This week's Tipoff has five questions with the St. Joe's Hawk mascot, player of the week, our Sweet 16, must-see TV, the Top 5 candidates for national player of the year (yes, David West is one of 'em), who's hot and who's not, and catching up with ex-UC assistant John Loyer.

Player of the week

Josh Howard. The favorite for Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year averaged 21 points in a pair of Wake Forest wins last week. Howard's surprising success this season has lifted the Demon Deacons to the top of the ACC.

SWEET 16

1. Kentucky	Whom do the Cats have this week? Oh, that's right. It doesn't matter.
2. Arizona	Road game at Stanford will be biggest test of the season.
3. Florida	Looking good for a No. 1 seed at this point.
4. Kansas	Even without Simien, KU Rocks, Chalks, Jayhawks to Big 12 title.
5. Texas	Longhorns have to prove they are road-tough.
6. Oklahoma	Took a beating at Mizzou, but still in good shape.
7. Wake Forest	Three straight wins should go to four with Clemson today.
8. Duke	Always-tough St. John's awaits at MSG.
9. Pittsburgh	Could make noise with win at UConn Sunday.
10. Syracuse	Gutted out Michigan State win. Now back to the Big East.
11. Marquette	In good position heading into postseason.
12. Xavier	The hottest team in the nation that doesn't start with "K."
13. Maryland	Fans boo them, but Terps are overachieving this season.
14. Louisville	In need of a wakeup call (not to mention a recognizable offense).
15. Notre Dame	Inexcusable home loss to Connecticut.
16. Creighton	You can't argue with a team that keeps winning.

Who's Hot

David Harrison

Colorado's 7-foot sophomore shot blocker announced he is staying in school after this season, rather than enter the NBA draft. Someone smart must be advising this kid, who could be a dominant force next season in the Big 12.

The home team

Just scan the road records of the majority of college basketball teams, and you'll see why they call it home-court advantage. The home team has become so dominant this season that any road win almost seems like a surprise. There's a reason the Selection Committee rewards playing well away from home.

Wisconsin

The Badgers moved into first place in the Big Ten by routing Michigan Wednesday. Not even UW fans could have predicted their team would be the class of the league at this point in the season, while preseason favorite Indiana gears up for the NIT.

Who's Not

Wayne Simien

Simien's return had been so critical to the Jayhawks, who were shaping up to be the best team in the Big 12. Now that he's out for the season, once again with a separated shoulder, can Kansas keep the momentum going?

Ole Miss

Once considered an NCAA Tourney team, the Rebels are on the bubble for the NIT after dropping eight straight games. Not sure if that speaks to the difficulty of the SEC or just plain bad basketball in Oxford, Miss.

Pete Gillen

The Virginia coach has to be feeling the heat after his team's five-game slide that included a loss at Ohio Wednesday. The Cavaliers are no longer NCAA-worthy, and Gillen might no longer be an ACC coach.

TOP FIVE

This week's topic: The top five candidates for national player of the year.

David West, Xavier - Might be unmatched in his versatility and his ability to perform when his team needs him.

T.J. Ford, Texas - Most entertaining player in the country, if not the best.

Josh Howard, Wake Forest - Biggest reason Skip Prosser's Demon Deacons are competing for the ACC championship.

Kyle Korver, Creighton - The best pure shooter in the country has Creighton rubbing shoulders with the game's elite.

Nick Collison, Kansas - One of only two players in Kansas history with 1,800 points, 900 rebounds and 200 blocked shots.

MUST-SEE TV

Oklahoma State at Kansas, 1 p.m. today (Ch. 9, 2): Who wants the Big 12 Conference championship? It seems no one, unless Kansas can win this one.

Texas at Texas Tech, 4 p.m. today (Ch. 12, 7): Bob Knight could get his team an NCAA Tournament bid with a win today.

Cincinnati at Memphis, 9 p.m. today (ESPN): The Bearcats could use a solid road win to solidify their position.

Syracuse at Notre Dame, 7 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN2): The Orangemen are on a roll, but Notre Dame is home and the Irish can play with any team in the nation.

Xavier at Saint Joseph's, 8 p.m. Wednesday (FSN Ohio): It seems the Musketeers can't lose, but the Hawks need a big win.