Cornell just missed pulling off a massive upset of No. 1 Kansas on Wednesday night – yet it still wasn't the evening's most stunning result.

Try this: Seattle U 99, Oregon State 48.

There's so much about that final that amazes, I hardly know where to begin. Neither did Seattle U coach Cameron Dollar.

"Bet you ain't seen nothing quite like that, huh?" he told the Seattle Times as he emerged from a happy locker room. "I haven't."

Is it that a school that hasn't played a full D-I schedule since 1979-80 beat a Pac-10 team by 51 points? That Seattle U had lost four straight coming into the game, which was played at Oregon State? Or that Charles Garcia, Seattle U's leading scorer (22.6 ppg) wasn't a factor?

Maybe it was how the Redhawks did it.

The Beavers actually led 21-18 with 8:05 remaining in the first half, only to be outscored 81-30 the rest of the way. That kind of spurt explains why Seattle U's scoring efficiency was more than double the Beavers', who logged their second-worst offensive performance of the season.

To be sure, Oregon State isn't good. The Beavers were a pleasant surprise last season, winning seven Pac-10 games and finishing 18-18 overall after winning the CBI. But they're now 6-8, with losses to the likes of Sacramento State, Illinois Chicago and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. With in-state rival Oregon looming on Sunday (the Ducks are atop the conference standings), will the Beavers even be competitive?

For the sake of the conference, Oregon better roll. After a loss like Wednesday's, what would it say to have Oregon State beat the league's top team?

Mike Miller also can be found on Twitter @BeyndArcMMiller., talking about college hoops.

Sports Illustrated's regional covers drive me crazy.

When the college basketball preview arrives every fall, it's always a Pac-10 theme that arrives in my Seattle mailbox. This year, it was Washington's Isaiah Thomas. Arizona State's James Harden and Briann January were the year before.

What happened to the national cover? Pick a team and stick with it. It doesn't even have to be No. 1.

Why the complaints? Instead of seeing a college hoops cover with Kentucky's John Wall in the second week of January, I'll get the Dallas Cowboys and an NFL playoff preview. The article inside is still the same (Grant Wahl, terrific as always, closes with Wall's 3.2 GPA; take that NBA), but there's something about having it on the cover.

(Sighs)

Can't blame 'em, I suppose. The Cowboys sell magazines, and college hoops doesn't – at least until March.

Maybe it'll make Kenny Colston at the Kentucky Kernal feel better about the SI cover jinx. The jinx doesn't apply when it's not national. I think.

Not that it ever slowed down Michael Jordan…

Mike Miller can also be found on Twitter. Follow him @BeyndArcMMiller.

You've got questions, Ken Davis has answers.

The latest mailbag from NBCSports.com's college basketball expert is now live, so do yourself a favor and learn something from Ken. (Questions for future mailbags can be sent here.)

He weighs in on Derrick Favors' offensive performance at Georgia Tech, if free-throw shooting will sink Texas in March, how many of Kentucky's players will only stay one season, and more.

Most interesting to me, however, was a question relating to Tom Crean's rebuilding job at Indiana, and if he's a "better cheerleader than coach."

(whistles)

Let expand on Ken's answer a bit.

Yes, the Hoosiers were a miserable 6-25 last season and dead last in the Big Ten, but that was with 1 returning scholarship player. They've already bettered last year's win total (7-6) and have matched their Big Ten wins from 2009. Even better, Crean assembled a Top 10 recruiting class last season despite that miserable record. He's also lined up a pair of four-star recruits for 2011.

Ken's right in saying that it'll take a few recruiting classes before Indiana competes for the Big Ten title. But isn't it already clear that the rebuilding process is further along than it should be?

Mike Miller also uses that Twitter thingee. He's @BeyndArcMMiller.

It's easy to focus on Texas' roster depth. Eight guys get a chunk of minutes (they get at least 41.9 percent of the minutes played, according to kenpom.com, which is an insane amount for eight players), and Rick Barnes will occasionally use up to 12 players in a game.

Harry Cabluck / AP

Damion James

An abundance of talent and focusing on defense requires spreading the minutes around, though part of it's because Dexter Pittman commits too many fouls to stay on the court for an extended period of time.

