How important is team chemistry? Ask Kentucky's Tubby Smith, Purdue's Gene Keady or Iowa's Steve Alford.

	The Wildcats have rediscovered the right chemistry under coach Tubby Smith.

Smith had a talented team last season that advanced to the Sweet 16, but the Wildcats were dubbed "Team Turmoil" in 2002 for its internal struggles and off-court distractions. This season, Kentucky has a group of players that get along, play hard and sacrifice for each other on the floor, and have toned things down off the floor. Kentucky may not have a star player the caliber of Tayshaun Prince, but the Wildcats are a better team because they play as one this season.

The Wildcats are shooting 49 percent from the floor -- the best UK mark since Joe B. Hall was the coach -- because Kentucky is sharing the ball, swinging it from side to side, and driving it hard. No one seems to care who takes the shot, just as long as Kentucky gets a good shot. There is a different guy who exploits the openings in opposing defenses, and while Keith Bogans is the most consistent and productive, a guy like Chuck Hayes can step forward and provide 17 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists against Notre Dame when the Irish are taking away others. Smith is doing another outstanding coaching job, and his players are willing to be coached.

Keady, meanwhile, has a vastly improved team from last season. The Boilermakers have depth, more size and better athletes. Purdue can score the ball better, especially Willie Deane (17 ppg and 1.8 steals) and a healthy Kenneth Lowe (12 ppg), but the real difference has been on the defensive end. Last year, the Boilermakers did not guard people, and gave up too many easy shots. This year, Purdue shows up to the games in a defensive stance, and have been tough to score upon. Purdue is allowing opponents to shoot just 40 percent from the floor, including an anemic 28 pecent from 3-point range. The Boilermakers force over 18 turnovers per game, and are much more aggressive on the defensive end. The difference is not in what the Boilermakers have been taught this year as opposed to last year, it is the attitude the players are bringing to defense.

Alford is doing a masterful job with a shorthanded crew at Iowa. He has only seven scholarship players available, yet his team is outperforming the much more talented roster Alford had last year.

This Hawkeye team was supposed to struggle badly, but apparently nobody told them. Iowa is 11-3 overall, and 3-0 in the Big Ten, with wins over Michigan State and Illinois. Alford has played only his Magnificent Seven, and this team plays hard and together. Without Luke Recker and Reggie Evans, the Hawkeyes do not have stars, but without them, they also have a team.

Alford spent time in Lubbock in the off-season with his former coach, Bob Knight, and he left West Texas with a his notebook completely full of Knight's wisdom. Alford has gone back to his roots, and he has re-committed himself to his core principles. The result is a team that, while shorthanded, performs better together than a group of talented individuals.

Similar stories can be told at Memphis, St. Joseph's and other campuses. There is a simple lesson to be told, but it seems so hard for coaches and players to learn. Play together and everyone will benefit as individuals by virtue of the team's success. Play as individuals, and nobody benefits, but everybody gets the blame.

Don't Be Fooled By "Role Player" Tag: Maryland's Drew Nicholas was labeled as a role player during his first three years at Maryland, but nobody would dare call him that now. Nicholas had the normal progression for an outstanding college player, but in this age of impatience, he was overlooked as a potential star.

Because Nicholas played with older stars Juan Dixon and Lonnie Baxter, and was overshadowed by the talent of Chris Wilcox, Nicholas played a supporting role on Maryland's title team. He would occasionally bust out for a big game, but most of the time was content to play within himself and the team structure.

Once Dixon, Baxter and Wilcox left for the NBA, Gary Williams could not afford to have Nicholas play a supporting role any longer. Sometimes players need to be needed, and Nicholas is one of those players. And when the need arose, Nicholas stepped forward.

Nicholas is third in the ACC in scoring at 18 points per game, and has hit double figures in all but one game. Nicholas can handle the ball, hit from the perimeter, scores in transition, and can really guard people. Just because a player plays a role on a team doesn't mean he isn't capable of doing more. Nicholas is proof of that. But if he were a senior last season, Nicholas would have remained in that role, and only his coaches and teammates would truly appreciate just how good he is.

So Underrated He Doesn't Even Make "Most Underrated" List! Last year, Auburn's Marquis Daniels paced his team in scoring, rebounding and assists, but was overlooked because his team was on the losing end more often than not. This year, Daniels has been able to move off the ball, is playing with more experienced teammates and is averaging 19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and over 2 steals to lead 15-2 Auburn in each category. Daniels is shooting over 56 percent from the floor and is one of the most versatile players in the country. As a point guard, Daniels was responsible for the other four players on the floor, and he spent most of his time and energy covering for them. Now that he is off the ball, he can hunt his own shot, fly to the glass, and defend with a free mind without having to worry about getting to an outlet. Daniels is one of the best seniors in the nation, and getting the attention he deserves for one reason only ... his team is winning.

It's a Guards' Game, Remember? As a big guy, I am always amused when people say that basketball is a "guards' game" and that "you cannot win without guards." That is a myth perpetuated by former guards who became coaches. Of course you cannot win without guards, because the guards have the responsibility of bringing the ball upcourt, and without guards, your team would never be able to advance the ball. The truth is, you cannot win at the highest level without having a strong backcourt and a strong frontcourt.

Guards can dribble around all they want to, but when it is time to grab rebounds in traffic and guard in the post, a team needs quality big guys as well. Maryland's win over Duke should confirm that theory. Both teams had excellent guards, but that game was won inside and on the glass, and would not have been won by either team without outstanding play by the big guys.

Notre Dame's losses on the road to Pittsburgh and Kentucky illustrate the point as well. Few teams in America have better and more skilled backcourt players than Notre Dame, but when the Irish don't get good performances up front, they are vulnerable.

Tell me, what teams have won championships without quality big men? Perhaps the big guys just have a P.R. problem. Just because the big guys are goofy looking, bump their heads on low hanging light fixtures and their clothes don't fit right, doesn't mean they can't play. The problem is, most basketball coaches are former guards, maybe because they are so used to telling people what to do. Apparently, big guys are too intelligent to get into coaching, and have collectively decided to be captains of other industries, instead. Maybe big guys need some sort of association or lobbying group to get the message out that "you can't win without big guys."

Big guys of America ... unite! We need to get the message out! "No Big Guys, No Rings!"