ESPN Men's Basketball

Editor’s note: Each week, ESPN.com writers will debate a topic of interest in the college basketball landscape. Today’s topic: Which teams are garnering too much (and possibly unwarranted) preseason buzz? Which teams aren’t receiving enough? For the former, click here to see the selections of Eamonn Brennan and Dana O'Neill.

Jason King: Missouri

I’ve seen a few preseason college basketball polls that have Missouri somewhere between No. 20 and 25. But in the majority of them, the Tigers aren’t ranked at all.

I don’t understand it.

This is a team that returns a Cousy Award finalist (Phil Pressey), the national sixth man of the year (Michael Dixon) and a forward (Laurence Bowers) who averaged 11.6 points and 6.1 rebounds two seasons ago before missing 2011-12 with a knee injury. That’s a solid trio -- and those guys may not even be the best players on the team.

Since Frank Haith’s arrival last offseason, Missouri has become a home for transfers seeking a fresh start after things didn’t work out at their initial stop. Some folks are referring to Mizzou as Transfer U. The label is fair. As many as four transfers are expected to either start or play major roles for the Tigers.

What’s interesting is that these aren’t your average, run-of-the-mill transfers. Forward Alex Oriakhi started on Connecticut’s 2011 NCAA championship team. And the other three were the best players on their respective rosters before deciding to take their talents elsewhere.

Guard Earnest Ross averaged a team-high 13.1 points for Auburn two years ago. Keion Bell, who is also a guard, scored 18.9 points per game for Pepperdine in 2010-11 before electing to leave. Sharpshooter Jabari Brown -- a consensus top-20 recruit -- earned a starting spot in Oregon’s lineup last season but quit the team after two games.

Bottom line: We know all of these guys can play because they’ve all proven it. The one exception is Brown, but he’s the most highly touted of the four. Brown, Bell and Ross practiced with the Tigers throughout last season, so it’s not as if they won’t be used to Haith’s schemes and coaching style. Oriakhi doesn’t arrive on campus until this summer, but the senior veteran should adapt quickly.

Along with its speed, quickness and prowess from long range, Missouri’s biggest attribute last season was its chemistry. Not many teams in the country operated as a unit quite like Mizzou. That cohesion will be hard to match in 2012-13.

Still, to me, this team is too talented -- and its players are too proven -- to leave the Tigers out of the top 15.

Myron Medcalf: Arizona

Where’s the love for Arizona?

If we’re going to hype Kentucky and UCLA based on their impressive fleets of incoming freshmen, then we should boost Arizona, too.

The Wildcats will depend on highly touted freshmen next season. Just like Kentucky. Just like UCLA.

But Sean Miller’s program hasn’t received a comparable slice of buzz, even though he had the top-ranked recruiting class in 2012 prior to signing day. And the Wildcats could end up with the Pac-12 crown next season.

Yes, Josiah Turner is gone. But Solomon Hill and Nick Johnson are back. A healthy Kevin Parrom should help, too.

But the veterans will be the backstory for next season’s talented bunch.

Miller has brought in the No. 3 recruiting class in America, according to ESPN.com. He has three five-star post players that could make an immediate impact -- not to mention recent transfer Mark Lyons, who is available to play right away after graduating from Xavier. He averaged 15.1 ppg last season and can be a major contributor if he keeps his head on straight.

As for the freshmen, Kaleb Tarczewski, a skilled 7-footer, and power forward Grant Jerrett are top-10 prospects. Brandon Ashley is a 6-8 forward with finesse. He’s top-20.

I watched Ashley ball on the summer circuit last year. Hard to imagine he’s the third-rated prospect in any class. Gabe York is also a talented young wing.

The Bruins’ youngsters will snatch the preseason headlines that precede the 2012-13 campaign. But by the end of the year, we’ll be talking about Arizona’s freshman leaders, too.

I just think Zona is a stacked young team, and that obviously carries weight following Kentucky’s run to the national title.

The greatest concern for a UA squad that imploded last season will be chemistry. Will the first-year guys blend with the veterans? That will be the most crucial component of the 2012-13 season for the Wildcats.

But again, John Calipari and Ben Howland will have the same challenge next season.

They’re all going to rely on skilled freshmen.

And if that’s the formula, then the Wildcats deserve far more buzz for their potential to disrupt the national scene next year.

LOS ANGELES -- It wouldn't be a surprise if Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott let out a loud sigh of relief late Friday night, as Colorado's victory against California in the second Pac-12 semifinal allowed his conference to avoid the Armageddon scenario of being the first one-bid major conference since the NCAA tournament expanded from 48 to 64 teams in 1985. With the Golden Bears assured of a bid barring some crazy circumstances, Saturday's Pac-12 title game between Colorado and Arizona will give the conference a second bid. And Washington has a decent shot at getting a third bid for the Pac-12. So take that critics!

No. 6 Colorado vs. No. 4 Arizona, 6 p.m. ET
Neither the Buffaloes (22-11) or Wildcats (23-10) were considered an at-large selection when the Pac-12 tournament started, and the loser is almost assuredly relegated to the NIT, as both teams were in the "Next Four Out" category of Joe Lunardi's latest Bracketology. So the atmosphere for this conference championship game will have more of a mid-major feel, where the combatants are scrapping and fighting for their shot at glory, than a BCS conference title game vibe, where the teams are playing simply for seeding. That should make for some fun at Staples Center.

Both teams have gotten to this point via defense, as they are the top two field goal percentage defenses in the conference. Colorado has given up only 54 points per game in its three victories (43 against Utah, 62 against Oregon, and 59 Friday night against Cal), holding opponents to 39.5 percent shooting in those victories. Colorado clamped down at crucial times twice against the Golden Bears, getting out to a 15-4 start early, and holding Cal scoreless for 4:28 in the late going, allowing a three-point lead to swell to a comfortable 59-46 advantage.

Arizona is no slouch on the defensive end either, as it actually led the Pac-12 in field goal percentage defense. The Wildcats held Oregon State more than 18 points below its season average in Friday's 72-61 semifinal victory, shutting off Jared Cunningham in the second half. After limping into the halftime down 34-27 after Oregon State ripped off a 20-4 run, the Wildcats flipped the script in the second half with their defense, holding the Beavers without a field goal for 6:16 as part of a 20-3 surge.