Regardless, the deep rotation has worked well for the 14-0 'Horns, who are off to their best start since the 1981-82 season.

Yet, if Tuesday night's 96-85 win at Arkansas was any indication, perhaps the depth isn't nearly as important as having Damion James on the floor.

James, the 6-7 senior who leads UT in scoring (16.7 a game), rebounds (10.8) and is second in steals, played just 17 minutes – 6 in the second half -- against the Hogs because of foul trouble.

Is it coincidence that the 'Horns struggled with him on the bench? Or that they pulled away in the final minutes because James was back in and scored eight points in that span?

Probably not.

Depth matters for injuries and when teams are sorting themselves out to start the season. In conference play, the core players grab more of the minutes because the the games get tighter. Coaches don't usually trust the guys at the end of the rotation during tight games. And that means Barnes will be relying on his senior star more than ever during Big 12 play.

James isn't Texas' most efficient scorer (that's Pittman, which underscores his importance to UT as well), but he's no slouch, and he's also their best defensive rebounder. One writer is already convinced he'll be the Big 12 player of the year.

Does all of that elevate him above the team's depth? Is he plays poorly, does it bode ill for Texas? James is too smart to answer that. But it's starting to look that way.

"I'm not going to point any fingers, because they could point fingers at me," James said. "But as long as our young guys keep coming along, as long as we get better as individuals, this team gets better."

Mike Miller also tweets about college hoops. Follow him at @BeyndArcMMiller.

Anyone who watched Evan Turner play earlier this season already knew he played like Superman.

But if he's already set to return from breaking his back on Dec. 5, and he may very well be Superman.  

Terry Gilliam/AP

Evan Turner's ready to return after injuring his back in December.

The Columbus Dispatch speculated that the Ohio State junior – who missed six games since breaking two bones in his lower back from a fall – could beis ready to play Wednesday against Indiana. OSU coach Thad Matta was waiting to see how Turner fared at Tuesday's practice before making a decision.

Regardless if he plays vs. the Hoosiers, it's clear Turner will be back far sooner than expected – which is huge for the Buckeyes (10-4). They're 0-2 in Big Ten play after road losses to Wisconsin and Michigan.

Still, part of me is with the Indianapolis Star's Terry Hutchins, who is having imagining how a player can play again so soon after a horrific fall. Seeing Turner writhe in pain after falling on his back … well, it gives me the shakes. (Nevermind the fact that Ohio State probably doesn't need Turner to beat Indiana, but that's another post.)

Be well, Evan. And be safe.

UPDATE: Matta didn't disclose the results of Turner's X-rays yesterday, but was elated by how his star practiced. From the Chicago Tribune: 

"He's doing a little bit more every day shooting-wise," Matta said. "He's running on a treadmill and up and down the court a little bit. I just don't know exactly when it's going to feel right for him. Once the X-rays come back and hopefully they're positive, from that point then we'll start to work him in a little bit more and get him ready to go as quickly as possible."

SECOND UPDATE: Turner's mother gave the OK for him to play Wednesday. (Who else? Moms should always have the final say in things like this.)

Mike Miller also can be found on Twitter. Follow him at @BeyndArcMMiller

While ESPN gave top-ranked Kansas the all-access treatment on Tuesday (written by the always excellent Dana O'Neil), I found myself drawn into a different topic regarding the unbeaten Jayhawks.

But beware – it'll likely aggravate all non-Kansas fans.

Orlin Wagner/AP

Would Kansas be as good without Xavier Henry?

KU coach Bill Self loves his starting five, which is clearly a notch above what the team had last year. Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich and Marcus Morris are all better, Xavier Henry gives them more scoring punch and Tyshawn Taylor has improved his defense.

Yet what about the bench? If Self didn't have those starters, how formidable would Kansas be? Could it win the Big 12? That's the question posed by Rock Chalk Talk.

Yes, I am a Kansas grad. No, I don't spend all my time thinking about the Jayhawks. But given the Jayhawks' depth, it's an intriguing question – which surely aggravates fans of Texas, Kansas State, Missouri and nearly every other conference school.

