Coaches may like to break the year down into thirds: Starting with the non-conference season, which leads into conference play and then hopefully the postseason. Here at ESPN.com, we've decided to break the season down into quarters. What follows is the 2002-03 second quarter status report.

With seven weeks to go until the first conference tournament tip off, the season is starting to crystallize. Arizona, Duke, Florida, Kansas and Pittsburgh are the "it" teams this month. But that doesn't mean Georgia, Alabama, Texas or any one else could make a run toward New Orleans. This season has been unpredictable and is constantly changing with new faces being added even this week.

So, all we're doing today is catching up, taking a step back, a couple deep breaths and digesting what has happened through the first two months of the season. Here's what we've come up with so far. And please, don't read into the order of each category. Just digest the names and debate the information provided in this second monthly report:

Player of the Year
It's still anyone's award to win, but lets start with the favorites -- at least in the month of January.

	Can a mid-major player win player of the year honors? Kyle Korver certainly has the numbers at Creighton to be considered.

Jason Gardner, Arizona: Gardner isn't putting up monster numbers (13.6 ppg, 5.1 apg), but he's still one of the best winners in the game. If the game is on the line, Gardner is the person who needs the basketball. Gardner had to pick up the slack with Luke Walton nursing ankle injuries for most of the season. And even with Walton back, Gardner is still the Wildcats' go-to scorer and will ultimately determine how far this team will go in March and April.

Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's: The junior point guard has been absolutely sensational, leading the Hawks in scoring (19.5 ppg) and directing them to a 12-1 record and 4-0 start in the Atlantic 10. He has been one of the two best point guards in the nation. If it weren't for Nelson's scoring, his perimeter defense and overall leadership, the Hawks wouldn't be in contention for the A-10 title, let alone the NCAAs.

Kyle Korver, Creighton: Korver could be the second mid-major player in two seasons to be named a first-team all-American (Dan Dickau in 2001-02). The senior is averaging 19.9 points a game, shooting 53 percent on 3s and is the single reason the 14th-ranked Bluejays (14-1) have steadily moved toward the top 10.

Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse: Anthony is what everyone at Syracuse expected -- a phenom. The freshman is averaging 23.5 points and 9.7 rebounds for a team that has only one loss. He's not just the favorite for freshman of the year but also in the running for player of the year.

Brian Cook, Illinois: He's the frontrunner for Big Ten player of the year after becoming a 20-plus scorer on a regular basis. Cook has matured into a leadership position on a young Illini team (12-2, 2-1) way ahead of Bill Self's schedule.

T.J. Ford, Texas: He's carrying the Longhorns and, like Nelson, has the personality to take this team deep into the NCAAs. He's scoring better off the ball than he has in the past (13.0 ppg, 7.7 apg).

Reece Gaines, Louisville: Gaines is another example of a player staying in school and becoming more skilled, mature and developed. The senior has led the Cardinals with 18 points a game and is the main reason this Louisville team is off to an 11-1.

And no, we haven't forgotten about these other contenders:

Emeka Okafor, Connecticut: The sophomore answered the offensive questions about his game by scoring in double figures in 10 of the Huskies' first 12 games and averaging 16.2 points, second on UConn to only Ben Gordon (21.8 ppg). What separates Okafor from other big men in the country, however, are his 4.9 blocks a game (which leads the nation) and 11.8 boards a game (fifth in the country).

Erwin Dudley and Mo Williams, Alabama: Look for these two to "split the vote" and probably cancel each other out in this race. But, make no mistake, both Dudley ( 14.0 ppg, 10.2 rpg) and Williams (15.9 ppg, 4.7 apg) are critical to the Tide's chances of getting to New Orleans.

Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich, Kansas: Another tandem that will likely cancel each other out in any voting. But both Collison (19.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg) and Hinrich ( 16.7 ppg, 3.4 apg) are talented enough to separate themselves from the other and win the award.

Keith Bogans, Kentucky: Bogan's senior season has been one of the most refreshing story lines of the season. By coming back and playing for the Wildcats, and not to improve his NBA stock, Bogans (17.6 ppg) has given Kentucky has a legit shot to get to the Final Four. His leadership has been just as important as his offense, which is back to where it was when he averaged 17 points a game as a sophomore and nearly bolted for the NBA.

