Without Rush, Missouri has shuffled its lineup, but now it will get him back for the stretch run in the Big 12, beginning Jan. 29 against Texas A&M. Meanwhile, JaRon Rush is at home in Kansas City meeting with lawyers. He's penciled in to return to UCLA on Jan. 9 and set to resume practicing the following day.

JaRon Rush's case won't be heard by the NCAA until late January and possibly February because it involves extra benefits from both an AAU coach and an agent. While he's out, the Bruins are surviving -- just barely -- without their best rebounder.

The Bruins shouldn't have beaten Pepperdine last week. Even the UCLA coaches told ESPN.com the basket by the Waves' Craig Lewis should have counted, but it was waved off after the buzzer. Jason Kapono's coast-to-coast layup beat Purdue on Thursday.

But without Rush, there's no way the Bruins will be a contender in the Pac-10. They can't start thinking about the season's big picture until they know the final ruling regarding Rush. And don't forget -- the Bruins still have trips to North Carolina and Syracuse wedged in during the Pac-10 season. The soap opera continues....

Team of the week
LSU: Will someone please rank the Tigers in the Top 25? The Tigers deserved it even before they took out Oklahoma State in New Orleans. Now, having survived a tough test to remain undefeated, the Tigers should get into the top 20.

The frontcourt of Jabari Smith, Stromile Swift and Brian Beshara is one of the best, if not the top, frontcourts in the nation. The Tigers (12-0) open the SEC against Alabama and Tennessee this week. They're at home and should answer the latest challenge with as much confidence as they showed when they took apart the Cowboys.

Player of the week
Karim Shabazz, Providence: The 7-foot-2 Florida State transfer has been a major hit since he became eligible 10 days ago, leading the Friars to victories over Arkansas, Long Island and Massachusetts. In those three games, he's averaging 19 points and 11.3 rebounds while posting 18 blocks and shooting 56.4 percent from the floor. He had 25 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocks in the win over the Blackbirds. With Shabazz, the Friars are suddenly a contender for an NCAA bid out of the Big East.

Climbing up
Tulane: The Green Wave has won 10 of 11 games with their only loss coming at Maryland in the second round of the Preseason NIT. Coach Perry Clark has a veteran team and added a new reserve in 6-8 Brandon Brown. Clark was considered to be on the hot seat in the preseason but his new athletics director (Rick Dickson) has to be pleased with this start.

Sterling Davis and Ledaryl Billingsley provide a decent inside attack for the Green Wave in Conference USA. Tulane beat SMU last week but faces a tougher test at Louisville on Monday before ending the week at Houston on Saturday.

Falling down
Bradley: The Braves can't escape the negative category. It doesn't make sense that they went 0-for-3 in Hawaii and are now 4-8 entering the Missouri Valley. They have the preseason conference player of the year in Rob Dye, but he's not carrying the team.

Bradley faces two must wins this week: At Wichita State and at home against Indiana State. Any chance of the Braves earning an at-large berth out of the Valley have been erased. Their only chance is to win the conference tournament.

Five worth tracking
1. Hawaii: Riley Wallace's team took care of business in the Rainbow Classic, beating Bradley, Colorado and Oregon on the way to the title. Hawaii has only two losses (to Bowling Green at home and at USC) and suddenly is a contender for a postseason bid out of the WAC. Up next: Saturday at UTEP.

2. Colorado: Even though the Buffaloes lost in the semifinals of the Rainbow Classic, they rebounded to defeat Gonzaga for third place. Keep an eye on Jaquay Walls, who could be the best scoring point guard in the Big 12 this season. The Buffaloes have quality wins over Cal and New Mexico State and enter the week at 8-3. Up next: Tuesday at Denver; Saturday vs. Kansas.

3. Oregon: The Ducks have lost only twice (at home to Cal State-Northridge and to Hawaii) and should be taken more seriously in the Pac-10. The win over Gonzaga was a significant victory, especially since the Ducks beat out the Bulldogs in the recruitment of Washington point guard Luke Ridnour. Up next: Tuesday vs. St. Martin's; Saturday at Oregon State.

