ESPN Men's Basketball

Maryland coach Mark Turgeon and Georgetown coach John Thompson III talked briefly last summer about possibly playing a game again between their two rival schools, according to a source with knowledge of the conversation.

There was no friction. There was no timetable. There was no commitment. And now there may be no game for quite some time.

A matchup between the two area powers is less likely to happen after Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson made public what was once a private conversation among the Terrapins' coaching staff. Anderson told the Maryland coaches that until Georgetown agrees to play Maryland in men's basketball, all games between the two schools in the non-revenue sports are off.

All current contracts will still be honored. The next matchup that is outstanding is a men's lacrosse game between Georgetown and Maryland. The two programs were slated to play in women's lacrosse, as well, according to Georgetown. Georgetown and Maryland had also competed against each other in men's soccer and in swimming this academic year.

Maryland leads the all-time men's basketball series 36-27. The last time the two schools played was at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., in 2008. Maryland played at Georgetown in 1993-94. Georgetown went to Maryland in 1973-74, which marked the last time there was a home-and-home series in consecutive seasons. There were a few neutral site games between 1974 and 2008.

Anderson's original comment to The Washington Post was that "if we're going to play people -- particularly somebody in our own region -- they should be able and willing to play us in everything. If we could sit down and talk about it and have a good dialogue, we're more than happy to pursue other avenues. But we want to play Georgetown in all sports.''

Former Georgetown coach John Thompson Jr. responded Monday on ESPN Radio 980 and called out Anderson for dealing with scheduling in a public format.

Thompson Jr. said, "it's incomprehensible to me.'' Thompson Jr. added that he took Anderson's move as a threat.

Maryland then released a statement from Anderson on Wednesday: "The interest that has arisen from area fans regarding our discussions about possible men's basketball games between Maryland and Georgetown confirms the idea is a good one. The reaction from Maryland fans we've heard from has been overwhelmingly positive and the financial benefits to both institutions cannot be ignored.

"It is not our desire to continue this discussion in the media. We look forward to working with Coach Turgeon and our colleagues at Georgetown University, to see if we can overcome whatever obstacles exist and turn this hope into a reality that will benefit both institutions when the time is right."

Turgeon said Wednesday that he schedules all the team's games. JT3 does the same. Athletic directors rarely get this involved in a game, but they do have to sign off on all contracts.

Maryland's ACC schedule will grow to 18 league games next season. The Terps still play an annual game in the BB&T Classic and the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and are usually in an exempted tournament. The ACC schedule will likely be loaded. Turgeon said he has been told that there will be two games against North Carolina and Duke as well as Virginia next season. When Pitt and Syracuse join the league, there will likely be two against Pitt and Syracuse and a rotation with some of the other traditional ACC rivals.

Fitting in a game against Georgetown would be tough for Maryland even if it makes too much sense. And the moment Georgetown signs off on a game, it would happen.

Meanwhile, JT3 has previously said that the Big East schedule of 18 games, even with new members, was going to make it harder to add old rivals like Syracuse (off to the ACC by 2014) because of other scheduling commitments (such as tournament games and the SEC-Big East Challenge).

The original rift between Georgetown and Maryland dates back to Thompson Jr. and Lefty Driesell, when they were coaching their respective programs. The two schools haven't always recruited against each other, despite the proximity.

Maryland is trying to recruit more in the area after hiring assistant coach Dalonte Hill, while Georgetown has always tried to recruit on a national stage.

The nastiness that exists between the two fan bases isn't as raw as it is between Louisville and Kentucky or Cincinnati and Xavier.

The game would draw great interest in the D.C.-Baltimore area. Sure, there would be complaints about location, even if Georgetown's home-court tickets at the Verizon Center were split down the middle.

The bitterness that has extended to long-standing rivalries that are ending due to conference realignment (Kansas-Missouri and Texas-Texas A&M) isn't applicable in this case. There wasn't a rivalry to end. This is a potential series that would be good for the game. And it would certainly be another power-rating opportunity for both schools.

Yet, egos are now going to be involved in college athletics again. So, non-revenue sports will lose a bus trip because the men's basketball teams still don't play each other.

If this had been left up to Turgeon and JT3, there was at least a chance it could happen. Turgeon and JT3 don't have any animosity. But now that it has gone public, the odds are slim.

If the two schools schedule a game against each other, it will look like Georgetown caved in to a threat. The chances of a Thompson-led program doing such a thing are probably zero.

Former Maryland coach Lefty Driesell expressed concern over the school's decision to name the Comcast Center court after Gary Williams -- a process that will take place during a ceremony before the Terrapins' game against Duke on Wednesday night.

The Baltimore Sun reported Wednesday that Driesell sent an email to Maryland president William Kirwan that conveyed his displeasure with the decision.

Driesell told the Sun that "it's not fair to my players that they would put Gary Williams' name on the court. It's a disservice to players such as Tom McMillen, John Lucas, Len Elmore, Brad Davis, Greg Manning, Adrian Branch and Steve Sheppard."

Driesell has his opinion. And there may not be one right answer. But the facts in this situation back Williams more than Driesell or anyone else.

Williams won 461 games in the ACC. Driesell won 348.

Williams went to two Final Fours and won a national title in 2002. Driesell did not.

And most importantly, Williams took over a program that was in a state of disrepair after the shocking, drug-related death of Len Bias, Driesell's departure, three turbulent seasons of Bob Wade and NCAA sanctions that could have crippled the program.

Williams took over UM in 1989. He went to seven Sweet 16s, two Elite Eights and two Final Fours and won a national title. He left the ACC as its third-winningest coach behind Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski.

Syracuse named its court after Jim Boeheim. Duke did the same for Krzyzewski. Arizona named its court after Lute Olson, Valparaiso did so after Homer Drew. Of course, on the women's side, Tennessee honored Pat Summitt with her name on the court.

All of them are the iconic face of their respective programs. Maryland has a rich history. Driesell certainly rattled off some of those names. The late Bias may be one of the most iconic because of how he played -- and to some extent how he died.

But in the modern era, Williams did more to turn around a program than almost anyone. He competed in the same league with the two most consistent national programs during his two-plus decades as head coach.

"It's very humbling. There were other coaches and great players who came through here," Williams said. "We were in a conference with two of the best five programs in the last 50 years in Duke and Carolina. That's who we were measured against. And in my first four or five years we couldn't compete against them. We weren't good enough. I knew if we could get good against those two, we could play against anyone in the country."

Williams literally left his sweat at Cole Field House and then at the stately Comcast Center, built amid the athletic fields on campus. His sideline demeanor was chaotic. He screamed at anyone in his wake, but he commanded and received incredible loyalty.

He thrived on getting undervalued players who achieved collective greatness by competing for ACC titles. Sure, he had some high-profile players out of high school (Joe Smith) or junior college (Steve Francis), but he also had his fair share of players who overachieved (Juan Dixon, Steve Blake and Greivis Vasquez).

Williams took heat for not getting in-state studs Carmelo Anthony, Rudy Gay and Kevin Durant. The criticism of Williams not playing the used car salesman recruiting game was fair. But he thrived in coaching up his players to beat the all-star sets from the blue blood teams. "I loved practice," Williams said. "It was the purest basketball. There were no phones, no Internet. You were just getting the players prepared for a game.