Mario Austin, Mississippi State: After sitting out the Bulldogs' first six games, Austin looked like a sure finalist for this award -- until the start of SEC play. The Bulldogs' 0-3 start in conference probably cancels his candidacy at this point.

J.J. Redick, Duke: The freshman guard is the best scorer (17.0 ppg) on the country's last unbeaten and top-ranked team. Not only could Redick challenge Anthony for freshman of the year honors, but could wind up competing for national player of the year come March.

Michael Sweetney, Georgetown: Craig Esherick doesn't like the way his big man is being being treated by referees in the paint, but Sweetney (21.6 ppg, 9.8 rpg) is still probably the best low-post scoring big man in the country and could still carry the Hoyas to the NCAA Tournament.

Brandin Knight, Pittsburgh: A true leader, not to mention, one of the best defenders in the country, Knight (11.3 ppg, 6.4 apg) makes big-time shots late in the game. And it doesn't hurt that the Panthers are one of the 10 best teams in the country.

Bracey Wright, Indiana: Yes, another freshman among the player of the year candidates. Wright (19.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg) remains a contender for this award, not to mention freshman of the year honors, because of his leadership and scoring ability for the Hoosiers.

Dwyane Wade, Marquette: All he's doing is averaging 23.4 points a game, while being the heart and soul of the 21st-ranked Eagles. If his shot is on, the Eagles have a shot to go deep in the NCAAs.

Freshman of the Year
We've already mentioned the three favorites above (Anthony, Wright, Redick), but here are some other fresh faces that could walk away with this award.

	Syracuse's Carmelo Anthony has the numbers to be both the top freshman and player of the year.

Ike Diogu, Arizona State: Diogu has emerged as the best low-post threat in the Pac-10. He's a proven scorer (18.1 ppg), board man (6.7 rpg) and is the reason the Sun Devils (12-4, 4-1) look like the second best team in the Pac-10.

Anthony Roberson, Florida: Roberson (14.4 ppg) has emerged as one of the best scorers in the SEC. He is making shots in big-time games and is making Brett Nelson's contributions moot.

Rashad McCants, North Carolina: He may be a better athlete and more diverse scorer, but as long as Duke is ahead of UNC in the standings, Redick remains ahead of him in this race.

Daniel Horton, Michigan: His scoring turnaround -- from 13.3 in six losses to 17.0 in 10 straight wins -- is one of the reasons the Wolverines have turned things around as a team. Michigan is 3-0 in the Big Ten, with its most recent victory coming at Ohio State.

Dee Brown, Illinois: He's become one of the best point guards in the nation (12.4 ppg, 4.8 apg), let alone the Big Ten, and is a nice compliment to Cook.

Antoine Wright, Texas A&M: He's one of the best scorers in the country, providing 16.8 points and 7.8 rebounds an outing. But don't worry if you haven't noticed, the Aggies are still too far off the radar for him to win the award.

Hassan Adams, Arizona: Adams (13.5 ppg) scored 21 points in the win over USC on Thursday night and continues to be one of the best wings in any class.

Best Supporting Players
Here are some players who may be the best players on their teams, but on the national level, they've been overshadowed, so far:

Antonio Gates, Kent State: He's Mr. Everything -- scoring (21.2 ppg), rebounding (7.7 rpg) and assists 4.4 apg) -- for the Flashes. He should be the player of the year in the conference, but he's the forgotten man nationally.

Chris Kaman, Central Michigan: There was too much talk about Western Kentucky's Chris Marcus. The 7-foot Kaman (19.4 ppg, 11.1 rpg) is the best big man on the mid-major level this season.

