ESPN Men's Basketball

I did not see this one coming.

Derrick Caracter's NBA dream is currently his No. 1 focus. He left UTEP after his junior year at the school despite his discouraging "second round to undrafted" draft projection, and he has to make a go of it now, because getting in the 2010 NBA draft as an undersized big man with good skills and a legendary distaste for discipline is going to be very difficult work. Almost as difficult as joining the Navy and become a full-time enlisted man. Which, failing a future in professional basketball, is what Caracter wants to do.

Like I said, I did not see this one coming. From Hoopshype:

"If Plan A doesn’t work out, Plan B would be joining the Navy," Caracter said. "I would do something like that. Seriously. I think it would be a great experience. You travel, you train, you can be chillin’ in Japan. You get to see different things and differents parts of the world. That’s something I always wanted to do: travel around the world. See different things, new people, cultures and lifestyles."

I'm not sure being in the Navy quite comes down to travel, training, and "chilling in Japan," but that's certainly a well-assembled pitch. Somewhere, the man at your local Navy recruitment office is beaming. And somewhere, Rick Pitino is tearing his hair out. Oh, so NOW he craves discipline? NOW he wants to train?! Seriously? I give up. Or something like that.

(Hat tip: The Dagger)

In 2010, lots of people who'd be better off not entering the NBA draft are going to, with utmost certainty, be entering the NBA draft. Prepare yourself.

Why? Quite simply, the NBA's potential lockout looms over the 2011 season and the 2011 NBA draft like the big money-sucking vacuum out of that weird animated Goodyear commercial that's been on every tournament telecast since March 18. With the chance the draft won't be around next year, or, if it is, that teams won't be able to offer their draftees contracts until an ongoing dispute between owners and the NBA players' association is settled, pretty much everyone who has even an outsider's shot at the NBA this year is going to be testing those waters early and often.

Tommy Mason-Griffin started the trend. Yesterday, UTEP's Derrick Caracter continued it. Of course, this goldrush includes players like Cole Aldrich, likely lottery picks that should be going pro this year, guys whose best interests would be served by the draft even if it wasn't a lockout year. It will also include guys like Michigan's Manny Harris, who announced he was leaving John Beilein's program Monday. Harris is currently at the tail end of the second round of Chad Ford's NBA mock (Insider); there's a decent chance he'll go undrafted.

At some point, you wonder if doing the counterintuitive thing would be the best strategy. If there's going to be an NBA draft run this year, and you can afford to stick around for another year (two or more is better, but beggars can't be choosers), maybe you take the risk, stay in school, and hope the lockout thing works out? Maybe you boost your draft status simply by not being in the morass that will be 2010's overstuffed draft. It's has a higher ratio of risk to reward, but anything beats this 2010 draft. The bad decisions -- in so far as you can call them that -- are just going to keep rolling in.

Butler extended the nation's longest winning streak to 21 games after dominating UTEP in the second half to take the first-round win.

Shelvin Mack scored 25 points, hitting seven 3-pointers to lead the Bulldogs. Gordon Hayward, the Horizon League's player of the year, added 13 points.

No. 5-seeded Butler came back from a six-point halftime deficit, with Mack scoring 18 after the break. He went 7 of 9 from beyond the arc and also had four assists and four rebounds.

"We came out with some nerves, but in the second half, we came out firing," Hayward said.

UTEP ended the season with 26 wins, but two straight losses after going down today and to Houston in the Conference USA championship game.

Derrick Caracter finished with 20 points and nine rebounds, and Randy Culpepper had 16 points.

"I'm frustrated because we're a lot better than we showed today," Caracter said.

The Miners shot only 37. 5 percent from the field in the second half.

"It started with our defense," Mack said.

Butler moves on to play No. 13-seeded Murray State in the second round.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Some quick thoughts...

• Derrick Caracter scored at the buzzer to cap a very nice half, leading all scorers with 12 points and seven rebounds. He's 6-of-8 from the field and showing how important his transfer is to UTEP.

