I caught some of Kentucky's Blue-White game last night on TV, and it was no surprise that freshman point guard John Wall stole the show. As I have said before, he's a bigger version of Derrick Rose with a similar burst, athleticism and strength.

Wall led all scorers with 25 points but also had 11 assists and seven rebounds. My gut says he'll get at least one triple-double this season.

One of the keys to the team is junior college transfer Darnell Dodson, who is the team's top perimeter threat. Some have been raving about Darius Miller in the offseason, but Dodson will find a way on the court because opposing teams will zone the Wildcats to death this season – and Dodson can make them pay.

Dodson had 24 points and was 4-of-9 from long distance.

HARVARD: FROM NOBODY TO CONTENDER

BOSTON - Harvard coach Tommy Amaker called it the worst practice thus far.

"If we play like this, we won't beat anyone," Amaker told his team following Wednesday’s practice.

That may be accurate, but the Crimson will improve. Amaker and his staff have brought in recruits that will eventually put Harvard in a position to claim its first-ever Ivy League crown.

"These guys are way better than I was as a freshman," Harvard senior guard Jeremy Lin admitted. "Harvard hasn't seen this level of recruit – ever."

While Cornell is the clear-cut favorite to win the Ivy League, Harvard has put itself in a position to be in the mix with the return of Lin (who ranked in the top 10 in the league in just about every statistical category last year) and the addition of guys like freshman wing Kyle Casey.

Amaker calls Lin (17.8 ppg) a throwback player.

"I think I'm qualified to say that he can play anywhere," said Amaker, who played at Duke and coached at Seton Hall and Michigan. "The kid can play."

But the difference is that the Crimson will be more athletic and have quality depth with a freshman class that includes Casey, point guard Brandyn Curry and wings Dee Giger and Christian Webster.

Harvard also brings back sophomore big man Keith Wright (8.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and talented face-up forward Andrew Van Nest, who missed his entire freshman campaign due to a shoulder injury. Senior Pat Magnarelli, after suffering a knee injury that cost him all of last season, is also back healthy.

"We talked about going from a nobody to an upstart,” Amaker said. "And this year we want to position ourselves to be a contender."

"Cornell is clearly the favorite," he added. "We want to be in the mix."

Harvard, in Amaker's second season at the helm, finished 15-15 last season and 6-8 in league play but showed its potential with a victory at then-ranked Boston College and also one on its home floor against Cornell.

This, though, is a different Crimson team. Even with the addition of the freshman class, there are holes to plug. Point guard Drew Housman is gone and will be replaced by sophomore Oliver McNally or Curry. Evan Harris (5.0 ppg) was a solid reserve, and Andrew Pusar (6.4 ppg) was invaluable due to his leadership abilities.

The 6-foot-3 Lin, who grew up in Palo Alto, Calif., and played his high school ball basically across the street from Stanford, wasn't truly recruited by the Cardinal. He chose the Crimson over Brown and has developed into a player who will make money playing professionally next year.

While he has seen his improvement and also the strides that the program has made since he arrived, there is still one more goal.

"To win the Ivy," said Lin, who wants to become a pastor working with inner-city underprivileged kids down the road. "That's all we’re looking at. To be honest, that's all I want."

RANDOM NOTES: Talented big man Adreian Payne is expected to choose between West Virginia, Michigan State and Kentucky later today. ... How in the world did USC get 22 votes in the Preseason Coaches Poll? Well, my guess is that coaches meant to vote for South Carolina instead of a Trojans team that lost Demar DeRozan, Daniel Hackett and Taj Gibson. ... St. Anthony's once again plays a loaded schedule this season, beginning with a scrimmage against Mount Vernon on Dec. 12. Bob Hurley's team goes to the Tampa Hoops Classic for four games on Dec. 26 and also plays Westchester (Calif.) in Springfield at the Hall of Fame Classic on Jan. 18. Other key games include DeMatha (Md.) at the Prudential Center on Jan. 30, Montrose Christian (Md.) at the Prime Time Shootout  on Feb. 13 and at Long Island Lutheran on Feb. 24. nderprivileged kids down the road. "That's all we’re looking at. To be honest, that's all I want."

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