"This means a great deal to me," Williams said of the floor naming. "I spent the best years of my coaching life span at my alma mater. It wasn't just about the wins and losses. It was about taking this program to the level where we got the Comcast Center built and winning the national title."

Williams went to Maryland from Ohio State at the most difficult time in the school's athletic history. "We were three years removed from Len Bias dying and we had to overcome the drug stigma that was on the program that was used by other coaches against us," Williams said. "It was used against us in recruiting. The academic reputation was hurt and we had to convince the faculty that we would run a clean program the school would be proud of."

Williams mentioned Baylor as a comparable situation to what Maryland had to endure. Bears coach Scott Drew had to take over a program which was decimated by a scandal that involved a murder by a teammate and NCAA rules violations that were covered up. Drew has done a remarkable job of making the Bears a nationally prominent program in less than 10 seasons. He reached an Elite Eight two seasons ago. And he could reach another one this spring.

Maryland's image in the late '80s may have been worse and certainly Williams was in a tougher situation. "It was almost impossible," Williams said. "We couldn't play on television or go to the postseason that first year. And we had two of the top teams in the country in our league. And Wake Forest was really good, too."

Mark Turgeon, Williams' successor, will get his first taste of the Maryland-Duke rivalry Wednesday night. The crowd will be amped up to celebrate Williams, and the passion to beat Duke will be on full display again. "The main reason I took this job is because of Gary and Lefty and the great job they did," Turgeon said. "I think it's perfect that it's happening against our rival."

Williams has supported Turgeon from the moment he accepted the job. It was Williams' decision to retire and see if there were other avenues in life to channel his passion.

"Gary is at peace with himself," Turgeon said. "He loved Maryland. He has been off the charts. This couldn't have gone any better the first seven months."

"I went into coaching in 1968," said Williams, 66. "No one went into coaching to make money. I loved the game. This was an extension of playing to stay in the game."

And now his name will be on a court where he left so much of his sweat as a player and even more so as a coach.

Locked out by NBA owners, Kemba Walker is spending his October working out with his former Connecticut teammates.

Walker doesn't have second thoughts about declaring for the NBA draft. He was gone as soon as the Huskies won the national title, and his decision was probably made far earlier.

As college basketball practices begin Friday evening and the lockout continues, it is worth pondering the players who might be questioning their moves last spring and what their old college teams would look like right now if they'd made the decision to stay in school.

It was no secret that the lockout was a likely occurrence. The possibility was hardly a secret. Yet plenty of questionable moves were made by players who decided to stay in the draft. Some were selected later than they were projected; others weren't selected at all.

Scotty Hopson, Tennessee: Hopson had no business leaving for the NBA, even if Bruce Pearl had not been fired. Hopson was never a consistent shooter and didn't continue to progress on an upward trajectory. He wasn't selected in the NBA draft like his teammate Tobias Harris, who landed in the first round. Had Hopson realized he wasn't going to get picked -- something that he had to have heard many times -- then he would have been a key bridge for new coach Cuonzo Martin. Martin could have used Hopson's experience and shooting to keep the Volunteers relevant in a transition year. Hopson would have been a volume shooter and improved his chances of being selected in 2012. Instead, Hopson and the Vols both lost. Tennessee is in rebuilding mode and will have a hard time staying afloat in the SEC.

Jereme Richmond, Illinois: Richmond clearly had issues, as evidenced by his arrest on assault and weapons charges in August. So it might have been best for all parties that he split. But maybe, just maybe, had he decided to return to Illinois he wouldn't have found himself over the summer as an undrafted, lost young man. This may be a reach, but it would be interesting to see what could have occurred in his life had he decided to stick out his commitment to Illinois. If he had bought into the program for a second year, he would have helped offset some significant senior losses for the Illini. In the end, Illinois wins by not having his baggage on the squad. Richmond lost by declaring, not being selected and now seemingly untouchable due to his arrest. Illinois is a team that has the potential to be a sleeper in the Big Ten with Brandon Paul and Meyers Leonard. But there are plenty of question marks to lock in the Illini as an NCAA tournament team.

Carleton Scott, Notre Dame: Scott surprised the Irish by staying in the NBA draft. He had a chance to play one more season with Tim Abromaitis and help Notre Dame offset the loss of valued senior leader Ben Hansbrough. Scott was never going to be a star for the Irish. He wasn't going to be a lock for the NBA, either. His best bet was to play professional basketball somewhere internationally. Notre Dame was going to take a step back with Hansbrough's departure anyway, but the Irish could have used another anchor inside to keep their head above water in a rugged middle of the conference. Now the Irish is depleted in the post. Scott could have definitely helped there.

Cory Joseph, Texas: Joseph did find his way into the first round, barely. So it's hard to completely fault him here, despite failing to leave his mark in Austin. The Longhorns have one of the top guards in the country in freshman Myck Kabongo. Joseph could have complemented Kabongo and allowed the Horns to have a stellar backcourt. Texas will still have talent, but will be lacking experience. The Longhorns were going to lose Tristan Thompson and Jordan Hamilton early to the draft. But it wasn't a given that Joseph was going to leave, too. The triple hit might be too much for UT to overcome with so many teams competing for the Big 12 title.

Shelvin Mack, Butler: Would Mack have gone to three straight national championship games? The odds would have been exceedingly low. Losing Matt Howard was a crushing blow to the Bulldogs. I didn't blame Mack for leaving last April because of the sting of losing two straight national championship games. Mack had come back without teammate Gordon Hayward and now he was expected to do it again without Howard? Still, the lockout is on, and Mack isn't in Washington playing for the Wizards. Put Mack on the Bulldogs next to Ronald Nored and newcomer Roosevelt Jones with Andrew Smith and Khyle Marshall inside, and the Bulldogs are once again an intriguing threat to go deep. If the lockout lasts well into the winter, Mack may watch Butler games and find himself at Hinkle Fieldhouse longing for his final season of eligibility. It would be a shame if the lockout lasts for months and Mack sits idle. He had one more run in him.

Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins, Georgia: The Bulldogs made the NCAA tournament last season. If Leslie and Thompkins had come back alongside returnee Gerald Robinson, UGA would have made the NCAAs again. The SEC is stronger this season with possible NCAA teams Kentucky, Florida, Vandy, Alabama and Mississippi State. Georgia would have comfortably made it six. Instead, the Bulldogs are rebuilding or at least seriously retooling under Mark Fox.

Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee, UCLA: The Bruins have a loaded frontcourt with Reeves Nelson, Josh Smith and North Carolina transfers David and Travis Wear. But the Bruins are lacking proven, productive experience on the perimeter. That could be the difference between an NCAA berth and a team that could have made a run toward New Orleans. Honeycutt and Lee didn't get drafted in the first round, going in the second instead. And now they can't play in the NBA for the foreseeable future. UCLA will still be a Pac-12 title contender and NCAA team. But the possibilities had those two returned to Westwood have to gnawing at coach Ben Howland.

Josh Selby, Kansas: Selby wasn't eligible and then he was hurt and never played a full season for the Jayhawks. He didn't get into the first round, either. And it's too bad. Selby should have shown more maturity, or at least someone associated with him maybe could have advised him better. He needed to play a full season to prove that he could do it. If he had, then the Jayhawks would be much more likely to make a Big 12 title run and Final Four quest. The Jayhawks were still selected to win the Big 12 on Thursday. But that might be more out of fear of selecting Baylor or Texas A&M and getting burned by KU once again.

