Before the season began, the buzz in Conference USA was all about the newbies: coach Rick Pitino and player Dajuan Wagner, former and future pros who arrived to fix up the dilapidated powerhouses at Louisville and Memphis, respectively.

By the end of November, the buzz in Conference USA was all about another newcomer: Marquette guard Dwyane Wade, a sophomore who sat out last season and then lit up the Great Alaska Shootout and several subsequent opponents, keying the Golden Eagles' surprising undefeated run out of the gate. But now that we've reached 2002, Conference USA has turned the annual Jan. 1 credo on its head: out with the new, in with the old.

	After losing its opener, Steve Logan and Cincy have won 12 straight.

Same old Cincinnati, back as the beast of the league.

Pitino, Wagner and Wade will merit continued attention as the season continues. All three have had instant impacts and will have their teams in the middle of C-USA's fight to upgrade its NCAA Tournament bids from a measly two last year to double that number this time around.

Nevertheless, the league race begins where it always seems to begin: with everyone looking up at the Bearcats.

This was not expected -- although perhaps it should have been, if only out of force of habit. Cincinnati has suffered enormous personnel losses over the past two years: Kenyon Martin, Pete Mickeal, DerMarr Johnson and Kenny Satterfield top the list. Assistant coach Mick Cronin even bolted last spring down Interstate 71 to join Pitino in Louisville.

This looked like the year where Cincy finally ran out of bodies and ran into competition it could not intimidate and, or overpower. The Bearcats won or shared all of C-USA's first six regular-season titles, but that streak appeared in jeopardy.

Now, with league play starting Saturday, the Bearcats again are the team to beat. They've won 12 straight games since opening the season with a seven-point loss at undefeated Oklahoma State, and they've won them by a country mile.

"We've played two top-10 teams this year (Arizona and Stanford), and they're every bit as good as them," Purdue assistant coach Jay Price told the Cincinnati Enquirer after watching the Bearcats beat previously unbeaten Mississippi State by 34. The next night, Cincy beat Purdue 79-62. "I would like to see the 24 teams better than them."

In racing out to a 12-1 mark, Cincinnati's average margin of victory: 23.7 points. Closest game: a 13-point win over Toledo. Even the annual nail-biter with Xavier turned into a 20-point blowout.

Results like these are why Pitino last week ranked Cincinnati with Duke and Kentucky as the three best teams he's seen this year. Primarily because of the Bearcats' defense.

The best Huggins teams won't let opponents breathe on the offensive end, and this is that kind of squad. Opponents are shooting just 36.3 percent from the field and averaging just 55.1 points per game -- both numbers that lead the league.

And the lockup starts from the opening tip: Cincinnati led Richmond 15-3, Coppin State 17-4, Duquesne 22-8, Wright State 16-2. UC opponents are averaging just 23 points in the first half this year - not a misprint.

Guard Steve Logan is playing like an All-American, averaging 22.5 points per game and on pace for the highest Cincy scoring average since Pat Cummings rang up 24.5 in 1978-79. He's not only shooting 44.4 percent from 3-point range, he easily leads the team in free throws made and attempted as well -- showing he's come a long way from his days as a stand-still perimeter shooter.

Logan hung 40 on Mississippi State, leaving coach Rick Stansbury scratching his head: "We had no answers. We had our best defender on him, and he was able to break him down."

Huggins recently extolled his trio of Logan, 6-4 Immanuel McElroy and 6-6 Leonard Stokes as his best perimeter defenders in years. Jamaal Davis and Donald Little are manning the inside with authority, blocking shots and moving bodies the way you've come to expect from Huggins big men. And freshman forward Jason Maxiell (five dunks and a career-high 16 points against Akron last week) is an explosive athlete coming off the bench.

The only thing left for Cincy to prove is consistency on the road -- but everyone else has to prove that, too. The Bearcats open league play with a virtual free pass at East Carolina on Saturday, and the only other road game in the next couple of weeks is at Houston. A 5-0 league start heading to away games with Saint Louis and South Florida is easily foreseeable.

And that would leave the reast of Conference USA in the customary pursuit position. When you least expected it, the swagger is back in black.

Games of the Week

LSU at Alabama Saturday These teams had issues last year. The Crimson Tide players celebrated to an excessive degree after winning in Baton Rouge (players jumped on the scorer's table and gave it to the LSU student section), and crabby Tigers coach John Brady ripped them for it. The good feelings are sure to carry over, but LSU might not have enough good players to keep it close in Tuscaloosa. Mississippi at Tennessee Sunday The 9-1 Rebels have rounded into form, while the 5-6 Volunteers most certainly have not. A home win would be a huge boost for the Vols, who might need a victory like this to come together and buy into new coach Buzz Peterson's changes. Louisville at UAB Saturday The Cardinals have been a wobbly road team, and the Blazers are playing better after a poor start. The most interesting facet of the game could be monitoring the Pitino Effect: How much does his sideline presence boost ticket sales and fan involvement at places like UAB, where the home-court advantage is less than overwhelming? Charlotte at Cincinnati Tuesday One of the best rivalries in C-USA renews, but it remains to be seen whether the hot-and-cold 49ers are up to the challenge. When Charlotte is hitting its 3s it can be tough -- but Cincy doesn't give up many good looks from anywhere.

SEC still Gator bait?
Billy Donovan's Gators are another team that seems impervious to player loss. Doesn't matter who goes pro (see: Mike Miller, Donnell Harvey, Kwame Brown), or how early (after two years, one year and no years, respectively). Doesn't matter who gets hurt (see: last year's plague of January injuries). Doesn't matter who is dismissed for involvement with a gambler (see: Teddy Dupay).

Florida is where it has become accustomed to be the last couple of years: Near the top of the Southeastern Conference and the top of the nation.

The No. 2 Gators clearly miss Dupay's marksmanship -- they're shooting just 31 percent from 3-point range, 11th in the 12-team SEC, and are middle of the pack in 3s made -- but the rest of BillyBall is in full effect.

Florida leads the league in turnover margin, assist-to-turnover ratio and scoring margin. It ranks second in scoring, field-goal percentage defense, blocked shots and steals. It goes nine deep without significant dropoff.

Junior forward Matt Bonner, named a captain this year, has become a third offensive option on par with bell-cow center Udonis Haslem and point guard Brett Nelson. Guards Orien Green (a team-high 34 steals) and Justin Hamilton (second with 23) are playing quality defense and applying perimeter pressure. Touted freshmen David Lee and James White are contributing everywhere but the foul line, where both are below 55 percent.

At this rate, it once again looks like Kentucky and Florida way out in front of the SEC pack. Dates to circle: Jan. 29, the Wildcats go to Gainesville, and March 2, the Gators return the trip.

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