AP Photo/Darron Cummings

Even shorthanded, UConn was able to celebrate a win in Bloomington.

Player of the Week: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma Sooners

By Andy Katz

Last week: 17 points, 15 rebounds vs. Baylor

Memo to self: Don't believe the injury timetable given by coaches. Blake Griffin defied the original four-game projection of being out with a knee injury by returning 14 days after he went down five minutes into a loss at Kansas. Oklahoma caught a scheduling break with only one game between Kansas and Baylor road games -- a home game against Texas Tech. OU won by two. Griffin returned for the Baylor game to score 17 points, grab 15 rebounds and dish out three assists without committing a turnover in 22 minutes. He took 17 shots during his active time on the floor that helped lead the Sooners to a 77-71 win over the Bears. Baylor was one of the hottest teams in the country after winning a five-overtime affair at Texas A&M on Wednesday. But the Bears had no match for Griffin inside. He bullied his way to the double-double and immediately put the Sooners back in contention to finish in the top three in the Big 12 and on the road to an NCAA berth.

Team of the Week: UConn Huskies

Andy Katz

Last week: beat Cincinnati 84-83; Indiana 68-63

The Huskies had one of the most gratifying weeks in Jim Calhoun's illustrious career. The Huskies gutted out a late win at Cincinnati, a place where teams like Pitt, Villanova and Syracuse had fallen in the Big East.

Then the Huskies followed that up with a quick turnaround back home where Calhoun had to suspend a starter -- Jerome Dyson -- and a reserve guard -- Doug Wiggins -- for an unspecified violation of team rules. The Huskies then went to Indiana, got down 9-0, and never wilted. Calhoun coached a terrific game, getting his players to stay composed and remain aggressive. The Huskies upset Indiana 68-63 in Bloomington. The Huskies (14-5), for the first time in two years, looked and played like an NCAA Tournament team.

Outside of Georgetown, no other Big East team has proven to be as tough an out on the road as Connecticut. That toughness and stability make the Huskies a team to watch and a Big East contender from this point forward.

3-Point Shot

Fran Fraschilla

1. Duke's Quiet Leader

I spent last weekend watching Duke beat Clemson at home and I came away thinking: Is there a more underrated leader in the country, right now, than Duke's DeMarcus Nelson? He is not only having a great season on the court, but the senior captain sets the tone for Mike Krzyzewski off the court, as well. Last season, in naming three tri-captains, Nelson, Greg Paulus and the now departed Josh McRoberts, Coach K told me last week that he felt the leadership of the team may have gotten diluted. This year, there is one dominant voice in the Duke locker room and it is Nelson's.

One thing that can drain a coach over the course of a long season is when he has to be both the coach and the captain of the team. In other words, he has be the constant voice that the players hear. It gets old and the voice gets stale, even if it's a Hall of Fame coach. It's a lot easier when there is a veteran player in the locker room parroting what the coach wants accomplished. Nelson polices this team and provides a voice of experience for this young Blue Devil team to rely on. And, it saves some emotional wear and tear for his coach. It's hard to enough to coach basketball without having to coach effort and emotion, as well.

2. Sunflower State Showdown

You have to go back to the 1988 Midwest Regional final to find a more important game between Kansas and Kansas State than the one that will take place in Manhattan on Wednesday night. That season, Danny Manning's historic NCAA title run had to go through Mitch Richmond and the Wildcats at the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan. This year, both teams come into this contest undefeated in Big 12 play and, of course, KU, along with Memphis, is one of only two unbeatens left in college basketball this season. Kansas State has lost the last 24 times to their hated nemesis on its home court.

Remember, the last time Kansas State won at home in this series back in 1983, Larry Brown was the coach of the Jayhawks, Texas A&M coach, Mark Turgeon, was a junior in high school in Topeka and Kansas coach, Bill Self, was playing at Oklahoma State. This year, the talented Wildcat freshmen, Michael Beasley and Bill Walker, have made Joe Namath-like guarantees that the streak will finally end. While Beasley is on his way to putting together one of the greatest seasons ever in Wildcat history -- only Bob Boozer's late 1950s All-American seasons compare -- and Walker has returned to his high school All-American form, the Jayhawks have looked unbeatable recently. My guess is that the streak won't end just yet, but that the Jayhawks will get an incredible test in a super-charged Bramlage Coliseum. It should be fun!