DeAndre Liggins, Kentucky: Liggins did well enough to warrant a second-round selection, and the Wildcats aren't hurting, either. They are a consensus top-four selection in the preseason. But Kentucky still lacks overall experience. Sure, Terrence Jones and Darius Miller are back, but toss in Liggins and suddenly the Cats don't have to rely so much on the freshmen. Liggins would have fit in even better with his length, and the style UK will play this season with the long set of newcomers that John Calipari brought in this season. Liggins may long to be in Rupp Arena if the lockout drags and the Wildcats are pushing for a return trip to the Final Four.

Jordan Williams, Maryland: Williams was selected high in the second round and fulfilled his dream of being an NBA draft pick. His return may not have changed Gary Williams' decision to retire. But had the talented sophomore stayed he would have been beloved by new coach Mark Turgeon, who thirsts for a big halfcourt playes like Williams. He would have been one of the premier bigs in the country and relished his role as the anchor on a Maryland team that would have fed him even more in the post. Maryland probably wasn't an NCAA team even if Williams had returned, but he would have been featured even more as a junior. Now he sits idle and the Terps under Turgeon are in complete rebuild mode.

Darius Morris, Michigan: Morris missed a potential tying bucket against Duke in the NCAA tournament. If he had returned to join Tim Hardaway Jr., there is a chance the seeds would have been reversed if the two teams played again this season. Morris could have been a difference for Michigan. Instead, the Wolverines lack experience next to Hardaway and he loses a quality sidekick who can be just as disruptive as he can be offensively. Morris was picked by the Lakers in the second round, but he's not playing for them now. Michigan may get another crack at Duke if the two teams win first-round games in the Maui Invitational. Meet in Maui with Morris and the Wolverines probably would have been the pick. Instead, Michigan is once again the underdog, seeking respect as a consistent national player.

The ACC's decision to add Pitt and Syracuse will undoubtedly strengthen men's basketball more than its last round of expansion (Boston College, Virginia Tech and Miami).

But it will create more controversy given how a potential 14-team league might be divided.

The Panthers and Orange may come in 2012 if they can buy their way out of the Big East's exit demands of 27 months and a $5 million departure fee. The Big East has publicly stated that it wants the two schools in for the duration and for BCS purposes it may need them to ensure that the league still has the necessary amount of teams. The ACC is in no rush to add Pitt and Syracuse, but those two schools would rather not go through more than one lame-duck season.

Nevertheless, there is already discussion about how the two will be incorporated into the ACC. Formal talks on the matter won't occur until the annual meetings later in the academic year. But if the league goes to divisions, or at the very least goes to a divisional-style scheduling format, there still might be at least one team in a difficult spot: Wake Forest.

Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg looks at the divisional setup along regional lines -- and it makes some sense. ACC associate commissioner Karl Hicks agrees, and he acknowledged that's the way it might turn out.

If that were to happen, the North would have to be Virginia Tech, Virginia, Maryland, Pitt, Syracuse, Boston College and one more team.

The South would be Georgia Tech, Clemson, Florida State and Miami, and then there are the three schools in the Research Triangle (Duke, UNC and NC State) that would likely demand to be in the same division together.

That leaves the Demon Deacons as the odd team out. Would Wake have to be put in the North, separated from its three in-state rivals?

The current 12-team divisional alignment in football isn't set up in a North-South split. Wake Forest is in the Atlantic and at least has NC State on its side with Maryland, Clemson, Florida State and Boston College. But the Demon Deacons' two in-state rivals that it would rather play more -- UNC and Duke -- are in the Coastal with Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Virginia and Miami.

Wake will make it clear that it doesn't want to be shipped away from the three other North Carolina schools if the league goes to two seven-team divisions. The Demon Deacons want in some form two games against the three in-state schools if there are divisions or if it's one 14-team league.

"If you do it North-South, then one North Carolina team has to be in the North,'' Wake Forest athletic director Ron Wellman said. "We want to play North Carolina more than we do. It's been four years since we played them at home in football, so we are interested in a concept where we play the North Carolina schools. That's a point of emphasis for us. As soon as we announce our schedule, our fans are disappointed that we don't play every North Carolina school in football or [twice in] basketball. Those rivalries were established before the league was in 1953.''

Wellman said when the ACC gets together next month, the topic of how to align a 14-team league will likely be discussed. Wake Forest is nearly two hours away from the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area, but Deacons fans clearly want to feel attached to the state's other ACC teams.

The other option for the conference would be to keep Wake Forest in the South and ship Miami to the North with the rationale that the Hurricanes would have to fly to every ACC school anyway due to its location (technically, the Hurricanes could drive to Tallahassee for FSU, but even that is a lengthy drive on a school night).

If the ACC were to go to 16 (which is the preferred number by Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina's Roy Williams, among others) and the additions were two more Big East schools (say, UConn and Rutgers), then geography naturally would put both in the North. That would be the easiest solution for the ACC, allowing Wake Forest to compete in the South.

Of course, there will be some other issues here, too. Maryland will demand that it still has its rivalry games with Duke and North Carolina. The Terps would still get to be paired with the two Virginia schools, but losing a Duke home game would seriously dampen the spirits in College Park.

In the end, Hicks said the league doesn't have to go to divisions.

"Ultimately, it will come down to a vote of the ADs and they'll decide what they'll want to do,'' Hicks said. "It will be hard to take those North Carolina schools and separate them. Rivalries and geography will be in play. The good news is that we have time to work through it. We do have permanent partners in our scheduling now. It's the same issue we have now in scheduling, but we added two more teams.''

• If Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe is officially out of a job, then the NCAA tournament selection committee will have two of its 10 members not working while serving on the committee. The other is Jeff Hathaway, who was forced to retire at Connecticut as athletic director.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson, a former committee member, said that the personnel on the committee has always been overrated and that the committee will be fine since the system itself is all that really matters.

Hathaway's term as chair of the committee started on Sept. 1 (replacing the outgoing chair, Ohio State AD Gene Smith) and NCAA men's basketball tournament spokesperson David Worlock said there has been no change in his position. The same may be true of Beebe if he's officially out. The committee won't meet again until November, and the heart of their work doesn't really begin until January and February, anyway. Hathaway and Beebe certainly would have more time to focus on the national landscape.

The only issue that will be in play for the selection committee: Would Hathaway have to leave the room when UConn is discussed and would the same apply to Beebe when Big 12 teams are talked about, since neither would be employed by either entity?

The consensus from former committee members is that bringing in two more new members to go along with the two regularly scheduled new members to the committee wouldn't be prudent. No one wants to see a committee that has four of its 10 members doing the selections and seeding for the first time. So if Hathaway and Beebe both stay, then the only hiccup will be their role when the teams that they formerly served are being discussed.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Quick hitters after talking to several coaches here at the AAU nationals:

• The U.S. World University Games team -- led by Purdue coach Matt Painter (U.S. team head coach) along with Butler coach Brad Stevens and Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin (U.S. assistants) -- continues to lose key players. Xavier's Tu Holloway turned down the invite to stay and play with his XU teammates. Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor is having minor ankle surgery. And now Painter said that UConn forward Alex Oriakhi is also out in order to rest an injury. Stevens said losing Oriakhi will be a big blow since the team that heads to China next month for the competition needs a rebounder like him in the tournament. Painter said Detroit's Ray McCallum Jr. and UConn's Shabazz Napier were added to the tryout list. Pitt's Ashton Gibbs and Syracuse's Scoop Jardine are still on the roster and are certainly favored to make the squad.