Keys to victory: Hitting the three and the boards. Along with stifling defense, Arizona turned the tables on Oregon State on Friday by tearing it up from long distance, as the Wildcats drained nine of 18 3-pointers. Brendon Lavender's trey to tie the game at 36-36 was considered the turning point of the game by Arizona coach Sean Miller. Kyle Fogg also nailed three triples, seemingly all late in the shot clock. Arizona leads the conference in 3-pointers per game, so look for Fogg, Lavender, Solomon Hill and Nick Johnson behind the arc.

Colorado sophomore forward Andre Roberson, the leading rebounder in the Pac-12, has been a double-double machine this season, compiling 18 thus far. He narrowly missed a 19th against Cal, with 17 points and nine rebounds. But Colorado, one of the best rebounding teams in the conference, was actually outboarded 31-25 by Cal, which is something it can't afford to do against Arizona. The Wildcats' Jesse Perry, the second-leading rebounder in the conference, had 16 points and 11 rebounds against Oregon State, while Hill can also crash the boards. So the Buffaloes will need the likes of Austin Dufault and Carlon Brown to help Roberson on the glass.

Previous meetings: The teams split their regular-season encounters. Colorado pulled out a 64-63 nail-biter in Boulder on Jan. 21., and Arizona notched a 71-57 victory in Tucson on Feb. 9. Brown was the hero for the Buffs in the first game, draining the game-winning 3-pointer with 1:19 left. Arizona crashed the boards in its victory, as Perry (17 points, 11 rebounds) and Hill (16 points, 14 boards) each compiled double-doubles.

Editor's Note: For Myron's recap of Saturday's afternoon action, click here.

More Saturday games. More drama. A weekend slate that wasn’t supposed to offer much ultimately produced an impressive collection of games. Saturday night only added to the excitement.

Washington 69, Arizona 67

This game might have been a preview of the vibe we’ll see in the Pac-12 tournament. Not one team in this league can feel secure about its NCAA tournament hopes, but the conference's collective downfall does make for plenty of must-win drama.

Consider this: Between the 14:16 and 2:28 marks of the second half, Arizona recorded exactly one field goal. And yet, with two minutes to play, this was just a six-point game. Solomon Hill’s 3-pointer with 9 seconds to play tied the game at 67. He was awesome, scoring 28 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. But while he made nine of his 10 shots, the rest of team went 12-of-40 (30 percent) from the field.

And after Hill's big bucket, Josiah Turner committed a huge foul on C.J. Wilcox, who hit a pair of free throws before freshman Tony Wroten blocked Turner’s layup at the buzzer. The Pac-12 is certainly down. But it’s also a very scrappy league right now because of the uncertainty. Arizona was bad for a chunk of this game, but the Wildcats kept coming -- because, well, it's UA-UW and these matchups are always dramatic.

The Huskies, who lead the Pac-12 at 7-2, scored a crucial road win, while Zona’s at-large hopes took another major blow with its third home loss of the season. Fun game.

No. 21 Virginia 61, North Carolina State 60

The Cavaliers led 55-45 with 6:37 on the clock, but barely held on here. The Wolfpack was sloppy for the bulk of this game and finished just 2-of-15 from beyond the arc. Near the five-minute mark, Alex Johnson missed three shots on one possession. He botched a layup on a fast break, then missed a contested follow-up and a 3-pointer. It was that kind of evening for the Pack.

But they bounced back and chipped away at Virginia’s lead. They outscored UVa 15-5 in the final six minutes of the game and Scott Wood hit a late 3 to close the gap to 1. The Cavs missed a jumper in the final seconds so NC State had a chance to tie on the last possession, but Virginia’s defense clamped down on Lorenzo Brown, whose 3-point attempt at the buzzer was way off.

The Cavs continue to find ways to win and force teams to play their grind-it-out style of basketball. Mike Scott (18 points) certainly helped, but Virginia was outrebounded 42-25 -- it gave up more offensive boards (18) than it had defensive boards (17)! -- and still pulled out the win. The Cavaliers' 17th victory gives them one more than all of last season.

That’s certainly something to be proud of, but I’m not sold on the Cavs as a team that will do damage in the NCAA tournament. Not with struggles against Towson, a bad home loss against Virginia Tech and other so-so efforts this season. Their finish against NC State on Saturday showcased some of this team’s flaws.

No. 20 Saint Mary’s 80, BYU 66

Wait, wasn't this supposed to be the weekend that the Gaels fell in West Coast Conference play? As impressive as SMC's 8-0 start in the WCC was, there was a palpable buzz that suggested the Gaels' success was directly linked to the fact that they played five of their first eight conference games at home, including routs of BYU and Gonzaga.

A rematch with Brigham Young on the road -- the Marriott Center is one of the most challenging venues in the country -- spelled doom. Right? But Saint Mary’s truly separated itself from the rest of the league with a 14-point victory that really wasn't even that close, despite SMC's heavy turnover total (24). It was a scrappy game both on the floor and off it -- fans threw things onto the court at one point as the Cougars lost back-to-back home games for the first time ever under Dave Rose. Four Gaels recorded double-figure point totals, led by Brad Waldow (19 points, 8 rebounds). I already can't wait for that Saint Mary's-Gonzaga game in Spokane.

Some more observations from Saturday night ...

