The last time UCLA began a season like this, Steve Lavin ended up out of a job. That's not going to happen to Ben Howland – those three straight trips to the Final Four just happened – but a 2-4 start isn't sitting well in Westwood.

Not one bit.

It comes with the territory when you have 11 national championship banners hanging from the roof.

Jae C. Hong/AP

UCLA's Reeves Nelson goes up for a shot against Long Beach State's Eugene Phelps.

This long post at Bruins Nation details the Bruins' biggest problems, from Jerime Anderson's issues running the point, Adam Keefe's lack of ability and Howland's stubbornness when it comes to making adjustments. The blogger is still optimistic about a successful season, but admits it's gonna take some time.

And a lot of work. Howland admits just about everything must improve.

"We've got to defend better, shoot better and make good decisions," he told the Orange County Register.

UCLA is OK at its twos (53.1 percent), but terrible beyond the arc (26 percent). It's turning the ball over every five possessions and opponents have an eFG% of 50.3, by far the worst of Howland's tenure.

The strange thing is, defense has rarely been the Bruins' problem. They thrived on offense last season and regressed a bit on 'D,' but were still respectable according to kenpom.com's ratings.

But now, Howland's so desperate he may play … zone. (What's next? Dick Vitale going with a  "less is more" approach?)  

"We may have to play some zone," said the coach who built his program on scrappy, man-to-man defense. "We're definitely going to have to play softer and pack it in because we're getting beat."

The reasons are laid out here, but it comes down to UCLA's players aren't able to stay in front of defenders. It ruins their entire defensive scheme. And with the defense struggling – and the offense unable to shoot – it adds up to a 2-4 start.

Don't expect anything to get better right away, though. No. 1 Kansas comes to Pauley on Sunday.

Mike Miller also spends way too much time on Twitter. Follow him at @BeyndArcMMiller.

Villanova freshman Mouphtaou Yarou was supposed to help ease the loss of Daunte Cunningham, Dwayne Anderson and Shane Clark. The 6-10 forward was the prize of a stellar recruiting class for coach Jay Wright, a guy who was big, athletic and could potentially blossom into a post presence the Wildcats rarely have.

That may have to wait a year.

Drew Hallowell/Getty

Mouphtaou Yarou blocks a shot against Penn.

According to a report from FOXSports.com's Jeff Goodman, Yarou will likely miss the rest of the season due to a condition that's not life-threatening. Yarou was sent home from the Puerto Rico Tip-Off due to a viral infection. His absence is probably related to that, but no word on what that reason is yet.

So what's it mean for Villanova -- if he is out for the year? It's not a killer, it just reduces their frontcourt depth.

Yarou played a total of 37 minutes in blowout wins against Fairleigh Dickinson and Penn, and wasn't really a factor in either game, averaging 5 points, 4 rebounds and 1 block. 'Nova (6-0) played well enough to win the Tip-Off without Yarou, winning close games against George Mason, Dayton and Ole Miss.

That leaves Antonio Pena and Taylor King as the team's only capable big men. When Reggie Redding returns from a suspension it'll give 'Nova a little more size, but nothing substantial.

Still, I don't think it sinks their Big East title hopes of Final Four aspirations. Villanova's defense doesn't rely on big guys swatting shots, but mobile, aggressive wing players who can play man-to-man and crash the boards when needed.

Mike Miller's random musings can also be found on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller).

Did you miss some of the college hoops action this week? Yeah, me too. That's what happens when you visit family for Thanksgiving.

Thankfully, Ballin' Is a Habit has you and me covered. It's all there, from the standout players to tournament recaps and the big storylines.

You know, stuff like UCLA's struggles, Gonzaga's star turn in Maui, Willie Warren's benching, Duke's surprisingly one-sided win over UConn and a mention of perhaps the Big Ten's best player Manny Harris.

And for those curious about the plethora of upsets thus far, the guys over at the Mid-Majority have an entertaining back-and-forth regarding the Red Line (what they refer to as an upset because of how the money falls in college hoops).

According to their numbers, there have been 57 upsets of the six power conferences, the A-10 and C-USA thus far. They didn't hit that number until Dec. 6 last season.

So read up, because the ACC-Big Ten Challenge is just a few hours away. And that means a lot more hoops to watch.

Sometimes I have more to say on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller), which is strange because it only allows you to write 140 characters at a time. So check it out.

West Virginia ended Portland's marvelous run in the 76 Classic, but not until the Pilots turned themselves into the talk of Feast Week.

Handing Ben Howland the worst loss of his UCLA tenure will do that.

Portland (5-1) had already beaten Oregon this season, but cemented itself as one of the mid-majors the big boys want to avoid after demolishing the Bruins and edging Minnesota on back-to-back nights.

The Pilots may not be done surprising BCS schools, either. A Dec. 19 trip to Washington remains before they turn their attention to the WCC schedule. Looks like Gonzaga, San Diego and St. Mary's have some competition.

Speaking of the Zags, they're in 5 Things to Watch this week. But first, the ACC-Big Ten Challenge awaits.

Eric Gay/AP

Deon Thompson and Draymond Green fight for a rebound in the 2009 NCAA championship.

Is this the Big Ten's year?
The ACC has won this event every year, which is a little ridiculous. Sure, the ACC is lauded as the better conference, but even if that's true – because that's debatable – how has the Big Ten never won this thing?

It's come down to one game five times in 10 seasons, including last year's event, which the ACC took 6-5. Can the ACC really win 'em all?