• There are still 22 players trying to make the U.S. squad and they'll compete and train in Colorado Springs from Aug. 4-7. The event runs Aug. 13-22 in Shenzhen, China. A number of players could use this international stage as a springboard for their college seasons; these players include Alabama's JaMychal Green, Texas A&M's Khris Middleton, Kentucky's Darius Miller, Northwestern's John Shurna, Minnesota's Trevor Mbakwe, Vanderbilt's John Jenkins, Michigan State's Draymond Green, Missouri's Kim English and Marcus Denmon and Notre Dame's Tim Abromaitis.

But perhaps more than any other player, Cincinnati's Yancy Gates needs to make this team and show he can be a force in order for the Bearcats to continue their rise in the Big East. Last season, he was suspended for a game due to team-related issues. Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said Gates can come out of this looking like a team player and a stronger player who can change his image with a positive performance in China.

• Painter said fifth-year senior Robbie Hummel is tired of answering questions about his right knee (ACL surgery). And so are the Boilermakers. He said Hummel should be good to go once the season starts. Meanwhile, the Boilermakers are troubled by the foot surgery for John Hart that will keep him out for an extended period. Hart has had trouble with his right foot for quite some time.

• Villanova coach Jay Wright said JayVaughn Pinkston has been cleared by the school to play for the Wildcats this season. Pinkston was not allowed to play last season due to an assault charge. He was expected to have a major impact on last season's team prior to the incident. The Wildcats are prepping for a trip to Amsterdam, where they will play a few national teams. Wright said the Wildcats will be much different than any squad he's coached in recent years, with the team centered more around big men rather than being guard-oriented.

• Michigan coach John Beilein said the addition of freshmen guards Trey Burke and Carlton Brundidge should allow Stu Douglass to return to his natural off-guard position. Losing Darius Morris to the NBA draft was a huge blow to the Wolverines, but Tim Hardaway Jr. showed with the U-19 team in Latvia that he can create quite well with the ball in his hands. If the freshmen can be facilitators and Douglass can play off them, the Wolverines may not take a step back. Michigan is in the Maui Invitational in a loaded field, has to travel to upstart Virginia in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, and gets a sleeper Big 12 team at home in Iowa State. The Wolverines are likely going to add a nonconference game at Arkansas that will take place during the Big Ten season.

• While on a recruiting trip in February, North Carolina coach Roy Williams took a side trip to an aircraft carrier in San Diego to see what it would be like in advance of the Carrier Classic on Nov. 11 against Michigan State. The USS Carl Vinson will be the host of the game, but it wasn't the ship that Williams toured. Williams wanted to see how this would work with a game on top of the ship deck. He couldn't get over the narrow passageways through the ship and wondered how his taller players would maneuver through the ship to get to the deck. Well, apparently there will be a lift that will help that occur so that shouldn't be a problem.

• Williams isn't ruling out Leslie McDonald coming back this season from an ACL injury. Williams said McDonald will have surgery on Aug. 3 and made it clear there's no reason to make any declarative statements at this juncture about a return.

• There was no consensus among the coaches in Orlando about whether to add a stipend, how it would be handled and how it could be divided up for all student-athletes. UConn's Jim Calhoun and Louisville's Rick Pitino said they would like to see $75 to $100 a week for the athletes -- roughly $400 a month.

• Not one coach endorsed the NCAA's new draft early-entry withdrawal date of April 10, 2012, after which no player will be allowed to enter the NBA draft. Makes you wonder why this was passed. Every coach who discussed it said it would lead to more poor decisions of players leaving early.

• Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy tossed out this prediction about Vanderbilt: The Commodores are a Final Four contender.

• Old Dominion coach Blaine Taylor has gone to the Fred Hill makeover school. Hill, the former Rutgers head coach and current Northwestern assistant, was bald when he was head coach of the Scarlet Knights. Now he's gone with long hair in the back and new glasses. As for Taylor, he got rid of his famed mustache and dark hair. He's gone with something of an auburn or almost light red look. He was standing to the side of our TV set, and I wasn't the only one who had no idea who he was until you could read ODU on his golf shirt.

• Stanford is prepping for a trip to Spain in early September. The Cardinal and coach Johnny Dawkins need to get away to figure out who will stand out for them now that Jeremy Green is gone.

• New Fairfield coach Sydney Johnson squeezed in a team trip to Italy next month, which will be critical for him to get to know his players more and see how Boston College transfer Rakim Sanders meshes with a team that won the MAAC regular-season title last season and is back almost in full.

• The travel some of these coaches put on themselves is a bit ridiculous. Dawkins was in Orlando on Monday, then took off for Phoenix and then Los Angeles before he headed back to Orlando by Thursday. Temple coach Fran Dunphy was in Orlando on Monday and was off to Phoenix before a return to Orlando by the end of the week.

• New Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said he has reviewed his team enough to know that scoring up front will be a challenge. He said he'll likely go with four guards on the court on a consistent basis.

• Northwestern's Bill Carmody clearly wanted to be noticed in showing his school spirit. He had a rather loud pair of purple sweat pants that I'm not sure you could or would want to buy at the campus bookstore. Michigan State's Tom Izzo went with Spartan green, which Carmody pointed out, but the green was certainly more muted than the purple.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The pained expression Mark Turgeon sometimes had during his first two years at Texas A&M wasn't just related to a tight game, a bad call or some anxious moment en route to the NCAA tournament.

Turgeon wasn't at peace in College Station.

He arrived from Wichita State to replace Billy Gillispie, and for the first time in 10 years he was back at a major-conference school after playing at Kansas and coaching at KU and Oregon as an assistant.

Turgeon didn't handle the transition well.

"I was miserable the first two years," Turgeon said.

He arrived from the Missouri Valley knowing that if he was going to keep heralded star recruit DeAndre Jordan, he had to retain his one-time AAU coach Byron Smith on the A&M staff. He did, but reluctantly. There were apparently other situations that Turgeon was never comfortable with as well.

"The most important person is me and I've got to be happy and I tried to make everybody happy when I took the job," Turgeon said. "The fan support was great. The administration was great. The young men coaching for the most part were great. But there were a lot of agendas that I inherited."

A number of college coaches that have ties to the state of Texas told ESPN.com that high school and AAU coaches in the Lone Star State are famously provincial. If the staff isn't Texas-based, if there isn't a tendency to really cultivate the in-state coaches, there can be a backlash.

Turgeon, a Kansas native, still coached the Aggies to four straight NCAA tournament appearances despite not feeling totally at home. Things had gotten better the last couple of years and he wasn't considering leaving College Station when the season ended.

But then a call came in from a source close to Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson, two days before longtime Terps coach Gary Williams was set to announce his retirement.

"I got the phone call and the person said Gary was going to retire and that your name is on the list," Turgeon said. "The person asked if I were interested. I said I would be. I had been offered a few jobs in the last four years but never told my wife. But I told her that this is one we have to think about it. I said, 'Maryland might open and we might have a shot."'

