Hoops -- Week in Review & Rankings (No. 2)

The big story in college basketball this week was the "sightseeing" tour that six St. John's players took one night and into early morning in Pittsburgh.

They ended up at a place called Club Erotica, which apparently offers more than a poorly mixed drink and a lap dance (not that I would have any idea what happens in strip clubs, of course).

One player expelled, two players await expulsion and the others were suspended indefinitely.

This was the latest and most damaging of a series of embarrassing incidents to hit a proud program that is fifth in NCAA history in all time victories.

Three players transferred out of the program in the offseason.

Senior Willie Shaw was booted from the team early this year after another arrest for marijuana possession and early season upset losses to local rivals Fairfield and Hofstra got the fans at Alumni Hall into "Fire Jarvis!" mode very quickly.

And, just six games into the season, they got their wish. Jarvis was fired Dec. 19th and replaced by assistant Kevin Clark.

Despite the fact that this mess happened on the watch of the interim coach (Clark), the ultimate responsibility lies with Jarvis. He simply was not able to bring quality kids into his program. Many feel that Jarvis was too busy pushing his new book this summer, rather than busting his butt on the recruiting trail.

Also, his arrogance caused a rift between him and the prominent high school coaches in New York City. In turn, the St. John's faithful watched as the top players in the city fled for other schools.

In the past few years, Jarvis hasn't even gotten a sniff at the top city players, like 2003 stars Gary Forbes (Virginia), Quincy Douby (Rutgers) and Chris Taft (Pittsburgh).

And, the top city players in the 2004 class, Sebastian Telfair and A.J. Price, didn't even have St. John's on their wish list. This lack of interest caused Jarvis to settle for second-rate players with questionable backgrounds.

So, as St. John's (5-14 overall, 0-9 Big East) looks to pick up the pieces of their shattered program, they must find a head coach who has an impeccable personal background. They need a leader who is not above trolling the New York City high schools to establish contact and trust with the coaches and administration. And, they need someone who will instill discipline and hold players accountable for their off-court actions.

Whether they can find this person remains to be seen.

For now, the best chance to see a tournament caliber team in New York City is to go to see star guard Luis Flores and the Manhattan College Jaspers.

Who would have figured that?

Rankings

There was some shuffling in the rankings this week, but no one dropped out.

1. Duke: 20-1 overall (9-0 in conference)---(1, ranking last week)

Scored a big overtime win at North Carolina and took care of Clemson. They have won 17 straight overall and have trailed for a TOTAL of just 28:14 during that streak.

2. Stanford: 20-0 (11-0)---(2)

A 35-foot prayer at the buzzer by Nick Robinson got them past Arizona, 80-77. They still have to play at Cal, USC and UCLA, but an undefeated regular season is very possible.

3. Saint Joseph's: 20-0 (9-0)--- (3)

They host Dayton this week in a battle of the two remaining unbeaten teams in the A-10. The Hawks are shooting nearly 42% from three-point range, which is higher than five other A-10 teams shoot from the field.

4. Pittsburgh: 22-1 (8-1)--- (4)

The Panthers face tough tests this week at Seton Hall, and at home for a rematch with UConn on Sunday. Pitt is fourth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just under 56 points per game.

5. Mississippi State: 19-1 (8-1)--- (6)

Power forward Lawrence Roberts, a transfer from the troubled Baylor program, might be the most important addition to any team in the nation. He is averaging a double-double (17.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg), including a 24 point, nine rebound effort in last week's win over Mississippi.

6. Connecticut: 19-3 (7-1)---(8)

Blowout wins over Syracuse and an improving West Virginia team this past week. Freshman Charlie Villanueva (11.9ppg, 6.1 rpg, 55% fg %) has gone from talented curiosity to consistent contributor.

7. Oklahoma State: 17-2 (7-1)---(10)

The Cowboys continue to batter Big 12 foes. John Lucas (13.8ppg, 5.0apg) is another Baylor transfer excelling in his new environment. A big showdown with Kansas looms Monday night.

8. Kentucky: 16-3 (6-2)---(7)

Beat Florida and South Carolina this week by a combined four points to take lead in SEC East. They find ways to win despite a tough schedule.

9. Texas: 16-3 (7-1)---(14)

Humiliated Oklahoma, holding them to just 37 points in a 29 point rout on Sunday. You want depth? 11 players average at least 13 minutes per game for the Longhorns.

