Davon Jefferson is making up for lost time.

Two years ago at this time, the 6-foot-8 wing was considered a guy who had a chance to make the jump directly to the NBA.

However, with a dozen or so NBA teams watching in November of 2005, Jefferson flopped and his NBA dreams were put on hold for a while.

Jefferson was kicked out of Patterson School (N.C.) shortly thereafter and he's basically fallen off the map - until now.

Jefferson took correspondence classes while sitting out the entire 2006 season in an effort to get his academics squared away. He qualified and became the "other" freshman in USC's class.

Well, after sitting out the first three games due to injury, Jefferson has started to re-establish himself as one of the elite players after putting up 20 points against a stingy Southern Illinois team and going for 23 points and nine boards in a win over Oklahoma last night.

The Trojans seem to be coming together at the right time after their shocking loss to Mercer. They have won six straight games heading into a two-game stretch in which they will face No. 4 Kansas this weekend at home before facing No. 3 Memphis in New York on Tuesday night.

DOUBLE-DIPPING

It'll be interesting to see if Gonzaga has anything left in the tank for tomorrow's game against UConn in Boston.

The Zags came back from Alaska last week and traveled to Philadelphia for what turned out to be an overtime win at Saint Joseph's last night. Mark Few's team will face UConn at 3:30 ET and that game will be followed by a New England battle between Providence and Boston College.

NIGHTLIGHTS

- George Mason absolutely pasted Drexel, 85-38, in the CAA opener for both teams. Mason is the clear-cut favorite to win the league, especially with VCU struggling (the Rams lost to Hampton last night).

- Freshman Michael Beasley had 24 points and 14 boards, but Kansas State lost at home against Oregon in overtime. Oregon's 5-foot-6 point guard Tajuan Porter didn't have his best game, but he made plays down the stretch.

- Vanderbilt needed double-overtime to get past South Alabama. Aussie freshman Andrew Ogilvy continued to produce - with 19 points (7-of-10 shooting) and eight boards.

- UT-Arlington remains unbeaten at 6-0 - it's best start in school history. Senior big man Jermaine Griffin had 22 points and 13 boards.

RANDOM NOTES: UMass coach Travis Ford said that his starting point guard, Chris Lowe, still isn't back to 100 percent after an ankle injury he suffered in the preseason. Lowe has missed two games this season. ``Going into the Syracuse game, I thought he was about 75 percent," Ford said. ... Kansas State could get a couple of mid-season additions with wing Dominique Sutton and big man Jahmar Samuels. Both are currently at Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) trying to get qualified. ... Word is that it's going to be difficult for Louisville big man David Padgett to get a sixth-year of eligibility because he transferred from Kansas and sat out a year. If his fifth-year had been a medical hardship, then he'd likely be granted one additional year.