Breakfast Buffet: VCU unleashes ‘Havoc,’ forces 32 Western Kentucky turnovers
1. It's safe to say Western Kentucky players probably had nightmares about VCU's "Havoc" full-court pressure Tuesday night. A Hilltoppers team playing without starting guards T.J. Price and Jamal Crook turned the ball over an incredible 32 times Tuesday night in a 76-44 loss to the Rams, and 20 came via VCU steals. That's the most turnovers VCU has forced this season and it's tied for the second-most committed by a Division I team this year. Grambling State had 33 against Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 13
2. With the Big East on its deathbed as a result of the Catholic 7's breakaway, Sports on Earth's Mike Tanier penned a nostalgic look back at the league's 10 best basketball games. This is a good list, though I'd probably have found a way to include a game from UConn's run of five wins in five days to win the Big East tournament in 2011, preferably the win over Pittsburgh that featured Kemba Walker's ankle-breaking crossover on Gary McGhee.
3. From substance abuse, to weight loss woes, to a myriad of legal problems John Lucas' Houston-based treatment program has aided players with all sorts of mental health problems. ESPN.com's Jason King delivers a terrific profile of Lucas detailing some of the current and former players he has helped and why he has chosen to make this program his life's work.
4. If Tuesday night's Stanford-NC State game was a strength versus strength matchup between the Pack's ultra-efficient offense and the Cardinal's stingy defense, then it's clear which side won the battle. NC State rolled to an 88-79 home victory, shooting 56 percent from the field thanks to 24 points from Lorenzo Brown, five 3-pointers from Scott Wood and 16 points apiece from C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell.
5. Already without leading scorer and rebounder Carl Hall (broken right thumb) and guard Evan Wessell (broken right pinky), hard-lucky Wichita State lost another starter to injury. On Tuesday afternoon, the school announced freshman Ron Baker would miss the next six weeks with a stress fracture in his foot. The spate of injuries could be especially ill-timed for the Shockers: They host Northern Iowa, Creighton and Illinois State in the first three weeks of league play.
It's important to spotlight Auburn basketball highlights since typically there aren't too many each season. In this case, guard Chris Denson delivers a YouTube-worthy transition slam in the Tigers' win over Tennessee Tech on Tuesday night.
"We talk to the same girls, go to the same clubs, you know what I'm saying? We're not necessary competing for girls, but we know the same people." -- ex-Xavier guard Dez Wells on what makes the Crosstown Shootout so heated. Xavier and Cincinnati meet Wednesday night for the first time since last year's brawl. (USA Today)
• Xavier vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m. ET
• Florida International at Louisville, 7 p.m. ET
• Ohio at UMass, 7 p.m. ET
• Oregon at UTEP, 8 p.m. ET
• North Carolina at Texas, 9 p.m. ET
• New Mexico at New Mexico State, 9 p.m. ET
• Northern Iowa at UNLV, 10 p.m. ET
