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Monday, January 27

Can California Keep It Up?

By Andy Katz
ESPN.com

Joe Shipp
Joe Shipp and the Bears arrive in Arizona atop the Pac-10.
It begins this week with a trip to the Arizona desert, continues with a journey next week to the land of Nike, and could end with California validating its 7-0 start in the Pac-10. It's a two-week stretch where we learn whether California's start will end with the Bears as a true contender.
Story

Monday
Texas at Kansas (ESPN, 9 ET): Kansas can't lose three straight games, can it? Texas and Oklahoma State are playing the best basketball in the Big 12. This is probably the worst home game for Kansas to have to break its losing skid. The last time KU lost three straight was 1994. The last time it lost two in a rown at home was in 1989.
Tuesday
Florida at LSU (ESPN, 9 ET): Can you say must win for the Tigers? LSU is on the verge of falling off THE BUBBLE.
Wednesday
North Carolina at Georgia Tech (ESPN, 7 ET): The Tar Heels have struggled on the road in the ACC and stealing a win in Atlanta won't be easy. Both are looking more like bubble teams, so this game could come back to haunt the loser.
Thursday
Butler at Duke (ESPN2, 7 ET): The Bulldogs wanted to get a high-profile non-conference game. How about playing Duke in Cameron after the Blue Devils have lost two of their last three? Ouch.
Saturday
Marquette at Cincinnati (ESPN, 4 ET): Marquette needs to pull off this kind of win if it wants to hold off Louisville, and Cincinnati, for the title.
Sunday
Oregon at USC: The Trojans are dangerous enough to beat Oregon and ruin the Ducks' fading hopes for a second-place finish.

More games to watch

Player of the Week
Tony Allen G, Oklahoma State
The junior college transfer has been one of the key contributors during the Cowboys' sensational start. Allen scored 17 points in the overtime win at Baylor last week. He then scored eight of Oklahoma State's final 12 points in an impressive 79-70 victory at Texas Tech on Sunday. Allen also had a critical steal during that final stretch. Allen has averaged 17.4 points in the last 10 games. Few teams will earn as difficult a pair of road wins as Oklahoma State did this past week. Winning at Baylor and Texas Tech showed Oklahoma State is a serious contender for not only the Big 12 title, but also a deep run in March.

Past players of the week

Team of Week
Utah
The Utes swept a road trip to UNLV on Big Monday and then snapped BYU's 44-game homecourt winning streak. The Utes were coming off a Mountain West Conference-opening loss at San Diego State. For the Utes to turn around and sweep UNLV and BYU on the road made a statement to the rest of the league that the MWC title might go through Salt Lake City. The win over BYU was even more impressive because it came without coach Rick Majerus. Majerus made one of the classiest moves this season. He honored a request to be at the funeral of former player Andre Miller's stepfather, Albert Robinson. Majerus has put family and friends first for years and this is another example of his genuineness.

Past teams of the week

Supporting Cast
DARIUS RICE, Miami, Fla.: Rice had one of the best single-game performances we've seen in a long time when he lit up Connecticut for 43 points last Monday. His steal and subsequent 3-pointer to beat the Huskies was one of the best plays of the season. Rice would have been a lock for player of the week, but our rules say you've got to win both games of the week to earn the honor and the 'Canes lost to Syracuse on Sunday when Rice had 13 points. .

STEPHENE PELLE, Colorado:Pelle scored 27 points in the upset of Kansas last week, the only game Colorado played last week. Pelle only averages 11.3 points a game and had scored over 20 points only one other time this season (21 at Charlotte). Pelle's production was just as surprising as the victory.

SALIM STOUDAMIRE, Arizona: Stoudamire was benched in the second half of the win over Arizona State for some bad body language. The message stuck. Stoudamire lit up Kansas with 32 points in a comeback win Saturday in Lawrence. Stoudamire scored just three points in that win over Arizona State. He was 12 of 18 in the win over Kansas, including 6 of 9 3s.

DREW NICHOLAS, Maryland:No longer a complimentary player, Nicholas is turning up his production. He scored 20 points, including four 3s, in a road win at North Carolina and then followed that up with 14 at Clemson. Nicholas was Maryland's only double-figure scorer in that game. Nicholas is coolly and calmly taking over a leadership role on the wing for the Terps in his senior season.

