Williams have made the Tar Heels the team to beat.

Now, it looks like karma may be on the Heels' side, too.

On the plane ride home from the Maui Invitational, two players, Tyler Hansbrough (Mr. All Everything) and Deon Thompson helped carry an unconscious passenger to the airplane's galley where paramedics treated him. This was the day after beating Notre Dame for the tourney title.

 "I just saw him and the guy looked like he was almost dead, basically," Thompson told the AP. "I was kind of scared at that point in time. They needed us to help carry him, so we carried him."

OK, so it wasn't like they ran into a burning building to rescue a baby or jumped into a lake to pull someone from a car. But it was a pretty good thing to do. It was a team effort.

"I had him under his shoulders and head, Tyler had him under the lower back, and Deon had his legs,'' video coordinator Eric Hoots told the Raleigh News & Observer. "You know those aisleways in planes are small, so we were just trying to lift him and get him back there ... as quickly as possible."

Looks like karma paid attention. Hansbrough didn't play during the Heels' game on Sunday against UNC Asheville, but they still won by 68. Heck, UNC broke 100 with about five minutes left. No word if Danny Green helped an old lady across the street before the game.

Great players, a Hall of Fame coach and good deeds? We'll see if Michigan State has something to say about karma on Wednesday….