But when Turgeon left on May 6 for a family camping trip in Pennsylvania, he was convinced Arizona coach Sean Miller would take the job. Turgeon's cell phone went dead in the mountains.

"I told her don't worry about it, Sean's an East Coast guy and he'll go," Turgeon said. Miller did meet with Anderson in Las Vegas the next day, but later that night Arizona announced he had agreed to an extension. By Sunday, when Turgeon regained cell service, his phone was filled with messages.

"That's when I knew I was probably their guy," Turgeon said. "I don't care what choice I am. I just know that I'm the coach at Maryland right now and it's a great opportunity for me. Roy Williams wasn't the first choice at Kansas. I'm not saying I'm Roy, but that didn't bother him and he's done pretty well."

Judging by how he handled his first week in College Park, Turgeon isn't doing so bad himself.

His first two assistant coaching moves were to keep Maryland assistant Orlando "Bino" Ranson and then reach out to Kansas State assistant Dalonte Hill, who was once the head coach of AAU powerhouse DC Assault and created a pipeline to K-State with Michael Beasley, Rodney McGruder and Wally Judge, who recently transferred to Rutgers.

Hill, who at KSU was one of the highest-paid assistants in the country at $420,000, is expected to take a pay cut in his return to the Beltway. Turgeon made it official Tuesday when he said Hill had accepted the job with the details to come on the agreement. Landing Hill and keeping Ranson was key in establishing firm recruiting roots in the D.C.-Baltimore area -- fertile ground for recruiting and a sticking point for Gary Williams in the past, when elite players like Beasley, Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay and Carmelo Anthony departed.

Turgeon firmed up the staff when he brought with him Scott Spinelli from Texas A&M after Spinelli lost out to Murray State's Billy Kennedy for the Aggies' head-coaching job. The Massachusetts native has strong ties in the East and has been a longtime assistant to Turgeon at Texas A&M and Wichita State. Spinelli had been recruiting Virginia-area guard Seth Allen for the Aggies and ended up locking him up as Turgeon's first Terrapins recruit.

Turgeon also brought along Dustin Clark from College Station and was going to bring Bill Walker too, but the salary structure didn't work out. So Walker will stay in College Station to finish out his one year remaining on his contract as an assistant coach.

"I've learned a lot from the Texas A&M situation," Turgeon said. "I was out of the BCS for a long time. Everything had changed tremendously. I'm going to be a much better person this time around. I'm hiring the right staff and I'm going to be a much better communicator. I know in this area you have to be to be successful. Everyone here in the area has welcomed me with open arms -- every prominent high school, AAU coach, everyone."

Soon after his retirement, Gary Williams told ESPN.com that Turgeon was a name on the list and that he was a quality coach. Having Williams' blessing is and will be key in this process. The 66-year-old Williams didn't have a succession plan upon his sudden announcement to move on with his life, so Turgeon will need the support of Williams, who does plan on being around the program as a special assistant to Anderson.

"Gary is supportive and that's a must," Turgeon said.

And like Williams, the new Maryland coach still will seek out the hard-nosed, defensive-minded players. Turgeon will covet the elite players to compete with Duke and North Carolina, but he has had a history of going after the undervalued recruit who emerges as a star, the latest being Khris Middleton at Texas A&M.

"We're going to get the player that really wants to be here," he said.

Leaving a power-six school for a power-six school is becoming increasingly rare. Salaries are higher across the board and coaches don't want to leave Top 25 teams for rebuilding projects.

Well, Texas A&M is poised to be a Big 12 title contender. The Aggies should be in the thick of the race with Baylor, Missouri and Kansas.

As for the Terps, they should be somewhere near the bottom of the ACC with limited bodies and no star power after sophomore forward Jordan Williams declared for the NBA draft. But long-term, the comparison between the two jobs isn't close.

"Sunday [May 8] was one of the best days we had at Texas A&M in my four years," Turgeon said. "All three Texas kids went pro [Jordan Hamilton, Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson], David Loubeau returned from the draft to us, Kansas lost a lot of guys, too. And then the next day I take the Maryland job.

"I don't want to put a lot of pressure on the next coach [Billy Kennedy], but I know what we had there and we were confident we were going to win," Turgeon said. "We'll have nine bodies here. But you can turn it around quickly. We're not panicking."

Turgeon walked through the concourse of the Comcast Center on Monday, acknowledging the history and marveling at the potential of his new program.

Turgeon agreed to a seven-year contract and said he might get another year added on soon after a couple of signed players decommitted from Maryland. (Although Ranson and the Terps were able to retain Baltimore guard Nick Faust after he flirted with leaving.)

"I'm not about one year," Turgeon said. "It's what we're going to do 15 to 20 years. We're going to do this the right way. We have a lot of work to do, but we're going to win. We're going to win a lot of games. I have more energy now than I've had in a long time. I haven't felt this passionate about something in a long time. My energy level is at an all-time high. Everyone here made me feel like I'm their guy from day one and that meant a lot to me."

Turgeon is well aware Maryland fans expect the Terps to be in the mix with Duke and North Carolina, and ahead of every other ACC program.

Williams, who led the program to its only national championship (2002), is beloved here. The students wanted him to speak at graduation Thursday, so he will. And don't be surprised if they end up naming the Comcast floor for him. University president Dr. Wallace D. Loh already got the ball rolling by saying he will work with the athletic department to make it happen.

"Gary had a great run and I expect to have a great run, too," Turgeon said. "This is a destination. I'd be divorced if I had to do this again."

Turgeon's one-time dream job was Kansas, his home state and alma mater. But Bill Self isn't going anywhere, and if he did, Turgeon swears it wouldn't matter.

"This is the destination for me now," Turgeon said. "I want them to be talking about naming the floor after me in 20 years, too."

To put it simply, Maryland is one of the best jobs in the country.

The Terrapins can boast fertile recruiting territory in the Beltway and surrounding areas. Maryland fans are as loyal and passionate as any in college basketball. The facilities are top-notch.

Yes, North Carolina and Duke are the perennial favorites in the ACC, but there's no shame in being the third-best job in the conference behind those two. That just means it's among the top 10 or 15 in the country. So why wouldn't top-tier coaches run to College Park if athletic director Kevin Anderson calls to find a replacement for Gary Williams, who abruptly resigned Thursday?

Well, after discussing the topic with a number of sources that have direct knowledge on the subject as it relates to these coaches, there are reasons that make moving to Maryland difficult.

Some of the key points that have come up:

• How many coaches leave an elite job to go to another elite job when things are going well?
• How many coaches in their late 40s or early 50s want to rebuild again if they don't have to?
• How many coaches want to go to a team next season that will likely miss the postseason when they have an NCAA tourney team on their own campus?
• How many want to re-invent themselves in a new community and go through the rigors of establishing new contacts?
• How many are willing to go laterally financially if they're already making millions in their current job?

A while back, moving to Maryland from a school like Pittsburgh (see Jamie Dixon) would've been a no-brainer. But now schools like Pitt have emerged as national players, which makes a decision to leave a good situation a tough one to digest.