Freshmen Watch

KEVIN BOOKOUT
Oklahoma
The Sooners' big man keeps getting better this season. He led the Sooners with 18 points and grabbed nine boards in a road win at Baylor. Bookout is gaining confidence with each game and becoming the inside presence Oklahoma lacked earlier in the season.

RICHARD MIDGLEY
California
Ben Braun has been waiting for his British point guard to break through with a game-high performance. He did so with 23 points in the win over USC and then scored 12 points in the win over UCLA.

JAMES AUGUSTINE
Illinois
Augustine is the forgotten freshman with Dee Brown and Deron Williams getting all the headlines. Augustine, averaging 6.8 points a game, scored a team-high 19 and grabbed 12 boards in the win at Penn State.

RASHAD ANDERSON
Connecticut
Jim Calhoun had been looking for a breakout star other than Ben Gordon or Emeka Okafor. He may have found one in the win over Villanova. Anderson scored 18 points to lift the Huskies to a critical Big East win over the Wildcats.

On Our Radar
Jose Juan-Barea, Northeastern: The freshman guard, who was averaging 16 points a game, led the Huskies to their most important victory of the season -- 72-69 over arch-rival Boston University. Juan-Barea scored 18 points and hit all seven free throws in the victory at BU. That win will resonate throughout the America East that the Terriers can be had.

Clint Cuffle, Evansville: Cuffle scored 25 points, including 21 in the second half to beat Creighton last Thursday. He followed that up with 21 points in a win over Illinois State for the upstart Aces.

Luis Flores, Manhattan: Flores scored 44 points in a win over Fairfield. Flores, who is averaging 23.6 points a game and is looking like the MAAC player of the year, scored a modest 12 in a win earlier in the week over Rider. Flores is leading the Jaspers to the top of the MAAC.

Brett Blizzard, UNC-Wilmington: Blizzard, who is averaging 20.6 points and shooting 45.8 percent on 3s, has been flying too far under the radar this season. He's having another sensational year and deserves more attention. Blizzard scored 21 and had six steals in a win over Towson earlier in the week and then scored 27 points by making all five 3s in a win over VCU.

Good Wins
Ole Miss 76, Alabama 57: The Rebels needed to knock down one of the predicted elite teams at home. This win could be a difference-maker for the Rebels in their bid to get back to the NCAA Tournament.
Colorado 60, Kansas 59: The Buffaloes needed a marquee win against a definite NCAA Tournament. This will suffice. It also qualifies as a win that will give this program confidence to beat the big boys in this conference.
Purdue 69, Indiana 47: Purdue established itself as a player again in the Big Ten with this smashing victory over the Boilermakers' arch-rival. Gene Keady can quiet any critics about his program being stale. He has made the Boilermakers matter again.

Bad Loss
Virginia 55, Virginia Tech 73: Virginia keeps making this list. This loss could come back to bury the Cavs. This was a road loss, but it was a humiliating road loss to a team that might not qualify for the Big East tournament.
Memphis 66, Saint Louis 69: The Tigers can't continue to lose games to the lower level teams in Conference USA. Memphis lost at home to South Florida and also fell at Southern Miss. Memphis has the non-conference wins to get into the NCAA, but is falling flat in Conference USA.
LSU 65, Arkansas 73: LSU is starting to fall off the radar with losses like this on the road. Arkansas was going to get someone in the SEC this season, but beating LSU might be one of those wins that could keep a team out of the Dance.

Caught Our Eye
Inside the Top 25: The Terps are quietly looking like a Final Four team again. If Maryland makes three straight trips to the Final Four then that would be one of the more remarkable accomplishments. The last two were somewhat expected. But this one would be a credit to Gary Williams' ability to mesh vets and rookies and the overall commitment to the players to his system. Maryland is one of the hottest teams in the country and could continue to get better over the next six weeks.
Outside the Top 25: The Bulldogs' run to the top of the WAC is one of the more impressive stories so far this season. Fresno State wasn't supposed to be a contender with Hawaii and Tulsa, let alone spanking them by being a few games ahead of both teams midway through the conference season. Fresno State ripped off four straight wins after losing at Hawaii. Two of those were on the road. Fresno State still might struggle to get into the Dance on its own merit, but the Bulldogs are making a strong case for a bid, regardless of winning the WAC tournament.

