Frank Victores-US PRESSWIRE

Drew Lavender and Xavier had three big wins last week.

Co-players of the Week: Wayne Ellington, North Carolina; Shan Foster, Vanderbilt

By Andy Katz

Last week:

Ellington: 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting in a 90-61 win over Kent State; a career-high 36 points in a 90-88 overtime win over No. 19 Clemson

Foster: 20 points in 26 minutes in a 97-73 win over Iona; 24 points in 29 minutes in a 76-58 win over Rice; 32 points on 11-for-18 shooting in a 97-88 win over UMass

Sorry, but the honor has to be shared for the first time this season.

Vanderbilt's Shan Foster may end up being the SEC's player of the year by March. He kept Vandy undefeated with 20 against Iona, 24 against Rice and 32 against UMass. He made 11 of 18 shots and 8 of 12 3s against the Minutemen. He also was a combined 9-for-11 at the free-throw line last week.

Foster has been superb this season, averaging 21.1 points and 5.1 rebounds, shooting 54.3 percent and 53.3 percent on 3s. Foster is making Derrick Byars, last season's go-to player, a distant memory in Nashville.

Meanwhile, Wayne Ellington was an absolute stud on Sunday night. He buried the game-winning 3-pointer in overtime to crush Clemson and keep North Carolina undefeated. Ty Lawson found Ellington open on the wing for the 3, and Ellington -- always aware of the time and score -- buried the shot in the final second.

Ellington finished up with 36 points, making 11 of 19 shots, 5 of 8 3s and 9 of 9 free throws. He also produced earlier in the week against Kent State, racking up 17 points in the win over the Golden Flashes. Ellington is shooting 40.3 percent from 3-point range, and he's becoming a go-to money man for the Tar Heels.

Team of the Week: Xavier Musketeers

Andy Katz

Last week: Beat Kansas State 103-77; beat Virginia 108-70; beat Auburn 80-57 on the road

Had Clemson been able to hold off North Carolina on Sunday, the Tigers probably would have had this spot. But the reality is there may not be a hotter upstart team than Xavier right now. The Musketeers are crushing opponents, regardless of conference affiliation. Of course, the Musketeers may not have beaten an NCAA-bound team last week, but taking apart Kansas State, Virginia and Auburn (on the road) was quite impressive.

XU coach Sean Miller has tested his club at every turn, playing Creighton, Cincinnati, Arizona State (on the road), Tennessee and last week's aforementioned trio. The only two losses in the bunch were at ASU (by 22 points in a loss that looks out of character for XU) and a late loss to Tennessee. Xavier has company in the Atlantic 10 this season with Dayton, Rhode Island and UMass all looking like they could make the NCAAs. But no one in this group has done as much to test its team as Miller. The 12-3 Musketeers have had to grind through 15 games that most NCAA-bound teams haven't experienced to this point. To win convincingly in the past week shows how ready-made this team is for an eight-week grind in the conference.

3-Point Shot

Fran Fraschilla

1. Sun Devils rising
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, because the same style of play that caused NC State fans to grow tired of Herb Sendek, even after he took the Wolfpack to five straight NCAA appearances, seems to be working in the desert. Arizona State is still playing at a snail's pace, but it is one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country, shooting almost 39 percent beyond the arc, and an even more impressive, 57.6 percent inside of it.

I am not ready to put Arizona State in the Sweet 16 yet, especially because it still must run the long two-month Pac-10 gauntlet, but getting off to an 12-2 start is more than Sun Devils fans could have hoped for in Sendek's second season. A sweep of the Oregon schools at home to start league play this weekend is a solid beginning, and the mid-December thrashing of Xavier is looking even more impressive by the week.

Freshman James Harden, the best prep player in California last year, has been every bit as good as advertised and is among a handful of newcomers just behind the super six. The 6-foot-5 rookie is a very efficient all-around player for Sendek because he can shoot the 3, score around the rim (59 percent inside the arc), gets himself to the foul line and defends well. And you'll see 6-foot-9 junior Jeff Pendergraph start to get major pub nationally after spending his first two seasons in federal witness protection for the once-woeful Sun Devils.