• Oh Dayton, you confusing Atlantic 10 contender (pretender?). From Dec. 7 through Jan. 7, the Flyers won seven of eight games, including victories over Alabama, Ole Miss, Saint Louis and Temple. They’ve now lost three of five after Saturday’s 86-81 home loss to … wait for it … Rhode Island (4-18, 1-6 Atlantic 10). That’s not OK. What a wacky league. Xavier, Saint Louis and Dayton, three teams expected to emerge from the crowd, all have three conference losses as La Salle, St. Bonaventure and UMass (a very impressive winner over the Billikens on Saturday) share the conference lead. The A-10 seems as wide open and as unpredictable as any league in the country. Who can call it right now? Not me.
• The last time Minnesota and Illinois faced off, the Gophers lost to the Illini in double overtime in Champaign. On Saturday, Minnesota got its revenge with a 77-72 OT win at the Barn. After losing their first four conference games, the Gophers have won four of their past five. They’re a young team with limited depth, but Tubby Smith has coached this team extremely well in this five-game stretch.
• It was a huge night in Conference USA as the league's top four teams squared off. What we learned is that Memphis and Southern Miss, which play each other Wednesday in Hattiesburg, are the conference's co-favorites. Behind a career-high 29 from Will Barton, the Tigers rallied in the second half for a hard-fought home win against Marshall. The Golden Eagles also had a huge second half to win in Orlando, where UCF had won 16 straight (including a recent victory over Memphis). Neil Watson and Kentucky transfer Darnell Dodson combined for 45 points as Larry Eustachy's underrated squad improved to 19-3. Yes, 19-3.
• Think the Mountain West is a pushover? No. 15 UNLV needed overtime to dismiss Boise State on the road and the Rebels needed an extra period again Saturday, when they beat Air Force 65-63. AFA is ranked 156th in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted tempo ratings and Vegas is 17th, but these two squads were even on the scoreboard until the closing seconds. But the Falcons committed two turnovers in the last 15 seconds of the contest and squandered their chances to win this one late. Still, it was more evidence that the Mountain West is deeper than it appears to be on the surface. Mike Moser continued his destructive streak with 27 points and 12 rebounds.
• Oklahoma scored a key road when it beat No. 24 Kansas State 63-60. The Sooners pressured the Wildcats, who committed 20 turnovers. Frank Martin has been preaching defense, but K-State didn’t have much against Steven Pledger, who scored 30 points. The Wildcats have lost three of their past six. Meanwhile, this had to be a satisfying win for Lon Kruger, who used to play and coach in Manhattan. What a great job he's done in his first year in Norman.
• Seton Hall looked like an NCAA tournament team after it followed a blowout road loss at Syracuse with a four-game winning streak. But the Pirates have lost their past four and looked lackluster in a 60-51 home defeat to Louisville. Boy, that surprising season turned sour really quick, didn't it?
• Speaking of New Jersey, how strange is this Rutgers season? After Saturday's victory over Cincinnati, the young Scarlet Knights now have wins over Florida, Connecticut and the Bearcats ... and losses to DePaul, Illinois State, Princeton and a down Richmond team.
• Wichita State and Drake took a combined 149 shots in their triple-overtime thriller Saturday night. The Bulldogs outplayed the Shockers and deserved their 93-86 victory. Kraidon Woods’ layup for Drake sent the game into the first extra period and Rayvonte Rice hit a pair of late free throws to take the game into a second overtime. Drake’s Kurt Alexander and Wichita State’s Ben Smith traded late 3s in the second extra period to send the game into a third OT. In that third overtime, Drake scored the first five points and WSU couldn’t close the gap. The Shockers suffered their first loss since New Year’s Eve, but this is still a quality team. Wichita State is now one game behind Creighton in the MVC. Let's all count down to that Feb. 11 rematch in Omaha.

Saturday’s slate of games featured some surprising finishes. Teams were exposed. Others were discovered.

It was a tutorial on the unpredictable ebb and flow of the college basketball scene this time of year. Here are a few things I learned:

No. 1 Syracuse 88, North Carolina State 72

What we learned: The Orange aren’t just deep -- they're really good

Syracuse has been praised as one of the deepest teams in the country. The Big East power possesses a talented backup at every position. Sometimes, however, the “depth” tag suggests a team lacks individual talent. That’s not the case with the Orange. North Carolina State started strong but Syracuse didn’t panic. It just turned to its stars. Dion Waiters (career-high 22 points), Scoop Jardine (16 points) and Kris Joseph (21 points) led an SU squad that hit 56.5 percent of its shots. North Carolina State was up early and then -- Bam! -- the Orange snatched the game back. Even with a target on their backs as America’s new No. 1 team and a highly publicized investigation of a former assistant coach, they continue to operate like a team without any distractions. Cuse has survived every Bernie Fine development and overcome the obstacles on the floor. Can’t get overly excited quite yet about a team that just played its first road game, but the Orange seem to have it all right now.

No. 13 Florida 84, No. 22 Texas A&M 64

What we learned: Florida’s backcourt is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams

Well, the Aggies don’t belong anywhere near the top 25, judging by Saturday’s lopsided loss to the Gators. They can’t score. The Big 12’s worst scoring offense and worst free throw-shooting team couldn’t find the buckets to compete with Florida. Give UF credit for attacking early (opened the game on an 18-2 run), putting its potent offense to work and getting to the free throw line (30 attempts). The Gators are going to have trouble against bigger teams given their size disparity, but as Saturday’s game proved, opposing teams continue to have problems matching up against a team with their backcourt depth (three guards scored 16 or more, led by Kenny Boynton’s 22 points and his six 3-pointers). One question remains, though. Patric Young took two shots. You have to wonder whether he’ll become a more consistent part of Florida’s offense in SEC play. One thing is clear: When this team gets going, it’s a hard one to stop. There are still defensive concerns, but the Gators are going to compete in the SEC if they continue to produce this level of offense.

No. 7 Baylor 86, BYU 83

What we learned: Perry Jones can lead Baylor to a national championship

Baylor’s NCAA title hopes will be directly linked to its identity outside of Waco. The Bears were 1-3 away from their home floor during the nonconference portion of last season’s schedule. Those road woes followed the Bears into the Big 12 season. In a gritty game Saturday against a BYU squad that’s always tough on its home floor, Perry Jones III scored a career-high 28 points and played with the heart that’s expected of a star. After suffering a late knee injury, Jones checked back into the game and scored on a putback with 20 seconds to play that capped the win. Pierre Jackson blocked Brandon Davies’ 3-point attempt at the buzzer. BYU held a 13-point lead in the first half, but Jones kept the Bears alive in a hostile environment. He’s NBA-lottery good. We knew that before Saturday’s game, but since his return from an NCAA-mandated suspension at the start of the season, he’s looked like an NCAA championship-caliber leader, too.