Virginia-Penn State kicks off the event on Monday (ESPN2). Five more follow on Tuesday and Wednesday. The biggies – the title rematch between UNC and Michigan State, Wake Forest vs. Purdue, Clemson vs. Illinois, B.C. vs. Michigan and Duke vs. Wisconsin – land on both days, so watch both nights. (A complete schedule is here.)

So who wins?

This season's been strange. Michigan's dropped two straight, UNC has struggled and N.C. State is unbeaten. That's me saying "Could Minnesota lose at Miami? You bet." If the home teams all win, the Big Ten takes it. (The Only Colors has more on the home game issues for the Big Ten.)

But that would mean Duke losing to Wisconsin, Maryland losing to Indiana and Virginia Tech falling to Iowa. All three of those are hard to swallow. If the ACC can't pull off all three of those wins though … this is the year. So keep an eye on the Duke-Wisconsin game. That winner takes the event.

A day to remember
That last batch of ACC-Big Ten games aren't the only hoops action to watch on Wednesday. There are at least 11 other intriguing games you should pay attention, if not head to the nearest sports bar with the most screens available.

All the games are listed below (all times ET), with a short reason why you should care.

• Arkansas at Oklahoma, 8 p.m. (revenge game for Sooners)
• Cal at New Mexico, 9 p.m. (6-0 Lobos will be handful for Bears)
• Missouri at Vanderbilt, 9:30 p.m. (Important game come bubble time for both)
• Siena at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. (GaelsSaints could use the résumé boost)
• Dayton at Miami, Ohio, 7 p.m. (Flyers can't afford to lose one to my favorite quote)
• Pittsburgh at Duquense, 7 p.m. (Not really an "away game" but a good one)
• Western Kentucky vs. South Carolina, 7 p.m. (Hilltoppers pull the upset)
• Northern Iowa vs. Iowa State, 8 p.m. (Mo Valley's best against future pro Craig Brackins)
• Oklahoma State at Tulsa, 8 p.m. (Cowboys will have hands full against Jerome Jordan)
• UNLV at Arizona, 9 p.m. (Rebs just beat Louisville, Cards'Cats are next)
• Washington State at Gonzaga, 9 p.m. (This one needs more than one line)

A reason to stay up late
East Coasters should do themselves a favor and find this game on the tube. How often do you get to see tournament winners matchup like this? The Zags just won the Maui Invitational, while the Cougs took the Great Alaska shootout.

Gonzaga's already been through the wringer against the BCS schools, but this one's a little different. Wazzu may as well be a cross-town rival since they play pretty much every year.  The Cougs took games in 2006 and '07, but that's about it.

Can Klay Thompson – he of the 43-point performance against San Diego – carry the Cougs, or will Gonzaga's big men wear down Washington State? I say stay up late and see.

The race for 2,000
Hoopheads and fans of Kentucky and North Carolina can't wait to see which school reaches 2,000 career victories first. (More on that here.)

But Saturday allows the two to go head-to-head – and maybe even let UNC make up a little ground (the Heels are four behind through Sunday). And rest assured, Big Blue Nation badly wants to win this one.

For starters, it's at Rupp Arena. The Heels have won the last five (dating back to 2004) and hold the overall edge, 21-10. Also, a loss would likely be Kentucky's first of the season (it plays UNC Asheville Monday), and would cut into its overall lead.

Those reasons are more than enough to motivate the 'Cats.

Another blue blood showdown
No. 1 Kansas travels to Westwood to face the reeling Bruins on Sunday, but it could be a slightly different UCLA squad than we've seen thus far.

The Bruins (2-4) are coming off a loss to Long Beach State and have a week to prepare to prepare for KU. They'll be motivated, ready – few coaches prepare for a foe better than Howland – and should finally have freshman Tyler Honeycutt. He missed the first six games with a stress reaction in his right leg and gives them an inside presence they desperately need.

Still, this is Kansas. Even if Cole Aldrich has an off-day, the Jayhawks can throw wave after wave of players at the Bruins. Mostly, it'll be another good test for Bill Self's squad, which has beaten up on inferior opponents at home (they've beaten Hofstra, Central Arkansas, Oakland and Tennessee Tech by an average of 39 points) and escaped against Memphis on a neutral court.

Which Jayhawk team shows up Sunday?

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

For those who traveled for the Thanksgiving holiday, were away from a computer or even out of the country (I was all 3), SI.com's Luke Winn has your must-read story for the week.

Thanksgiving week used to be about the Maui Invitational, the Great Alaska Shootout and – if you could find it on TV – the San Juan Shootout. Now, there are about 35 early season tournaments because decision the NCAA made that encouraged the creation of many, many multi-team events. In 2006, there were 58 of 'em!

But what the rule really did was allow ESPN to dominate the college hoops coverage.

The network used to need the NCAA's financial supervisions to create its own programming. As Winn writes, ESPN Regional Television, an event-management and marketing subsidiary of ESPN, began its own tournament, the eight-team Old Spice Classic. Essentially, the network no longer needs the people who used to organize and run the tourneys. And some of those people are pissed.

As Lee Frederick, the president of Sport Tours, which ran the San Juan Shootout, puts it, ESPN dominates because it has the most money and can make its own rules.

"ESPN is the gorilla that's coming after all of us, trying to eat us all up. F--- ESPN," he told Winn. "Print that. F--- ESPN. They think history started with them. Well, they didn't create s---. They just have more money than God."

It's a fascinating read about what goes into these tournaments, including how the fields are chosen, what types of groups run the events and what the future might hold for them.

It's easy to cast ESPN as the bad guy in all of this – goliath always is, right? – but as Rush the Court has detailed, it's not like some of the other non-ESPN run tourneys are set up to be anything other than a way to manipulate preferred matchups in order to make money.