Making A Difference

Here are five players who may not win any awards, but are having a positive affect on their teams: Chris Bosh, Georgia Tech: He's still a presence in the middle and could end up being the difference between the Yellow Jackets going to the NCAAs versus the NIT. Brooks Hall, Dayton: He's averaging 13.9 points a game but could do more to become a breakout scorer. He's got the skills to carry the Flyers and get them to the NCAAs. Shavlik Randolph, Duke: If he can score and defend in the post like he did in wins over Wake Forest and Virginia then the Blue Devils have a chance for the national title. Andre Emmett, Texas Tech: Bob Knight knew how good he was over the summer but the rest of the nation is still getting a read. He could end up carrying this team further in the NCAAs. Rafael Araujo, BYU: The junior center has scored in double figures in six straight games and could end up being the key to the Cougars' chances of winning the MWC. Here are five players who have the ability to still make a difference: Tom Coverdale, Indiana: He looked like a player of the year candidate against Maryland but slumped since that game. He broke out of his funk against Northwestern and can still be one of the best winners down the stretch. He'll ultimately decide the fate of the Hoosiers. Marquis Estill, Kentucky: He shows flashes of being a reliable scorer in the post. If he becomes a "given" inside then Kentucky could march to the Final Four. Denham Brown, Connecticut: Denham Brown, Connecticut: The Huskies need another scorer on the perimeter and Brown could be the answer down the stretch. Jabahri Brown, Oklahoma: Could be the one key to Sooners returning to Final Four. If Brown can somehow become even more of a post presence, the Sooners have a real shot to get to New Orleans. Ronny Turiaf, Gonzaga: He's still the Bulldogs best talent. If he's healthy and stays out of foul trouble, Gonzaga isn't just the WCC favorite, but has a shot to get back into the second weekend of the NCAAs.

Steve Blake, Maryland: Blake (11.5 ppg, 7.2 apg) is still one of the best winners in the game and a player you want at the end of the game -- in the ACC or NCAA Tournament. Why he doesn't get the national respect he deserves remains a mystery.

Chris Duhon, Duke: All he's doing is leading the nation in assists (8.2 apg) for the No. 1 team in the country. He is a true playmaker and isn't being asked to score as much (9.9 ppg) as he could.

Travis Watson, Virginia: All one of the best big men in the nation needs to do is watch his foul problems. But as long as Walton (15.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg) is physical in the post, he can take Virginia to the tournament.

Delonte West, Saint Joseph's: He's the forgotten man in the Hawks' backcourt next to Nelson, but West (16.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.2 apg) can be just as effective a scorer and defender.

Joe Shipp, California: The Bears are off to a 4-0 start in the Pac-10 and a lot of that has to do with the leadership from Shipp (20.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg). He's not flashy, but he's a productive scorer who should make a run at an all-Pac-10 spot.

Craig Smith, Boston College: He's a man-child in the post. But, he's not getting as much pub as other freshmen because the Eagles aren't winning enough. But he's a 20-plus scorer and a beast on the boards.

Matt Carroll, Notre Dame: Simply one of the best shooters in the country, but overshadowed by backcourt mate Chris Thomas. Carroll (20.1 ppg) is tougher to defend than any other Notre Dame player when he's hot.

Kirk Penney, Wisconsin: He still has to do almost too much for the Badgers. But he's become a versatile scorer and could help carry the Badgers back to the dance.

Arthur Johnson, Missouri: He worked on his body and got more tone and physical. He's becoming almost immovable in the post (16.8 ppg, 9.6 rpg).

Carl English, Hawaii: The WAC's best scoring guard (20.9 ppg) gets no love nationally. But he's on track to direct the Rainbow Warriors to a third straight NCAA berth.

Kevin Johnson, Tulsa: He's a rugged board man (7.5 rpg) who can keep the Golden Hurricane in any game. Tulsa needs even more production out of him in the post (17.0 ppg) and he's capable.

Surprise Teams
Nobody saw these teams coming:

	Auburn has come out of nowhere to lead the SEC West behind the play of Marquis Daniels (19.4 ppg).

Auburn: In case you haven't noticed, the Tigers are 14-2 and undefeated in the SEC. Then again, Auburn was the least discussed SEC team in the preseason, as well.

Wake Forest: One of the last two unbeaten teams, the Demon Deacons' only loss came to the last unbeaten still standing -- Duke. Skip Prosser has done a sensational job molding this Wake Forest (11-1) team of mostly freshmen and sophomores into an ACC contender.

Rhode Island: No one, I mean no one, thought the Rams would be 10-4 at this point. The Rams beat Providence and USC. Jim Baron is doing the best coaching job of his career. The Rams should be an NIT team -- at the very least.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers (9-5) beat Florida (yes, that Florida), Tennessee and Miami at home. This from a team that lost two of its best players from last season and is down to essentially eight players. John Beilein has done a remarkable coaching job with this squad.

