5. So much for big-name schools having an easy time winning their exhibition games this season. In the last few days, we've seen two high-profile programs and another up-and-coming one struggle against significantly inferior teams. On Tuesday night, Syracuse, which advanced to the Sweet 16 last season, hit national headlines minutes after falling to Division II school Le Moyne, 82-79, at the Carrier Dome. "They really got to grow up," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said of his players afterward. Senior guard Andy Rautins went a step further in assessing his team's effort: "It's just embarrassing the way we played. It's embarrassing to ourselves and our fans. It wasn't luck that they won. They came out and beat us fair and square." The following night, the same almost happened to UCLA at Pauley Pavilion. But fortunately for the 11-time national champs, Mustafa Abdul-Hamid knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 16.1 seconds remaining to help the Bruins escape with a 62-61 win. UCLA, which trailed for almost the entire game due to 20 turnovers, has been plagued by injuries for much of the offseason, and Ben Howland's team certainly struggled with guards Jerime Anderson and Michael Roll sidelined for the game. But while the Bruins managed to squeak out a victory in the end, Isiah Thomas and Florida International weren't as lucky on Wednesday night. The former New York Knicks coach, instead, was forced to watch his team suffer a 71-61 loss to Northwood, an NAIA school coached by former Villanova great Rollie Massimino, on its home floor. The Panthers, for one, shot just 34.6 percent from the field and a dreadful 21-of-32 from the free-throw line. So if Thomas' team can't manage to beat a NAIA team at home, it'll be interesting to see just what the scoring margin ends up being Monday night when FIU opens its season against defending champion North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
 
4. Well, this might be the last we hear of Billy Gillispie's name, at least for a little while. The former Kentucky coach finally put an end to his DUI case from August by pleading guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol on Monday. Gillispie, who only lasted two seasons in Lexington after taking the Wildcats to the NIT last year, agreed to a plea bargain that included fines and court costs of more than $1,000, a 30-day suspension of his driver license and the completion of an Alcohol Drivers Education Program. "I want to apologize to the people of Kentucky, my family and friends, and I want to thank all of those who have reached out to me over the past several months with words of encourage and support," he said in a statement. After being accused of driving under the influence on three separate occasions, you'd think Gillispie would have learned his lesson by now. But this is the first time that he's actually come clean and pleaded guilty to the crime. In Gillispie's two other alleged drunk-driving incidents, the charges were eventually dismissed. That didn't matter, though, in the end to Anderson County Judge Linda Armstrong, who handed Gillispie the maximum fine for a first-time offender in the state of Kentucky. "Mr. Gillispie has been treated the same as any other person who appears before the Anderson District Court charged as he was — no better and no worse," Anderson County Attorney Bobbi Jo Lewis said nevertheless.
 
3. Mike Krzyzewski has heard plenty about Duke's backcourt situation during the offseason. After all, it's been well published that the Blue Devils will be unusually thin at the point guard spot this season. Last year, senior Jon Scheyer was asked to help assume the responsibility with Greg Paulus and Nolan Smith. Now, the 6-foot-5 Scheyer will be the guy everyone in Durham will be counting on to lead the way. Paulus has gone back to playing football after graduating from the program. Smith, on the other hand, won't be available for the Blue Devils' first two games of the season. That's because the 6-foot-2 ball handler who averaged 8.4 points and 2.2 rebounds as a sophomore was suspended earlier this week for participating in a game over the summer that featured overseas players and professionals. Though Duke shouldn't have too much trouble dispatching UNC-Greensboro in its season opener and then Coastal Carolina three days later, Smith's absence will certainly be an adjustment for his teammates. In fact, Coach K understands how important Smith will be to his team's success that he had the Oak Hill product sit out the first half of Duke's 84-48 exhibition victory over Findlay on Tuesday in order to help his team get accustomed to playing without him. "Nolan is a great player, and we have great chemistry," Scheyer said after posting 19 points in the win. "We can't have a big fall off. Obviously, with a player like Nolan, when you lose him it is going to be tough to replace him. We will work on that."
 
2. Everything seems to be working out for Mick Cronin — for now. The Cincinnati coach watched his team struggle to an 8-10 finish in the Big East last season, but the Bearcats have a legitimate shot at reaching the NCAA tournament this March. That's thanks to the late signing of freshman phenom Lance Stephenson, who was passed up by several other high-profile programs due to his attitude and maybe more importantly, amateurism issues during his high school career. Cronin, however, got some reassuring news Friday when the NCAA Eligibility Center cleared the 6-foot-5 wing to play. Now, unlike Kentucky, which will be forced to sit top recruit John Wall for the Wildcats' first two games, Cincy will have one of its offensive playmakers for the start of the season. Stephenson and Wall were being investigated for the same reason, which involved unofficial recruiting trips and how they were financed more specifically, and both guys will be critical to their teams' success down the stretch. Stephenson, who was allowed to practice with the team while awaiting word on his eligibility, tallied 22 points in 25 minutes in a public intrasquad scrimmage late last month. But in his Bearcats debut — an 86-58 exhibition win Thursday over Saginaw Valley State — he wasn't nearly as good, scoring only nine points on 4-of-14 shooting in 18 minutes off the bench. While Cronin has praised Stephenson for his competitive fire and work ethic so far, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native could be a First Team All-Big East selection if he lives up to the hype and improves his defense. 
 
1. What is going on at Minnesota? The Gophers may be sitting at No. 25 in the preseason AP poll, yet that ranking might not last too long. A year after Tubby Smith inherited Dan Monson's players and made the Gophers relevant again in the Big Ten, Minnesota is expected to contend for a conference championship and return to the NCAA tournament for a second straight year. But that task will be a little bit harder without the presence of senior guard Devron Bostick and freshman Royce White, who were both suspended indefinitely this week for breaking team rules. "It could be two games. It could be fix, six. It could be more," Minnesota coach Tubby Smith said. "It could be 20. It depends on what I want, what I decide." White, a key component in a stellar recruiting class brought in by Smith over the offseason, will appear in court for a Nov. 17 arraignment involving two misdemeanor charges — theft and fifth degree assault — while transfer forward Trevor Mbakwe will also be out indefinitely due to a pending court case for felony aggravated battery. With the trial not set to start until Dec. 14, the Gophers will be without Mbabwe's services for at least the first two months of the season, although Smith did say he would welcome the junior back to the team if the case is resolved in his favor — and it certainly would help Minnesota's prospects come conference play time. "We still have a really solid group," Smith said amid the recent turmoil. Now, we'll just have to see if that "group" Smith has grows any smaller over the course of the season.