• Randy Culpepper showed off his athleticism with a high-flying dunk on a breakaway, and he has eight points. Conference USA's player of the year is also doing on it defense with three steals.

• Gordon Hayward has six after missing all three attempts from beyond the arc. Butler is 3-of-12 from 3-point range.

• Shelvin Mack has six points for Butler, and the Bulldog are only 37.5 percent from the field.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Previews for today's slate of games at HP Pavilion.

Vanderbilt (4) vs. Murray State (13)

Murray State coach Billy Kennedy said Picasso Simmons, whose mother died in a car crash Monday, didn't want this tournament to be about him, so the team declined to answer questions. We can only guess how emotional a game this will be for the Racers, who saw their grieving walk-on guard make the trip. The Ohio Valley Conference champs are winners of 21 of 22, but the program's only NCAA tournament win came in 1988. Murray State and Vanderbilt are about a two-hour drive from each other, and the proximity is so close that earlier this month, the 30-win Racers practiced on the Commodores' practice floor in preparation for their conference tournament. Of course, Vanderbilt is unlikely to underestimate a No. 13-seeded team considering the Commodores were routed only two years ago by No. 13 Siena.

Butler (5) vs. UTEP (12)

Butler is the nation's hottest team, having won 20 straight games without even having lost a single time in 2010. Gordon Hayward is the Horizon League's MVP as the Bulldogs hope to justify their high seed. UTEP, meanwhile, has Conference USA player of the year Randy Culpepper. Center Derrick Caracter is the only Miner who has NCAA tournament experience since transferring from Louisville. Many have UTEP picked in the early game to pull the upset, considering that the team might be underseeded. "I was a little shocked by the seeding we got," UTEP coach Tony Barbee said. "I thought we had a season that deserved a little more respect."

Marquette (6) vs. Washington (11)

Marquette is focused on controlling the tempo in this one. "If Washington is playing us, then I like our chances," Marquette coach Buzz Williams said. "If we're playing Washington, it will be a blowout. Part of the problem with the Golden Eagles will be containing Washington senior Quincy Pondexter. Huskies coach Lorenzo Romar is impressed by Marquette on film, expressing admiration for their grit during the season. Look for Washington guard Venoy Overton to try to disrupt the Golden Eagles' offense in which all five players in the lineup can hit from long distance, led by Darius Johnson-Odom. And down low, Washington's Matthew Bryan-Amaning, at 6-foot-9, will do his best against a tough but small lineup for Marquette.

New Mexico (3) vs. Montana (14)

New Mexico hopes to prove itself on the national stage and make names for guys like Darington Hobson, Roman Martinez and Dairese Gary. The Lobos certainly don't want their dream season to end in the first round, and to prevent that from happening, you can bet they'll key on Montana guard Anthony Johnson, who put up 42 points in the Big Sky championship game. Johnson said he's used to teams focusing on limiting his production, and the Grizzlies had better find some other options to go to. Will New Mexico's lack of NCAA tournament experience hurt it? The Lobos already are coming off a loss to San Diego State and also squeaking out a win over lowly Air Force in the Mountain West Conference tournament.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Derrick Caracter is the only UTEP player to have NCAA tournament experience, and he says he wears the Elite Eight ring he earned while playing for Louisville.

"I didn't play as well as I wanted to, and as much as I wanted to, and this time around, I have an opportunity to be a major contributor to my team," Caracter said.

That's music to the ears of Miners coach Tony Barbee, who is looking for Caracter to lead this team to an upset win against Butler. Barbee recalled recruiting the now-6-foot-9, 275-pound Caracter while an assistant at Memphis.

"We assume right away -- grown man," Barbee said. "Derrick coming out of high school was immature, spoiled and always a little bit lazy. When he went to Louisville at 17 years old, you think about some of the decisions we all made when we were 17 that did not get covered by the national media that we wouldn't have been so proud of. Derrick is a great kid, that was never in question.