Mostly, the tourneys exist as a way for teams to play more games (and presumably improve) and perhaps give fans a way to watch more early season hoops. Nothing more, nothing less. It's all just business until March, anyway.

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

People say a lot of things about John Calipari. Top-flight recruiter. Builder of programs. Shady coach. Winner. Take your pick.

But I'm not sure how often this one gets thrown around: Calipari produces NBA point guards.

It's the subject of a Dimemag.com article titled "The biggest myth in college basketball." The author writes how Calipari doesn't really produce NBA point guards. True, his last two point guards – Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans – are NBA players right now. But both would've been in the league, regardless of what Calipari did. Same goes for John Wall, the freshman who's currently playing at Kentucky.

And other players under Calipari, Darius Washington, Dajuan Wagne, Willie Kemp and Antonio Burks, among others, aren't NBA-caliber players. Where did Calipari's get this point guard reputation? I have no idea. Perhaps it's passed around in NBA circles and on blogs I don't read.

ANYWAY, labeling the notion that Calipari produces NBA point guards as the biggest myth in college basketball seems more than a little ridiculous. Mostly, I wonder who talks about it. Agents? AAU coaches? Scouts? It doesn't qualify as a myth.

For that matter, are there any great myths in college hoops? Maybe there are just notions, which are true … sometimes.

You know, stuff like this:

• The Big Ten is brutally slow. (Not always)
• Guard-oriented teams rule in March. (I blame '97 Arizona for this one.)
• Defense wins titles. (UNC averaged 90.2 ppg last season, 2^nd in the nation, and topped kenpom.com's ratings.)
• Everyone hates Duke. (Not everyone. Just a lot of people.)

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Who ya got in the race to 2,000 wins?

What? You haven't been keeping track of which program – Kentucky, North Carolina or Kansas – will reach 2,000 career victories first? Don't worry, you're not alone.

Andy Lyons/Getty

John Wall

Only hoopheads and fans of UK, UNC and KU really keep track of which school will hit that milestone first. And it's really only the big fans. After all, 2,000 wins is just a number. Sure, it's big, round number, but it doesn't have any significance on college hoops other than no school has won that many games before. (Most would rather be the first to 12 NCAA tournament championships; though UCLA has a huge head start…)

ANYWAY, it's still fun to talk about. It was the first question in Ken Davis' mailbag this week (have a question for Ken? Click here), and he's going with Kentucky. Smart move. Kansas entered the season 30 wins shy of 2,000, which puts them too far back of the other blue bloods. UNC entered the season 16 shy, while the 'Cats were just 12 shy. That difference is going to be too much for the Heels to cover.

According to sites that have broken down the race, the odds of Carolina getting to 2,000 first is tiny. After beating Cleveland State on Tuesday, the 'Cats are seven shy of 2,000. UNC is 11 back. Even if Carolina win the Dec. 5 showdown in Kentucky, that small margin is too great.

More interesting is this tidbit: If Kentucky goes 11-3 (possible), it'll be going for win No. 2,000 against Rick Pitino and Louisville on Jan. 2.

I can only imagine the sheer number of stories a game like that would produce…

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Now that's more like it.

Brennan Linsley/AP

Purdue's Robbie Hummel, left, fights for a rebound with Tennessee's J.P. Prince and teammate Keaton Grant.

Most ranked matchups this season have either been sloppy or one-sided. The Paradise Jame championship was neither.

Purdue's 73-72 win against Tennessee was nearly everything one could hope for in a Top 10 showdown – in November, or any month.

It was close throughout (a six-point lead was the most either could muster) and featured defense, impressive offensive displays (Tyler Smith's full-court drive-and-dunk is bound for top plays) and some late-game drama.

In a 72 possession game, both teams were right around 1 PPP (Purdue 1.009, Tennessee .996), a testament to good defense and offense. Both took care of the ball (12 turnovers is excellent for any game) and were OK at getting to the line. Neither team shot lights out (47.4 eFG% for Purdue, 46.2 for the Vols), but that was because of the 3-pointers. (Don't ask.)

It also provided a glimpse of two teams that have enough talent and skill to meet again in the Final Four. It wasn't pretty, but it was still a good game.

In fact, the game's final play was about the only thing I'd change. Was Wayne Chism really the Vols' best option for taking the game-winner?

(shakes head)

But hey, it's November. It's early in the season. Expecting a true classic at this point is probably too much.

Or not. Maybe the 76 Classic (West Virginia vs. Butler?) or the NIT (UConn vs. Duke) could be the ones…

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

I don't subscribe to the Journal of Sports Sciences, but it sounds like the latest issue contains a must-read article.

In a study of 365 games, including 93 played on neutral courts, a group of professors found that yes, refs are biased for the home team and "make-up" calls do exist. They also make more calls against teams in the lead – which can grow in the game is on national TV. Essentially, they're trying to keep the game close.

The next time that obnoxious fan behind complains about the officiating, he might have a point. Here's the tell-tale reason behind the study.

"Part of the reason for the study came from something my coach used to tell me," said study co-author Kyle Anderson, who played at Division III Knox College. "He said a team can come in and push and shove and grab and hold, and by the end of the game, or end of the half, they've only got one or two more fouls because officials kind of get tired of calling it."

Among the study's key findings?

The probability of a foul being called on the visiting team was 7 percent higher than on the home team.

When the home team is leading, the probability of the next foul being called on them was about 6.3 percentage points higher than when the home team was trailing. The professors also cited an earlier study that concluded there were more calls against teams ahead in games on national TV versus those ahead in locally televised games. Calling fouls against the leading team tends to keep games closer, the studies said.