Gonzaga 71, Arizona 60

What we learned: Gonzaga is not discouraged by early struggles, but Arizona might be

This was a significant game for a pair of teams that had dropped from the rankings in recent weeks as they failed to meet preseason projections. Both needed this game in Seattle. Gonzaga played like it understood the stakes. Arizona did not. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 14-0 lead to start the game, and Zona spent the rest of the contest trying to close the gap. But that early onslaught from Gonzaga set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. The Zags held off Arizona’s late charge that cut the deficit to 62-56 with 2:03 to play. The Wildcats’ leading scorer, Solomon Hill, went 1-for-7 and finished with six points, his second single-digit effort in three games. The fall continues for Arizona, an Elite Eight team last season but one that has lost four of its past seven games. Give Gonzaga credit, though. The Zags seemed motivated and focused, despite suffering their recent ups and downs. Saturday’s version of Elias Harris (25 points) should help Gonzaga in what should be an excellent WCC race with BYU and Saint Mary's. Hopefully, the 2-for-11 player who showed up for last weekend’s loss to Michigan State never returns.

UNLV 64, No. 19 Illinois 48

What we learned: UNLV is legit

With about 41 seconds to play in this game, Illinois' D.J. Richardson drove right in and went up for a dunk that wouldn’t have affected the outcome. But Quintrell Thomas swatted the shot like it mattered. Thomas and Mike Moser gave UNLV a combined 30 points with leading scorer Chace Stanback (2 points) struggling, as UNLV strolled into Chicago and locked up an Illinois team that came in at 10-0. The Runnin’ Rebels now have dropped a pair of undefeated, nationally ranked squads (North Carolina, Illinois), and their only two losses came against quality opponents on the road (Wichita State, Wisconsin). This Mountain West standout is legit. The Rebels can clamp down defensively. Illinois went 16-of-63 from the field (7-of-25 from the 3-point line). Surprisingly, Illinois didn’t feed big man Meyers Leonard (3-of-8) enough in the second half. During some stretches, Leonard’s teammates just missed him and settled for bad shots. Other times, however, Leonard couldn’t breathe with UNLV defenders swarming him.

No. 4 Louisville 95, Memphis 87

What we learned: Josh Pastner is still trying to figure out this team

Let’s start with giving Louisville credit. The Cardinals held off Memphis’ relentless pursuit, after watching their 13-point second-half lead become a 58-55 deficit. Behind Russ Smith’s career highs of 24 points and seven steals, Louisville pulled off a solid home win. But it also was another game in which Memphis baffled observers with its inefficient use of its immense talent. Will Barton is special (28 points, 16 boards), and he’s surrounded by a variety of highly skilled athletes. But that hasn’t been enough for the Tigers. Their four losses have come against quality opponents, but at what point will this group get over the hump? When will it stop playing in spurts and begin improving shot selection in tight stretches? Those are all key questions for Pastner going forward. He has some talented players on his roster. But getting all that talent to work together is still a challenge.

More observations from Saturday:

* No. 2 Ohio State stayed strong when Jared Sullinger left Saturday’s 74-66 victory over South Carolina with a foot injury, but you have to wonder whether the sophomore’s ailments will hamper him and the program the rest of the way.

* With Cody Zeller, who scored 21 points in Saturday’s 69-58 win over Notre Dame in Indianapolis, the No. 20 Hoosiers can compete for the Big Ten title.

* Both Mississippi State and Detroit proved they’re legitimate conference contenders during the Bulldogs’ 80-75 victory over the Titans. MSU is 11-1 now, while the return of center Eli Holman (12 points, 9 rebounds) increases Detroit’s potential of winning a Horizon League title.

* The Missouri Valley race will be the most competitive in the country. Indiana State’s 61-55 win at No. 25 Vanderbilt was just a reminder of the conference’s parity and talent. The Sycamores will compete with Creighton, Northern Iowa, Wichita State and Missouri State in what should be a heck of a two months in the Valley.

* J'Covan Brown continues to keep 9-2 Texas afloat in the Big 12’s fringe contender conversations. He scored 23 points in a nice 77-65 victory over Temple.

* A game-winning tip-in with a second to play by Butler’s Andrew Smith helped the Bulldogs snap a three-game losing skid with a 67-65 win over Purdue. The Big Ten is really big this season, and Purdue lacks a consistent interior presence. That will create a variety of issues for the Boilermakers in conference play.

NEW YORK -- Arizona coach Sean Miller walked out for an interview during the first game Thursday night and heard a few fans yell down to him.

He said that on the West Coast he can step outside his locker room, in clear view of everyone in the stands, and not be pestered or heckled. Well, nothing about Madison Square Garden screams West Coast.

He knew then he had returned to the East Coast, and he loved it.

“I remember that feeling,’’ Miller said. “I love coming back here.’’

The Pittsburgh native and former Pitt player made a name for himself grinding his way through the Northeast. He took over at Xavier and continued to make the Musketeers a national program. And then he did something out of character -- he got out of his comfort zone and went West.

He could have come back East last spring when the Maryland job opened. He talked to Terrapins athletic director Kevin Anderson and knew shortly thereafter that his heart was now in Tucson.

It’s a good thing because his run of success in the desert is just beginning.

Arizona went to the Elite Eight last March and then lost the No. 2 pick in the draft in Derrick Williams and saw Lamont Jones transfer to Iona to be closer to home.

It didn’t matter. Four games into this season, the 4-0 Wildcats have the look of a team that will be a good watch throughout the season, a legit contender for a Pac-12 title and a threat to go deep into March.

No need to even bring up the nation's top recruiting class for 2012, an almost absurd collection of talent on its way to Tucson. Who needs to spin forward? This squad has plenty to show off this season.

On Thursday night at MSG, the Wildcats overcame an 8-point second-half deficit and pulled away late on host St. John’s, ending the game on a 23-6 run en route to a 81-72 victory. On Friday night (7 ET, ESPN), the Wildcats will face off with Mississippi State in the final of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.

Zona had an inspiring evening from New York native Kevin Parrom, back in his hometown after going through a horrific few months. He lost his grandmother and then his mother tragically to cancer and when he returned home in late September to visit his ailing mother, he was shot in the leg and hand by a gunman who broke into his father's home.

Against the Red Storm, Parrom connected on a pair of 3s and was no doubt an inspiration to the Wildcats and to the sizable number of fans in the Garden crowd cheering for him and the Cats.

“He’s finding his way back,’’ Miller said. “He’s a veteran player and he knows how to play and how we have to play this season. He’s so versatile. We don’t have a 6-10 guy, but Kevin (6-foot-6) can rebound, steal the ball and push it in transition. He gives us the dynamics to help us be more versatile.’’