"Once I heard that he wasn't blaming anybody else, he knew it was his fault, and he knew he had to change. Knowing he was a good kid from recruiting him from before, I thought he had a chance to turn a corner. He's grown up. He's matured. He's shaken that lazy label since being around me. Everything I've seen, he's been one of the hardest workers on our team."

Blogger Eamonn Brennan identifies three players from outside the major conferences to watch in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

Yesterday we covered the love/hate inherent in this year's NCAA tournament bracket. Let's do something different today. Let's make five bold predictions -- predictions so bold your face will melt, probably, which is itself a bold prediction -- about what we can expect these next three weeks. Disclaimer: Bold predictions made with every intention of sincerity. There's nothing worse than people who make crazy predictions simply for the sake of making crazy predictions, am I right? (In other words, I'm going out on a limb here, but I do actually think this stuff can happen.)

With that, let's get right to it. In the year 2010 ...

1. Kansas will lose to Lehigh. Ha! Got you guys! Just kidding. Deep breaths, Kansas fans. I'm not that bold. The real No. 1 is:

1. Texas A&M will make the Elite Eight. (Or: Duke won't make the Final Four.) Don't get me wrong. Duke has the easiest path to the Final Four of any of the No. 1 seeds. The Blue Devils are a very impressive team on the court and on paper -- they're Ken Pomeroy's top adjusted efficiency team in the country for a reason. Duke should make the Final Four. But if there is an upset candidate before No. 3-seed Baylor in the South region, it's Texas A&M. The Aggies are a strong defensive team, ranked No. 23 in adjusted efficiency. Mark Turgeon has a pair of experienced tournament players in Donald Sloan and Bryan Davis, both of whom have been to four NCAA tournaments. And the Aggies have the benefit of not relying on jump shooting to get themselves points. Rather, the Aggies rely on their ability to get to the free throw line, which they do at the sixth-highest rate in the country. This is the sort of offensive game plan that should serve them well against anybody, even Duke.

2. Temple will beat Cornell. Yes, counts as "bold." Since the East's No. 5/No. 12 matchup was announced, Cornell looked like the most likely candidate for the ever-popular (and logistically sound) 12-over-5 upset, one of which you should be picking in your bracket every season. In fact, this meme has crossed over into consensus. But guess what? Temple is no slouch. In fact, the Owls are pretty blatantly underseeded as a No. 5. Temple has flown as far under the radar as any team from a multi-bid league that won its own conference AND conference tournament possibly could. The Owls are No. 18 overall in Pomeroy's adjusted efficiency rankings, a mark that exists primarily thanks to their third-ranked overall defense, a unit that allows fewer points per possession than any team in the tournament not named Florida State. Temple is the best team in the country at containing shooters; Cornell just so happens to be the best three-point shooting team in the country and the third best in team effective field goal percentage.

All of which means one simple thing: Cornell got jobbed. Everyone loves the Big Red, for good reason. A No. 12 seed is remarkably low for the best Ivy League team we've seen in years. But thanks to their matchup, Cornell's stay in this NCAA tournament should prove awfully short. That this might be considered a piece of unconventional wisdom -- "bold," as it were -- is a signal of just how high most people rate the Big Red.

3. BYU will edge Kansas State. OK, so this part of the limb might be a little further out than I wanted to tread, but the more I think about it, the more I think it's entirely possible the Cougars can top Kansas State in the second round in Oklahoma City. This BYU team is much better than their No. 7 seed. For starters the Cougars are a potent offensive team with a bonafide star in Jimmer Fredette and an experienced sidekick in Jonathan Tavernari. To be sure, Kansas State will be something of a shock to the Cougars' system -- BYU hasn't played a team that defends quite as thoroughly as the Wildcats. Nor do most teams attempt to run with BYU's uptempo offense. The Wildcats, who average 71.1 possessions per game, will be more than happy to go up and down with BYU for 40 minutes. In an up-and-down game like that, either of these teams can get especially hot and pull away before the other has a chance to regroup. Why can't that team be the Cougars?