The bigger the difference in fouls between the two teams playing, the more likely it was that the next call would come against the team with fewer fouls. When the home team had five or more fouls than the visiting team, there was a 69 percent chance the visiting team would be whistled for the next foul.

Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News says that the refs don't deserve all the blame, though. Give some to the coaches, who teach their players how to bump cutters and root offensive players out of their post position.

Fair enough. Now can well agree that we don't want the game doesn't get bogged down in fouls?

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

OK, so everyone (me included) who didn't include Syracuse on their preseason Top 25s turned out to be dumb. Only the coaches' poll listed the Orange, and they were No. 25 in that.

But after crushing Cal (then ranked 13^th) and North Carolina (No. 6) last week, Syracuse vaulted to No. 10 in the AP poll, one of the biggest jumps in the poll's history. Only two teams went from unranked to higher – and both 'em logged more impressive wins, hard as that is to believe.

The most impressive move from unranked to ranked was Kansas' jump in to No. 4 in 1989 after beating No. 2 LSU, No. 1 UNLV and No. 25 St. John's in the Preseason NIT.

Second on the list was Arizona coming in at No. 8 in 2001 following wins over No. 2 Maryland and No. 7 Florida in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic and a victory over No. 23 Texas.

Still, give the Orange their props. No team's had a better start thus far. (No other team's played two Top 15 teams either, but hey, just sayin'.)

Should they be higher, lower? Does it matter? Now they'll do the slow burn to Big East conference play, with only a Dec. 10 showdown against Florida looming as a possible stumbling point. 'Cuse is going to be a Big East title contender, though BP's John Gasaway says there one important thing to note about the start: The offense probably can't play any better.

Me, paraphrasing: 'Cuse is making 63 percent of its twos (only Georgetown's made more than 57.7 percent of their twos in conference play in the last seven years), scored 1.16 PPP vs. Cal and UNC (insanely good) and Wesley Johnson, as good as he is, probably won't continue to make 47 percent of his 3s and 62 percent of his 2s. If he does, he should go No. 1 in the draft.

So Syracuse is playing really, really good right now. Don't expect it to get better … but that wouldn't be possible, right?

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

It wasn't pretty or efficient, but Villanova emerged from a solid tournament field unbeaten. The 'Cats may even be a little bit better because of it.

Ricardo Arduengo/AP

Corey Stokes blocks a shot from George Mason's Johnny Williams.

A 79-67 win against Ole Miss on Sunday was just the capper of a tourney that revolved around defense and perseverance.

"You know, this tournament is a great tournament with all the teams that are in it," said senior guard Scottie Reynolds, who scored 21 vs. the Rebs. "(We) haven't really been tested against a tough team, and we beat three tough teams."

Those teams include George Mason (which nearly knocked off Georgia Tech, then beat Indiana) and No. 18 Dayton (deep and aggressive on defense, just like 'Nova), none of which scored more than a point per possession or shot better than 40 percent from the field.

Remember the stifling defense Villanaova used to smack Duke in the NCAA tournament last March? It hasn't gone anywhere.

Yes, the Wildcats' offense was simply good enough. They went for .992, .989 and .95 PPP in three games and never topped 45 percent eFG%. But what else would you expect when they're without big men Reggie Redding – a starter last season – and star freshman Mouphtaou Yarou? (Yarou went home due to a viral infection, while Redding is still serving a suspension.)

When they return, could it be the best of both worlds -- a better offense and a defense that's just as potent? May have to wait until Big East play begins to have that question answered.

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Perhaps every team should lose to a D-II school before the season starts. It sure didn't hurt Syracuse.

The Orange (4-0) wrapped up an impressive start to the season by dismantling Cal and North Carolina in Coaches vs. Cancer. "That's about as good as it gets," said coach Jim Boeheim, "and it was against North Carolina and it was here."

Ray Stubblebine/Reuters

Wesley Johnson shoots against UNC.

With Wesley Johnson as an emerging star and the point guard duo of Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche, it turns out the Orange are gonna be just fine without Jonny Flynn. To think that just 3 weeks ago that Internet chatter (and SportsCenter lede) centered around their exhibition loss to LeMoyne is a little stunning. Not that Syracuse wasn't capable of a winning plenty of games. But doing this soon was a small surprise – especially on defense.

'Cuse became the first team to hold the Heels to below 1 point per possession (.942) since Kansas did so in the 2008 Final Four. UNC's youth plays a part in that, but give credit to that pesky 2-3 zone that's flummoxed Roy Williams' teams in the past.

Still, it is still November. Nothing at this point of the season should be taken as Gospel. Just ask Boeheim.

"You can't go by what happens early," Boeheim told ESPN. "You can't tell that much from this. You can't tell because it's so early. North Carolina is going to be good. Cal didn't have one of its key guys [Theo Robertson was out with a stress reaction in his right foot]. I think Ohio State is going to be pretty good with Evan Turner, but they don't have a point guard."

Fair enough. With that in mind, here are five things to watch this week.

It's not getting easier for Pac-10 and SEC
No, I didn't forget what Boeheim just said. But the schools that have beaten some Pac-10 and SEC teams this season make a person shake their head.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Loyola-Marymount. Sacramento State. Wofford. Rider. Portland. Oral Roberts. Missouri State. Cal State Fullerton. Some of those were against NCAA-caliber teams (UCLA, Miss State) and some were against rebuilding teams (Stanford, Alabama, Georgia). The Mid-Majority has the best breakdown.

More dangerous mid-major matchups await: Montana-Oregon, Portland-UCLA, Oregon State-George Washington and Morgan State-Arkansas, Princeton-Cal.

