Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski admits that this year's edition of the Blue Devils doesn't just have more depth and athleticism than last year's team. More importantly, it has improved chemistry and leadership.

"We had good kids last year," Coach K said. "But we had no upper-class leadership. DeMarcus (Nelson) has done a very good job this year and these guys get along."

"It hasn't happened because we've won," he added. "We've won games because it happened."

Krzyzewski said it's the deepest and most balanced team he's had in nearly a decade.

"That doesn't mean it's the most talented," Coach K said. "But we've got a lot of kids that can play and contribute. There hasn't been the one guy and that's been the biggest difference."

Elton Brand won National Player of the Year honors in 1999. Shane Battier claimed it in 2000. Jay Williams in 2001 and 2002 and J.J. Redick in 2005 and 2006.

This year's club has shot up to No. 6 in the country - and features six players who are averaging between 9.0 and 14.1 points per game. Freshman Kyle Singler leads the team, but there are plenty of guys that can hurt you - sophomores Gerald Henderson (13.8) and Jon Scheyer (11.0), Nelson (11.9), Paulus (9.0) and another freshman, Taylor King (9.9).

Krzyzewski admitted that Duke will need to rebound as a team because the Blue Devils have one traditional post player in 7-foot-1 sophomore Brian Zoubek, who is still working his way back from an offseason injury.

Thus far, it hasn't been much of an issue as Duke has outrebounded its opponents by more than six boards per game.

"We're fine," he said. "Brian is coming along and I'm not worried about that. We just have to do things by committee."

ALDRIDGE WILL BECOME HOT COMMODITY

We're compiling a mid-season transfer list and one of the most significant is that of 6-foot-7 Western Carolina sophomore forward Nick Aldridge.

Aldridge averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 boards and 3.2 assists as a freshman and was putting up comparable numbers (18.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg) in a handful of games this season.

Don't be shocked to see Aldridge wind up at West Virginia. He had initially committed to play for Bob Huggins when he was still the coach at Cincinnati.

HEALTHY, HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR BRUINS?

UCLA coach Ben Howland had 11 scholarship players in practice for just the second time this season.

Starting point guard Darren Collison is getting back near full strength after playing the last two games. Mike Roll played sparingly in the loss to Texas. Reserve forward James Keefe (shoulder surgery) participated in his second day of full-contact practice on Wednesday.  
 
RANDOM NOTES: South Florida coach Stan Heath may have found a steal with freshman Dominique Jones, who scored 30 points for the second consecutive game against Richmond. The Bulls have won six straight after starting out 0-3. ... Davidson's early-season schedule should toughen them up down the road, but Bob McKillop's team suffered a bad loss to Charlotte last night. Davidson has already dropped games to Duke and North Carolina and the Wildcats have UCLA on the road this weekend. ... Coach K on former player and current Harvard coach Tommy Amaker's win against his former team, Michigan, over the weekend: "That was a big win. I was ecstatic and I called him right away. Tommy's not a guy whose going to throw his fists in the air and say, 'I told you so'. He's a classy guy and he still loves Michigan."