Feb. 9
SHANE GETS THE NOD
It's a tough call, but right now I would say Shane Battier is my choice for Player of the Year.

Battier is the heart and soul, the glue of the Duke basketball team. He does it on both ends of the court, shooting the trifecta and guarding as well as anyone.

Talk about a great compliment: Mike Krzyzewski called Battier "the most complete player I've ever coached."

SAM'S THE MAN
One of the most underrated forwards in America is USC's Sam Clancy. When I think of the top power forwards in America, I think of guys like Michael Wright of Arizona, Reggie Evans of Iowa and Clancy.

The Trojan forward deserves more PR, baby! Think about what he did earlier this year against UCLA -- 31 points, 13 rebounds. He has been dominant in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shots, showing he's a complete player.

Clancy's dad, Sam, was an NFL defensive lineman for many years. He was an aggressive player, so this is a case of "like father, like son."

BIG TEN RACE WIDE OPEN
Think about the battle for Big Ten Player of the Year honors. There are a number of legitimate contenders.

Reggie Evans of Iowa, Charlie Bell and Jason Richardson of Michigan State, Frank Williams of Illinois, Kirk Haston of Indiana and Joe Crispin of Penn State are all in the running. It should be an exciting race.

Feb. 6
GROWING UP

	A focused Loren Woods is a big plus for Arizona.

It's about time Arizona center Loren Woods shows some maturity. He let down his teammates, his coaches and himself, sitting out a one-game suspension last weekend.

Reports are that Woods showed the wrong attitude in practice, indicating insubordination that led to the suspension. Couple that with the emotional outburst when he was ejected from a game earlier this season. That's two strikes against the big man.

When will he realize he's on one of the top teams in America, in one of the best conferences? Woods is playing for a future Hall of Fame coach in Lute Olson. If he can't play for a winning program in a positive situation like Arizona, I wonder if he'll ever mature.

If Arizona is going to post a strong finish and make a legitimate run at a national championship, they will need more from Woods. The Wildcats will need a hustling, enthusiastic, shot-blocking star in the middle, competing up to his potential.

In fairness to Woods, there were reports that he handled the suspension in a positive way. It is time to grow up.

BATTLIN' BRUISER
A salute to Massachusetts coach Bruiser Flint. Think about the heat he endured up at Amherst when his Minutemen got off to a slow start. Massachusetts was 2-9 in non-league play.

Now the Minutemen are among the elite of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Bruiser has responded to all of the criticism in a positive way, simply rolling up his sleeves and preparing his team for league action. You have to like the heart and guts he and his team have displayed.

WOES IN ANN ARBOR
Word is filtering among many insiders that a change will occur at Michigan after the season. Brian Ellerbe has gone through tough times. Michigan was blown out by arch-rival Michigan State and by Wisconsin.

These are troubling times in Ann Arbor. Interest in basketball has diminished big-time. Perhaps the Wolverines can make a late run and get a few Ws down the stretch to build momentum for the Big Ten tournament.

SALUTE TO UC-IRVINE
Pat Douglass has done a tremendous job and the Anteaters are pushing for their first NCAA Tournament bid ever. UC-Irvine leads the Big West and has wins over California, Utah State and at Washington.

The Anteaters also took UCLA to the wire in a nailbiter. UC-Irvine has a very exciting player in Jerry Green. Keep an eye on him as Douglass' club continues its run in the Big West.

CONFERENCE PLAY COUNTS
St. Francis of New York was 1-6 in non-league play. Now the Terriers are among the best teams in the Northeast Conference. South Carolina State went 3-8 in pre-conference action. Now the Bulldogs are in the MEAC hunt.

It just shows that conference play really counts.

Speaking of conference play, the SEC is as competitive as any league. Picture this ... all 12 league members could end up in postseason play, between the NCAA and NIT. It's not as crazy as you'd think.