If I were giving an award for the tough-luck team in college basketball early this season, Arizona would get the nod.

	When he's on, Richard Jefferson is often the best player on the court.

There was the suspension of Richard Jefferson by the NCAA as part of the Bill Walton ticket fiasco, a ridiculous ruling. Jefferson should have never been penalized. There was Loren Woods' six-game suspension. Those absences clearly affected the timing and rhythm of the team.

Against a good Connecticut team, the Wildcats were without coach Lute Olson. He was back in Arizona with his wife, Bobbi, who has been battling ovarian cancer. We all wish her well. You couldn't expect the Wildcats to be the same without their architect, their leader, the man they count on.

I'm sure Olson would offer no excuses for his team leaving Connecticut with a controversial loss on a questionable goaltending call. The club simply wasn't the same without him on the sidelines. Let's not forget the Huskies are a dangerous team, one which figures to be right in the hunt in the Big East.

Believe me, the real evaluation will come when Woods has some time to get game competition. When the Wildcats have their full cast intact, players and coach, that's when you can tell how good this team is.

When you have five Wooden Award nominees on the same court, plus a solid bench and a great coach, the combination is there to make a run at the national championship. Arizona will certainly be heard from.

Give Olson credit for facing good competition early. Judge the team once the chemistry is there, when this group has played together for a few games.

IOWA ON EARLY ROLL
Steve Alford has done all the right things early this season, building a winning climate and environment. The Big Ten has solid teams leading the way in Michigan State and Illinois, but the next group has some interesting teams, including Iowa.

Luke Recker had 28 big points in the win over rival Iowa State. Having Recker and Dean Oliver together makes for excitement galore. Perimeter play makes the Hawkeyes a contender for an upper-echelon finish in the league.

The JUCO-impact player of the preconference season is Reggie Evans. He is an inside power player who had seven consecutive double-doubles in helping the Hawkeyes jump out to a 7-0 start.

Yes, the early schedule has been predominantly at home. The real tests will come on the road in Big Ten play.

RAM TOUGH
Remember the name of Bob Hill? The former head coach with the Spurs and Pacers of the NBA, a man with an impressive resume, has taken his talents to Rose Hill.

Fordham University has been in the NCAAs just once since Digger Phelps left (1992 under Nick Macarchuk). Athletic Director Frank McLaughlin made strides to get the Rams back to the NCAAs when he hired Hill as head coach.

What a great hire -- Hill, a teacher and outstanding strategist, pulled a major coup in getting a big W over city rival St. John's. That's right, the ranked Red Storm of the Big East!

Bevon Robin hit the game-winning shot to give the Rams to the upset. Hill has a tough freshman up front in Jeff McMillian.

Fordham, which also has a good win over South Florida, is beginning to make noise. There will be balance in the Atlantic 10 this season with the Rams and St. Bonaventure not projected high, yet they've already come up with impressive Ws.

GEORGIA ON MY MIND
Here's a salute to Lefty Driesell, whose Georgia State team saw its winning streak end when it fell to Creighton in a tough one. The TAAC team upset Georgia to start the season and it should be right in the hunt for a league championship.