If those go according to form, both leagues have showdowns with bigger schools too: Cincy-Vanderbilt, Florida St-Florida, LSU-UConn, Alabama-Baylor, Florida-Michigan St, ASU-Duke, Virginia-Stanford and Arizona-Wisconsin.

Ending the week above. 500 in those games would be a start…

No Big East dropoff?
The Big East, fresh off one of its finest overall season, hasn't missed a beat. The conference didn't lose a game until 12 days into the season. The 36-0 start ended when Providence lost to Alabama on Friday.

But this week should provide more challenges.

Vanderbilt plays host to Cincinnati on Monday. LSU is at UConn on Wednesday, (Kent State faces former coach Stan Heath and UCF the same day), Xavier-Marquette is Thursday, Siena-St. John's is Friday and Saturday has Louisville-UNLV and BC-Providence. If the conference wins four of those, it'll be well on its way to another impressive season.

Holiday treats
The early season tournaments are already underway – surely you watched Ole Miss play Villanova in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, not that Eagles-Bears game – but you don't want to wade into Feast Week without a helpful guide.

For that, turn to Ken Davis' preview. He details the key freshmen and champion predictions.

Whither Devin Ebanks?
West Virginia's sophomore star didn't play in the Mountaineers' opener against Loyolya (Md.) for personal issues. And coach Bob Huggins says he doesn't know if Ebanks will play this week, either.

West Virginia faces The Citadel on Tuesday (don't need Ebanks for that one) and plays in the 76 Classic starting Thursday. It should beat Long Beach State, but it'll need Ebanks for likely matchups against Clemson (Friday) and the title game (Butler, Minnesota or UCLA) on Sunday.

Then again, it doesn't sound like Huggins is even considering Ebanks' return anytime soon. He won't confirm where the 6-8 forward is or hint at what the issue might be. Guess we'll have to be patient to see just how good the Mountaineers can be.

Ole Roy just keeps winning
Provided North Carolina doesn't lose at home to Gardner-Webb on Monday, Roy Williams could earn the 600^th win of his career on Sunday against Nevada.

As far as milestones go, it's well short of Boeheim's 800^th victory earlier this season, but is notable for two reasons: how long it took, and how many more are out there.

Only 2 coaches with at least 600 career victories have better records than Williams, Adolph Rupp and Jerry Tarkanian. Rupp won his 600^th in his 704^th career game; Tark in No. 720. Sunday will be Williams' 739^th career game, which puts him in front of John Wooden (755), Dean Smith (773) and Hank Iba (775).

Williams just turned 59 and isn't even close to retiring. He's won 179 games in six seasons at Chapel Hill. If he coaches until he's 66 (Smith retired at the same age), that's roughly 200 more wins in seven seasons. At that pace, he could very well pass Rupp's mark for fastest to 800 wins. And that would be a remarkable achievement.

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Sign of the times: The South Florida will probe the "issues" raised by an AOL Fanhouse report of numerous violations at the school. Ignoring Internet stories like this used to be easy. No longer.

The lengthy report, written by former Tampa Tribune reporter Brett McMurphy, who covered the Bulls and the Big East for the paper, is fairly well documented and covers a litany of issues, including a basketball aide providing improper transportation to a current player and overseeing open-gym workouts.

I don't know the history between McMurphy and Bulls coach Stan Heath, but it doesn't sound like Heath is impressed.

"You want to keep nickel and diming him," Heath said. "All this little [crap] ... I don't know what this is all about. It's stupid."

Are they serious allegations that could result in NCAA sanctions? Hard to say. It depends on how often they occurred. After all, even little things like phone calls can pile up into one big mess.

If the school deems it didn't gain a competitive advantage from the allegations, they'll likely self-report everything to the NCAA and it won't be a big deal. I mean, even squeaky clean coach can make mistakes.

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Kentucky's defense – or lack of – is killing John Calipari.

Three days after watching Miami of Ohio's Nick Winbush hit 8 of 10 from beyond the arc and escaping thanks to John Wall's late heroics, it was more of the same for the Wildcats against Sam Houston State on Thursday. Corey Allmond made 11 of 16 from deep and finished with 37, a Rupp Arena record. Kentucky still eked out a 102-92 victory, but it didn't sit well with Calipari.

Ed Reinke/AP

John Calipari gives his team directions.

"If we don't do better defensively folks, we are in trouble," he said afterward. "Do you think we can score 100 against everybody? Because we're going to have to. They are going to score 100 against us."

Threes were the biggest problem by far. The Bearkats were 18 of 38 beyond the arc. Their 49.4 eFG% wasn't that impressive, but was enough to irritate Calipari, whose team was sloppy (22 turnovers on 83 possessions? ouch) and did whatever it wanted on offense.

But that's apparently all the 'Cats care about.

"Our execution stinks right now," Calipari said. "It stinks because everybody's trying to get theirs."

The Lexington Herald-Leader has more along those lines, including video. It's worth a listen to hear how exasperated he is.

"We need to get a little better rhythm. Our rhythm stinks right now," Calipari said. "In other words, we race it up, that means shoot it fast. No! You race it up to try to put pressure on (the defense). So they all get in the lane, you pass, pass (to get an uncontested shot)."

The silver lining for Big Blue Nation is that the players realize they have to get better.

"Sometimes we didn't bring it a lot on the defensive end and other times we just messed up on a lack of communication," Daris Miller said. "We didn't play how we wanted to."

I know what practice is going to focus on the next few days…

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It's panic time at Cal. One of the big three could be out a while.

Last year, the Bears relied on Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson for 60 percent of their scoring. After two games this season, they've accounted for 62 percent. They're always the floor (all three played at least 82 percent of Cal's minutes last season) and are their three best shooters.