Anyway, they crunched some numbers and compared the starting fives.

Points per game averages for starters are as follows: Sherron Collins - 13.8, Tyshawn Taylor - 7.4, Xavier Henry - 16.3, Marcus Morris - 11.7, Cole Aldrich - 11.1.

Points per game for replacement starters if numbers were extrapolated to the amount of minutes played by the player they are replacing, based on current points per game rate this year (ppg/mpg x mpg starter): CJ Henry - 20.5*, Elijah Johnson - 9.5, Brady Morningstar - 5.6, Thomas Robinson - 9.8, Jeff Withey - 6.5.

After that, they figured that group could go 13-3 during conference play and possibly take the title.

That seems optimistic.

Yes, Kansas would still be good without its current starting five. But I'm not so sure they'd win 13 games in the Big 12 without them. Frankly, it'll be tough to win 13 games in the Big 12 with them. (Winning at Kansas State, Missouri and Texas, to say nothing about Texas A&M the always-tough Hilton Coliseum in Ames is not a gimmie.)

The poll on the post says the same thing: More than75 percent of readers figured Kansas' second unit wouldn't win.

Now the only question is, can someone run a similar analysis for Texas and Kentucky?

Mike Miller also muses about such things on Twitter. Follow him at @BeyndArcMMiller.

Western Kentucky's slow start to the season didn't bode well for the Hilltoppers reaching their third-straight NCAA tournament.

But then a couple of things happened in about a 12-hour span.

First was Monday night's 55-52 win against Mississippi State, which boosted WKU to 8-4 overall and gave them another victory against an NCAA-caliber team (it also beat Vandy on Dec. 11). Miss State (12-3) had won nine straight and figures to be a Top 50 RPI team. Not bad for the résumé.

More important for their Sun Belt prospects is the health of junior power forward Sergio Kerusch, who could return to the lineup as early as next month from a broken right foot. Kerusch was the team's second-leading scorer (13.4 ppg) and leading rebounder (6.9 rpg) when he hurt himself on Dec. 18.

"He's progressing really well," WKU coach Ken McDonald told the Louisville Courier-Journal. "The best case scenario would be the first week of February. The later scenario would be mid-to-late February. But his rehab is going well."

Sure, that means the Hilltoppers will be without Kerusch when they face conference rival South Alabama  (11-4) on Thursday, but provided they can get him healthy by conference tourney time, WKU will be a tough out (again) in March.

Mike Miller's also on Twitter. Follow him @BeyndArcMMiller.

Example No. 1,261 why major conference schools hate playing true road games: The College of Charleston 82, North Carolina 79.

Mic Smith/AP

Larry Drew II walks off the court.

Sure, the Cougars needed a riDONKulous 3-pointer from Andrew Goudelock to send the game into OT, but this wasn't a fluke. They played the No. 9 Tar Heels tough throughout the game trading leads, and closed with a 12-1 run in the final four minutes.

And C of C did it by hoisting the 3-pointers (32 of 'em) and taking their chances with UNC shooting 34 free throws (and making 24). That kind of discrepancy usually spells doom for the underdog, but the Cougars hit enough of those 3s (13) and forced the Heels into a horrid shooting night (38.7 eFG%, 15 points lower than their average) to pull off the upset.

The loss also made it clearer than ever that North Carolina (11-4) can't rely only on its multitude of big men to win.

Without senior Marcus Ginyard (their best perimeter defender and third-leading scorer) and junior Will Graves (their best perimeter shooter), Larry Drew II and Dexter Strickland were overmatched. That's disconcerting for Roy Williams with ACC play looming.

Perhaps UNC will still be a Final Four darkhorse by March, but it's looking more and more unlikely. The talent's there, but the guard play – a staple of any good Williams team – is still lacking. But he's still hopeful.

"It doesn't feel good for us right now. It's a tough, tough night," Williams said. "But we've got to bounce back and be smarter and more effective."

Mike Miller loves a good upset. If you followed him on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller), you'd know that.

Who caught the D-League Showcase today on NBA TV? Anyone? (Rob, put your hand down.)