3. Officiating Slippage
I hate to warn my officiating friends who normally do an outstanding job, but I have started to see some officiating slippage recently in certain areas. When it comes to rough play, conference games become much too physical compared to the way nonconference games are officiated, and I think there are some reasons for this.

Early-season games allow officials to set the tone for the year and games are, generally, officiated in accordance with the points of emphasis. So, rough post play, for example, is adjudicated properly. However, once conference play with its heated rivalries get under way, there is a reluctance by officials to get players into foul trouble and put them on the bench. Because they are more familiar with conference players they see all the time, they tend to let more go. And officials are human. They don't want the coaches they see regularly constantly in their ear. Nobody likes getting harassed all the time.

The problem with overly physical play is that it usually puts one team at a disadvantage. Physicality, while part of the game of basketball, should not be used to gain an advantage illegally. So this is precisely the time of the season when the rules must be officiated with consistency. There is more at stake in the next six weeks than there is in November and December. You'd be amazed at how one illegal screen or illegal "swim move" in the post can affect the outcome of a close game and, potentially, a season.

So a word to officiating friends: Stay on the "points of emphasis" rules. You guys do a great job already.

Upset watch

By Reggie Rankin

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

• Tuesday: Alabama over Tennessee, ESPN 9 p.m. ET
The Vols possess talent and depth that plays together with maximum effort. They can score quick, fast and in a hurry off turnovers with their pressure defense and can knock down multiple 3s to break the game wide open. JaJuan Smith, Chris Lofton and Tyler Smith set the tone, followed by J.P. Prince, Ramar Smith and Wayne Chism to turn the heat up another notch. No one needs a signature conference win more than Alabama. The Tide will be fired up for the Vols and if the primary ball handlers that include Rico Pickett, Brandon Hollinger and Senario Hillman can handle the Tennessee pressure, Alabama has excellent finishers, starting with Richard Hendrix inside and Alonzo Gee and Mykal Riley on the wings. Keeping turnovers to a minimum is the key for the Tide to Roll!

• Wednesday: Houston over Memphis, 8 p.m. ET
The No. 1 Memphis Tigers take the show on the road. The drive and kick offense and suffocating defense have Chris Douglas-Roberts, Robert Dozier, Derrick Rose and Joey Dorsey attacking on both ends of the floor. The Cougars have a great mix of high school, junior college and transfer players with valuable experience. Kelvin Lewis, Rob McKiver and Lanny Smith make up the three guard line up for coach Tom Penders. Lewis, an Auburn transfer, had a career high 17 points against UTEP, McKiver can score from anywhere on the floor and Smith is a quick athletic point that can handle the ball and leads the team in assists. Inside, Tafari Toney and Texas transfer Dion Dowell score and take care of the rebounding. Houston will not be intimidated by the Tigers and might have enough high-major players to keep it interesting at home.

Peter Aiken/Getty Images

Michael Beasley will be a load to handle for Kansas.

• Kansas State over Kansas, ESPN Full Court, 8 p.m. ET
The team defense of the Jayhawks will need to gang up on the Wildcats' Michael Beasley and Bill Walker. While Walker is keeping the perimeter on its toes, Beasley will have Darrell Arthur, Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun's full attention for 40 minutes. Bramlage Coliseum will be rocking as Kansas will be in for a major challenge as it competes against players that are the caliber of its own. Walker is finally healthy and showing what he can do and the likely one and done Beasley combines skill with physical post play. K-State will play with a ton of confidence and have the will to win if it can get off to a good start.

• Wednesday: Saint Louis over Dayton, 7 p.m. ET
After slipping past Saint Louis on the road in overtime, Brian Roberts will have to work his offensive magic again after dropping 30 in game one. Playing without Chris Wright and Charles Little will put a strain on the Flyers offense. Wright had surgery to repair a fractured bone in his right ankle and Little has a broken bone in his foot that does not require surgery but both forwards will be out of the line up for at least a month. Expect gamer Marcus Johnson to step up and help Roberts in the scoring department. Johnson is a tough athletic competitor and the Flyers best wing finisher. Saint Louis is a great defensive team but will have to do something different or better to control Roberts. If Kevin Lisch and Tommie Liddell can score against the tough Dayton defense, the best home-court advantage in the A-10 might not be enough to pull the limping Flyers across the finish line.