The big-to-big moves of note recently were easy to explain. Roy Williams went from Kansas to North Carolina. That's two of the top five jobs in the country and Williams is a UNC alumnus. Bill Self left Illinois to replace Williams at Kansas, and that one made sense too.

Herb Sendek going from NC State to Arizona State was a geographic move and one in which he simply didn't feel appreciated enough at his old school.

Ben Howland left Pittsburgh for UCLA. Pitt was a new player in the Big East at the time. UCLA is, well, UCLA and Howland is from Santa Barbara. No need for an explanation.

Frank Haith going from Miami to Missouri was an obvious move. Missouri is a much better job. Mike Anderson going from Missouri to Arkansas was an easy choice since he had once coached at Arkansas.

But not every situation provides an obvious answer.

Let's look at the candidates Maryland will likely pursue based on a number of sources. It may not be limited to this list, but these guys will likely be among the first to get a call, if they haven't already:

Mike Brey, Notre Dame: This one seems obvious. Brey, 52, is from Maryland. He has a beach home in Delaware. He coached at Delaware. He played at George Washington. But he also hasn't lived in the area for more than two decades. Yes, Brey had a senior-laden team last season, including Big East player of the year Ben Hansbrough. But the Fighting Irish will be better than the Terrapins next season and Brey feels like he has created his own program in South Bend. He doesn't necessarily have the energy to re-start his career. He loves coaching the Irish and doesn't need a new challenge. If he were in his 40s, he might reconsider. But if he were asked now if he wants to stay at Notre Dame or coach at Maryland, his answer would likely be to stick with the Irish.

Jamie Dixon, Pitt: Dixon and Anderson have a special relationship. Anderson was the athletic director who hired Dixon's late sister Maggie at Army. They have shared a closeness since her death. So Dixon will likely be asked by his friend for advice, but it's not likely he will take the Maryland job if asked unless something were to change. Pitt is a Big East power now and has been within a layup of the Final Four. Dixon is entrenched in the Pittsburgh community. There is no reason for him to leave.

Jay Wright, Villanova: Wright has built Nova into a Big East perennial power. He has recruiting locked up in the corridor. He has coached the Wildcats to the Final Four. And he is extremely comfortable in Philadelphia. If there is a next move for Wright, it's likely to the NBA. Wright doesn't need to jump to a basketball-football school. According to sources, Wright wouldn't leave Villanova for Maryland.

Tubby Smith, Minnesota: Smith was reportedly high on the lists at Georgia Tech and NC State but claimed all along he had no plans of leaving Minneapolis. Georgia Tech couldn't have paid him what he could command anyway. Smith is from Maryland, so it would make sense for him to go home. But is that what Anderson wants? Smith is in his 60s and Williams just retired at 66. Smith is in the same coaching era as Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun and Roy Williams. He has coaching left in him, but Maryland is in a rebuilding situation. Yes, Jim Larranaga at age 61 just went to Miami, but the Hurricanes have players and can win next season. Smith is an intriguing name with a national title to his credit, but would he be a long-term solution?

Mark Few, Gonzaga: Few has flirted with plenty of jobs in the past, notably Indiana. But he's never bitten. He loves his life in Spokane and with the Zags. He has built a national name at Gonzaga and the Zags recruit at a high level now. He makes over $1 million and is firmly entrenched in the Northwest. He would listen, according to sources, but would he really be willing to go from Spokane to College Park? Does Anderson want to pluck someone who doesn't have any ties to the area, as good a name as he is nationally?

Brad Stevens, Butler: Stevens should only leave Butler for a top 10-15 national job after coaching the Bulldogs to consecutive national title games. This is one of those jobs he would have to listen to if called. But Stevens has never worked outside Indiana. Is this the right fit for him? Anderson would hit a home run with this hire. Stevens has become one of the most well-respected coaches in the business in such a short time, drawing immense praise from none other than Krzyzewski the past two seasons. But would Stevens leave the two-time defending national runner-up? Tough call. If Stevens is going to move, he'll likely stay in the Midwest at an elite job in the Big Ten.

Mark Turgeon, Texas A&M: Turgeon played at Kansas. He fully understands what it's like to be at a basketball-crazed school. He coached at one in Wichita State. He would enjoy being at a basketball-first school like Maryland. He has done a wonderful job keeping the Aggies relevant in the Big 12 and A&M will again be in the mix in the conference title race next season. But would Turgeon be the choice for Anderson? That's still an unknown. As one source said, Turgeon may not be the news conference name that Tubby Smith would be on day one, but two years into his tenure at Maryland they would know they had an elite coach and a winner.

Sean Miller, Arizona: This is by far the most intriguing name. If this were a year ago, Miller would have probably run to Maryland. His first year at Arizona wasn't easy after taking over for two interim coaches who succeeded Hall of Famer Lute Olson. But Miller then coached the Wildcats to the Pac-10 title and a trip to the Elite Eight. He has an elite recruiting class coming to Tucson. This is a great time to be in the Pac-12 at a school like Arizona because it is winnable with so many programs in flux. Unlike Dixon, Wright, Brey, Few or even Stevens, Miller isn't entrenched in his community or the school. He went from Xavier to Tucson just two years ago. He is an East Coast coach, he played at Pitt and coached in the ACC at NC State. So he would be a great fit at Maryland, but is he willing to move after bringing back some of the glory to Zona? Is he willing to start over again and rebuild? Does he have the energy for that type of move again? This might be the most agonizing call.

Shaka Smart, VCU: Obviously Smart's name wouldn't have been on this list a year ago. But that was before he coached the Rams to an improbable Final Four run. He committed to VCU by staying put this offseason and the school upped his salary quite a bit. But he would almost certainly jump at an offer from Maryland. The question: Is this too big a leap for Maryland to make?

Johnny Dawkins, Stanford: Dawkins is from Maryland. He is an all-time great Duke player. He is trying to establish himself at Stanford, but it doesn't appear he's done enough to warrant interest from the Terps. But he does have a name that would resonate locally and in the ACC.

There likely will be others, possibly some names from the NBA. But any list that Anderson checks off should at least begin with the aforementioned coaches. Maryland shouldn't aim for anything less.

The Big Ten is seven or eight deep in potential NCAA tournament teams. The ACC has Duke and a host of teams that are hard to discern from No. 2 on down.

So of course the Big Ten will capture the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, right?

Not quite. Virginia revealed the unpredictability of this event on Day 1. The Cavaliers were expected to be battling at the bottom of the ACC and Minnesota, even with senior point guard Al Nolen out of the game due to injury, was expected to walk over the Cavs after winning the Puerto Rico Tip-Off last week.

Instead, Virginia won 87-79 in Minneapolis, which might help the ACC win the event because it has advantageous matchups with top-ranked Duke hosting Michigan State, Clemson hosting Michigan, Virginia Tech hosting Purdue, Maryland visiting a weak Penn State team and toss-up ACC home games that include Iowa-Wake Forest and Indiana-Boston College, plus a potential upset if Florida State can beat Ohio State in Tallahassee.

For the sake of argument, that would mean home Big Ten victories by Northwestern (vs. Georgia Tech), Illinois (vs. North Carolina) and Wisconsin (vs. NC State) wouldn't even be enough to offset an ACC victory.

But regardless of what occurs, the ACC/Big Ten Challenge has provided an opportunity for a number of teams -- the opportunity to right a loss in an early-season tournament and/or pick up a much-needed quality win.