Suffice to say, Cal needs all three to play, and play well to have a chance at winning the Pac-10 or making a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

Robertson missed Thursday's loss to Syracuse with an undisclosed injury stress reaction to his right foot. And that's an injury that could linger throughout the season.

Robertson will reportedly play through the injury on a "tolerance basis,"which means when it gets worse, he's coming out. Stress reactions aren't season ending – Tyler Hansbrough's was a pain last season, but he did play through it – but it can turn into a stress fracture or even a broken bone.

If that happens, Cal's a two-man show. And that's one show that won't have a very long run in March.

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If you didn't catch up on sleep Wednesday after 24 hours of hoops, you blew it. More days and nights of basketball await, starting Thursday and extending Nov. 29 with the 76 Classic finals.

That's 11 days of 20 college basketball tournaments. It's not round-the-clock action, but it's close. And that doesn't even include the non-tournament games. (A complete schedule can be found here.)

So what to watch? Glad you asked.

Jay LaPrete / AP

Evan Turner will be the main attraction for Thursday's games.

Luke Winn highlighted the 10 best tournaments and listed the teams involved, reasons why you should care and picked winners.

Take particular notice of The Paradise Jam finals on Nov. 23 (a potential Purdue-Tennessee matchup), 76 Classic title game on Nov. 29 (where Butler and West Virginia are likely to meet) and the preseason NIT championship on Nov. 27 (Duke vs. UConn?). All of 'em feature Top 15 showdowns.

But Thursday is the real treat. The Coaches vs. Cancer semifinals involves four ranked teams, while the Puerto Rico Tip-Off has at least five NCAA tournament teams – and it starts with No. 18 Dayton vs. No. 21 Georgia Tech at 11:30 a.m. ET.

How's that for more hoops?

The Flyers – led by dunker extraordinaire Chris Wright – are trying to secure their spot as the A-10's top team and perhaps the country's best mid-major. They displayed uncharacteristically efficient offense during a home win against Creighton, but the Yellow Jackets should provide a much bigger test. You know, because their players are taller.

With 6-9 Gani Lawal and 6-10 Derrick Favors along the frontline, Tech has the size to keep Dayton off the offensive boards (something the Flyers did very well last season), but I anticipate a game very similar to Kansas' win against Memphis Tuesday night – physical and low scoring. The winner gets a likely matchup with Villanova! Lucky!

After that, grab a late lunch and settle in for the CvC semis. Syracuse vs. Cal (7 p.m. ET) kicks things off. Both teams are trying to cement themselves among the game's elite teams, which sets up an intriguing matchup: the Orange's 2-3 zone vs. Cal's 3-point shooters.

The Bears hit 42.7 percent of their 3s last season (tops among D-I teams), and after wins against Murray State and Detroit, they're close to that again (41.4). Yet their defense hasn't fared as well. Opponents are making nearly 50 percent of field-goal attempts. That's just asking Wesley Johnson and Andy Rautins to shoot. A lot.

And if that whets your appetite for offense, you're in luck. North Carolina and Ohio State (9 p.m.) are content to push the pace. Both average more than 70 possessions this season. But would you be surprised to know that the Buckeyes are far more efficient doing so? (Correct, dear reader, you said no. You undoubtedly figured the Heels' relative youth is making it tough for Roy's team to – in analyst speak – score the basketball.)

Perhaps it's because Evan Turner is the next coming of Tyreke Evans, or because William Buford and Jon Diebler are turning into reliable scorers.

But I'd say taking care of the ball helps. A lot. Ohio State's only giving away the ball once every 10 possessions, while UNC is doing so once every four (and forcing foes into turnovers every five possessions). Something's gotta give Thursday night.

Provided Turner can handle those long-armed Carolina defenders (and they are plentiful), the Buckeyes will pull off one of the early season upsets. And it'll have been the perfect way to end a day of hoops.

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Foot injuries prompt worry among college basketball coaches. Sometimes little things that appear innocuous turn out to be season-ending. North Carolina's Marcus Ginyard experienced this last season when a stress fracture delayed his season, then ended it.

OK, so it didn't derail the Heels' title run, but not everyone has their depth.

Case in point: Purdue.

The Boilermakers are a serious Final Four contender because their core group of standout players – Robbie Hummel, E'Twuan Moore, Chris Kramer, JaJuan Johnson, Keaton Grant – are on their third season together. But, they're not the deepest team.

That's why there should be some concern about sophomore point guard Lewis Jackson being out indefinitely after foot surgery on Tuesday.

"We'll miss having Lewis on the court while he recuperates, but it's important that we take the necessary steps to ensure his full recovery," Purdue coach Matt Painter said.

Does it mean Purdue's toast? Nah. Jackson may very well return better than ever. And Painter's been through this before. Hummel dealt with a back problem all of last season (and is the more indispensible player).

But it is cause for hang wringing in West Lafayette.

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On a night when college hoops' top two teams escaped upsets, what'd we learn?

That Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins are the key to Kansas' season? Or that Kalin Lucas is Michigan State's go-to guy? We knew all that going in.

Try this: Don't forget recent history because Gonzaga and Memphis are actually good. Again. Re-think those preseason assumptions of who's good and who's not. There's no reason to adhere to what the rankings say when your eyes tell you different.

The old cliché still applies, I guess. The more things change – Gonzaga and Memphis both lost four starters from last season – the more they stay the same.

Al Goldis / AP

As Raymar Morgan found out Tuesday, nothing's going to come easy against Gonzaga.

