Derrick Caracter's stat-line in his collegiate debut was hardly earth-shattering - 6 points, 7 rebounds and 5 fouls in 11 minutes. However, there was a big difference in the big Louisville freshman.

Not only was he not quite so big, but he actually played hard. For all 11 minutes he was on the floor.

Caracter showed up to Rick Pitino at 320 pounds and with 21 percent body fat. Now he's at 267 and 8 percent body fat.

``I'm just trying to play hard and do whatever Coach Pitino tells me to do," Caracter said. "I feel like I let the team down a little bit tonight by fouling out and not being an inside presence."

``We know he's unstoppable inside," Cardinal forward Juan Palacios said. "I don't think anyone can stop him one-on-one. This was his first game."

HARRIS IN SHOCK

Paul Harris had his head down, almost in shock after Syracuse's loss to Oklahoma State. It's because the freshman hadn't lost consecutive games since. ... ever.

``I don't ever remember losing two in a row," said the Niagara Falls native, whose Orangemen also dropped a game to Wichita State over the weekend. "I swear."

Harris had just two points at halftime and didn't come alive until it was too late. His dunk with 2:27 left cut it to 67-60, then after a Demetris Nichols 3-pointer, Harris hit one of two free throws and then took a rebound coast to coast with 47 seconds left to make it a one-point game.

``We played weak," Harris said over and over. "I can't remember the last game I played that bad. They were taking the ball from me like I was a little kid out there."

Harris was right. Except for the five-minute stretch towards the end of the game, he wasn't even the best freshman on the court. That distinction belonged to Oklahoma State wing Obi Muonelo, who scored on penetration and also played with plenty of intensity.

DEVENDORF A NO-SHOW

Syracuse sophomore guard Eric Devendorf played nine minutes in the first half, but that was it as he couldn't give it a go in the second half due to the flu.

Devendorf was clearly not himself when he was in the game, overdribbling on one play for nearly the entire 35-second shot clock.

The best lineup for the Orange, when Devendorf is healthy, is he and Harris in the backcourt with Josh Wright coming off the bench.

WHEN DOVES CRY

Some players point to their head. Others to their chest. Oklahoma State reserve Marcus Dove puts his hands together and flaps his fingers after a big-time play. He didn't have a reason to celebrate until with six minutes left after he caught an alley-oop pass from Muonelo and then followed it up with a breakaway dunk.

If Corey Brewer is healthy, he should play against Ohio State on Dec. 23.

The 6-foot-7 junior wing has missed Florida's last two games with mononucleosis but has gone to classes and has flashed his trademark smile for much of the two games he's spent on the sideline.

His spleen isn't enlarged, so a month off (which is what it will be between the Kansas loss on Nov. 25 and the Ohio State game on Dec. 23) should be enough for Brewer to be completely healed.

Florida doesn't have a shot against the Buckeyes without Brewer -- and Billy Donovan's club needs to get its swagger back. The quickest way to do that is to beat Greg Oden and the mighty Buckeyes.

Brewer is the team's best perimeter defender. He's long and athletic, and the Gators aren't even close to the same team without him. He put up a monster effort against Western Kentucky the night before the loss to Kansas -- 22 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and six steals.

Walter Hodge has already stepped up in Brewer's absence -- which bodes well down the road for the Gators, who didn't get much out of their bench in the title run last season.

Let me get this straight. Wichita State beat LSU in Baton Rouge, knocked off Syracuse in the Carrier Dome and also defeated George Mason in its home building - and the Shockers are one spot behind LSU in the AP Poll and five spots behind John Brady's club in the Coaches Poll.

We know that Washington (No. 13 in AP and No. 8 in Coaches Poll) is undefeated, but the Huskies have to be one of the most overrated and unproven teams in the country. Washington hasn't left the Bank of America Arena and its toughest opponent was Northern Iowa.

Three of its top seven players are freshman and the Huskies don't have much depth with a season-ending injury to Joe Wolfinger, a stress fracture to Joel Smith and the departure of guard Harvey Perry.

The Huskies (7-0) will finally get tested this weekend when they travel to Spokane and face No. 18 Gonzaga.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Radford coach Byron Samuels will resign at the end of the season because of personal and professional reasons.

That means that there are already three jobs certain to be open at the end of the season: Colorado, Minnesota and Radford.