4. UTEP will play Syracuse in the Sweet 16. And just how will they do that? By beating Butler in the first round and the winner of Vanderbilt-Murray State in the second. UTEP, like its first-round counterparts, are probably a bit better than their resume, and their resume is good. What's more, they're a tough matchup for Butler, whose lack of front-court depth could really struggle with the likes of Derrick Caracter and center Arnett Moultrie. After that small matter of business is concluded, the Miners will face a relatively forgiving No. 4 seed in Vanderbilt, a team that actually ranks behind the Miners in adjusted efficiency. It's one of the easier roads for any No. 12 seed into the Sweet Sixteen, and I think UTEP forges it.

5. Baylor will make the Final Four. At this point, so many people are picking Baylor to go deep into this tournament that this prediction hardly seems bold. Oh, but it is: The Bears are not a great defensive team, and they'll have to get through Villanova and Duke (or Texas A&M!) to make this prediction worthwhile. This is not un-bold, no matter how many people claim otherwise.

Still, though, I think the Bears have just as good a chance as any team in the South to emerge and play in Indianapolis on the first weekend of April. LaceDarius Dunn remains one of the country's most underrated players. Ekpe Udoh's overwhelming physicality will present issues for any team the Bears face. Most importantly, the Bears have an easy route to the Elite Eight -- their toughest test would ostensibly come from Villanova, a team equally indifferent on the defensive side of the ball and a team that lacks the size to match up with Udoh in the post. The South could get crazy. I think it does. And I think the Bears emerge unscathed.

Sorry, Arizona State. Our bad, Seton Hall. Maybe you can catch a break, Rhode Island. Say bye-bye, Dayton.

Those are the potential consequences of what Houston, a 19-15 regular season team with a losing record in Conference USA, just did to dominant conference champ UTEP. Needing a conference tournament title to steal the C-USA's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, the No. 7-seeded Cougars topped the Miners 81-73 in Tulsa in what is thus far the country's least likely conference tournament winner. March Madness? Houston's got your March Madness right here.

The way Houston won was just as unlikely as the result. The Cougars have the country's leading scorer on their roster -- guard Aubrey Coleman, who averages 26 points per game. But Coleman didn't carry the Cougars against UTEP. Rather, it was fellow guard Kelvin Lewis, who played 39 minutes, scored 28 points, and hit six of his 10 three point attempts in the win. (Coleman added 13 points of his own, but shot a putrid 4-of-20 from the field.)

UTEP acquitted itself well enough in the loss. Forward Derrick Caracter scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and guard Randy Culpepper scored 20 and added six rebounds. The Miners are a balanced, talented team -- it's not every year a talent like Caracter falls into your lap -- and should still be feared in the tournament.

The real story here, though, is how Houston's unlikely run will affect the handful of bubble teams desperately hoping for as many available at-large bids as possible. One of those bids just went bye-bye; UTEP should not be excluded from the tournament. (To be clear: UTEP belongs in the tournament, and the committee should recognize as much. If they don't, it will be a shame. That's a good team.) So who loses out?

One aside: Does Houston's win improve Memphis' chances? The Cougars beat Josh Pastner's bubble-fied Tigers team on a last-second Coleman shot Thursday. Does Houston's impressive run through the tournament give the Tigers a little more credibility? And is it enough to get them out of the dreaded "first four out" category where they currently reside?

All of that will play out in the next, oh, 24 hours. There are plenty of hoops left. In the meantime, Houston can enjoy the celebration that comes from that most unique of college basketball traditions: the automatic qualifier. Who cares about the regular season, right? It's tournament time, and the just-barely-.500 Cougars will be joining us. What's cooler than that?

Barring something unforeseen, the top four teams in the current poll should end up being the four No. 1 seeds.

Kansas should be the overall No. 1, getting St. Louis as a Midwest Regional home. Kentucky (No. 2 in the poll) will likely be seeded in the East and go to Syracuse. Syracuse, the No. 4 team in the current poll, can’t play at the Carrier Dome as a host, meaning the Orange will likely go to Houston as the South’s top seed. The fourth No. 1 isn’t firm yet, but as of now, it’s hard to argue against the No. 3 team in the current poll, Purdue, which has now won at Ohio State and at Michigan State and has the inside track to win the Big Ten.