The Wildcats are young in a number of spots and had a hard time keeping St. John’s Nurideen Lindsey away from the basket, especially off the dribble. But Arizona had plenty of options on the offensive end, making 14 3s, including three from Nick Johnson and three from Kyle Fogg. The Cats got production from nine players, with five in double figures.

“We’re like a hockey team right now, subbing in and out,’’ Miller said. “In three or four weeks, we’ll have more solid roles. This was only our second game with Kevin back. So we have to figure out how to bring him in.’’

Miller wasn’t ready to anoint this team as something other than what it is. The Wildcats are clearly a work in progress. But there is such a good vibe with this group. They have terrific bounce from players like Angelo Chol, and have oodles of potential if Josiah Turner settles into his role as a change-of-speed point guard with Jordin Mayes able to knock down key shots, too. Solomon Hill and Jesse Perry had their moments against the Johnnies.

The Wildcats won a game that will prove to be a significant one come March. They came East and showed that Miller has moved on and established his identity in Tucson.

Arizona was in turmoil four years ago with Lute Olson’s illness, two consecutive seasons of interim coaches and the potential for the roster to be gutted. But the implosion of USC’s recruiting class was a benefit for Arizona. Miller has recruited at an astronomical level since, beating out national power after national power across the country.

While rival UCLA plunges into turmoil, the Wildcats are rising up and proving that Arizona is nothing less than an elite program. There was reason to doubt the team's standing in the wake of Lute Olson's departure, but then the school went out and hired the right person at the right time.

Sean Miller is happy to be back on the East Coast this week. But he calls the West home now.

And there are thousands of Wildcat faithful who sure are thankful for that.

NEW YORK -- A quick take on No. 16 Arizona's 81-72 win over St. John's on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden in the second semifinal of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.

What it means: The Red Storm suffer their first loss of the season, in their first game at MSG after winning three games against mid-major competition at Carnesecca Arena last week. For six of the seven players in the St. John's rotation, it was their first game at the Garden; they proved they could play on the big stage, but couldn't close out the more experienced Wildcats (4-0) down the stretch.

The skinny: St. John's coach Steve Lavin was worried about his team displaying some nerves, but the young Red Storm looked comfortable on the big stage from the get-go. They did trail by as many as nine early, 19-10, but went on a 12-2 run to pull into the lead midway at the 9:24 mark. St. John's led by as many as six in the first half, 32-26, but gave the lead back and trailed 44-41 at the break.

St. John's fell behind by seven early in the second half, but responded with a 19-4 run, taking their biggest lead, 66-58, with 7:20 to play. But Arizona recovered from there. Leading scorer Nurideen Lindsey (18 points) fouled out with 4:02 left to play, just after the Wildcats had retaken the lead, and St. John's trailed the rest of the way.

Big nights: Besides Lindsey, D'Angelo Harrison had 16 points for St. John's -- 14 coming in the second half. Moe Harkless had 13 points and 9 rebounds, and Phil Greene had 12 points off the bench.

Solomon Hill led five Wildcats in double figures with 15 points.

Killer stat: Arizona shot 14-for-28 from beyond the 3-point arc -- that is awfully hard for any team to overcome. St. John's was just 3-for-8 from long range.

What's next: St. John's will play Texas A&M on Friday at 4:30 p.m. in the consolation game of the tournament. Arizona will take on Mississippi State in the championship at 6:30 p.m. ESPN2 will televise both games.

Our friends at The Mag are previewing one high-profile school per day for their Summer Buzz series. For the sake of all that is synergistic, yours truly will be attempting the same, complementing each comprehensive preview with some analytic fun. Today's subject: Arizona.

Derrick Williams finally got his due.

Williams was arguably the best player in the country during the 2010-11 season. He was, with the exception of Hofstra's Charles Jenkins, the most efficient star in all of college hoops. Nobody but Jenkins took as many shots while simultaneously maintaining Williams' otherworldly efficiency. His effective field goal percentage (65.0) and true shooting percentage (69.0) ranked him sixth and fourth in the country, respectively.

And Williams didn't just score. He also rebounded on both ends of the floor, drew fouls on opponents at one of the highest rates in the nation, and contributed length and athleticism on the defensive end.

For a variety of reasons -- a lack of national profile heading into the season, the whole West Coast/Pac-10 TV thing, and so on -- casual college hoops fans (and NBA scouts, for that matter) spent much of the season sleeping on Williams. It took a torrid run through the postseason (including a pretty much flawless 32-point, 13-rebound performance in a dominating win over No. 1-seed Duke in the Sweet 16) and a spate of talented forwards deciding to stay in school, for Williams to finally rocket up draft boards.

Fortunately for Williams, the final appraisal was the best one. The dude was a monster. He was drafted accordingly. The end.

Unfortunately for Arizona, the Wildcats now face the prospect of replacing their hyperefficient scoring and rebounding machine, and they have to do so in one fell swoop. Traditional stat lines can be deceiving -- you can't control for tempo in a box score, duh -- but this one is not. Go ahead, click on it. It's Arizona's 2011 statistics, and if you take even a cursory glance, you'll notice that no single Wildcat averaged even half the points per game Williams did. The closest was Lamont "MoMo" Jones. If you double Jones' points per game (9.7), you get one tenth of a percentage point less (19.4) than Williams's (19.5). This is not the most scientific piece of data ever unearthed, but you get the point.

Making this worse, of course, is Jones' decision to transfer to Iona this offseason. He said he wanted to transfer home to New York to be closer to family, and he couldn't go to St. John's because of an NCAA rule prohibiting players from playing for their old AAU coaches. But his transfer likely had something to do with Arizona's incoming backcourt and the star power Sean Miller is hoping two freshmen can immediately bring.

The first is Josiah Turner, the No. 3-ranked point guard in the class of 2011. The second is Nick Johnson, the No. 5-ranked shooting guard. Landing either one of these two would have been a boon to Arizona's long-term project (which, after an Elite Eight appearance, can hardly be qualified as "rebuilding"). Landing both of them gives the Cats what should be the best freshman guard tandem in the country. Having Jones around would have helped -- veteran presence is always nice, right? -- but it's not clear he's better than either of Miller's incoming talents.

