With all of the success that Stanford is having this year, I was wondering about a player of the past. I attended Mount Diablo High school in Concord, Calif., where Todd Lichti is a hero. He was Stanford's all-time leading scorer, wasn't he? Is he still? I know he played briefly in the NBA for the Nuggets and the Celtics, I think. What happened to him?

-- Lance Rakish, Everett, Wash.

Lichti, who is Stanford's all-time leading scorer with 2,336 points, is now the voice of the Denver Nuggets. ESPN's Dave Feldman, who was a volunteer coach while Lichti was at Stanford, still marvels at his talent.

I've been watching Minnesota sophomore big man Joel Przybilla in nearly every game, and he really seems to have developed an offensive game for this season. His blocked shots, however, are down. Where do you see Joel going in the draft if he bolts from the troubled Gopher program, and where could he be if he stayed in school?

-- Aaron, Madison, Wis.

Przybilla would go in the first round, probably late, according to NBA scouts. His offense has improved considerably. He'll stay if the Gophers don't get another postseason ban. If they do, he's gone.

I love your weekly insight on college basketball, it is a wonderful source of information from around the country. What is your opinion on the recent debate about Illinois' public refusal to play DePaul? Do you think it stems back to the Florida/Florida State coaching days of Pat Kennedy and Lon Krueger? Is it the fact that DePaul is recruiting so well in the Chicago area, with such talent like Quentin Richardson staying home? From what I hear, more talent is on the way for DePaul.

-- Nikki, Dyersville, Iowa

Illinois is proabably taking the stance that schools like UCLA will take when they refuse to play Fresno State. Illinois runs the risk of looking bad in Chicago. That's not what you want in recruiting wars in that city. They could obviously win, but the Big Ten doesn't like to look at itself as an equal with Conference USA. They should play. It would create more interest in Chicago basketball and would sell out the United Center instead of leaving it half-full for events like the Great Eight.

What is it going to take for LSU to get ranked in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll? I guess starting 12-0 while beating the 11th-ranked team by dominating them is not enough.

-- Russ Coldiron, Pineville, La.

OK, the poll issue. First, my take on the Associated Press writers' poll. I've been an AP poll voter for years, but lost it when I came to ESPN (Dick Vitale is the rep here). But most voters don't pay attention. They don't scour the scores and results. They tend to look for the same schools to put in the polls. That's why schools like LSU and Tulsa struggle to get into the polls.

I also disagree with newspapers and broadcasts that only give you top 25 scores. You're only supposed to care about a school for the week it's in the top 25? You'll get Tulsa's box score and results for a week but if the Hurricane drop out, you probably wouldn't hear from them again.

The coaches poll is another matter. A lot of coaches don't even vote. The schools' sports information directors do. The coaches don't see many games because -- surprise! -- they're busy coaching. But polls don't matter in college basketball like they do in college football, so don't fret.

Every year, a team from the MAC wins at least a game or two in the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately it seems like the selection committee continually forgets this, seeding MAC teams lower than they should be and rarely giving a MAC team an at-large bid. With two teams getting in last season, do you think the MAC is to the point where it can expect multiple teams each year, and if not, why? The league has already had many big non-conference wins this year by Ball State, Marshall, Ohio, Kent, Akron, and Miami (Ohio). How many bids do you think the conference can realistically expect?

-- Steve Neer, Columbus, Ohio

The MAC should get multiple bids, but probably not more than two. Why? The power ratings aren't great for Bowling Green, Marshall and Akron. If Kent and Ball State can avoid disastrous conference seasons, they'll both make the field of 64. If neither wins the conference tournament, the MAC could get three teams.

When I look at some of the young players around the NCAA this year I get very nervous about Arkansas. Cincinnati, North Carolina, Duke and DePaul are just so good and they have many young players. Arkansas was supposed to have a good recruiting class last year and this year but they aren't showing it. Is it time to start worrying in Fayetteville?

-- Dustin Caler, Fayetteville, Ark.

I wouldn't worry, with Arkansas getting Joe Johnson back. He's already making an impact. The Razorbacks could be a sleeper team in the SEC if he can play well in the post.

Duke started the season 0-2, with losses to Stanford and UConn, who happen to be the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the country now. The Devils are young now, and were even younger those first two games. With Carlos Boozer improving and the rest of the team developing into a true Duke power, do you think come March, they will be the surprise team to run from behind and take it all? This year, I think it's possible. Do you?

-- Mike Kelly, Philadelphia

Yes. Duke continues to mature each game. Boozer got a bit exposed in the Virginia game but they survived for the win. Duke is playing the best basketball in the ACC but won't run the table. The Blue Devils have a chance to win the league again and make a deep NCAA Tournament run if Boozer makes himself a factor every game.

-- Chris Ingraham, Comstock Park, Mich.

They can't hang with Michigan State. The freshmen were exposed in the loss to Minnesota. They have to settle down in big games. Having Brandon Smith back from his injury gives them more experience, but the Wolverines will struggle on the road in the league. They'll be on the bubble come March.

Why isn't Iowa State getting any recognition this year? The Cyclones did stumble early against Drake, but they also stayed close to Cincinnati until the final few minutes. They are ranked high in every category used to "rank" teams and their stats. They have Marcus Fizer, backed by a solid team. They have a better record than many, and are equal to most, of those in the top 25 in the various polls. What more does it take to get ranked in the top 25 this year?

-- John Duoos, Lansing, Mich.

Iowa State hasn't gotten the pub because, outside of that Cincinnati game, it hasn't played teams on the radar screen. Fizer is a legit Big 12 first-team player and Jamaal Tinsley is one of the quickest point guards in the nation. Iowa State is in that muddled middle group in the Big 12 with Missouri and Colorado. They'll likely be on the bubble in March.

What's up with Northwestern basketball? We lost Evan Eschmeyer to graduation, one of our expected starters quit, and so far this season we have been a little inconsistent. Do we have a chance to do anything this year?

-- Josh Cohen, Evanston, Ill.

All you have to know about Northwestern is that they scored 13 points in the first half in a loss to Oakland (Mich.) last Sunday. The Wildcats have no seniors and the inexperience is stopping their offense from progressing. It will be a long year in Evanston.

Keep the questions and comments coming. I try to read everyone and they help us with our coverage. Thanks for your interest..

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.