Here’s a breakdown of the rest of this week's ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll:

No. 5 Duke: The Blue Devils have clearly proved they are the best team in the ACC and are a possible No. 1 seed.

No. 6 Kansas State: The Wildcats continue to win road games in the Big 12 and are looking like a solid No. 2 seed.

No. 7 West Virginia: Interesting the Mountaineers are here after losing at Pitt the week before. Beating Connecticut on the road Monday would help their seeding cause.

No. 8 Villanova: Nova fans think I’m hard on this team, but I’m about results and as of late the Cats have lost a few. I’m not sure I’ve seen a team slide down only a few spots after losing two games in a week. This is too high for this week.

No. 9 Ohio State: The Buckeyes did lose at home to Purdue, but then won at Michigan State. Ohio State should be in front of Nova.

No. 10 Butler: Love the Bulldogs' spirit, the play of Gordon Hayward, and beating Siena without Willie Veasley. But the Bulldogs haven’t beaten enough quality teams to be ranked No. 10.

No. 11 BYU: I’ve been on the BYU bandwagon from day one. This team continues to win big games in the Mountain West and has a road win at UTEP that will come in handy.

No. 12 New Mexico: I’m still having a hard time digesting how well the Lobos are doing. Steve Alford and Craig “Noodles” Neal have found quite a blend of talent that went under the radar. The Lobos deserve this high ranking and it could be argued they should be ahead of the Cougs since they beat them at home. Circle the major showdown Saturday in Provo between these two teams.

No. 13 Georgetown: The Hoyas lost to Syracuse last week at home. Should they be higher? Maybe. This feels right.

No. 14 Michigan State: It’s still hard to see the Spartans slide so far down in the polls and look like a third-place Big Ten team. Seeing MSU, one of my Final Four picks, at No. 14, doesn’t make sense, but it is justified.

No. 15 Gonzaga: The Zags lost another WCC road game, this time at LMU. I know the Zags are better than they’re showing, but pushing them further down in the polls would've been fair.

No. 16 Pitt: Let me get this straight. Pitt beat West Virginia at home in triple overtime, won at Syracuse earlier and just knocked off Villanova at home. Why are the Panthers at No. 16 again? Please move them up.

No. 17 Tennessee: The Vols picked up a huge win over South Carolina. I picked it as an upset. I was wrong. I like the Vols here.

No. 18 Temple: The Owls will find out soon enough if they’re the best in the A-10. They are getting mileage out of the win over Nova. This is too high for me.

No. 19 Wisconsin: The Badgers barely beat Northwestern at home and lost at Minnesota. Sorry, but Wisconsin could be pushed down a few pegs this week.

No. 20 Vanderbilt: I know the Commodores lost at home to Kentucky but they were coming off a win at Ole Miss. I would have had no problem moving Vandy up a few spots.

No. 21 Texas: The Longhorns lost Dogus Balbay, but won at Texas Tech. That saved face for them after losing at Missouri. I know this team is more talented than it’s showing, but I wouldn’t have had a problem not ranking Texas this week.

No. 22 Northern Iowa: The Panthers get props for winning games, but still haven’t beaten anyone major outside of the win over Old Dominion last Friday. If they weren’t ranked I wouldn’t scream.

No. 23 Texas A&M: The Aggies couldn’t close out Kansas, but then won at Iowa State. We’ll find out more about this squad with a game at Baylor. Aggies should be up a few notches.

No. 24 Richmond: The Spiders are playing better basketball than Temple, so at least swap those teams in the rankings.

No. 25 UTEP: Finally. The Miners deserved to be ranked as they steamroll through Conference USA. The win over Tulsa spoke volumes as to why they should be the team to beat going forward. Derrick Caracter and Randy Culpepper have been big-time players for them this season.

