Breakfast Buffet: Can Washington reenter Pac-10 title picture?
1. The highlight of an unusually intriguing weekend of West Coast college basketball may be seeing if Washington can revitalize its Pac-10 title hopes with a road win at first-place Arizona. The third-place Huskies beat the Wildcats in Seattle but broke a three-game road losing streak on Thursday night against last-place Arizona State.
2. Even though Penn State has shown signs of life under Ed DeChellis, there are still signs the basketball program lacks the administrative sport it needs to be successful. Case in point: For the second time in two weeks, the Nittany Lions had to practice in the Intramural Building instead of the Bryce Jordan Center, first because Bon Jovi was rehearsing for a concert and second because of a career fair.
3. As Arizona stands on the precipice of a top 10 ranking and a Pac-10 championship, it's important to remember how fortunate the Wildcats are to have Sean Miller as their coach. FoxSports.com's Jeff Goodman recalls that Miller originally was nowhere near the top choice of former Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood two years ago.
4. Athletic directors looking for an energetic coach to jumpstart a struggling BCS conference program this spring could do a lot worse than Colorado State coach Tim Miles. As Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review Journal explains, Miles has breathed life into a moribund Rams program with his ability to engage recruits in person, via social media and even a reality TV show.
5. If Duke is going to repeat as national champs, the Blue Devils may need Seth Curry to build on his 20-point performance against North Carolina and emerge as a consistent scorer. "Coach has said all year that we need a third scoring punch," Curry told Yahoo! Sports. "He keeps getting on me to be more aggressive. A lot of times I'll catch myself standing there and watching Nolan and Kyle. They can do so much."
ESPN celebrates the sideline exuberance of college basketball coaches with this commercial. My one complaint? How does Marquette coach Buzz Williams not make the clip with his hilarious "walk it out" move from last season?
"I wouldn't look right. I'd look like a marshmallow." -- Arizona coach Sean Miller on whether he'll don a Rick Pitino-esque white suit for the Wildcats' whiteout game against Washington on Saturday. (Arizona Daily Star)
• Pittsburgh at St. John's, 12 p.m. ET
• Minnesota at Penn State, 7 p.m. ET
• George Mason at Northern Iowa, 7 p.m. ET
• Illinois at Michigan State, 9 p.m. ET
• Utah State at St. Mary's, 9 p.m. ET
