Here's a quick rundown of last night's action:

THE STUD: Villanova isn't exactly known for their big men of late, but forward Dante Cunningham went for 31 points and 11 rebounds in 29 minutes in the Wildcats' rout over Fordham.

THE DUD: Oregon - For the second straight year, the Ducks lost to Oakland University (Mich.). Last season Ernie Kent's club was blindsided by Oakland in Detroit and last night the Ducks lost in overtime on their home court.

- How about Georgia losing to Loyola (Ill.). Remember, Bulldogs coach Dennis Felton basically saved his job a year ago when his team ran the table to win the SEC tournament. Georgia needs talented freshman forward Trey Thompkins back from injury as soon as possible.

- Nice win for St. John's over Cornell, which sets up a St. John's-Boston College matchup tonight with a trip to Madison Square Garden on the line.

- The most intriguing matchup tonight has Blake Griffin and Stephen Curry on the court at the same time. Oklahoma will play Davidson in Norman.

PENNELL LEADS ARIZONA TO OPENING WIN

Arizona interim coach Russ Pennell started his career with a victory against Florida Atlantic.

Chase Budinger led the Wildcats with 21 points while Nic Wise added 19 and Jordan Hill, despite battling foul trouble, finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Budinger admitted he's using all of the skeptics as motivation this year.

"I'm pissed off," he admitted.

Budinger said he went into a depression of sorts in the days following Lute Olson's decision to retire.

"Then I realized, being a leader, I needed to snap out of it and get back to playing basketball and leading the team the right way," he said.

Budinger has no resentment to Olson.

"It kind of upsets me that people are mad at him and blame all of this on him," Budinger said. "He's given so much to the program. You've got to look back at what he's done to this program."

"I don't think he knew at the beginning of this year," he added. "He looked good. He was back to normal and energetic, but then as the season got closer, it became a roller-coaster. Some days he looked real fatigued and tired and other days he looked fine."

"I know in my heart, if he could coach, he'd be coaching," Budinger continued. "There's no doubt in my mind, but his health wouldn't let him."

CURRY WILL BE A BIG-TIME PRO

James Madison coach Matt Brady knows a thing or two about point guards. He recruited and coached NBA starters Jameer Nelson and Delonte West - and also former Marist star Jared Jordan.

Brady watched Davidson junior guard Stephen Curry torch his team for 33 points and nine assists last night.

"He's fabulous," Brady said. "Stephen's better than Jameer or Delonte at the same stage. He's going to have a long, distinguished successful career at the next level."

Agreed.

"His passing is every bit equal to his shooting," Brady said.

Wow.

"His IQ is through the roof," Brady added. "He has an understanding of the game that very few players have."

Brady said he tried to turn Curry over, but that he plays at a pace in which it's nearly impossible to speed him up.

NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE

Here is the schedule for this year's National Prep Showcase, which begins Friday at Bryant College in Rhode Island, and is run by Adam Finkelstein (adfinkelstein@aol.com).

FRIDAY, NOV. 21

1 p.m. - St. Thomas More vs. Massanutten Military Academy

2:30 p.m. - Notre Dame Prep vs. Patterson School

4:00 p.m. - Bridgton Academy vs. Hargrave Military Academy

5:30 p.m. - Winchendon School vs. Stoneridge Prep

7:30 p.m. - Northfield Mount Hermon vs. Fork Union

9:00 p.m. - St. Andrew's School vs. Findlay College Prep

SATURDAY, NOV. 22

9 a.m. - St. Thomas More vs. Lee Academy

10:30 a.m. - Maine Central Institute vs. Patterson School

12 p.m. - Winchendon vs. Hargrave Military Academy

1: 30 p.m. - Notre Dame Prep vs. Massanutten Military Academy

3 p.m. - Brewster Academy vs. Fork Union

4:30 p.m. - South Kent vs. Stoneridge Prep

6 p.m. - Bridgton Academy vs. Champlain St. Lambert

7:30 p.m. - St. Mark's vs. Findlay College Prep

9 p.m. - New Hampton vs. Blair Academy

SUNDAY, NOV. 23

10 a.m. - Brewster Academy vs. Stoneridge Prep

11:30 a.m. - South Kent vs. Patterson School

1 p.m. - New Hampton vs. Lee Academy

2:30 p.m. - Northfield Mount Hermon vs. Champlain St. Lambert

4 p.m. - Tilton vs. Maine Central Institute

5:30 p.m. - St. Andrew's vs. Blair Academy

RANDOM NOTES: Virginia freshman big man Assane Sene won't play until his eligibility status is resolved. ... Memphis had seniors John Wall, Dominic Cheek, top-ranked junior LaQuinton Ross and Perry Ellis, a 6-foot-7 one of the top players in the Class of 2012 on campus this past weekend. ... Kansas will retire Kirk Hinrich's No. 10 on March 10 at halftime of the Jayhawks game against Missouri. ... La Salle sophomore guard Kyle Griffin is transferring out of the Explorers program. Griffin played just 15 games as a freshman due to a knee injury and averaged 3.5 points per contest. ... Brewster Academy forward Thomas Robinson, who signed with Kansas, had 19 rebounds in a win against Notre Dame Prep on Sunday and 18 boards in a win against Laurinburg on Monday. ... Arkansas Little-Rock guard Steven Moore, who led the Trojans in scoring and assists last season, has been suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team. The team is 2-0 with him out of the lineup. ... Liberty is without Jeremy Anderson, a 6-foot-4 sophomore who was on the Big South All-Freshman team a year ago, due to a stress fracture in his right foot.