4. Hofstra: The Flying Dutchmen shocked Rutgers and Fordham to win the ECAC Holiday Festival. The tournament was supposed to be set for Siena but the Saints never even played Hofstra. The Dutchmen are 5-4 and suddenly alive in the America East. Up next: Sunday vs. Boston U.; Tuesday vs. Northeastern; Sunday at Delaware.

5. Ball State: The Cardinals took care of business by winning at San Diego State to run their record to 8-1 entering the New Year. Duane Clemens is averaging 17.6 points and leading the Cardinals to co-favorite status in the Mid-American Conference. Up next: Sunday at Northern Illinois; Wednesday vs. Toledo; Saturday vs. Eastern Michigan.

Question these five
1. Ohio: The Bobcats have better talent than they showed in the loss to Gonzaga in the first round of the Rainbow Classic. They came back to nearly upset Wake Forest. But Ohio can't afford to blow too many chances if it wants to make the NCAA Tournament after an 8-5 non-conference schedule. Up next: Wednesday at Kent; Saturday at Miami (Ohio).

	A trip to Hawaii brought few smiles to Dave Odom and Wake Forest.

3. Fordham: The Rams had no business getting drilled by Hofstra. They're 6-5 heading into a wide-open Atlantic 10 race. Losing in New York doesn't help Bob Hill turn the attention his way in the city. Up next: Sunday at Providence; Wednesday vs. St. Joseph's; Saturday at Massachusetts.

4. New Mexico: The Lobos won't be a factor in the Mountain West if they can't protect their record at The Pit. They can't do that if Lamont Long doesn't make it his house again by becoming a dominant player. Losing to St. Joseph's in the final of the Lobo Invitational was the fifth home loss of the season. Up next: at Colorado State, Jan 10.

5. George Washington: Who can figure the Colonials? They're 5-6 after losing to UNC Charlotte at home in overtime on New Year's Eve. OK, they have a great scorer in SirValiant Brown, but obviously that's not enough. Up next: Monday at Old Dominion; Saturday vs. Duquesne.

What worked last week
Letting Lamont Roland take over: LSU leaned more on its shooting guard for offense during the win over Oklahoma State. He responded with 22 points, hitting 5 of 7 3-pointers.

Scott Robisch's impact for Butler: The Bulldogs rode Robisch's 17 points to a stunning win at Texas Christian. Suddenly, Butler is a potential favorite in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference because of the Oklahoma State transfer.

Joe Johnson's debut for Arkansas: The 6-8 freshman made the most of his new gig with the Razorbacks. He put up 16 points in a win over Alcorn State after getting eligible by posting a required test score last month.

Jamaal Magloire in the post: Another visit to the what's-working department for Magloire. He posted 21 points and 13 boards in a win over Missouri, continuing his re-emergence in the lane. Magloire is maximizing his minutes (31 against the Tigers). He's averaging 11.9 points and 8.1 boards but he still needs to get his shooting percentage near 50 percent (he's still at 43.4 percent).

What didn't go well last week
Going home again: Michigan State lost at Wright State. The only reason the Spartans played the game was to give a few Ohio natives on the roster a game closer to home. Bad idea. And Connecticut nearly got burned when it took Jake Voskuhl down to Houston for a reunion. Voskuhl scored only two points in the Huskies' 82-76 victory.

Robert O'Kelley's 3-point shooting: The Wake Forest point guard hit 1 of 7 from behind the arc in a 70-57 loss to Villanova in the fifth-place game of the Rainbow Classic.

Temple without Pepe Sanchez and Mark Karcher: The Owls shot 27.1 percent and scored only 44 points -- the worst offensive output in three years -- in a loss at Wisconsin. Sanchez's ankle injury kept him out of the game while Karcher was nursing a sore shoulder.

Taking George Mason lightly: Maryland nearly got beat at home by George Mason, barely edging the Patriots 69-66. The Terps lost their previous Washington D.C.-area clash, falling to George Washington in the BB&T Classic.

Siena's New York party: NYC wasn't kind to the Saints, who stormed into the city with only one loss (to Notre Dame) and were swept out of the ECAC Holiday Classic. Siena still has a shot at an at-large berth should it fail to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. But it can't afford more than two losses in the league.

Andy Katz is a senior writer for ESPN.com.