• Saturday: Mississippi State over Tennessee, ESPN Full Court, 7 p.m. ET
Jamont Gordon is the Bulldogs' main weapon on offense. Gordon can drain 3s and get to the rack at will as he leads the team in free-throw attempts. There is also plenty of help from the rest of the lineup. Insider Charles Rhodes plays above the rim, can score from all over the lane and sprints for dunks in transition, Barry Stewart is quality 3-point shooter and center Jarvis Varnado is the shot-blocking machine that can spark a game-breaking run. The deep and talented Vols will have to be at the top of their game to collar the Bulldogs with their defensive pressure in Humphrey Coliseum.

• Saturday: Baylor over Texas, ESPN Full Court, 1:45 p.m. ET
Curtis Jerrells will lead the newly arrived Bears into Austin, trying to pull a Wisconsin on the Longhorns. Coach Scott Drew will attempt to keep D.J. Augustin, A.J. Abrams and Damion James off balance by mixing their defenses and using their balanced scoring The winner of this state of Texas battle will use it in recruiting, especially if it's Baylor.

• Sunday: Florida State over North Carolina, 2 p.m. ET
Florida State's strength is its perimeter play that thrives on attacking off the dribble. North Carolina has had issues in containing penetration in their pressure man defense. But inside, Tyler Hansbrough is relentless scoring and rebounding and FSU will have to be there on the catch when it comes to 3-point sniper Wayne Ellington. Uche Echefu must hold his own inside and if guards Toney Douglas, Isaiah Swann and Jason Rich can repeatedly get inside the Tar Heel defense, the excellent shooting of the Seminoles could give UNC fits and the Heels might not be as fortunate as Duke in Tallahassee.

This Week

Andy Katz

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

• Louisville at Connecticut, Monday (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET): The depleted Huskies and the surging Cards should serve up one of the better games in the Big East.

• VCU at George Mason, Tuesday (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET): These are the two best teams in the CAA and if the Patriots have a shot to unseat the Rams they must win this game at home.

• Villanova at Pitt, Wednesday (ESPNU, 7 p.m. ET): Two teams that are heading the wrong way in the Big East. The loser will be in an even deeper hole.

• Cincinnati at West Virginia, Wednesday (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET): Too bad this one meeting isn't at UC. Bob Huggins back at the Shoemaker would be worth the price of admission.

• Kansas at Kansas State, Wednesday (ESPN Full Court, 8 p.m. ET): This is one of those few remaining games that the Jayhawks could lose.

• Texas at Texas A&M, Wednesday (ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET): The Aggies have new life after beating Oklahoma State on the road.

• Memphis at Houston, Wednesday: The Tigers have a few hurdles to get over before going undefeated. This is one of them.

• Indiana at Wisconsin, Thursday (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET): Both teams lost last Saturday, taking a bit of the steam out of this one. But the Hoosiers lost out of conference so a win here would certainly give them an edge in the race for the title.

• Arizona at USC, Thursday: This is a matchup between two of the surging teams in the country. Don't be surprised to see either one of these squads during the second weekend in of the tournament.

• Dayton at Rhode Island, Saturday: This could be a classic A-10-type bubble game if there isn't room for both in the Dance.

• Tennessee at Mississippi State, Saturday (ESPN Full Court, 7 p.m. ET): If the Bulldogs win this one then they'll be taken even more seriously as a legit contender to win the SEC.

• Florida at Arkansas, Saturday (ESPN Full Court, 3:05 p.m. ET): A win here and the Gators would create even more separation from like teams in the SEC.

• Stanford at Washington State: The Cardinal are hot, but it could be limping into this one if it can't get past Washington on Thursday.

• Arizona at UCLA, Saturday (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET): This rivalry rarely disappoints and it could be a better defensive game than WSU-UCLA matchup.

• Arizona State at USC, Saturday: The Sun Devils might desperately need a road win to avoid a major skid if they lose Thursday at UCLA.