Purdue: The Boilermakers (10-3) weren't supposed to be beating teams like Michigan State. At least, not as soundly as 72-60, at home. But, with plenty of Big Ten heavyweights still to come, Purdue could be a different story, or even better one, come the third-quarter report.

Michigan: The Wolverines (10-6, 3-0) looked like one of the worst teams in a high major conference while losing their first six games over the first month of the season. Now they're playing the best basketball not only in the Big Ten, but some of the best ball in the entire country.

Iowa: There's no way anyone in the Big Ten thought Iowa would be 3-0 and in first place, even if it's just a few games into conference play. Iowa (11-3) looked awful in losing at Florida State in December, but that seems like a first-quarter mirage.

Butler: The Bulldogs are 14-1, 4-0 in the the Horizon League, and actually playing crisper than a year ago. That didn't seem possible after the Bulldogs won 26 games, yet missed the dance.

Fresno State: No Tark, no problem. Ray Lopes has kept the Bulldogs (12-3, 5-1) a contender in the WAC in his first season.

Pacific: The Tigers (8-5) weren't supposed to be contenders in the Big West. But they beat Saint Joseph's in a non-conference game, which seems to have given them the push Pacific needed to start the league 3-0.

UAB: Mike Anderson has the Blazers (10-4, 2-1) playing like a contender in Conference USA in his first season. That wasn't supposed to be the case.

Southern Miss: It's early, but the Eagles (9-5, 2-1) weren't supposed to be contending, either ... let alone beating Memphis in the second conference game of the season.

East Carolina: The Pirates plucked off Marquette at home to tip off C-USA play, and remain a serious threat to make an NCAA run despite losing two straight in C-USA since. That kind of talk was unheard of before ECU went 7-0 to start the season.

DePaul: If the 9-4 record doesn't tell you so, just watch the Blue Demons play. DePaul is so much more competitive, win or lose this season. No one quite knew what to expect from this crew or new coaching staff.

Bowling Green: The Falcons may not have any veteran players returning, but they have already snapped Kent State's MAC winning streak and could remain a tough "out" in both regular-season and conference tournament action.

Northern Illinois: The Huskies still aren't above .500 (7-8), but went in and beat Ohio on the road to prove better things are ahead, rather than behind.

Marshall: The Herd (8-4, 4-1) loses Tamar Slay and J.R. VanHoose and is actually better this season? One name: Ronald Blackshear (20.5 ppg).

Harvard: Yes, the Crimson could be the spoiler in the Ivy race after a 10-5 start.

Hard-Luck Teams
Teams who've see their seasons take a turn for the worse, or become more difficult, because of injuries:

	How much time Sean May misses could be a key to UNC's hopes of returning to the NCAAs.

North Carolina: The Tar Heels were on a roll before Sean May's broken foot. UNC (10-5, 2-1 ACC) may end up being a "bubble" team if May doesn't return.

N.C. State: Losing Ilian Evtimov to a knee injury before the season started is still clearly affecting the Wolfpack (8-4, 1-1 ACC), who struggle to score every night.

Xavier: Losing Lionel Chalmers (foot injury) for a month has kept the Musketeers (11-4, 2-1 Atlantic 10) from reaching their full potential. The Musketeers could still peak in March, but for now, they've been slowed by Chalmers' injury.

Boston College: The Eagles (7-6, 0-2 Big East) might have been an NCAA team had Uka Agbai not suffered a fracture in his neck. He was the glue inside and would have taken pressure off of freshman Craig Smith.

Ohio State: Losing Brandon Fuss-Cheathma and Terence Dials to injuries has cheated the Buckeyes (8-6, 1-2 Big Ten) of their full potential.

Kansas: The Jayhawks (12-3, 2-0 Big 12) may be playing their basketball, and can still win the national title. But losing Wayne Simien (separated shoulder) for an indefinite period will ultimately slow their progress.

Ball State: The Cardinals lost Theron Smith to a knee injury and have yet to win in the MAC (0-4) to fall to 4-9 overall.

Wyoming: Even though the Cowboys (12-3) are a threat to win the Mountain West, losing Marcus Bailey to an ACL injury will mean wondering "what if" by the end of the season.

