TALKING DEPTH
The three deepest teams in America (not in any order) are Michigan State, Wake Forest and Tennessee.

The Spartans bring in diaper dandy Zach Randolph off the bench. The Demon Deacons have top scorer Craig Dawson, top shot blocker Antwan Scott and veteran center Rafael Vidaurreta off the pine. The Vols have one of the nation's premier sixth men in Ron Slay.

What does it mean to have a deep team? A lot when you consider what happens down the stretch of a long season. You have injuries, fatigue and challenges in big games leading up to the Big Dance.

Having depth also helps in case of foul trouble. These three teams have an edge, one which could be a factor come tourney time.

DOING IT OFF THE COURT
Notre Dame is really excited about the team's GPA. Academic advisor Pat Holmes indicated that this current Fighting Irish edition posted a GPA above 3.0 for the first semester. That is something to be proud of.

MISSING MR. WRIGHT
The Florida Gators are missing big man Brent Wright already. He's out with a stress fracture that will sideline him from three to six weeks.

With Wright out, and Udonis Haslem in foul trouble, the Gators didn't have the inside presence against South Carolina. The Gamecocks went on to upset Billy Donovan's squad.

Wright is a productive player, averaging 15.7 ppg. and seven rpg. He's also an aggressive defender whose absence is a major blow to the Gators.

UNSUNG LOBO
Keep an eye on New Mexico's Eric Chatfield. The 6-foot-3 junior guard has been key as the Lobos have won 11 of 13 games this season.

Chatfield had 27 big points in a win over San Diego State. He had 30 points against Alcorn State earlier this season.

He has led the Lobos in scoring nine times this season. Chatfield comes from New York City, showing Fran Fraschilla still has connections from the Big Apple. Remember, Fraschilla used to coach at St. John's.