I would have seriously considered putting in Maryland, Virginia Tech, Baylor and Xavier this week. There would have been some tough calls, but I might have tried to find a home for at least two of them, most notably the Terps.

By now, everyone knows Derrick Caracter's story. He's the insanely talented big man (he was the No. 1 prospect at the start of his high school career), the guy who toppled Greg Oden at ABCD camp in 2006, the monster set to star at Louisville, the one who, after so many half-hearted tries, couldn't keep his weight under control and couldn't get motivated. After several second chances, Caracter left Louisville for good.

The big man ended up not playing big minutes for a loaded Louisville team (imagine a motivated Caracter on last year's No. 1 seed Cardinals) but rather seeking redemption at UTEP, where he's nominally managed to get his act together. It's a shame Caracter's Louisville career ended the way it did, but it's fun to see him figuring things out in El Paso. Who doesn't like a good redemption story?

Caracter seems to have more perspective now. The El Paso Times' Bill Knight talked to him about his time at Louisville and his time at UTEP, and Caracter seemed to boil it down to one disastrous habit: Chinese food.

"I had problems with the coach at the prep school and I didn't play that much and when I got to Louisville, I weighed 320-pounds," he said, shaking his head. "I was just eating Chinese food and doing unnecessary stuff. My first year at Louisville was cool. I felt some of the assistants were harder on me than the other guys, but that just made me better.

"It seemed like I had a certain leadership on the team," he said. "A lot of guys would follow me, do what I did, even dress like me. In some ways that hurt us and in some ways that was a good thing. But if I felt like I was better than David Padgett and I was not playing, I would be negative. Coach (Rick) Pitino felt it was like a cancer, that it would spread."

OK, so obviously Caracter isn't just blaming Chinese food. In fact, "Chinese food" and "unnecessary stuff" are really just code words for "horrific diet" and "penchant for bad lifestyle decisions," neither of which needs to be explained in detail. Which is good, because I love Chinese food. If Chinese food was really so responsible for costing Caracter his first shot at basketball stardom, could I still devour it with such gusto? Doubtful. I don't want to give up Chinese food. This is a huge relief.

In the meantime, Caracter is averaging 14 points and almost nine rebounds per game for a 16-5 UTEP team. The Miners are hot, too -- they've won their last five, including a huge overtime win at UAB on Jan. 30. It's far from the bright lights and top seeds of the Big East, but Caracter is finally making an impact. It's a shame it took this long for him to pinpoint the (deliciously fried) problem.

(Hat tip to Flubby for the link.)

Late December is usually a weird part of the college hoops season. Most schools' students are on break, and a lot of times programs use that opportunity to schedule a few cupcake games before the conference season begins in January. And understandably so.

But not tonight. Tonight features No. 9 Michigan State at No. 2 Texas followed by California (who, after a slow start, could sneak back into the top 25 soon) at No. 1 Kansas. Tonight tops that delicious feast of hoops with a thick gravy dollop of watchable games like Bucknell at Notre Dame, Cleveland State at No. 15 Ohio State, and No. 16 Butler at UAB. Yes, tonight is decidedly awesome.

To the links, then, shall we?

• Tom Izzo thinks Texas is the best team in the country. It's true. He said this:
  
  "This team, I think in watching them on film, comparing them to even Kansas, they look to be the best team that I’ve seen as far as depth, experience, guard play, intangibles, shooters and rebounders. It’s hard to believe a college basketball team would get 29 offensive rebounds in a game against another good college basketball team. That’s a scary thought going into this game."
  