2. "Big" win for UNC-Asheville
UNC-Asheville's 61-58 win at South Carolina gives the 11-3 Bulldogs their best start in more than two decades. It happened in large part (no pun intended) because of the continued emergence of 7-7, 360-pound Kenny George, who finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, and scored the game-winning dunk with 26.8 seconds remaining.

George, who missed his first two years at UNC-Asheville because of injuries and averaged about 10 minutes last season, is averaging 12.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.4 blocks, and is shooting 70.2 percent from the field. He does get caught out of position in a fast-paced game, but in the half court, he would be a presence in any league in college basketball. His enormous size and 8-5 wingspan protect the basket like he's a hockey goalie. Offensively, he has good hands and a surprising touch around the rim, and he can basically dunk standing flat-footed. And he's shooting a respectable 67.7 percent from the foul line.

The Bulldogs take on North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Wednesday (ESPNU, 7 p.m. ET), so it should be interesting to see George take on Tyler Hansbrough, although the Heels' fast break may render George less effective. But coach Eddie Biedenbach, who has a veteran team back that will challenge for the Big South title, has found a weapon in George who has a big impact on the Bulldogs' success.

3. Kansas dominant
I know I am not supposed to say this, but after seeing Kansas demolish Boston College 85-60 on Saturday, there is a chance the Jayhawks can go through the regular season undefeated. That's how dominant they looked.

Now that Brandon Rush and Sherron Collins are healthy, this is the deepest and the best team in the country. There is great balance between perimeter and inside scoring, especially with the emergence of Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun. They complement future lottery pick Darrell Arthur, who had to impress the many NBA scouts in attendance at Conte Forum on Saturday. Together, they are shooting better than 62 percent from the field.

Defensively, Mario Chalmers and Russell Robinson are the best pair of defensive guards in the country. Amazingly, they combine for 5.7 steals per game. And the balls they don't steal they are likely to deflect, which disrupts an offense. If you get by them, you must contend with the length of Kansas' front line, which blocks 6.4 shots a game.

I see four "speed bumps" remaining on Kansas' schedule. First, there are two road games in January at Big 12 North rivals Missouri and Kansas State. Neither team has played at the level of the Jayhawks this season, but the vitriol and hostility that awaits Bill Self's club in Columbia and Manhattan will make these dangerous games. Kansas travels to Texas in February and to Texas A&M in March. Each team is capable of playing for 40 minutes with the Jayhawks. But make no mistake, both teams must play very well to win.

Because of Kansas' overall talent level, there is a big margin of error in overcoming foul trouble, injuries and an "off night" from one of its stars. In fact, on any given night, Self can turn to any one of eight players to come through in a big spot.

Upset watch

By Reggie Rankin

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

• Tuesday: Seton Hall over Marquette, ESPN Full Court, 9 p.m. ET
The strong perimeter play of Seton Hall will match up well against the triplets of Marquette. Senior swing man Brian Laing headlines this deep group of highly productive perimeter players. Laing (6-5, 215 pounds) attacks off the bounce and can finish in the lane, leading the team in scoring and is the best perimeter rebounder and defender. Scoring point guard Eugene Harvey has excelled in the Pirates' up-tempo style. Add freshman jump shooter Jeremy Hazell and senior Jamar Nutter, and Seton Hall has a great opportunity for an upset on the road. Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews will have their hands full with this gang of Pirates.

• Thursday: USC over Washington State, 11 p.m. ET
O.J. Mayo will attempt to get inside a Cougars pack defense that can take a good scorer out of his game. But that will not apply to Mayo, because he is a great scorer that can take over a game, especially on his home court. Mayo, who has more turnovers than assists, must take better care of the ball because the Trojans can't afford many empty possessions against a team like Washington State. Mayo must get help from three other double-figure scorers (Davon Jefferson, Daniel Hackett and Dwight Lewis) for USC to upset the unbeaten Cougars. Highly productive and consistent guards Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver take care of most of the scoring for the Cougars. Point guard Taylor Rochestie leads the team in assists and makes sure 6-10 bookends Aron Baynes and Robbie Cowgill stay involved.

