Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

In his most anticipated game to date, UCLA's Kevin Love came through with 27 points against Washington State.

Player of the Week: Kevin Love, UCLA

By Andy Katz

Last week:

Kevin Love had one of his best games of the season in what might have been his most anticipated contest to date.

Love scored 27 points in 33 minutes in UCLA's 81-74 win over Washington State on Saturday to establish the Bruins as the favorite in the Pac-10 title chase and a No. 1 seed out West.

Love was supposed to face his toughest challenge of the season against WSU's Aron Baynes. Yet, Love proved why he is one of the best players in the country with his ability to score in a variety of ways. He made two 3s -- within the offense -- converted on the offensive backboard and finessed, not bullied his way, to points in the paint within the flow of UCLA's sets.

Meanwhile, he had four assists, two blocks and one turnover. Baynes struggled mightily, scoring eight points, committing four fouls and taking only three shots. He also whiffed with two air balls at the free-throw line.

Love didn't have a stellar game Thursday against Washington with 11 points, four assists and four turnovers against the Huskies' Jon Brockman. But the Bruins were still dominant, winning the game by 14 points.

But in the biggest Pac-10 game so far this season, and one of the highlights of the early conference season nationally, a whole lot of Love was the difference for UCLA.

Team of the Week: Delaware Blue Hens

Andy Katz

Last week: Beat George Mason 73-68; beat Old Dominion 81-74

Yes, the Blue Hens. After winning only five games overall a season ago, and three in the conference, Monte Ross is completing a remarkable turnaround.

The former Saint Joseph's assistant has the Blue Hens leading the Colonial Athletic Association at 5-0 (8-7 overall) after a double-overtime win against Old Dominion on Saturday.

Delaware knocked off George Mason in overtime earlier in the week after being down 19 in the game.

The Blue Hens got 23 points from Georgetown transfer Marc Egerson in the win over the Patriots. Senior forward Herb Courtney scored 27 points in the win over ODU.

Even though the games were at home, Delaware beat two of the recent powers in the conference -- ODU and Mason -- in the same week.

Taking down VCU on Wednesday and Northeastern on Saturday would certainly serve notice that Delaware is in the race for the whole season.

Regardless, Delaware has made itself relevant again after some lean years following the highly successful Mike Brey-era at the school.

What Delaware did last week was to ensure that they will be taken seriously the rest of the season as a legitimate player in the conference title race. That alone is worth nationally recognizing.

3-Point Shot

Jay Bilas

1. Valued sidekick
Jim Calhoun is fortunate to have former Seton Hall coach George Blaney on his staff. Blaney has subbed for Calhoun over the years, and is an astute basketball mind and teacher. He is also a great balance for Calhoun. If you believe Doug Wiggins had his best game due to the absence of Calhoun's demands and quick hook, maybe that was the case. I don't always agree with Calhoun, but I know that his proven approach of reinforcement through the bench works, and it works very well. No player likes it at the time, and some players fight it, but when they truly "get it," they blossom and they win. Having been around Calhoun, I know this: He believes intensely in the promise of his players, and holds them to his lofty vision. When they start to believe in themselves the way Calhoun believes in them, they flourish. His record (of wins and developing great players) is not some bizarre accident. And, this team is close to getting it.

2. Loyalty rewarded
Charlotte had a great week, with wins at Clemson and over Temple, and it had to be satisfying for coach Bobby Lutz. In an age when coaches are accused of showing no loyalty and jumping from job to job, Lutz turned down a job offer last summer that most advised him to take. An unqualified success by any measure in the then powerful Conference USA (where the C-USA Tournament was dubbed the "Lutz Invitational"), Lutz has seen Charlotte leave and become an uncertain fit in the vastly different Atlantic 10. Despite the numerous challenges of a new league and some heat coming his way, Lutz showed uncommon loyalty to stay and fight. Behind the play of senior guard Leemire Goldwire (19 ppg, 5 rpg, 80 percent from the line), Charlotte has also beaten Wake Forest, Davidson and Southern Illinois, and lost tight ones to Maryland and Georgia Tech. Whether Lutz earns his way into the NCAA Tournament (Charlotte is now 10-5), he has earned everyone's respect.

