Jan 9, 2006

TEAM OF THE WEEK: Wisconsin

The Badgers rallied after a loss at Pittsburgh. Bo Ryan's team opened up Big Ten player with a pair of impressive wins, knocking off Iowa by 14 and Michigan State by 19. It is tough to beat the Badgers in Madison. Kammron Taylor had 27 points in the convincing win over the Spartans.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Steve Novak, Marquette

He was flat-out brilliant against Connecticut, scoring 41 points while grabbing 16 rebounds. Novak added 17 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to Cincinnati. He had his school-record streak of consecutive free throws made snapped at 68 with a miss against the Bearcats.

COACH OF THE WEEK: Andy Kennedy, Cincinnati

He has done a super job with the Cincinnati program. I thought that when Bob Huggins left, the Bearcats would have some problems. That has not been the case. After a 3-2 start, Kennedy's team is now riding a 10-game win streak following victories over DePaul and Marquette last week.

CO-SHOCK OF THE WEEK: Washington State over Washington and Marquette over Connecticut.

Dick Bennett's squad stunned Washington, winning at Hec Edmondson Pavilion for the first time since 1994. It was impressive for the Cougars since top scorer Derrick Low was out with a broken foot. Marquette's first Big East game was a stunning rout of the then #2-Huskies. It was an M&M'er, a total mismatch as Novak and company dominated Jim Calhoun's squad.

CO-DIAPER DANDY OF THE WEEK: Rodney Stuckey, Eastern Washington and Brandon Rush, Kansas

Stuckey scored 45 points against Northern Arizona and 21 more against Sacramento State. The 6-4 guard from Kent, Washington has been outstanding all season. Rush put on a show vs. Kentucky with 24 points and 12 boards.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.