The rest of the team won't be quite so young, but youth is still the defining characteristic. The rest of Arizona's seventh-ranked recruiting class includes two intriguing power forwards, Angelo Chol and Sidiki Johnson, both of whom are power forwards, and both of whom are ESPNU top 100 prospects. Neither is likely to have the same immediate impact as Turner or Johnson, but both should compete for minutes early in their careers and, at the very least, provide some depth to an obviously depleted frontcourt.

The rest of that frontcourt comprises returning role players who played off Williams last season. The most likely breakout candidate is 6-foot-6 forward Solomon Hill, whose athleticism allows him to overcome size disadvantages in the low block. Hill could feasibly transition to a more traditional small forward role; he isn't a great shooter, but he's capable -- he made 17 of his 48 3-point attempts last season -- and his potential defensive versatility is an asset against bigger guards and/or smaller forwards.

There are other returners here. Kyle Fogg is solid at the 2. Seven-foot center Kyryl Natyazhko and 6-11 forward Alex Jacobson both bring valuable size (which could come in handy against, say, UCLA's bruising front line). Junior small forward Kevin Parrom is the best shooter on the team; he posted an offensive rating of 122.5 in 2011. Guard Jordin Mayes and big man Jesse Perry are also back for their second seasons in Tucson.

Miller can choose between these, and a handful of other minor contributors last season, as he begins to fill out the 2011-12 Arizona lineup. Whatever configuration of players he chooses -- some mix of old and new, experience and talent, and so on -- two things are certain:

One: Derrick Williams isn't walking through that door. Arizona's offense may be very good again. But if it is, it will look entirely different from the 2011 version. It is likely to be more perimeter-oriented, more varied, and less interior-oriented.

And two: Arizona will either be good or great this season. But even if "good" is the end result, the future -- with this top-notch 2011 class and another brilliant one on the way in 2012 -- is looking very bright.

Williams is gone, and he'll be impossible to replace. But Arizona basketball is in very good shape. On that point, there seems to be little debate.

Cold feet and jammed fax machines are among the reasons recruits have delayed signing national letters of intent, but top-100 recruit Angelo Chol had a unique reason for not being able to turn in his to Arizona until Thursday.

According to the Arizona Daily Star, the 6-foot-9 forward needed an NCAA waiver to have an attorney sign the paperwork in place of his father, who lives in Sudan and is difficult to reach.

But his father, Akieng, returned to Sudan shortly before the signing period began, and could not be easily reached by telephone. But according to Ollie Goulston, Chol's coach at San Diego Hoover High School, UA assistants James Whitford and Book Richardson secured a waiver from the NCAA that allowed San Diego attorney Leslie Coughlin to sign the LOI instead.

Neither Goulston nor Coughlin are legal guardians of Chol, 17. But Coughlin aided Chol as a refugee from Sudan and has remained close.

The versatile Chol is a member of an elite recruiting class also consisting of Nick Johnson, Sidiki Johnson and Josiah Turner that coach Sean Miller hopes will soften the blow of losing Derrick Williams to the NBA draft.

"It is exciting to see how well Angelo complements the abilities of Nick, Josiah and Sidiki in our class of 2011," Miller said in a statement. "We are counting on these guys to contribute immediately in a significant manner next season."

But according to the Arizona Republic, Miller has already begun placing the emphasis on his returning players, challenging them to show they can win without Williams.

Miller: "We have seven of our top 10 guys back and it's those seven improving and having a great summer, coming in and using [last season's experience] to their advantage. ... This spring, summer and fall is an important time for a lot of guys. When you hear so much about Derrick in a positive way, I think if you're a returner on our team, you want to be able to prove that we have the ability to win without him. I think that's something very fair to say and I think we have a lot of guys working toward that.

" ... Keep in mind that in the second half against Duke, we scored 55 points. Derrick scored three of them. A lot like I said last year, it won't be the new guys that necessarily make us a great team. It'll be the returning players. We have quite a few players who are hungry and very experienced, so I think it'll be interesting to watch the development of Solomon Hill or Kevin Parrom and even Kyryl Natyazhko. I think you'll find they'll be better players a year from now."

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- A look at the Huskies-Wildcats matchup at the Honda Center in Anaheim:

No. 5 seed Arizona (30-7) vs. No. 3 seed Connecticut (29-9), 7:05 p.m. ET (CBS)

How they got here: Behind a huge 36-point performance from Kemba Walker, UConn was able to knock off San Diego State 74-67 to get to this game. Walker continued to show he is one of the nation’s great scorers and big-game players by scoring at will. He also had help, as freshman Jeremy Lamb scored 24 points to help beat the second-seeded Aztecs. Arizona also got a big game out of its star player, with Derrick Williams going off for 32 points and 13 rebounds in a 93-77 trouncing of defending national champion Duke. Williams scored 25 of those points in the first half, and the Wildcats played their best basketball of the season by scoring 55 points and decimating the Blue Devils’ defense after halftime.

Storyline: The two programs have proud histories, combining for 18 Elite Eights, seven Final Fours and three national championships. Yet they've somehow never met in the NCAA tournament. They have played four times in the regular season, though, and UConn has won each of the meetings, including the last one -- a 79-70 victory in the 2005 Maui Invitational.

This one will be a star-studded affair, and the winner will celebrate a Final Four berth along with the satisfaction that rebuilding projects don’t have to take long after all.

Third-seeded UConn has had to deal with an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations that landed the program on probation. Last season, the Huskies lost 16 games and finished 7-11 in the Big East. But with a young roster and an explosive scorer in Walker, coach Jim Calhoun has the Huskies back within a win of the Final Four.

“We’re moving on to hopefully a Final Four, and we’ve had a fabulous year, and we would love to get to the Final Four,” Calhoun said.

Fifth-seeded Arizona has upset Texas and Duke on its way to the Elite Eight. Coach Sean Miller has done wonders putting together, and developing, a roster that has quickly matured. Williams has emerged as one of the nation’s most dominant forces and clutch players, and the Wildcats are peaking at the right time after running the defending champs off the court by scoring the most points of any Duke tourney opponent in 14 years.

“I’m sure on UConn’s end, that would be the team that they don’t want to see because that’s probably the best that we’ve played,” Miller said.

Players to watch: Walker called Williams the best player he’s seen this season before Calhoun corrected him. “He’s a terrific player, and I would have to disagree with Kemba for once,” Calhoun said of Williams. “I think he is probably the second-best player in America.”