3. Bruins with D
Washington State is a great defensive team. UCLA is a better one. Don't be fooled by the final score of 81-74, because Ben Howland's Bruins won the "grinder" against Tony Bennett's Cougars on the defensive end. The Bruins held Wazzu to just 22 points on 38 percent shooting in the first half, and UCLA led by double-digits for most of the game. After 28 minutes of play, Washington State had only 30 points, and after over 38 minutes of play, UCLA led 68-53. In desperation time, Washington State went on a 3-point barrage, scoring 21 points in the final 90 seconds. Despite the impressive shooting (reminiscent of Iowa's Justin Johnson against Indiana), UCLA hit its free throws and layups to win it. The Bruins switched screens, swarmed the ball and dominated the glass. And, if some are surprised by Kevin Love's offensive ability, Howland is not. He has been working to get Love more shots since October. Not that anyone needed this win to figure it out, but UCLA is a Final Four team.

Upset watch

By Reggie Rankin

Scouts Inc.'s Reggie Rankin takes a look at six upsets that could happen this week:

• Monday: Oklahoma over Kansas, ESPN, 9 p.m. ET
The Jayhawks have it all: depth, experience and multiple scoring options inside and out. They defend with an attitude and attack for 40 minutes. Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson along with Sasha Kaun pound relentlessly inside for high low position. The Sooners can also pound it down low with an improved Longar Longar and freshman sensation Blake Griffin. Tony Crocker has been able to stretch the defense with his shooting to give the big fellas some paths to the rim. If the Oklahoma perimeter players, led by guard Austin Johnson, can take care of the basketball against Mario Chalmers and company and see through the "Phog" to get the ball inside, Oklahoma could take this one down to the wire.

• Tuesday: Penn State over Wisconsin, 9 p.m. ET
Brian Butch is playing with great confidence and guard Trevon Hughes can make it happen off the dribble and can hit the open 3 for the Badgers. Marcus Landry, Michael Flowers, Joe Krabbenhoft and Jason Bohannon find ways to help the team win as they did at Texas without Hughes. Penn State forwards Geary Claxton and powerful Jamelle Cornley can both score inside and out. Freshman guard Talor Battle has done a good job as the primary ball handler; he makes the more athletic and deeper Nittany Lions a possible threat on their home floor.

• Tuesday: Cincinnati over Notre Dame, ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET
The Irish can get on a roll especially on the offensive end of the floor with the size and skill of forward Luke Harangody, and the 3-point shooting of Kyle McAlarney, Rob Kurz and Ryan Ayers. Point guard Tory Jackson is the floor general and assist leader in Mike Brey's motion offense. Mick Cronin's Bearcats have shown signs that they can sneak up on teams and sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn can flat-out score and find the open man. If forward John Williamson can step up his game another notch to help Vaughn, UC could hang around if it can get some early stops and build confidence in its defense.

• Wednesday: Florida State over Duke, ESPN, 7 p.m. ET
When Coach K added Kyle Singler to the mix, the Blue Devils attack added the depth it needed. Duke can now put more scorers on the floor at one time and make opposing teams have to help from long distances in its spread offensive attack. DeMarcus Nelson and Gerald Henderson have head-ducking athletic ability, and the pressure man defense and killer instinct is a Duke trademark. The Seminoles have an experienced perimeter that can match up with the Blue Devils. Seniors Isaiah Swann, Jason Rich and Ralph Mims can all score and make free throws. Add leading scorer junior Toney Douglas and the Blue Devils' defense has their work cut out for them, especially in Tallahassee.

• Wednesday: Florida over Mississippi, ESPN Full Court, 8 p.m. ET
Freshman point guard Chris Warren has played like a seasoned veteran and center Dwayne Curtis has been consistent and dominating at times. Ole Miss is focused on defense and plays with great effort. The Gators are led by a freshman of their own in super skilled Nick Calathes. Marreese Speights is a big target at 6-foot-10, 250 pounds. The Rebels will be on their home floor but will have to decide how to defend the Florida ball-screen action that gives teams fits. If the young Gators can hit some shots early and handle the defensive pressure of the Rebels, they might leave Oxford with a huge road win.