10. Gonzaga: 19-2 (9-0)---(11)

The Zags have won all nine of their West Coast Conference games by double figures. They may not be challenged until the NCAA Tournament.

11. Louisville: 17-3 (7-2)---(5)

They got out of their slump with a win over a decent UAB team. The Cards are gradually getting everyone back healthy, including their coach, Rick Pitino.

12. Georgia Tech: 17-5 (4-4)---(12)

Jackets lost at Florida State, but bounced back to stomp Tennessee in Knoxville. Big home game against North Carolina looms on Tuesday.

13. Cincinnati: 16-3 (7-2)---(9)

Lost two straight(vs. Charlotte, at Xavier) before a three-point win over lowly Houston. They have let their guard down after a fast start.

14. NC State: 14-5 (7-2)---(20)

Extremely underrated. Beat Wake and won at Virginia last week. Duke is the only other team in the ACC with a winning record.

15. Kansas: 15-4 (7-1)---(21)

Impressive wins over Missouri and Texas Tech last week to get back on track. They face a huge game at Oklahoma State on Monday night for a share of 1st place in the Big 12.

16. North Carolina: 14-6 (4-5)---(22)

Showed a ton of heart by winning at Wake Forest just two nights after a gut-wrenching OT loss to Duke. Rashad McCants leads ACC in scoring(19.1) and Scott May leads ACC in rebounding(10.2).

17. Texas Tech: 17-5 (5-3)---(19)

Bobby Knight's run-in with the school chancellor at a supermarket should not be a surprise to anyone. He is an incident waiting to happen. Tech has lost three of last four, but all three losses were against ranked opponents (Texas, at Oklahoma St, at Kansas).

18. Wake Forest: 13-6 (4-5)---(17)

Lost to North Carolina and NC State. Winnable game against Clemson will be followed by tough non-conference game with Cincinnati.

19. Providence: 15-5 (6-3)---(15) Beat Syracuse after an upset loss to Virginia Tech. Ryan Gomes is second in Big East in scoring (19.9) and rebounding (9.9). They hit the road for Villanova and Boston College this week.

20. Wisconsin: 15-4 (6-2)---(16)

Badgers got blasted at Northwestern on Saturday. They get this week's mulligan for that one.

21. Arizona: 14-6 (6-5)---(13)

Lost three of last four games in Pac-10. They need to get their act together fast. If not, they could underachieve themselves right onto the NCAA tournament bubble. Five of last seven games are at home which helps.

22. Syracuse: 14-5 (4-4)---(18)

The 'Cuse got dismantled at Connecticut(84-56) and at Providence(74-61). Guard Gerry McNamara is a brutal 17-63 (.370) from the field in his last five games and has only scored in double figures once in that span. He had scored in double figures in 12 of the previous 14 games.

23. Memphis: 16-4 (7-2)--- (24)

Knocked off Louisville and have won seven straight in Conference USA after an 0-2 start. Tigers average fewest turnovers made (12.3 per game) in the conference.

24. Florida: 14-6 (5-4)---(23)

Gators continue their inconsistent play in the SEC. Guard Anthony Roberson leads the conference in three pointers made(55)and attempted(127).

25. Seton Hall: 15-5 (5-3)---(25)

Lost to West Virginia, but came later in the week to crush Rutgers (85-58). Pitt comes to the Meadowlands on Monday night.

Other Stuff

* What ever happened to Missouri? After being ranked in the Top 5 of most preseason polls, the Tigers (9-10, 4-5 Big 12) are a complete non-factor even in their own conference. Their December 30th loss at home to Belmont may have been the biggest upset of the season. Quin Snyder needs to turn this team around. Fancy haircuts and sharp suits can only get you so far. Ask Steve Lavin.

* Texas A&M head coach Melvin Watkins is another coach in big trouble. The Aggies have been stuck at the bottom of the Big 12 since his arrival and have yet to win a conference game this year (7-12, 0-8 Big 12). In non-conference play, they lost to Oakland by an absurd 32 points and even lost at home to one of their satellite schools, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, 82-80.

* Stat of the week: Indiana failed to score a field goal in the last 9:52 of regulation in their 51-49 loss to Illinois. Yet, they still had a chance to win with an attempt at the buzzer by Bracey Wright.