Of course, Calhoun likes his own guy very much. Since helping the Huskies win five games in five days at the Big East tournament, Walker has remained hot in the NCAA tourney and has surpassed the 30-point total in his past two games. It will be an interesting matchup watching Walker go up against his friend and former New York City high school teammate Lamont "MoMo" Jones.

“I think our guys really understand the focus and the energy that it takes to do the best job you can against a player like him,” said Miller, who likes that the Wildcats have experience playing against Washington’s Isaiah Thomas.

Williams, while conceding that Walker would make his share of shots, emphasized that crashing the boards would be a key to winning the game. “It’s really just about getting defensive rebounds and whenever those guys miss just make sure we get the rebound,” he said.

For UConn, it will have to contain Williams not only on the glass, but also from making game-changing plays. “He’s definitely a great player and the key to that team,“ Huskies big man Alex Oriakhi said. “If we can do a good job of keeping him off the boards, I think we’re going to make it tough on them.”

What to look for: Arizona’s rotation is deep and really showed up against Texas and Duke. Solomon Hill and Jesse Perry, along with reserves like Jamelle Horne, Kevin Parrom and Brendon Lavender, have given solid rebounding performances in the tournament. “Bottom line, the diversity and the flexibility of their team in many ways gives you grave concerns,” Calhoun said.

UConn is a young team growing up right in front of the nation. Sophomore Oriakhi and freshman Roscoe Smith showed they can control the boards. And Lamb, also only a freshman, is coming off a 24-point performance and has scored in double-figures for eight games in a row. “He’s playing with great confidence, shooting the ball at a very high level,” Miller said.

Arizona doesn’t just consist of Williams, and the same goes for UConn and Walker. The game could very well come down to which team’s complementary players step forward.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Arizona stunned defending national champion Duke 93-77, as the Wildcats head to the Elite Eight after outscoring the Blue Devils 55-33 in the second half. Derrick Williams had 32 points and 13 rebounds in a dominating performance that won't soon be forgotten. The last player with 30 points and 10 rebounds in a win over a No. 1 seed? Carmelo Anthony against Texas in the 2003 Final Four. Lamont Jones scored 16, and Solomon Hill added 13. Duke was led by Kyrie Irving's 28 points, but Nolan Smith struggled mightily in his final game. Smith scored eight points on 3-for-14 shooting and committed six turnovers. The national player of the year candidate averaged just 13.6 points per game in the NCAA tournament.

Turning point: A Williams dunk extended the Arizona lead to 73-61, and it wasn’t just any other dunk. Williams faked out his defender and then drove the lane for an uncontested slam. The exclamation point came during a relatively quiet second half for Williams, who scored 25 points in the first. But the power dunk sent the message to Duke that it wasn’t going to be the Blue Devils’ night.

Key player: Williams was simply masterful, finishing 11-for-17 from the field and going 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. Six of his 13 rebounds were on the offensive glass. The Pac-10 player of the year's NBA draft stock shot up, but first comes a chance at making it to the Final Four.

Key stat: Arizona outrebounded Duke 40-27 (25-9 in the second half), capitalizing on Williams' dominance and relying on 16 offensive rebounds for numerous easy shots. Williams had a putback dunk in the first half that rattled the rim and wowed the crowd. Jesse Perry had six rebounds, and Hill had five.

Miscellaneous: The Wildcats are back in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005. ... Duke now has five losses in the Sweet 16 as a top seed in the NCAA tournament. According to ESPN Stats & Information, no other program has more than two. ... Despite Irving's performance, the Blue Devils lacked an outside shooting presence and couldn't match up with Williams. ... Kyle Singler had 18 points and eight rebounds in his final game, but it wasn't enough. ... Entering Thursday, 5-seeds were 6-38 all time against No. 1 seeds. There's now a seventh member of that club. ... This was the fifth-most lopsided tournament loss in Duke history and the second-worst ever by a 1-seed prior to the Elite Eight. Ohio State's 17-point loss to St. John's in 1991 tops the list. ... Arizona's 93 points were the most scored by a Duke opponent in the NCAA tournament since 1997.

What’s next: No. 5 seed Arizona moves on to play No. 3 seed UConn on Saturday for the right to go to the Final Four.

TULSA, Okla. -- Thoughts on Arizona's 70-69 win over Texas:

Overview: Arizona advances after leading virtually all game, losing the lead in the final minute, and then pulling out the victory in a wild series of plays in the final 30 seconds. Derrick Williams' three-point play with 9.6 seconds left provided the winning points, and Texas' last chance ended with a missed J'Covan Brown drive and a melee for the rebound.

Turning Point: When Jordan Hamilton called timeout after grabbing a rebound with 14 seconds left and Texas up two, instead of holding the ball and waiting to be fouled. The Longhorns were called for a controversial five-second call on the ensuing inbounds, and Arizona got a chance to steal the game from there.

Key player: Arizona All-American Williams was frustrated for much of the game by the big and physical Texas front line, but he scored the Wildcats' final five points and finished with 17 points and eight rebounds.

Key stat: Brown, Hamilton and Gary Johnson scored 55 of Texas' 69 points, while center Tristan Thompson and the rest of the Longhorns struggled. Thompson finished with three points and six rebounds.

Miscellaneous: Arizona got contributions from just about everybody, most notably Solomon Hill (16 points and eight rebounds) and Jordin Mayes (16 points, 4-for-4 from 3-point range). They helped offset terrible games from point guard Lamont Jones and forward Jamelle Horne (both scoreless).

What's next: Arizona advances to play Duke in Anaheim in the West Regional. Texas goes home after another unsatisfying NCAA tournament.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- There was a duststorm that closed down parts of I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson on Saturday. Inside the frenzied McKale Center, there was a "white out," with fans garbed in white to celebrate Arizona's return to the nation's elite as it squared off with black-clad Washington in a critical Pac-10 matchup.

Surrounded by these maelstroms, there was a monster, too. At least, that's how Washington coach Lorenzo Romar described Arizona forward Derrick Williams.

"Derrick Williams was obviously a monster," Romar said.

The description seemed apt. After all, it was Williams' monstrous swat of short jumper from Darnell Gant with a single tick left on the clock that put an exclamation point on the Wildcats’ thrilling 87-86 victory. It was Williams' ferocious 26 points and 11 rebounds -- both game highs -- that were the cornerstones of an eighth consecutive victory. The win puts the 13th-ranked Wildcats on the cusp of their first regular-season Pac-10 title since 2005 with four games to play.