• Wednesday: Massachusetts over Dayton, 7 p.m. ET
At 6-foot-7, 220 pounds Gary Forbes is a tough matchup because he scores on the perimeter as well as in the post. Ricky Harris can flat-out score and looks to make something happen at all times. Chris Lowe is rock solid at taking care of the basketball and is the glue to the team. Brian Roberts will have a full plate; he will need to be the primary ball handler and scorer for the Flyers. With Chris Wright out 4-8 weeks with a fracture in his right ankle, Charles Little -- along with help from Marcus Johnson -- will have keep Forbes in check. Jimmy Binnie will have to continue to knock down open shots when things get scrambled at the end of the press. Dayton has without question the best home-court advantage in the A-10, but if Gary Forbes and the Minutemen can get some early turnovers and a few easy baskets in transition, they could make the Flyers play from behind and give themselves a chance.

• Thursday: Cleveland State over Butler, 7:30 p.m. ET
Butler will travel to Cleveland to face a much improved Vikings team that has wins over South Florida and Florida State. Coach Gary Waters is an experienced leader who made Kent State a consistent MAC contender before going to Rutgers. Cleveland State hit the jackpot hiring Waters. The Bulldogs have a battle-tested and experienced backcourt with Mike Green and A.J. Graves leading the charge. Both players are threats whenever they have the ball. The continued improvement and production of freshman Matt Howard makes an excellent 3-point shooting team more difficult to defend because he provides scoring in the post, rebounding and can finish with a dunk from Green's penetration. The Vikings will counter with junior guard Cedric Jackson and forward J'Nathan Bullock. Jackson is the leading scorer and assist producer and at 6-foot-4 Bullock takes care of business on the glass. Cleveland State will be pain in the neck for Butler.

• Thursday: Saint Louis over Rhode Island, 8 p.m. ET
Rams point guard Parfait Bitee has scoring options on both wings in Will Daniels and Jimmy Baron. Daniels can carry defenders to the rim on post-ups or step out to the perimeter and blow by players off the dribble. Baron is a lights-out shooter who can break a game open with his deep range. When defenders are not in his face on the catch or approach him with their hands down, put 3 in the books. Kahiem Seawright is active on the glass and gives Daniels help along with reserve Lamonte Ulmer. Saint Louis will be in games in the A-10 because of its defense but when you have good guards you always have a chance and the Billikens have good guards. Kevin Lisch and Tommie Liddell both can defend and score, and they will embrace the challenge to compete against Daniels and Baron. If Lisch and Liddell play well on offense on their home court, they could get the win.

This Week

Andy Katz

Here's what I'm looking forward to this week:

• Georgetown at Pitt, Monday (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET): The Hoyas looked vulnerable against the Huskies and the Panthers are ripe for a signature Big East win.

• Florida at Ole Miss, Wednesday (ESPN Full Court, 8 p.m. ET): How will the young Gators handle a raucous atmosphere in Oxford?

• UMass at Dayton, Wednesday: If the Minutemen can re-establish themselves as a real player for the league title after losing at home to Saint Joe's.

• Texas A&M at Texas Tech, Wednesday (ESPN2, 9:30 p.m. ET): If Bob Knight gets win No. 900 against a potential Final Four team.

• Vanderbilt at Tennessee, Thursday (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET): If the Commodores can play defense well enough to beat the rival Vols in Knoxville.

• Butler at Cleveland State, Thursday: If the Bulldogs (5-1 in league) could fall at one of the few roadblocks (Vikings 5-0 in league) in the Horizon.

• Arizona State at Cal, Thursday: This has the makings of a fight for sixth in the Pac-10.

• Arizona at Stanford, Thursday: The winner will likely be in the chase for second so far in the Pac-10.

• Notre Dame at Georgetown, Saturday (ESPN Full Court, noon ET): Luke Harangody is large enough to tussle with Roy Hibbert and that alone is worth watching.

• Clemson at Duke, Saturday (ESPN, 6 p.m. ET): If the Tigers can play as well against the Blue Devils as they did against the Tar Heels.

• Kentucky at Florida, Saturday (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET): If the Gators continue their recent dominance over the Wildcats.

• Kansas at Missouri, Saturday (ESPNU, 8 p.m. ET): Yet another potential hiccup for the Jayhawks along the road to perfection.

• USC at UCLA, Saturday: To see if O.J. Mayo can score against the Bruins' stifling defense.

• Marquette at Connecticut, Sunday (ESPN Full Court, 1 p.m. ET): To see how the Huskies' guards handle the best trio of perimeter players in the Big East.

• Oregon at Washington State, Sunday: To see if Tony Bennett can beat the one team that has been the toughest for him and his father, Dick, when he was coaching, to handle since they arrived in Pullman.