Jan. 3
Texas suffered a major loss when forward Chris Owens tore a ligament in his right knee, sidelining him for the rest of the season.
The Longhorns entered the new year at 7-4, with a key victory over Stanford. Coach Rick Barnes' team plays a rugged schedule -- the four losses came against Arizona, Gonzaga, Indiana and Utah.
The loss of Owens, Texas' leading scorer, comes at a tough time. Big 12 play for the Longhorns begins this weekend when they visit Stillwater to face unbeaten Oklahoma State.
Games to Watch
Duke-BC: A tough game for Duke could be on Jan. 24 at Boston College. Chestnut Hill should be rocking and rolling when Jason Williams and Troy Bell hook up.
The Eagles showed they have great balance and are not a one-man team in their Big East opening victory at Seton Hall. Kenny Walls led the attack with 20 points. Ryan Sidney is off to a fast start this season as well. Coach Al Skinner is proving last season was not a fluke.
Cal-Stanford: Then there is the scheduling of California and Stanford. The Pac-10 rivals play a home-and-home series ... in a three-day span. They meet at Stanford on Friday, with the rematch Sunday at California.
Butler-Detroit: Butler has a challenge on Jan. 10 at Detroit. The Titans sport the second-longest current home winning streak at 35 games. Butler's hopes for an unbeaten season ended Wednesday with an upset loss to Wright State.
Tough Times at Temple
The Owls have suffered through a six-game losing streak. When you see them struggling like that, it isn't about defense -- it's their inability to shoot the basketball.
Knowing coach John Chaney, there is no doubt Temple can turn things around. The Owls have gone to the NCAA Tournament 12 straight times. Having a scorer and leader like Lynn Greer helps.
Temple has gotten off to slow starts before, only to rebound:
'01-02 | 3-8 | final record ...?
'00-01 | 4-7 | 24-13
'98-99 | 6-6 | 24-11
'97-98 | 6-4 | 21-9
'96-97 | 5-4 | 20-11
'95-96 | 3-6 | 20-13
Bonnies Impress Early
Let's look at another Atlantic 10 school: St. Bonaventure. The Bonnies are off to a solid start despite their recent loss to Kent State.
Under coach Jan Van Breda Kolff, the Bonnies entered the new year at 8-3, with tough losses to Boston College and Oklahoma. St. Bonaventure was impressive in defeating Connecticut, 88-70, behind J.R. Bremer's 33 points.
Keep an Eye On ...
I have said it before and I will say it again, there is a young star on the coaching horizon in New York City. Bobby Gonzalez is getting it done at Manhattan. The Jaspers are now 10-1 with Wednesday's win over Loyola-Maryland.
The Jaspers also have a victory over Big Apple rival St. John's at Madison Square Garden. The lone loss came at Syracuse in the Preseason NIT.
Manhattan last made the NCAA Tournament in 1995, under the tutelage of former St. John's and current New Mexico coach Fran Fraschilla.
Stone Out
Kentucky's Marvin Stone is a great example of a kid who came in with a big-time profile and big-time expectations. He was given every opportunity to excel and he flat-out did not perform.
He had his chance this season when Jason Parker was lost to the Wildcats for the season with a knee injury. Stone did not respond in a positive way. At programs like Kentucky, Duke and Kansas, the high-profile programs, it's all about the team and not about the individual.
Stone's dismissal was based on his inability to handle his role.