Terry Gilliam/AP

This is about how D.J. White's foray into the NBA is going.

Doesn't matter. What does matter is this fun list from Ridiculous Upside, listing "65 People You Might Know in the D-League." It's filled with recent players like Antonio Anderson, John Bryant and Luke Nevill, but I'm a little amazed at how many older players are still kicking around the D-League.

Examples: former Kansas sharpshooter Billy Thomas (was always amazed he could never catch on in the NBA) and former SI cover guy Darvin Ham.

But mostly, I'm trying to decide on who I'm most surprised to see on this list. Settled on three:

Morris Almond. Guess scoring isn't everything. The former Rice sharpshooter has the size (6-6) and has played a little with Utah this season, but that's probably the wrong place. Jerry Sloan doesn't like no-D guys. He'd thrive with Mike D'Antoni.

Joey Dorsey. True, the guy can't shoot, but who cares? He's tough and can rebound. He's on assignment from Houston. Surely he could give Chuck Hayes a run for some PT?

D.J. White. The ex-Hoosier is on assignment from the Thunder. Loved him as a college player, which is probably swaying me here. White was always a little short for an NBA power forward given that he didn't have much range beyond 12 feet.

(H/T: Ballin' Is a Habit)

Mike Miller (no, not that one) also is on Twitter. Follow him at @BeyndArcMMiller

It's a big day over here.

Starting today, Dave Ommen -- the brains behind BRACKETVille -- will be providing a weekly projection for the men's NCAA tournament bracket. Last year, Dave was among the guys who predicted 64 of the 65 tourney teams, which speaks for itself. Yeah, it's good to have him on board.

Anyway, his first bracket of 2010 is below.

For more on Dave's bracket, along with detailed breakdowns, go to his Bracketology section over at BRACKETVille. While there, you'll also find excellent features like his Power 24, Bubble Banter (who's sweating) and team capsules, which details key wins and losses.

You can also follow him on Twitter @BracketguyDave. 

Glad to have you, Dave. Can hardly wait for Selection Sunday. 

USC's basketball program imposed a host of sanctions on its basketball program, including a postseason ban this season, the loss of two scholarships and limiting recruiting days, all stemming from the fallout of the O.J. Mayo rules violations during the 2007-08 season.

As for the ongoing football allegations involving former Trojan Reggie Bush and current star Joe McKnight … nada. Punish basketball, but leave the cash cow alone.

The best way to sum it all up is to channel Jerry Tarkanian, who once said: "the NCAA is so mad at Kentucky, it will probably slap another two years' probation on Cleveland State."

That's the general consensus, summed up best by the Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy.

It was almost convenient for USC football that O.J. Mayo played hoops at the school. … You do not want to hear the list of substantial American investigations that took a fraction of the time that USC's supposed examination of the football program has lasted. To place this thing in the same sentence as those others would seem indelicate.

That's what happens when you're trying to figure out how to appease the NCAA without killing the football program, which is no easy task. Perhaps the NCAA will take the carrot and leave Pete Carroll's boys alone. Perhaps not.

Bottom line, it's hard not to feel sorry for the basketball team, which is playing better than most anyone could've hoped right now. The Trojans (10-4) are tied with Oregon atop the Pac-10 standings.

Kudes to coach Kevin O'Neill, who must feel like Sisyphus after his rough season at Arizona and now taking over in L.A. The guy's staying upbeat

"The best way for our players to look at it is we have practice tomorrow at 2 o'clock and we have a job to do and we're going to do it," O'Neill told the L.A. Times.

Mike Miller's also on Twitter. Follow him at @BeyndArcMMiller.

In case you didn't know, Saturdays now belong to college basketball.

No more bowl games. Just two NFL playoff games, and that's only for the next two weeks. Sure, the NBA will throw out the occasionally interesting matchup, but from Jan. 9 through March, college hoops is where it's at.

Look no further than this Saturday.

Duke at Georgia Tech. UConn at Georgetown. Surging Kansas State travels to Missouri, Miss State and Ole Miss throw down in Oxford and surprising USC takes on the Bears. And that doesn't even include the gimmes coming to Texas, Kentucky and Michigan State OR the key conference games like UNLV vs. New Mexico, Niagara vs. Siena, Illinois State vs. Northern Iowa and Portland vs. Gonzaga.