"We're all trying to figure ourself out now,'' Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. "Whether you're coming off a big win or a loss. Now you've got Big Ten, high-level games with a lot of attention. It's a good test for your team to figure out if you're for real or not. Your season can go in a lot of different ways. It's a good test to see how your team will respond, whether it's off a loss or a win.''

Florida State lost at home Sunday to Florida. The Seminoles could erase that with a win over second-ranked Ohio State, which has already won at Florida. Wisconsin is hosting NC State after losing to Notre Dame on Sunday in the final of the Old Spice Classic. The Badgers had already lost at UNLV. NC State dropped the title game of the Charleston Classic to Georgetown. Both teams could use a quality nonconference win.

Northwestern is undefeated and hoping to go to the NCAA tournament for the first time. But if the host Wildcats are to be taken seriously, shouldn't they beat Georgia Tech, which lost at Kennesaw State? Maryland failed to win a 2K Sports Classic game in New York against Pitt and Illinois. So if the Terps are a real threat to finish second in the ACC, shouldn't they win at struggling Penn State?

Purdue is fresh off a loss to Richmond in the final of the Chicago Invitational, and Virginia Tech lost Sunday night to UNLV in the final of the 76 Classic. The Hokies had already lost at Kansas State on Nov. 16. The combination of ensuring enough prep time and cost containment led Virginia Tech to chip in with Tulsa for a charter flight on the way to and from Anaheim. Hokies coach Seth Greenberg said the plane dropped Tulsa off early Monday morning. The Hokies arrived in Blacksburg at 8 a.m. after playing the night before against UNLV. The importance of the Purdue game pushed Greenberg to secure the flight.

Virginia Tech opened the season at home against Campbell, then went to Kansas State and UNC Greensboro (at Greensboro Coliseum, site of the ACC tournament) before visiting Anaheim for three games. The Hokies play Purdue at home, host Virginia to open the ACC schedule, host Penn State and then play Mississippi State at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. This will be the first game heralded newcomer and Bulldogs center Renardo Sidney is eligible.

"This is a big stretch for us,'' Greenberg said. "The pre-Thanksgiving tournaments might make more sense when you're in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. But we wouldn't get a Purdue to come to Blacksburg if it weren't for the Challenge. That's part of the culture. It's part of the business. Anytime you're playing an opponent like this, it's an opportunity. It sounds crazy now in November, but you're building your profile and your résumé.

"These games don't hurt you, but they can sure help you.''

He's right. So far, Virginia Tech has played three games against possible NCAA teams and lost two (Kansas State and UNLV) and the one it won (Oklahoma State) is a bubble team at best at this point. That's why a game against Purdue takes on even more significance, regardless of what event it is folded into. The Hokies won't get much bang out of a win over Penn State at home, leaving a neutral-site tilt against Mississippi State as their last significant nonconference game.

Virginia Tech knows all too well that it can't rely solely on the ACC getting its profile up to earn a potential at-large berth.

Duke and Michigan State, the opponents in the headline game in this event, will be fine either way. Both schools will be in the field, possibly as No. 1 seeds, and they'll play enough quality teams to place too much emphasis on this one game.

That's not the case for the other games.

North Carolina (lost two games in Puerto Rico) can turn its season around with a win at Illinois and a game against Kentucky at home Saturday.

Illinois beat Maryland and follows the Carolina game with a matchup in Seattle against Gonzaga on Saturday. Playing Missouri in St. Louis in a few weeks will create another opportunity for a quality win before the loaded Big Ten schedule.

"This is like a Big Ten week for us,'' Weber said. "We had a little test in New York. Now we have another test this week. These are really good games for us. We're at home. You hope you can win. But there are no guarantees.''

Just ask Minnesota, which appeared to be the one lock for the Big Ten when it hosted Virginia. The Cavs didn't see it that way.

No guarantees indeed.

Maryland coach Gary Williams had an idea that Pe'Shon Howard would be a major contributor for the Terps this season.

But he wasn't sure how much moxie he had in his game.

A week into the season, Howard is proving to be the player who isn't afraid to do just about anything on the court. He made not one but two game-changing shots -- including the winner -- in a 75-74 win over the College of Charleston last week.

Maryland enters Thursday's game against Pitt in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer with a new reason for hope. Sure, the Terps have a size and production advantage in the post with sophomore forward Jordan Williams (21 points and 13.7 rebounds in three games). And veteran guards Cliff Tucker (15.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Adrian Bowie have been solid. But the Terps had to find someone to replace Greivis Vasquez's attitude.

"He came in very confident," Williams said. "Unless you're [Kevin] Durant, you're a little cautious. But he has veteran players around. [Howard] came in believing in himself. I wasn't going to tell him anything different. He thinks he can play. He wants the ball. And he took it. He's not afraid to take it."

Williams has thrived with lead guards who are similar to Howard: passionate, driven and not scared to take on a challenge. "He's got a little Greivis in him," Williams said. "What I liked about Greivis [is] that he was never afraid of what people said that didn't agree with him. Pe'Shon has some Greivis in him. He knows how to play. He's going to play his way. It's a great attitude to have as a player. He's confident. There's going to be games where he learns things. If he has a bad game, it's not going to get to him."

Williams said the Terps could have quit three or four times in the game against Charleston. But they didn't.

Meanwhile, Texas hasn't wilted one bit in its first couple of games, routing Navy and Louisiana Tech at home. The Horns will play Illinois in the other CVC semifinal Thursday night.

Texas coach Rick Barnes has made it clear that he wants players who want to be in Austin. That's why he wasn't too miffed when Varez Ward jettisoned himself to Auburn on a transfer. So far, everyone is on board.

Barnes said as soon as last season was over, the Longhorns put it in the past. "I told everyone it's going to be about the team and to have both feet in," Barnes said. "It's been good."

Jordan Hamilton has been more than good. He is averaging 22.5 points and seven rebounds a game.

"Jordan wants to be coached," Barnes said. "He's really trying to learn this game."

Barnes has had stud point guards who have taken over the team in T.J. Ford and D.J. Augustin. He won't have that type of lead guard this season. But he does have players who have appeared to accept their roles. Barnes said Jai Lucas is a defender. Dogus Balbay and Cory Joseph will share the ballhandling. J'Covan Brown is a wing, not a point guard, and that's evident by his four assists and four-turnover-per-game average.

"I'm happy with the way Dogus and Cory are working," Barnes said. "They're going to be fine. I like those guys, the way they're playing. They had 14 rebounds between them [against Louisiana Tech]. Jai Lucas has become a pest defensively."

And it helps that Texas has a star freshman forward in Tristan Thompson lighting it up early in the season as well as solid complementary players Gary Johnson and Matt Hill, who is getting the starting nod because of his practice habits. Barnes is already high on this team's defensive effort and their ability to run on the break. No offense to Dexter Pittman, but the Longhorns aren't waiting for the center to get downcourt this season. The plan is to push it as much as possible. And by holding Navy and Louisiana Tech under 60 points in the first two games, the defense is clicking.

Pitt and Illinois will get the headlines later this week, and with good reason. Each team is a trendy pick to win its conference. But Maryland, with its newly discovered money player in Howard, and Texas, with its renewed confidence and chemistry, can hardly be taken lightly in this event.