That block prevented a seventh and final lead change taking place over the final nine minutes of a chippy, physical game. And it was awfully close to a goaltend.

"Luckily, they didn't call the goaltend," Williams said. "I believe if we were at Washington, they might have called that. Good thing we were at home."

Arizona, unbeaten at home, improved to 23-4 overall and 12-2 in the Pac-10. Washington, the preseason conference favorite, fell to 18-8 and 10-5 in the conference, which is now a two-team race between the Wildcats and UCLA. The Bruins take a 10-3 conference mark to California on Sunday and will play host to Arizona on Feb. 26.

But what most inspired the 14,619 fans who packed the McKale Center was a sense that Williams and coach Sean Miller are leading the Wildcats back under the Klieg lights of the Big Dance. After a 25-year NCAA tournament appearance streak ended last season, Arizona will not only be dancing in March, it likely will do so as a high seed.

Oh, the coach and the players talked the talk of just focusing on the task at hand -- you know, got to win the Pac-10 first -- but everyone knows the program has traveled a vast distance in Miller's second season.

"Going back to last year, we never had any feeling like this," Williams said.

Washington didn't make it easy. It rarely is for the Wildcats, who won a triple-overtime classic at Cal on Feb. 5 and have two other conference wins by a single basket.

Arizona led the entire first half and boosted its lead to 12 early in the second. The Huskies, however, started pushing the pace and making shots -- they got their first tie at 68-68 with 9:14 left -- most particularly Matthew Bryan-Amaning, who nearly matched Williams' monstrousness. He scored 18 of his 24 points in the second half, was 12-of-19 from the field, grabbed nine rebounds, dished four assists, blocked six shots and snagged three steals.

But he also got outfoxed in a head-to-head matchup with Williams near the basket late, getting called for traveling with three seconds left.

The Huskies immediately got the ball back, however, when the ensuing inbounds pass from Solomon Hill to Lamont ''MoMo'' Jones bounced off Jones' leg. Hill said after the game that the turnover was a "miscommunication." The Wildcats were out of timeouts, Miller said, and should have tossed the ball long, instead of doing a quick, short feed.

But that merely set up Williams for his heroics.

"Derrick Williams is just an incredible player," Miller said. "He's such a gamer. He's so clutch."

Miller then gently suggested that the sophomore, who likely will enter the NBA draft this summer, should be ranked among the Wildcats all-time greats.

Of course, many of those greats led the Wildcats to one -- or more -- of their four Final Fours.

While clearly the star, Williams doesn't do it alone. Hill, for one, made the Cats’ final basket when he put back an offensive rebound off a blocked shot. In fact, the difference in the game was rebounding, particularly on the offensive glass. In a battle of the Pac-10's top two rebounding teams, Arizona dominated, owning a 35-22 edge, including a 16-6 advantage on the offensive glass.

The rebounding battle also was where both teams seemed to often find offense from each other. The Huskies pushed the Wildcats around in an 85-68 win in Seattle on Jan. 20. The Wildcats, who clearly didn't enjoy the visit to the Emerald City, haven't lost since.

Winning is not new to Arizona. "Everyone in here has seen this before," Miller noted.

Yet these Wildcats might just be a bit scrappier than previous celebrated vintages. They aren't there yet. But they've got a monster and a supporting cast that appears hungry to get there.

Kevin O'Neill just can't seem to avoid running into the NCAA, as he now has the distinction of having been the head coach at the two Pac-10 programs -- USC and Arizona -- currently on probation. The thing is, O'Neill didn't do anything wrong to get those schools in trouble.

While Arizona's violations were committed under Lute Olson's watch, the players deemed ineligible played on the 2007-08 Arizona team that O'Neill led as an interim coach to a 19-15 record and the NCAA tournament. That means the 19 wins Arizona will vacate due to the sanctions announced yesterday will come off of O'Neill's coaching record.

According to the Arizona Daily Star:

O'Neill now officially went 0-14 that season following changes ordered by the NCAA infractions committee that vacated UA's 19 wins and its NCAA tournament loss to West Virginia, according to NCAA statistician Gary Johnson.

O'Neill's 14-year mark now officially drops to 185-207 (.472) from 204-208 (.495).

"I did all that for zero wins?" O'Neill said jokingly. "Wow."

Johnson said, however, that he will place some sort of asterisk next to O'Neill's record indicating that his record reflects vacated games that arose from a penalty he was not involved in.

By "all that," O'Neill can include going through a botched succession plan to take over for Olson at Arizona. For his efforts, he ended up with an asterisk on his record and the opportunity to go to a USC program that self-imposed a postseason ban in the middle of his first season due to NCAA violations involving former player O.J. Mayo.

And no, the loss that O'Neill had as Arizona's head coach playing against USC during the year in question doesn't disappear from his record since the Trojans vacate the win rather than the game being a forfeiture.

And for the salt in the wound? Derrick Williams, Lamont Jones (aka MoMo), and Solomon Hill were supposed to come to USC, but backed off once Tim Floyd resigned. Those players are all now major building blocks at Arizona.

It's a good thing O'Neill has a sense of humor ... OK, so not always when it comes to Arizona.

Another buzzer-beating win for Arizona has the Wildcats feeling good about themselves -- even though it will take a run through the Pac-10 tournament to capture their 26th consecutive NCAA tournament bid.

Lamont Jones, a freshman also known as MoMo, banked in a jumper at the horn to beat Stanford on the road 71-69 on Saturday. Jones scored 16 points and, probably conference freshman of the year, Derrick Williams had 24.

The rebuilding at Arizona is ahead of schedule, and fittingly, coach Sean Miller had Jones in the game late instead of starting point guard Nic Wise, who twice hit game-winners this season but has struggled lately.

Bruce Pascoe of the Arizona Daily Star noticed that by the end of the game, only freshmen and sophomores were on the court for the Wildcats:

So here was UA's lineup on the floor tonight in the final seconds: Derrick Williams, Solomon Hill, Brendon Lavender, Kyle Fogg and MoMo Jones.

What does that tell you?

“You have to play the players that are performing, the players who are playing the best together and mostly you have to play the players who are giving fantastic effort," UA coach Sean Miller said.