Shock City, USA -- that's what college basketball is all about. Already we have seen a number of major surprises in the first full week of the season.

Tennessee Tech of the Ohio Valley goes on the road and stuns South Carolina. Lefty Driesell's Panthers of Georgia State, members of the TAAC, beat Jim Harrick and his Georgia Bulldogs in Athens. Oakland University of the Mid-Continent upsets Michigan of the Big Ten. This proves that the unknown is always special.

“

People should pay close attention to Conference USA. You don't need a recount for those early ballots. ”

Why do upsets like this happen? The three-point shot can change the complexion of a game instantly.

Look at the Golden Grizzles of Oakland in the shocker over the Wolverines. Greg Kampe's Oakland squad hit 15 of 29 trifectas while Michigan was five of 17.

When you make 10 more threes than your opponent, you have a great chance to win!

Another key factor in figuring out upsets: You don't need a lot of bodies to quickly develop a team that can create loads of excitement.

People should also pay close attention to Conference USA. You don't need a recount for those early ballots. Charlotte, formerly known by most as North Carolina-Charlotte, started with a win over a tough Fordham team coached by former NBA sideline boss Bob Hill. Then came the big victory in Raleigh over Herb Sendek's N.C. State club. That sends a message loud and clear that Bobby Lutz's club can flat out play.

The 49ers didn't just beat a veteran Wolfpack team, but beat them convincingly 95-78. Remember the name Rodney White, my Diaper Dandy of the Week. His scintillating play, displaying inside-outside ability while scoring 21 points, made a difference.

Then these was Southern Mississippi, another C-USA member. Ask Nolan Richardson about the Golden Eagles! They shut down the Razorback backcourt to earn a big "W" in the John Thompson Classic at Fayetteville.

Cincinnati and DePaul, two of the league's favorites, had tough times in respective early-season games against Boise State and Division II Lewis.

One disappointment from the league was South Florida. The Bulls lost to Utah State and then got blown out by Colorado. There were high hopes and expectations, and Seth Greenberg's team needs to rebound.

GOING BANANAS
The season is just underway and one thing really drives me bananas. The suspensions from the NCAA ... some of them are hard to understand.

There is Connecticut's Caron Butler, suspended three games for accepting $400 from an AAU coach who happens to be a friend. The money was to help Butler defray the costs to go to a prep school to help better himself. How absurd!

Think about all the kids who go on to prep school and think about the fact that in many cases, they are provided a little extra help financially for their talents. The bottom line is, if someone involved in helping a kid did not give a school a recruiting edge, why should the athlete suffer? They player should be able to improve himself academically and athletically.

You have a major, major problem if the dollars are laid there by a booster of a school or if the AAU program is directing the youngster to go to a certain college.

Down in Louisville, Muhammed Lasege was declared ineligible because he agreed to receive $9,000 to play in a Russian professional league. The youngster never took the money, and in many cases these international players have no clue what the NCAA rules are all about. In this case, why should he be penalized for the entire campaign?

Why not suspend him for a few games? Everyone at Louisville says he is a classy young man and an asset to college basketball.

Sometimes sanity has to prevail and you have to look past the hard facts and the black-and-white rules and comprehend if there was any deceit or intent.

WOWIE IN MAUI
Loren Woods' suspension puts a little damper on Arizona, though the Wildcats were impressive in blowing out Chaminade in the opener.

What a great field out in Hawaii! Four of the top 12 teams in this week's ESPN/USA Today poll are in the tournament, led by the Wildcats. Almost every game will be a test and there are plenty of blue chippers to go around.

It's also a great group of coaches. Jim Calhoun, Lute Olson and Denny Crum have all cut down the nets as national champions.

Connecticut, without Butler and Soulemayne Wane, will not be as strong in the interior. Arizona will miss Woods. He is a dominating player in the lane, forcing opponents to change shots. Both of these teams will be better when they are at full strength.

Maryland looks solid with Lonny Baxter in the post and Terence Morris operating on the baseline. Illinois has a great backcourt tandem with Cory Bradford and Frank Williams.

This tournament is something special.