College basketball starts with a heavy dose of weekend games, before ESPN's 24-hour Tip-Off Marathon offers up a slew of must-see affairs Tuesday. But before looking forward, there must be some housecleaning done on a few issues. So here are my first impressions from a sprinkling of games this week:

Name to remember: Maryland freshman point guard Pe'Shon Howard

The offseason question for the Terps was who would replace Greivis Vasquez's leadership, moxie and overall late-game magic. The answer came rather quickly toward the end of the College of Charleston game. Howard made not just one, but two big-time shots to beat the Cougars. The second was all Howard, taking the ball down court and hitting a fall-back dagger of a jumper to win the game at the last second. I loved Maryland coach Gary Williams' stunned face as the buzzer sounded. He was obviously relieved, but also had to be thrilled that he had found a player who shares Vasquez's drive to do something special when the game matters most. Howard was an efficient 8-of-11 (2-of-7 at the line, though) in two games this week, scoring 19 points, dishing out 12 assists and snagging five steals.

Illinois can score: The Fighting Illini have been offensively challenged in recent years (who can forget the 38-33 loss to Penn State in '09?). But in two games this week -- albeit against poor competition -- Illinois averaged 81.5 points a game. That bodes well for a team that has plenty of talent that can push the basketball (expect games against North Carolina and at Gonzaga to be high-scoring affairs).

Texas has another stud freshman: Forward Tristan Thompson averaged 14.5 points in two games, but was even more impressive with a 17-point, seven-rebound, three-steal performance in a win over Louisiana Tech on Wednesday.

Pitt will rely on its veteran backcourt to win big: The Panthers played without injured forward Nasir Robinson in the first two games, and the consistency and production of the frontcourt is still an unknown. But Pittsburgh has two players in Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker who have matured into leaders, reliable scorers and money players in the final few minutes. Jamie Dixon can rely on these two to take over a game when needed. They carry themselves as mature young adults, ready to take the baton of leading Pitt to a possible Final Four.

Still-unresolved situations:

• Baylor coach Scott Drew said in a text message Thursday night that there had been no movement on reinstating senior guard LaceDarius Dunn for Friday's opener against Grambling State. The Bears can get by without Dunn for some time since the schedule is soft until Arizona State on Dec. 2 and Gonzaga in Dallas on Dec. 18.

• Kansas coach Bill Self said in a text Thursday night that he was hopeful there will soon be a resolution on the eligibility of point guard Josh Selby. But it didn't sound promising for the immediate future: Friday's game against Longwood and Monday against Valparaiso. Kansas starts the meat of its nonconference schedule with a rugged seven-game stretch -- Ohio, Arizona, UCLA, Memphis in New York, Colorado State, USC and at California. All of those teams, save perhaps Cal, should be in postseason contention. But the game against the defending Pac-10 champion is in Berkeley, which still makes it a difficult stop.

• Minnesota coach Tubby Smith suspended Devoe Joseph for a violation of team rules. The Gophers open against Wofford and then play Siena on Monday before going to Puerto Rico for three games, starting with Western Kentucky. Joseph is one of the better scorers for the Gophers, but this Minnesota team can take at least one suspension (unlike last season's team). In discussing this with the Minnesota staff Thursday night, I got the sense Joseph will be back sooner rather than later as long as he adheres to Smith's rules.

And now a glimpse at the weekend ahead:

Best games

No. 21 Georgetown at Old Dominion, Friday, 7 p.m. ET: The Monarchs are a CAA cofavorite, while Georgetown is a top-five Big East team. The Hoyas, who have lost two of their past three against the Monarchs, will be entering a rocking arena and will have to play well to win. This should have a February feel to it. Clearly, an ODU win will have more shelf life than a Georgetown road win. And the Hoyas have already started the season with one setback, as the school announced Friday that freshman center Moses Ayegba has to sit out the first nine games because someone who wasn't an immediate family member paid for his plane ticket to come to the United States before he enrolled in high school.

Northern Iowa at No. 13 Syracuse, Friday, 7 ET (ESPN3): Don't be fooled into thinking this is the same Panthers team that upset Kansas. It's not. The Panthers lost too much of that squad to be looked at as a major threat to win at the Carrier Dome. But they will test the Orange zone. How well Kris Joseph emerges as the go-to guy and the impact of Fab Melo along the backline will be interesting developments to track.

Seton Hall at No. 22 Temple, Friday, 7:30 ET: The Pirates have been flying under the radar during all the Big East preseason talk, but still have enough talent to be a major player in the league's muddled middle. Meanwhile, Temple is the Atlantic 10 favorite and the one school at the top of the conference that has had no drama in the offseason. But a loss here at home could start the questions for Fran Dunphy's group.

Sneaky game to watch

Southern Miss at South Florida, Friday, 7 ET: The Golden Eagles project themselves as a real threat to take down Memphis in Conference USA. The Bulls are rebuilding a bit after losing Dominique Jones to the NBA. But USF is still a Big East team that won 20 games last season, so a road win here by Larry Eustachy's crew will go a long way toward earning credibility.

Notable debuts

East Tennessee State at No. 10 Kentucky, Friday, 7 ET (ESPN3): How well Brandon Knight plays at the point, Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones play on the wing and Eloy Vargas plays inside will all be interesting subplots for an Enes Kanter-less Kentucky squad. Don't forget that ETSU has gone to the NCAA tournament in each of the past two years. An upset is highly unlikely, but a young UK team had all sorts of problems with teams like Miami (Ohio) and Sam Houston State early this past season.

North Carolina A&T at No. 5 Ohio State, Friday, 7 ET (ESPN3): The Buckeyes' new stud forward, Jared Sullinger, is being billed as the possible Big Ten player/freshman of the year. Let's see if he lives up to the early-season hype.

Lipscomb at No. 9 North Carolina, Friday, 7 ET: The Tar Heels will be major players if freshman Harrison Barnes is a stud. This is our first look at America's No. 1 recruit, his fellow stud freshmen and a motivated group of UNC returnees.

Chattanooga at No. 20 Tennessee, Friday, 9 ET: The Vols have been the center of controversy this offseason due to the admitted NCAA violations by head coach Bruce Pearl and his staff. Then Tennessee lost an exhibition game to Indianapolis this week and had the critics howling. But the focus can, at least for now, return to the court and the expectations around Tobias Harris in his first game.

Detroit at New Mexico, Saturday, 9:30 ET: The Titans start the season at the refurbished Pit and get to unveil the hyped Ray McCallum Jr. The Lobos will play Tennessee transfer Emmanuel Negedu, who had to have a defibrillator put in his chest after he nearly died in 2009.

Tricky road starts

San Diego State at Long Beach State, Saturday, 7 ET: The MWC favorites begin a five-game road swing to start the season that will take them next to Spokane and then to Oxford, Ohio. Long Beach State is a Big West title contender and a heck of an opening challenge for a team with the highest expectations in SDSU history.

Florida State at UNC Greensboro, Sunday, 3:30 ET: The Seminoles, who fancy themselves to be a possible second-place finisher in the ACC, are going out of their way to challenge themselves this season with interesting road games. Florida State also goes to FIU on Nov. 18 and Loyola Marymount on Dec. 18 before opening up the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu with a true road game against host Hawaii on Dec. 22.