Start with the Zags. Like Miami (Ohio) against Kentucky on Monday night, Gonzaga outplayed the No. 2 Spartans for most of the game, particularly along the frontline.

Sophomore center Robert Sacre played just 19 minutes due to foul issues, but finished with 17 points. Elias Harris (17 points, 9 rebounds) was effective as an undersized power forward who gave Draymond Green and Delvon Roe matchup issues. Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray didn't shoot well (a combined 8 for 29), but had to do pretty much everything along the perimeter. And the bench surely gave Mark Few more options for later in the season when more hostile environments await.

Perhaps Michigan State isn't the second-best team in the country. But hey, Tom Izzo said as much in the preseason, not that anyone was listening. The frontcourt was going to be an issue, which is why guys like Lucas, Durrell Summers and Raymar Morgan will carry the Spartans until then.

"It's a big win for us because we didn't play real well," Izzo said. "Gonzaga took it to us for at least 30 minutes. I have a lot of respect for Mark and their program. They punched us in the mouth, picked us off the ground and punched us again."

The same applies to Memphis and Kansas.

The Tigers lost their coach and most of their scoring from last season's 33-4 squad. Yet they're just as athletic and downright stingy on defense. Ask the Jayhawks.

"We've known for the past few days that they're really going to give us a challenge and it proved to be right," Aldrich said afterward.

Memphis coach Josh Pastner used just six players (well, seven, but D.J. Stephens played 1 whole minute), all of whom were aggressive on defense and fast in the open court. Will Coleman gave up 4 inches to Aldrich, but held his own in the post and even blocked one of Aldrich's shots. Elliot Williams jacked up 18 shots – his potential game-winner was long – but that was because Kansas couldn't stay in front of him.

The result made for one ugly game, though. Kansas went for .877 PPP, while Memphis was at .814. Neither team's eFG% was above 50.  The Jayhawks committed a turnover on nearly a third of their possessions. And without Collins and Aldrich – a combined 12 of 17 shooting for 30 points and 4 turnovers; the other 7 'Hawks were 8 for 26 and 16 TOs – it gets real bad.

Don't expect anything easy against Memphis. Or Gonzaga. If a night like tonight didn't convince you otherwise, you weren't watching.

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Kentucky isn't the only uber-athletic SEC team this season. Tennessee showed as much Tuesday.

The Vols' 124-49 win against UNC Asheville was them at their best: pressing defense, balanced scoring and hitting from beyond the arc. Kinda like Bruce Pearl's team played in 2007-08.

Wade Payne/AP

J.P. Prince goes up for a dunk.

Can't say it's a huge surprise, though. Tennessee was capable of doing this last season.

Hey, sometimes you have to give these kids a chance to grow, right?

Every player's back from last season's 21-13 squad that features a bevy of long-armed, fleet swingmen like Tyler Smith, J.R. Prince and Scotty Hopson, an ever-improving point guard in Bobby Maze and underrated center Wayne Chism.

And with guys like Cameron Tatum (6-6), Renaldo Woolridge (6-8) and Brian Williams (6-10) coming off the bench, there's plenty of depth.

Then again, depth doesn't matter if those subs can't play defense. That was the biggest difference between 2007-08 and last season. They could always score. But they played slower and it hurt them. Kenpom.com has the details.

                 '07-08 (D-I rank)  '08-09 (rank)

Adj. tempo      68.7 (76)         72.5 (18)

Adj. off eff     117.1 (19)       115.0 (21)

Adj. def eff     89.9 (22)         96.0 (73)

Turnover %     24.5 (21)         20.7 (145)

Steal %          12.6 (24)           9.2 (215)

UNC Asheville isn't the ideal indicator for how the Vols will perform this season, but it's a good place to start. If the athletic ability finally results in forcing more turnovers, this won't be the last blowout we see.

Perhaps more importantly, if guys like Maze and Hopson (neither of whom were efficient scorers or excelled on defense last season) provide support to Smith and Prince and play like the hype that followed them to Knoxville, Tennessee could be a Top 10 mainstay.

I know. Big if.

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If there's a spot on those ubiquitous Coors Light commercials for college basketball coaches, Charlie Coles just earned himself a spot.

Miami of Ohio's coach was answering questions after his team's 72-70 loss to No. 4 Kentucky Monday night – in which his RedHawks played marvelously – when someone asked him how the game got away from Miami.

Context: The RedHawks led UK by 18 at one point, but that was in the first half. They played the Wildcats – flush with one of the best recruiting classes of all time – even throughout until John Wall hit the game-winner.

Coles' reaction? Classic mix of indignation, restraint and humor, worthy of Lefty Driesell. See for yourself.

(H/T: Ballin' Is a Habit)

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Those watching the end of the 24-hour hoops marathon Tuesday night should see some classics. Gonzaga vs. Michigan State. Arkansas vs. Louisville. Memphis vs. Kansas.

The final two are part of the Naismith Hall of Fame Classic and features four of the game's most successful programs.

Not that those four exhibited Hall of Fame behavior during the offseason. Rob Dauster at Ballin' Is a Habit thinks the tourney name is worthy of a little irony. Perhaps the Role Models Classic?  

Rob offers up the details:

Memphis lost their coach, his recruiting class, four of their own players, and their trip to the national title game.

Louisville had to deal with Rick Pitino's extortion case, the accusations and eventual admission of his affair and abortion, and as if they were adding icing on the cake, Terrence Jennings and Jerry Smith got arrested for scuffling with cops in Indiana.

(whistles)

It's not all bad behavior – Memphis got hosed by the NCAA clearinghouse and kept its nose out of the police blotters – but it does give me a small chuckle. (I wish Luke Winn had done one of his graphics for Arkansas when he touched on Louisville, Memphis and Kansas this summer.)