New Mexico: The Lobos (5-8, 0-1 MWC) would have had at least a shot to be competitive in the MWC with an experienced guard next to Ruben Douglas. Losing Senque Carey to a freakish spine injury set the team back for the season.

Stanford: Again, don't let the Cardinal's 12-4 mark fool you. Losing point Chris Hernandez for the season, Teyo Johnson deciding to go to the NFL draft, and Justin Davis being out with a knee injury will ultimately add up to less than expected. The Cardinal could have challenged for second in the Pac-10, but will find it hard to finish third.

Western Kentucky: The preseason top 25 team is doing the best it can to salvage a promising season (10-6, 3-1 Sun Belt). But losing Tandor Pandov in the opener probably hurt more than Chris Marcus' foot injury.

Pepperdine: The Waves (9-6, 1-1 WCC) could have been top-25 stuff if it weren't for Will Kimble's rare heart condition that ended his basketball career, and injuries to Devin Montgomery (thumb) and Glen McGowan (shoulder injury).

What A Disappointment
Teams that simply haven't lived up to expectations over the first half of the season.

UCLA: The Bruins (4-8, 2-2 Pac-10) may have been overrated, but nobody could have expected things to get this bad in Westwood. The speculation about Steve Lavin's job has made it nearly impossible for this team to recover over the next two months.

Rutgers: The RAC isn't as tough a homecourt this season and neither are the Scarlet Knights (8-6, 0-2 Big East).

Michigan State: No leadership at the point. Not rebounding. Losing at home to Toledo and no longer feared in the Big Ten. This isn't what Tom Izzo-coached teams are defined by.

Minnesota: We all jumped too quickly to put this team in the NCAA Tournament. The comeback from NCAA sanctions doesn't appear to be over just yet for the Gophers (8-5, 0-2 Big Ten).

Ohio: The Bobcats were favored to win the MAC, but have started 1-3 in conference play.

Oregon: The Ducks (11-4, 1-3 Pac-10) aren't playing defense like they did a year ago and they're not rebounding. If they can't rebound, they can't get out and run.

Coach of the Year
And you thought the Player of the Year race was wide open:

	Phil Martelli has another group of Hawks creating a national buzz.

Billy Donovan, Florida: The Gators (14-2, 3-0 SEC) may wind up losing three or four times in the SEC, but that doesn't mean they haven't emerged as a national title contender. Donovan has been able to blend the talented freshmen with his established veterans. Egos could have gotten in the way, but haven't been an issue on this team.

Jim Harrick, Georgia: The Bulldogs (9-4, 11 SEC) got through the toughest schedule in the country without their starting post player for the first semester (Steve Thomas). Georgia is playing tenacious defense and finding ways to score from all over the court. They, too, are a title contender.

Lute Olson, Arizona: Sure, he's got the most talent in the country. But Olson had to win without Luke Walton. He deserves to be on this list, again.

Mike Krzyzewski, Duke: Krzyzewski has molded a team of unproven vets and six freshmen into another national title contender. Enough said.

Skip Prosser, Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons were supposed to be this good ... next season, when the freshmen matured. He's a year ahead of schedule.

Gary Williams, Maryland: If the Terps can hang with Duke and Wake Forest (maybe splitting with both), Williams will get some serious consideration.

Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph's: He was supposed to have a top 10 team last season. But senioritis ran through his team. Martelli is doing more with less and doing his best job defensively with the Hawks ranking third in the nation in defensive scoring (56.2) and field goal percentage (36 percent).

Steve Alford, Iowa: The "stars" are gone, and yet the Hawkeyes are a Big Ten contender.

Bill Self, Illinois: Prior to the loss at Iowa, the Illini were looking like the team to beat in the Big Ten. Stay tuned.

Tommy Amaker, Michigan: The turnaround from 0-6 to winning 10 straight has been remarkable.

Eddie Sutton, Oklahoma State: He continues to win with players who buy into his defensive-oriented system. This team of anonymous names is a contender in the Big 12.

Rick Pitino, Louisville: The Cards are in position to get back to the dance, and it's largely because of Pitino's detail to defense and the adjustments he makes late in the second halves of games.