MORE TRANSFERS

Two more players to add to the ever-growing list of players leaving:

Lewis Lampley, 6-3, 185, G, Soph., James Madison
Matt Hewson, 7-2, 225, C, Soph., Delaware

This is the only place you can find a list of guys already looking for new homes this season:

Transfers

Josh Thornton, 6-1, 175, G, Soph., Georgetown - headed to Towson
Channing Toney, 6-3, 180, SG, Jr., Georgia - headed to UAB
Sammy Hernandez, 6-6, 230, PF, Soph., George Mason
Jarvis Jackson, 6-5, 205, G, Soph., Appalachian State
Mike Gerrity, 6-0, 180, PG, Soph., Pepperdine
Chris Oakes, 6-9, 200, F, Soph., Pepperdine
Ryan Williams, 6-1, 185, G, Soph., Tulane
Harvey Perry, 6-4, 185, G, Fr., Washington
Sean Christiansen, 6-2, 170, PG, Jr., VMI
Adam Parzych, 6-3, 190, SG, Fr., Hartford
Sead Odzic, 6-3, 190, SG, Soph., USC
Jeremy Barr, 6-9, 265, PF, Soph., USC

LOPEZ TWINS BACK

Now that Brook Lopez has returned, look for the Stanford Cardinal to make some noise.

The 7-foot freshman teamed with his twin brother, Robin, to score 25 points in a 70-59 win against Texas Tech.

Brook was playing just his second collegiate game after offseason back surgery. He had 18 points in just 17 minutes and isn't even close to where he will be in a month when he gets his conditioning back.

'CANES BIG MAN INJURED

Miami senior big man Anthony King, who was leading the ACC in rebounding, injured his wrist and could be out for a month, according to Hurricanes coach Frank Haith.

``We don't know yet," Haith said. "They are doing X-rays today."

The 6-foot-9 King may have torn ligaments in his wrist.

``I know he won't be ready for this weekend," Haith added. "We're not going to rush him back."

HANSBROUGH FRESHMAN OF WEEK

No. It's not a typo. Tyler's little bro, Ben, earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors after averaging 19 points, 5.5 assists and 4 boards in a pair of wins.

Ben is a guard and was 7-of-10 from long distance.

Greg Oden finally joined arguably the best freshman class in a decade on Saturday when the prized Ohio State freshman 7-footer made his collegiate debut against Valparaiso.

Oden's former AAU coach, Mike Conley Sr. (the former track and field star), said that Oden has gained about 20 pounds since being out this past summer after surgery on his right wrist on June 16. Don't expect Oden to dominate on the offensive end immediately - if at all this season. He's extremely unselfish.

Oden walked to the scorers table a little more than three minutes into the game to an ovation from a crowd and replaced Othello Hunter with 16:01 left in the first half. Oden wore a black brace on his right wrist.

Oden drew a foul with 12:56 left in the first half and shot both free throws left-handed. He swished the first and front-rimmed the second attempt.

Oden finished with a solid 14 points, 10 boards and 5 blocks in 23 minutes. Not bad in his first collegiate game.

ROCK CHALK

Bill Self must have felt as though his young Kansas team was on the right track after the Jayhawks knocked off No. 1 Florida in Las Vegas last week.

Then, just as fast as you can say "Slim Shady", KU suffered yet another bad loss when they dropped a game to 2-4 DePaul.

Jerry Wainwright's team is much better than its record indicates, but the Jayhawks still have a lot of work to do before they deserve to be placed in a group with nation's elite. Sure, they are capable of knocking anyone off. However, they have also displayed the ability to lose to just about anyone (ex. Oral Roberts).

Brandon Rush just doesn't bring it every game and the Jayhawks also didn't get enough production in the post from Sasha Kaun and Darnell Jackson. Kaun has an excuse as he's recovering from a knee injury, but Jackson just isn't good enough. He may have been a knucklehead, but Self & Co. do miss big man C.J. Giles, who was kicked off the team earlier in the season.

TWO-SPORT STAR DECLINES HOOP

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo could really use two-sport star Matt Trannon's toughness, but the Spartans' all-time receptions leader won't play basketball this season and will instead heal up and prepare for NFL workouts.

This year's Spartan team is extremely inexperienced other than point guard Drew Nieitzel. Goran Suton has been the team's lone consistent inside presence. Izzo is playing Raymar Morgan at small forward, but the talented freshman is truly a combo forward who is more of a four-man than a three right now.

LEAVING SEATTLE

Washington redshirt freshman guard Harvey Perry, who has played in just four games this season and is averaging 2.8 points per contest, is transferring out of the Huskies program.