KENTUCKY: The Wildcats continue to lock up every opponent defensively. The wins over Auburn and at Alabama were impressive.

KANSAS: Lost two straight last week to Colorado and Arizona. Ouch.

BYU: The Cougars looked strong with a road win at San Diego State but then lost to Utah at home.

CINCINNATI: The Bearcats keep winning and aren't about to give up Conference USA without a fight.

VILLANOVA: Beat down Boston College at home, but then lost at Connecticut. Not a bad week for a contender.

BOSTON COLLEGE: The good vibes are gone after two losses to Villanova and Notre Dame.

MISSISSIPPI STATE: The Bulldogs got back in the good graces of the committee with wins over South Carolina and LSU last week.

DUKE: Snapped two-game losing skid with home win over Georgia Tech.

SMU: Beating Tulsa gives the Mustangs credibility again in the WAC.

TULSA: The Golden Hurricane lost their luster with another league loss.

OREGON: Don't forget about these guys, even without Luke Jackson for a week. The Ducks must get it done on the road, though.

PITTSBURGH: Continue to plow through the competition with a win over Georgetown.

MARQUETTE: Marquette is back to being a contender with an impressive win over DePaul.

MISSOURI: Bad pub for Ricky Clemons and then a loss at Texas add up to a bad week for the Tigers.

NOTRE DAME: The Irish beat BC on the road and are still a threat to hang with Syracuse and Pitt.

LOUISVILLE: The Cardinals keep coming back and winning games. Rick Pitino is the favorite for coach of the year with Eddie Sutton on his heels.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS: The Huskies are the hottest team in the MAC with a win over Bowling Green.

STANFORD: Stanford keeps winning at home.

DREXEL: The Brew Crew swept Delaware and Hofstra last week to stay in the CAA race.

SAINT JOSEPH'S: Penn averaged 91 points in three games, but scored only 48 in a loss to the Hawks.

HAWAII: The Rainbow Warriors can't win on the road, and until they do, they're not a factor in the race for the WAC title.

EASTERN WASHINGTON: Beat Portland State and continues to hang around the top of the Big Sky.

WYOMING: The Cowboys are still unblemished in the MWC after holding off New Mexico and beating Colorado State.

SOUTH FLORIDA: Seth Greenberg got ejected from the loss at East Carolina, but that was the least of his problems. Senior center Will McDonald was suspended before the trip after being charged with a third-degree felony and misdemeanor assault against a woman, according to the Tampa-St. Pete newspapers.

NEW MEXICO: The Lobos weathered some bad pub on getting Bradley transfer Danny Granger with an overtime loss to Wyoming and a stunning win over San Diego State.

NEW MEXICO STATE: The Aggies beat Western Kentucky and are still a serious player to win the Sun Belt.

MIAMI, FLA.: The 'Canes beat Connecticut but couldn't score in the final eight minutes to beat Syracuse Sunday.

MICHIGAN: The Wolverines re-established themselves as a player in the state of Michigan again with the win over Michigan State on Sunday. The atmosphere appeared to be alive in Ann Arbor, where the Wolverines are a serious threat to win the league.

MICHIGAN STATE: The Spartans can't win a big game anymore. They haven't since beating Kentucky.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE: The Wolfpack beat Duke and North Carolina in the same week. The fans should spend the week boasting about each win in the Triangle.

TEXAS TECH: The Red Raiders had a tough week, losing a late game to Oklahoma on Big Monday and then getting overrun by Oklahoma State on Sunday.

SYRACUSE: The Orangemen put together an impressive defensive effort in shutting down Miami on Sunday.

NORTH CAROLINA: The Tar Heels got beat by Maryland at home and N.C. State on the road.

WAKE FOREST: The Demon Deacons continue to find ways to win in the ACC.

CREIGHTON: The Bluejays lost at Evansville Thursday but then rebounded with a close win over TCU Sunday.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. His Weekly Watch, a look back at the week and a preview of the week ahead, runs every Monday.