John Calipari, Memphis: Like Saint Joseph's, the Tigers were supposed to be a top 10 team last season. But Calipari has them in position to make at the C-USA title and NCAAs by blending role players and freshmen.

Dana Altman, Creighton: If he can keep the Bluejays in the top 10, Altman has to be on this list.

Jim Calhoun, Connecticut: The Huskies didn't play a strong early schedule, but they still have only one loss and they're doing it without Caron Butler.

Mike Brey, Notre Dame: He's got one of the best offensive teams in the country that could end up being a Final Four team.

Ben Howland, Pittsburgh: Why can't he win it two years in a row? He's doing just as good a job.

John Brady, LSU: If the Tigers make the NCAA Tournament, Brady will have turned around the program after serious NCAA sanctions.

What We're Hearing

	Esherick's rant was the talk of college hoops last week.

At Georgetown ... Craig Esherick is fine after his post-West Virginia rant Sunday on Big East officiating and the treatment of his forward Michael Sweetney. He feels good, and there's no question that getting a sore subject off his chest was healthy for him. He's had long talks with Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese and Art Hyland, the Big East coordinator of officials and he's not about to say anything negative. But the reality is he was a bit miffed by all the attention that his rant received around the country. (By the way, still love the way he ended the rant, "... as for the game, I was pleased.")

As for his team, Esherick is convinced he's going to get more out of Wesley Wilson as the season goes along. The much-maligned center played sparingly the past few games (two minutes against West Virginia) but Esherick said there's a reason. Wilson hasn't been the same since his grandfather passed away, and the center is just starting to re-focus on the court. Matchup problems against Duke, West Virginia and Seton Hall also prevented Esherick from playing Wilson too much. But he needs Wilson to create problems so teams don't slide the weakside help over to Sweetney.

Making perimeter shots is also a must to get Sweetney some help. "We've got to do a better job passing out of the double team," Esherick said.

Georgetown is 3-3 in its past six games and faces a critical stretch against St. John's, Rutgers and at Pittsburgh over the next week. It will be interesting to see how the NCAA Tournament selection committee handles the imbalance in the Big East. Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Notre Dame have to play each other twice, while a team like Connecticut plays in a weaker division within the Big East.

At Bowling Green, West Virginia, Richmond and UNC Wilmington ... The domino effect of Dan Dakich leaving West Virginia and returning to Bowling Green was felt at four schools. All of them are doing well. Dakich went back to Bowling Green (8-5, 4-1 MAC) where the Falcons are the surprise team of the league. John Beilein went from Richmond to West Virginia (9-5, 1-2 Big East), where the Mountaineers are one of the surprise teams in the nation. Jerry Wainwright left UNC Wilmington for Richmond and hasn't missed a beat. The Spiders (8-6, 2-1 in the A-10) are on Dayton's and Xavier's heels in the league. And Wainwright assistant Brad Brownell replaced him and the Seahawks (9-4, 3-1 CAA) are in the thick of the Colonial Athletic Association race. "It's worked out for all of us," said Dakich, knowing that his one move triggered four different jobs.

At VMI ... Jason Conley left to improve his NBA stock by playing for Missouri in the Big 12. But what about VMI? Coach Bart Bellairs has to go find another scorer. That's not easy at a place like VMI. "He was our Michael Vick," Bellars said. "You can't just lose the nation's top scorer from last season and easily replace him."

At the NCAA ... The NCAA wants to attach penalties to schools that don't perform well in the classroom or graduate. Schools would be graded on how many players are kept in school (read: transfers and defections), academically eligible, graduate, and an overall academic performance rate. This could go into effect by August, 2004. But the key will be the penalty phase. Apparently, there would be warnings before anything severe would occur. But it's still hard to imagine that CBS would allow the NCAA to potentially take away elite teams from the men's basketball tournament (which they're paying $6 billion for the rights until 2011) based on academic performance. This will be an interesting test case for new president Myles Brand.

Around the NBA ... Don't be surprised to hear Kentucky coach Tubby Smith's name surface whenever the Charlotte franchise gets around to its coaching search. That would be the most logical place for Smith to land, if he decides to make a jump to the league over the next two seasons.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. His Weekly Word on college basketball is updated Fridays throughout the year.