  Kansas fans might disagree (and of course Izzo has a vested interest in keeping expectations for MSU low) but he's not far off. Texas is pretty freakin' scary.
• Speaking of scary, here's a scary thought: Texas freshman Avery Bradley is just starting to figure this whole college basketball thing out.
• Meanwhile, The Only Colors and Burnt Orange Nation discussed the game in a series of question and answer sessions, and The Only Colors has a full tempo-free-rich preview for your enjoyment. Newsflash: Texas is just as good at the four factors as their record and reputation would apply.
• In our own corner of the Interwebs, Jay Bilas has a full preview of tonight's action (Insider), while Andy Katz has an excellent feature on the violence that hit Cal guard Jerome Randle's cousin last summer. It's must-read stuff.
• As Dana O'Neil wrote here last night, Derrick Caracter is looking more and more like the Derrick Caracter who could rightfully be called the best high school player in the country years ago. Adam Zagoria has more on the subject.
• New York City metro college hoops is not very good. It hasn't been very good for a while now. It would be nice if New York City hoops was good again, though it's not like the future of college basketball is riding on it. (College basketball seems to be doing just fine, thanks.) But if you're into local laments, here's one.
• Connecticut's men's and women's teams are as successful as ever. So why is attendance fizzling? The Hartford Courant tells the tale, but one thing worth noting is that UConn's attendance, while down by its own standards, is still awfully good compared to most schools. The folks in Storrs don't have much to worry about yet.
• Rick Pitino suspended Louisville forward Terrence Jennings for the Cardinals' game against Louisiana-Lafayette for an unspecified team violation. Somehow, I imagine the Cardinals will survive his absence.
• When good blogs go bad (or get a bunch of really bad commenters): One of the best newspaper-run college hoops blogs anywhere, the Bloomington Herald-Times' Hoosier Scoop, has recently become overrun with trolls. The lesson here, as always: Don't be a troll! And if you're not a troll, please, don't feed the trolls. This is Internet 101, people.

Derrick Caracter as a program boost?

Who'd a thunk it? Certainly not anyone in Louisville, where Caracter spent more time in Rick Pitino's doghouse than on the court.

But away from the Big East spotlight and Pitino's glare, Caracter may have found his niche -- in El Paso, Texas of all places. On Monday night, Caracter helped UTEP to a signature 89-74 win against Oklahoma. He's played just four games for the Miners, but recorded three double-doubles, including the 11 and 10 he put on the Sooners.

With Memphis in rebuilding mode, Conference USA and its NCAA tournament bid is there for the taking, and UTEP, with Caracter and red-hot scorer Randy Culpepper, might be up for the grab.

Here's the caveat: It's early. Caracter has shown flashes before, but the good nights often were freight trained by his hot-and-cold relationship with commitment. Once the most highly regarded recruit in the country, he has been his own worst enemy.

If he has truly changed his ways, Caracter might finally live up to that surname and his abilities.

And UTEP might reap the benefits.

Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy doesn’t want to toss around the word "special" too lightly.

But it is hard not to in describing Chris Warren. The junior guard has been simply amazing in his comeback from an ACL injury that limited him to 11 games as a sophomore.

Warren is averaging 19.2 points a game and quieted any potential conflict with last season’s SEC freshman of the year Terrico White by simply being a better scorer thus far. There is room for both to be productive.

“He never has a bad day,’’ Kennedy said of Warren. “He attacked his rehab like I’ve never seen anyone do before. Now he doesn’t wear a sleeve or a brace or anything on his knee.’’

The Rebels had injury issues last season with Warren and Eniel Polynice. In the offseason there was an injury to Zach Graham that could have prevented this squad from being whole. But with everyone healthy and on the same path toward making the Rebels an SEC West title contender, there seems to be no slow in this team. Ole Miss beat Kansas State in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic, lost to Villanova in the title game, squeaked out a win over an improved Southern Miss, and then beat UTEP in overtime earlier this week in Southaven, Miss.

Next Wednesday, the Rebels play at No. 6 West Virginia against Kennedy’s former mentor, Bob Huggins.

Kennedy said for the Rebels to have a chance against the Mountaineers, Warren is going to have to score. WVU can certainly defend with length and that could be an issue for the Ole Miss guards. But the Rebs are streaking right now and in position to be an NCAA team if they can continue on the current path.

• Kennedy was impressed by UTEP’s Derrick Caracter, who scored 15 points and grabbed 15 boards. “He’s gotten a lot better,’’ Kennedy said of Caracter, the former Louisville center. “We had no answer for him around the rim.’’

