Enquirer staff

WHO'S HOT

Creighton

Xavier's New Year's Eve opponent is off to a 6-0 start and has all the makings of a mid-major power that could make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament. Kyle Korver is the only Bluejay scoring in double figures with 18.2 points a game.

Grinnell

For years now, this tiny Division III school in central Iowa has been a scoring machine under coach David Arseneault. But this year's squad averages 140 points a game, making us wonder: When are these guys on TV?

Michigan, Temple

Each team got its first win last week. Hopefully for these schools, it won't take so long to get the second.

WHO'S NOT

Atlantic 10

Collectively, the conference is playing under .500, and only three teams - Xavier, Dayton and St. Joseph's - have none or one loss. The A-10 is 10th in conference RPI, not a good sign for bubble teams.

The NCAA

This smart-thinking group of intellectuals took six games away from Mississippi State's Mario Austin, only to rule he was eligible in the end. No kidding. Austin, who carries a B-minus average, never should have gone through the ordeal.

Cupcake schedules

We love 5-0 Pittsburgh. The Panthers are a great team. But play somebody already! Pitt's most challenging game of the season was a 23-point win against St. Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 27. Thankfully, Georgia and Notre Dame are on the Panthers' schedule in less than a month.

THE SWEET 16

1. Arizona	Must face Texas without Luke Walton.
2. Alabama	No one should challenge Tide until Xavier on Jan. 4.
3. Pitt	Cruising through easy early schedule.
4. Duke	In midst of 10-day break.
5. Oregon	Tunes up with Pepperdine before facing UC next week.
6. Indiana	Faces rival Purdue in Indianapolis today.
7. Oklahoma	Hollis Price lacks focus he had last season.
8. UConn	Needed huge comeback to beat UMass.
9. Notre Dame	From nowhere to top 10 in one impressive week.
10. Texas	Big fall after loss to Notre Dame.
11. Missouri	Ricky Paulding emerging as one of Big 12's top players.
12. Kentucky	Big home game against Michigan State today.
13. Xavier	David West gets tested today against Mario Austin.
14. Florida	Gets shot at national champion Maryland today.
15. Illinois	Talented but underrated Illini unbeaten.
16. Maryland	Good guard play will help Terps later.

Player of the week: Chris Thomas

Notre Dame's playmaker won the battle of sophomore point guards Sunday when he bested Texas' T.J. Ford in the championship game of the BB&T Classic, scoring 19 points with eight assists, giving Notre Dame its third straight victory over a ranked opponent. The day before, Thomas led the Irish to an upset of Maryland with 10 points and nine assists.

TOP FIVE LIST

This week's topic: Division I transfers who have made an early impact this season:

Danny Miller, Notre Dame: The transfer from Maryland is averaging 17.3 points and 7.4 rebounds for the surging Irish. He averaged 19 points and 7.3 rebounds against Marquette, Maryland and Texas.

Todd Billet, Virginia: Averages 15.6 points and has connected on 17 of 41 3-pointers after transferring from Rutgers.

Tim Frost, Utah: Averaging 14.5 points on 51.9 percent shooting after transferring from Portland.

Chris Sager, Charlotte: The transfer from Wisconsin-Green Bay is the 49ers' latest 3-point shooting threat. He's averaging 10.4 points and has made 43.8 percent of his 3s.

Demetrius Hunter, UNLV: Averaging 9.2 points in his five starts for Charlie Spoonhour's Runnin' Rebels after making the move from Georgetown.

MUST-SEE TV

No. 24 Mississippi State vs. No. 13 Xavier at Madison Square Garden, noon today, (FOX Sports Net ): XU gets its biggest test of the season against Mississippi St., which will play for the first time this season with Mario Austin.

No. 14 Florida at No. 18 Maryland, 2 p.m. today, (CBS): The defending champs will be tested by Florida's talented backcourt.

No. 21 Michigan State at No. 12 Kentucky, 4 p.m. today (CBS): The Spartans are off to a disappointing start while UK is gathering a head of steam.

No. 8 Texas at No. 1 Arizona, 4:30 p.m. Sunday ( FOX Sports Net): This would have been No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 2 Texas if the Longhorns hadn't faltered last week against Notre Dame. Still, it provides a chance to gauge just how good Arizona is.

No. 5 Oregon vs. Cincinnati, 9 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN): This isn't the marquee game it could have been, but it's a chance for UC to take on a top-five team.