• Saturday: Kentucky over Vanderbilt, 1:30 p.m. ET
The healing Wildcats might have enough healthy firepower to start the SEC with a eye-opening win against the Commodores' stat-sheet-stuffing tandem of Shan Foster and A.J. Ogilvy. Derrick Jasper and Jodie Meeks are back in the mix for the Wildcats. With freshman sensation Patrick Patterson, Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley, Billy Gillispie has some pretty good options on offense to make it difficult in Rupp Arena.

• Saturday: Connecticut over Georgetown, ESPN, 2 p.m. ET
The speed, quickness and athletic ability of the Huskies' perimeter starts with leading scorer Jerome Dyson, A.J. Price and extra long wing Stanley Robinson. Together, they can make Georgetown's league home opener a major challenge. For the Hoyas, the experienced guard play of Jonathan Wallace and Jessie Sapp will have to defend excellent athletes like themselves. Georgetown sophomore DaJuan Summers is a special talent, especially on offense, but he will have to earn his open looks because the Huskies are an excellent defensive team. UConn forward Jeff Adrien will require special attention with his ability to score in the post and rebound in a crowd. The battle of the big boys should be fun to watch as Roy Hibbert will show skill in the low post, and the athletic Hasheem Thabeet is a raw but improving scorer and defensive presence. There are some great matchups in this one that could go either way.

• Saturday: Houston over Arizona, ESPN2, 3 p.m. ET
High-scoring guard Rob McKiver and Texas transfer Dion Dowell lead coach Tom Penders' wide-open offensive attack. Freshman guard Brockeith Pane has contributed double-figure scoring, and lightning-quick point guard Lanny Smith is the set-up man. I hope the Wildcats learned from Oregon, which lost to Oakland, that they can't just show up and win a homecoming game. Three Wildcats players are from Houston: Jawann McClellan, Fendi Onobun and Nic Wise. All three will have to bring their A games, because the Cougars have high-major talent.

• Saturday: Nebraska over Kansas, ESPN, 9 p.m. ET
KU has a Final Four focus and playmakers at every position. The offensive balance is tremendous with Darrell Arthur leading four Jayhawks in double figures. Kansas can score in the half court by establishing its inside game with Arthur and big bodies like Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun. The Jayhawks make it look easy in transition with a perimeter group led by Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush. But the powerful Jayhawks could underestimate Doc Sadler's newly built Huskers and All-Big 12 center Aleks Maric in a sold-out Devaney Center and receive an early conference setback.

This week

Andy Katz

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

• If Florida can pick up a much-needed true road win at Alabama on Tuesday night (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET).

• Whether Pitt can win at South Florida on Wednesday (ESPN2, 7:30 p.m. ET) now that there are no givens for the depleted Panthers.

• If Ole Miss can push Tennessee in the SEC opener for both teams in Knoxville on Wednesday (ESPN Full Court, 8 p.m. ET).

• If Rhode Island can pull off an upset and win at Dayton on Wednesday to put the Rams fully in the race for the title.

• If Syracuse can win on the road in the Big East and beat Cincinnati on Wednesday (ESPN Full Court, 8 p.m. ET).

• If Arizona State can push Arizona two games back in the loss column in Tempe on Wednesday.

• If West Virginia can follow up the Sunday win over Marquette and beat Louisville on the road on Thursday (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET).

• If Cal can steal a road win at Oregon on Thursday (ESPN Full Court, 9 p.m. ET).

• If USC can avoid an 0-3 start and beat Washington State at home Thursday.

• If Kentucky can revive itself in the SEC and beat Vanderbilt at home Saturday.

• If Missouri can make itself a player for an NCAA bid and hold serve to beat Texas at home on Saturday (ESPN Full Court, 1:30 p.m. ET).

• If Nebraska can shock the country and take out Kansas at home Saturday (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET).

• If Houston can pull off its best shot at a résumé builder in the nonconference slate and beat Arizona on Saturday (ESPN2, 3 p.m. ET).

• If Bob Knight can win No. 900 when Texas Tech goes to Oklahoma State on Saturday.

• If Washington State's Aron Baynes can bully Kevin Love enough to beat UCLA in Pauley Pavilion on Saturday.

• If Stanford can sweep the Oregon schools and beat the Ducks on Sunday in Eugene.