• Kentucky coach John Calipari said Friday that Thursday’s practice was the “worst we’ve had in five years.” Calipari was referencing practices at UK and his previous gig, Memphis. He said the poor practice habits led to him forcing the players into a full conditioning hour. The Wildcats host Austin Peay on Saturday and then Drexel two days later as they seek two more victories for the program’s historic 2,000th win.

• Meanwhile, Calipari said what prevents DeMarcus Cousins from having a breakout performance on a consistent basis is conditioning. He said Cousins came ready to compete for the full practice Thursday and was irritated the session turned into a conditioning practice.

• Oregon State has been a major disappointment with losses to Sacramento State, Texas A&M Corpus-Christi and Illinois-Chicago, but coach Craig Robinson finally got some good news. The Beavers were counting on 6-foot-4 Roberto Nelson to be an impact guard this season, but he wasn’t cleared to compete academically and couldn’t practice. But Friday the Beavers received word that Nelson’s paperwork out of Santa Barbara, Calif., had been cleared for him to be declared a partial qualifier. Nelson can now practice, and if he earns a qualifying standardized test score after Saturday’s exam, he would be cleared to compete in games.

• No. 19 New Mexico hosts No. 20 Texas Tech on Dec. 29. Both teams are ranked and both are unbeaten. And for the first time in 27 years -- according to long-time media relations director Greg Remington -- the game is sold out 11 days in advance. UNM announced that the game is a sellout with 14,586 expected. The last time two ranked teams played at the Pit was Feb. 1, 1999, when No. 20 Utah beat No. 17 New Mexico, 57-39. UNM hosts Creighton on Saturday and then goes to Oral Roberts, while Texas Tech is at Wichita State and then hosts Stanford. So it may be a battle of unbeatens, but it's certainly a better game than we could have ever foreseen just a month ago.

Some interesting games Wednesday night. Here are the ones I’ll be keeping an eye on:

• UTEP, fresh off losing for the first time this season, goes to Southaven, Miss., to play Ole Miss. Derrick Caracter will be playing in his second game. Both teams have guards that can fly. This game should be an up-and-down affair and ultimately be a quality win for one of the teams.
• Cincinnati at UAB. These two used to have some great battles in Conference USA. The Bearcats were stung in double overtime at Xavier on Sunday night and are searching for a bounce-back win against a Blazers team that is off to a surprisingly torrid start. UAB is 8-1 (only loss to Kent State), but the best wins are against Green Bay and Georgia, neither of which will be in the NCAAs.
• Ohio State should walk over Presbyterian, but it will be a much-needed experiment game for the Buckeyes in their second contest without Evan Turner. OSU lost its first game without the do-everything guard last Saturday at Butler.
• Dangerous Richmond plays the first of its back-to-back games against the SEC when the Spiders travel to South Carolina, which is still without starters Dominique Archie and Mike Holmes. The Spiders, who have already beaten Mississippi State, have Florida up next on Saturday night. Gamecocks fans don’t have exactly have fond memories of Richmond. A John Beilein-led Spiders team upset South Carolina in a 14-vs-3 game in the 1998 NCAA tournament.
• New Mexico plays as a ranked team for the first time in 10 years, hosting Northern Arizona. Coach Steve Alford is wondering how his young team will handle the pressure.
• Oral Roberts plays its first game after the death of the school’s founder and namesake. ORU, which beat Missouri at home, plays at Louisville, which is fresh off losing to Western Carolina at home.
• The Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series returns Wednesday night with Oklahoma State going to Stanford. The Pac-10 has only won two games so far in the series -- Cal over Iowa State and Oregon State over Colorado.
• Oregon State goes to Illinois-Chicago as Craig Robinson seeks to continue his recruiting success in his hometown. But this is a dangerous game for the Beavers, which lost at Nebraska last week. OSU, desperate to hit a consistent stride, won at GW and needs to get on a roll before the Pac-10.