After a morning in which I woke up to the first sign of snow and then endured a power outage at Logan Airport, I finally arrived in Kansas City and am making my way to Lawrence for Kansas' Midnight Madness.

I'm excited to see how Late Night at the 'Phog stacks up to Kentucky and North Carolina's events – the two places I have gone the last couple of years.

I'll never forget the awkward, uncomfortable look on Billy Gillispie's face that night after the curtains went up and the crowd at Rupp erupted.

Gillispie was never comfortable with the limelight while new UK coach John Calipari will eat it up.

I'll obviously have some stuff on the blog tonight and will add more in the morning since I've got to get on the road nice and early in order to make Illinois' early afternoon practice.

I stopped by Northeastern, which should be the co-favorites to win the CAA this season, for their workout yesterday.

BOSTON – When Matt Janning arrived on campus a little more than three years ago as a scrawny, pimple-faced 163-pound freshman, fellow Northeastern frosh Manny Akado took one look and made what was likely a consensus assumption.

"I was sure he was a manager," Akado laughs.

Janning quickly changed Adako's view when he cracked the starting lineup early in his freshman campaign. Now the 6-foot-4 guard, with the departure of Eric Maynor to the NBA, is arguably the top player in the CAA.

Janning finally has the physical look of someone who belongs in college. He tips the scales at a solid 202 pounds, which should prevent the late-season slide that occurred last season.

"I didn't like the way I played the last month and a half of the season," Janning said. "I didn't have the strength. I felt tired."

Not coincidentally, the Huskies went through a similar funk after establishing themselves as the league's top team for the first half of the conference slate.

Northeastern coach Bill Coen, one of the classiest and most underrated coaches in the entire country, brings back four starters – including his backcourt of Janning (14.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Chaisson Allen (10.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3 apg). Adako (11.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Nkem Ojougboh (7.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg) also started up front last season.

But beyond that, it's a bunch of young, inexperienced kids.

Seven freshmen litter the roster, and not surprisingly, they come from all over the country: Alwayne Bigby from Toronto, Dinko Marshavelski originally from Bulgaria, Mathiang Muo (Australia via the Sudan), Joel Smith (Texas), Jonathan Lee (Michigan) and California natives Kauri Black and Chris Avenant.

Coen did much of the same in his days as a Boston College assistant – when he helped pluck unheralded guys such as Troy Bell, Craig Smith, Jared Dudley and Tyrese Rice from beyond the New England borders.

For the second consecutive season, Northeastern will enter the season as one of the favorites. Last season, it was the Huskies and VCU; this year, it’ll be Old Dominion and Coen's team.

It's a far cry from when Janning first arrived on Huntington Ave., and the Huskies had virtually nothing left on their roster.

This season will also be different because the non-conference schedule isn't packed with a handful of terrifying, almost unwinnable road games.

In Janning's first season, Northeastern was on the road against Illinois, Maryland, UConn, Boston College and Syracuse. His sophomore campaign, meanwhile, featured games at Syracuse, Pittsburgh, UConn, Louisville and BC. And last year, the Huskies won at Providence and also played at Michigan, Indiana and Memphis.

Janning's eyes lit up when he saw the schedule this season.

Finally some home games.

After starting the season at top 25 Siena on Nov. 17 and also going across town to play Boston University, the Huskies will play Utah State (Nov. 21), Wright State (Nov. 28) and Providence (Dec. 1) at home. They will also travel to Rhode Island and play in a pair of tournaments on the West Coast: the Diamond Head Classic (they open with Saint Mary's) and in Santa Clara's Cable Car Classic.

"It may seem like we're taking a step back, but it's still a really tough schedule," Janning said.

Janning and Coen both said that Allen, who opposing defenders have dared to shoot from the perimeter in his first two seasons, has a new-found confidence in his outside shot.

Janning said it started in the CBI game last season at Wyoming in which Allen buried three consecutive trifectas and continued his hot shooting in the next game at UTEP.

"It's carried over," Janning said.

"It's been more of the same with Chaisson," Coen added. "He shot over 40 percent in the last 13 games. If he can get close to that number this season, it will really help us."

Coen said that he anticipates four perimeter guys – Bigby, Smith, Lee and Muo - to battle for the one starting spot that is legitimately up for grabs. Junior Vinny Lima (6-foot-10, 220 pounds) should get a chance to play extended minutes as the first big man off the bench.

Count Janning as one who has been impressed with the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Bigby.
"He's looked good," Janning said. "He's more of a three-man. He's strong with the ball, is big and can play right away."

RANDOM NOTES: Janning chose Northeastern over Montana. He said Iowa State showed interest but never offered a scholarship. ... Northfield Mount Hermon sophomore guard Joe Sharkey committed to Brown, according to NMH coach John Carroll.