Michael Conroy/AP

Robbie Hummel and Ryen Smith celebrate Purdue's win against West Virginia.

But the one to watch should be unbeaten Purdue heading into Madison to face Wisconsin. The Badgers (12-2) travel to Michigan State on Wednesday, but expect them to be ready for the Boilermakers, who are one of four undefeated D-I squads.

Given that Wisconsin's Bo Ryan rarely loses at home and that his team is once again one of the nation's most efficient scoring teams, we could be down to three unbeatens after this weekend. Best of all, it's more than just Saturday.

Here are 5 Things to Watch this week.

Winless, but not hopeless
Four teams have yet to win a game (how's that for symmetry?), but this could be the week that all ends.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-11) is better than their record indicates. In fact, consider the Golden Lions a lock to beat Mississippi Valley State on Monday.

Penn (0-9) travels to Maryland-Baltimore County on Tuesday in what's essentially a toss-up game. But the Quakers could and should win that game. It's the next two that are tricky.

Bryant (0-14) is at Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday, while Alcorn State plays host to Jackson State on Saturday. Neither would be a surprise if they won, but neither are gimmies.

Good and lucky
No. 1 Kansas silenced most of its critics thanks to Saturday's 32-point road win at No. 18 Temple. (Almost seems like a typo, right?) And another tough road test at Tennessee should provide even more clarity as to just how good the Jayhawks are, right?

Well…not if Tyler Smith and Cameron Tatum aren't playing.

Smith and Tatum were among the four Vols arrested Friday and charged with gun possession and other counts. They're suspended for now, though coach Bruce Pearl expects to settle on their future "shortly."

If they don't play Sunday vs. Kansas, consider it a gift to the Jayhawks' undefeated prospects. Lucky or good? What about both?

Big Monday brickfest
Pitt (12-2) is coming off its best win of the season, an 82-72 upset at Syracuse. Despite losing their three most important players, the Panthers have remained an impressive defensive team – mostly because foes can't hit a shot.

The same could be said about Cincy (10-3), which means Monday's game could be one brick after another. First one to 65 wins.

Don't bring that weak stuff inside
Speaking of defense, two of the nation's best face off Wednesday, but their styles couldn't be more different.

Syracuse relies on its vaunted 2-3 zone, which limits foes to just 41.6 percent on its twos and less than 30 percent on its 3s. They're also proficient at blocking shots and producing steals.

Memphis isn't as effective in limiting opponents' shooting, but it's just as good at shot-blocking at steals, and also forces opponents into more turnovers because of their aggressive man-to-man defense.

May the more stifling style win.

A Big 5 surprise?
St. Joe's (4-8) has lost eight of its last nine. The Hawks can't rebound and don't have any efficient scorers. Yet why does it seem like Wednesday's game at Temple should be closer than the 75-57 score indicated on kenpom.com?

Sure, the Owls (11-3) are the better teams, but the two schools have played each other six times in the past two seasons. That kind of familiarity doesn't allow for blowouts, nor does Temple's slow-down style. I'd be stunned if the Owls won by more than 6.

Mike Miller's also on Twitter. Follow him at @BeyndArcMMiller.

Ethan Hyman/AP Florida's Chandler Parsons heaves a 3-pointer.

Guess Santa gave Chandler Parsons his gift a little late.

The Florida guard sent the Gators to a 62-61 win against N.C. State on Sunday thanks to a 66-foot heave that just beat the overtime buzzer.

Ridiculous stat? Florida was just 2-for-23 from beyond the arc before Parsons' shot.

(Click here and here for video.)

With Vandy and Kentucky looming, the shot saved the Gators (11-3) from dropping another tough game in the last two weeks (Richmond and South Alabama are still keeping Billy Donovan awake), even if it wasn't quite how Donovan drew it up. His tweet says it all.

"not the way you draw it up...but when you compete to the end you give yourself a chance to win. way to go CP!"

Mike Miller's also on Twitter. Follow him at @BeyndArcMMiller.