Is there any way the TV folk can't spend time talking about these team's offseasons tonight? Get ready for those awkward pauses – and for the tournament officials to cringe. Just a bit.

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It's a good thing Lance Stephenson moved on from his "Born Ready" nickname. It didn't apply in his debut.

Cincinnati's 6-5 guard is billed as one of the nation's impact freshmen (fell for it), but there are no words for opening with a 7-point, 4-rebound performance against Prairie View A&M. The Bearcats won the game (barely), otherwise you'd be reading about UCLA and Cincy stumbling on Monday.

As for Stephenson – 2-10 from the field, 0-3 beyond the arc and 1 turnover in 22 minutes – there's an explanation.

"He was a nervous wreck," Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said. "He'll get better. I've got to make sure he's not putting too much pressure on himself. When we were struggling, he was the one guy in the huddle trying to fire everybody up. You could see his frustration. You could see his desire to win."

Nervousness in your college hoops debut is understandable. Only a chosen few can open with a memorable night.

But it seems odd for Stephenson to have those jitters. He's one of the most celebrated players from NYC. He's been on the AAU circuit and played in high-pressure situations before. What's going to happen when the Bearcats play better teams or get into Big East play?

Perhaps Cincy now has a player who'll stick around for more than one season.

(H/T: Ballin' Is a Habit)

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ESPN's 24-hour college hoops marathon opened with an upset, but I'm not sure how many people stuck around. Poor shooting will do that.

UCLA clanked its way to a 68-65 double overtime loss to Cal State Fullerton, the first time the Bruins lost an opener in Ben Howland's tenure. They hoisted 84 shots, hit just 31 percent of those and were a brutal 5 of 28 from beyond the arc. (Tempo free stats: .746 PPP and .339 eFG%. They pushed the pace, logging 87 possessions, but couldn't buy a bucket.)

If East Coast hoopheads were looking for reasons to stay up late, this wasn't it.

It wasn't Saint Louis losing to George Washington, but it was stunning to see UCLA struggle that much on offense. Just last season the Bruins were third on kenpom.com's adjusted offensive efficiency rankings and boasted a ridiculous 57.9 eFG% during conference play (thanks BP!). Losing four starters and having a M*A*S*H* unit for a roster apparently deals death blows to an offense.

Does this mean the Bruins are toast? Ken Davis weighed in on that last week, but it's hard to see UCLA as anything other than a middle-of-the road Pac-10 team that could miss the NCAA tournament.

The Bruins have solid players, but few stars. Guys like Micahel Lee and Drew Gordon have to drastically improve, while seniors like James Keefe, Nikola Dragovic and Michael Roll have to be smart, efficient and play lots of minutes.

Their saving grace may be the pitiful Pac-10. Boosting that league record always helps with the committee.

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John Wall's Kentucky debut wasn't perfect. It just had a storybook ending.

And that's what Big Blue Nation wants, especially when March rolls around. For now, they can relish a win that probably wouldn't have happened the last few years.

Andy Lyons/Getty

John Wall

The No. 4 Wildcats spent most of Monday trailing Miami (Ohio) and failing to guard Nick Winbush, who hit 8 of 10 from beyond the arc. At one point, the 'Cats trailed by 18. John Calipari's freshmen weren't dogging it, it's just that the RedHawks played that well. They disrupted Kentucky's dribble-drive offense for most of the night, clogging the lanes and forcing UK into perimeter shots.

Wall rarely forced the issue (5 assists, 5 turnovers), but wasn't shy about driving by defenders when necessary. During the first half, he drew fouls on three Miami players in a 22-second span. As a result, he did most of his scoring from the free-throw line, hitting 10 of 14 from the stripe, bit only attempted nine field-goal attempts.

Yet when the RedHawks tied the game at 70 with six seconds left, Calipari wasn't worried. Wall took the inbounds, scooted down the court and nailed pure a 15-footer with .5 seconds remaining. Watch for yourself.

"When it hit the bottom of the net, it was a relief, a great feeling," Wall said.

That goes for every Kentucky fan. The Wildcats are a work in progress (like North Carolina and a handful of other young teams), which means this won't be the last tight game Cal's crew has. And they won't all turn out like this.

But having a player like Wall – a freshman who belies his class standing – gives them someone who can win those games. It's music to Kentucky's ears.

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Let's play a little game.

Raise your hand if Evan Turner and Manny Harris were on your preseason All-America team (both turned in triple-doubles last week). Just a few?

Now, what about Da'Sean Butler (26 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) and Greivis Vasquez (13 assists topped all players last weekend)? Hardly any?

OK then, what about Chris Wright? Did anyone foresee the 6-8 Dayton junior opening with such an efficient, impressive performance like he did against Creighton?

OK, I'll be honest – Wright made our team, but Saturday's 25-point, 8-rebound effort against an NCAA-caliber team like the Blue Jays surpassed what I expected. His 1.63 PPWS and 83.3 eFG% represents a monstrous leap from his inefficient sophomore season when he hoisted too many 3s. More importantly, he rose to the occasion when the Flyers needed it most in the second half.

"It's about just knowing what my best game is, knowing I'm not a 3-point shooter, someone that's handling the ball all the time — but doing what I do best," Wright said. "When you do what you're good at, you fit in your role on the team."

It's the kind of game that'll shoot Wright into college hoops stardom. Well, that and his dunks.

As the Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy writes, Wright possesses extraordinary basketball skills. When he plays to his strengths – attacking the rim – and doesn't force things, the Flyers could be awfully dangerous.

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