As the college basketball season really begins to take off, here is a quick look at some of the most intruiging stories right now:

• Bruce Weber is one of the best coaches in college basketball but he has had a difficult time recruiting at Illinois. Andy Katz breaks down Weber's struggles with recruiting, off-court problems, and the local media. My Take: Dont expect the off-court problems to continue under Weber; he is too principled. However he better pick his recruiting efforts up. Weber's extremely successful coaching record at Illinois is not a fluke. He is a great coach. But recruiting is the lifeblood of college athletics. If it doesnt pick up in Champaigne, Weber will be back coaching a mid-major.
• West Virginia has never been a school top rercruits want to go to, no matter what the sport. They have always had to rely on players other schools missed to succeed. Mike DeCourcy shows how Bob Huggins is already changing that in his first year in Morgantown. My Take: In an industry that breeds work-aholics, no coach works harder than Bob Huggins. West Virginia fans are about to see talent in Morgantown they havent seen in a long time. John Beilein leaving West Virginia felt like a hit at the time, but the Mountaineers traded up when Huggins agreed to coach at his alma matter.
• Pat Forde writes that Louisville's David Padgett could be lost for the season. My Take: Rick Pitino, as expected, has built a great team at Louisiville and like most Pitino coached teams, they are a very strong team from the perimeter. Because of their ability to shoot the 3, the Cardinals are sure to have a very impressive regular season. However, the loss of Padgett will hurt Louisville in the NCAA tournament, where they wont have the offensive or defensive balance to reach the Final Four.
• Gregg Doyle takes issue with coaches coming down hard on players after inexcusable losses. My Take: Its a stupid article. Of course coaches are going to be tough on players when they dont play hard . Taking away some of the amazing benefits college athletes recieve is a tool for motivation. That doesnt mean coaches arent self-critical. I dont see Doyle's point.
• Gary Parrish takes a look back at the weekend that was college basketball: My Take: There are a lot of interesting quick reads within the article, but what I find most noteworthy is the early season preformance of Kansas State freshman Michael Beasley. To date, he is averaging 30 points and 20 rebounds per game, yet he still doesnt get the love of Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon, Kevin Love or OJ Mayo. This is a spectacular freshman class, but Beasley is the best player of the bunch. KSU fans hate Bob Huggins for leaving after just one season. They should be thankful they get to watch Michael Beasley and fellow freshman star Bill Walker. They wouldnt have either if it werent for Huggins.