Nov. 25
It's time to give out my first weekly awards of the new college basketball season...
TEAM OF THE WEEK: Missouri
Quin Snyder's kids responded to top-flight competition, and none of the three big-time wins came at Columbia.
Missouri succeeded in an NCAA Tournament-type atmosphere, winning the Guardians Classic by beating Alabama and Iowa, followed by a victory over Xavier in Indianapolis at the Wooden Tradition.
The Tigers came back from a six-point deficit in the final 41 seconds against the Hawkeyes, showing a lot of guts to come away with the W. This team is more than just All-American Kareem Rush, as Clarence Gilbert won the Guardians Classic MVP trophy.
COACH OF THE WEEK: Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
I have said it many times ... Syracuse should rename the center court at the Carrier Dome after coach Jim Boeheim.
It was not easy, but Boeheim led his Orangemen past Michigan State and Wake Forest to capture the Preseason NIT championship. It seems like Boeheim gets a lot of wins at Madison Square Garden, and he chalked up two more against solid opposition.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: DeShaun Williams, Syracuse
The former Bergen Catholic (N.J.) high school star came through in the clutch for the Orangemen. He scored 23 points against Michigan State in the Preseason NIT semifinal and posted 23 more in the championship-game victory over Wake Forest.
Williams' defensive intensity sparked a key 14-0 run against the Demon Deacons as Syracuse walked away with the gold trophy.
SHOCK OF THE WEEK: Ball State over Kansas and UCLA
I'm still amazed when I think back to the week enjoyed by Ball State (the alma mater of David Letterman). Tim Buckley is one of the hot coaching names out there, along with Dennis Felton of Western Kentucky and Marquette's Tom Crean.
Ball State knocked off a pair of top-five teams in less than 24 hours. First came the upset of Kansas, with the Ball State hitting 13 trifectas. One day later, Buckley's team showed that was no fluke, forcing turnover after turnover and converting them into easy points in a victory over UCLA.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the final game in the Maui Invitational was against No. 1 Duke. Ball State raced out to a nine-point lead before the Blue Devils' firepower was just too much. A salute to Ball State for pulling off two big-time upsets!
DIAPER DANDY OF THE WEEK:
Chris Thomas, Notre Dame and Josh Childress, Stanford (co-winners)
Thomas, the former Mr. Basketball from Indiana, has impressed for the Irish already. In his first game with Notre Dame, he recorded the school's first triple-double. Last weekend against Hawaii-Pacific, not exactly top-flight competition, Thomas stood out with 13 assists and no turnovers in an easy win.
Childress came through against a tough Purdue team that always plays tenacious defense under Gene Keady. The Cardinal diaper dandy scored 21 big points, hitting 9-of-14 shots in a win at the Wooden Tradition in Indianapolis.
