A few days before what most believed would be a walkover game against a former Division II school, Nebraska's Tim Miles received a warning from a friend in the coaching profession.
"Be careful," Miles was told. "Incarnate Word is going to be a lot better than you want them to be."
Miles paid attention to the advice.
Whether his players did is another question.
As a Pinnacle Bank Arena crowd of 10,586 looked on in disbelief, Incarnate Word forced a late turnover and then capitalized with a game-winning shot in last week's 74-73 victory over a Nebraska team that entered the season ranked No. 21.
"There's no question that we got tight," Miles said earlier this week. "You could sense a vibe of, 'This isn't supposed to be happening to us.' But it did."
Along with gaining national recognition for Incarnate Word—which is now in its second year as a Division I program—the win continued the trend of stunning upsets that have helped define the college basketball season to date.
Defending national champion Connecticut lost to Yale, South Carolina Upstate beat Georgia Tech and Wofford shocked North Carolina State.
No power conference team has been infected by the upset bug as badly as Michigan, which dropped back-to-back home games to New Jersey Institute of Technology and Eastern Michigan.
"This is something that is humbling," Michigan coach John Beilein told reporters after the NJIT debacle. "We have to grow through that humility."
Indiana coach Tom Crean was hoping for the same following his team's 88-86 home loss to Eastern Washington on Nov. 24.
According to Crean, the factors that lead to an upset are often visible on the practice court days before the game.
"Too many times," Crean said, "when your opponent isn't a household name because you don't ever see them on TV, you lose that competitive mindset in everything you do. Concentration in practices wander and intensity dips. Those things manifest themselves in the game."
Crean said it's easy for a player to view a game against a mid-major opponent as an opportunity to shine individually by putting up gaudy stats or to get more playing time off the bench.
"When players are centered on themselves and not the team, it creates problems," Crean said. "Eastern Washington was flat out on a mission when they played us. We played hard, but playing hard isn't good enough. We didn't compete at the level they did.
"It's a great lesson for players to learn. Playing hard isn't good enough. Competing to win and having a high concentration level and the same excitement level that you have for other opponents are the keys."
Just as coaches at high-major institutions want their players to have the same intensity for smaller-name opponents as they do for big ones, coaches at mid-major schools say keeping their players even keel is a priority, too.
Matt Driscoll said North Florida has played 30 games against teams from power five conferences during his five-plus years as head coach. During that span the Ospreys have dropped single-digit games to Florida (a Final Four team) and Florida State, and they lost in overtime at Kansas State.
"I never tell our guys, 'Great try. You should proud of yourselves. Let's shower and go get a steak,'" Driscoll said. "They don't want to hear the 'Atta Boy!' speech. They've played against players from these other teams growing up in AAU ball. They see them on TV every week. They know they can compete with them."
Driscoll said his players were irate with themselves for squandering a seven-point lead with 3:55 remaining in a 69-67 loss at Northwestern on Nov. 20. When they took the court against Purdue a few weeks later, they made sure it didn't happen again in a game that saw the Ospreys rally from a seven-point deficit in the final three minutes for a 73-70 win.
"They told themselves that they were going to get it done," Driscoll said. "There were no miracle shots, no banked-in threes. It was stuff that we'd done all year long.
"Am I shocked? No, because we feel like we're capable of doing those things and competing against those people."
Indeed, having confidence and swagger and acting as the aggressor are vital to pulling an upset—or, when it comes to playing No. 1-ranked Kentucky, keeping things close. Buffalo and Columbia both held halftime leads at Rupp Arena before the Wildcats' depth and talent prevailed in the second half.
The close calls clearly ignited a spark in Kentucky's players, most of whom were simply going through the motions. Miles said the loss to Incarnate Word had the same effect on his team at Nebraska.
Three nights later the Cornhuskers defeated Cincinnati 56-55 in double overtime.
"It wasn't a pretty game," Miles said, "but we competed so hard and showed so much toughness and resolve. I'm not sure we'd have beat Cincinnati if we hadn't have lost to Incarnate Word. It was a teachable moment.
"You'd prefer not to lose, but sometimes you have to take that punch in the gut to learn your lesson."
Report Card
A's
Scott Drew: The Baylor coach has his team on the cusp of the Top 25 despite losing Isaiah Austin, Cory Jefferson and Brady Heslip from last season's Sweet 16 squad. The Bears' only loss (to Illinois) came without standout point guard Kenny Chery, who was sidelined with turf toe.
Upperclassmen: As always, college basketball fans (and media members) are infatuated with freshmen. But juniors and seniors such as Louisville's Montrezl Harrell, Duke's Quinn Cook, Gonzaga's Kevin Pangos, Kansas' Perry Ellis, Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein and Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker have been vital to their teams' success.
Delon Wright: The Utah senior might be the best point guard in the country. Wright had 23 points (on 9-of-13 shooting) in Saturday's loss to Kansas and is averaging a team-high 16.2 points this season. Equally impressive is his shooting percentage (59.8) from the field. At 6'5", the sinewy Wright will shoot up NBA draft boards if he continues to perform at this level. Wright's brother, Dorell, plays for the Portland Trail Blazers.
B's
Kentucky shooters: The Wildcats entered Saturday's game against North Carolina shooting 27.7 percent from beyond the arc and had combined for just six three-pointers in their previous three games. Kentucky had swished that many treys by halftime against the Tar Heels and ended up going 7-of-15 for the game. Outside shooting had been the one perceived weakness of John Calipari's squad. If the Wildcats become a good three-point shooting team they'll be unbeatable.
Stanley Johnson: The Arizona freshman is validating his reputation as a likely lottery pick in next summer's NBA draft. A small forward, Johnson is averaging 15.6 points and 6.6 rebounds in his last five games while shooting 62 percent (29-of-47) from the field. Johnson's swagger is perfect for a Wildcats squad that prides itself on toughness.
Tyler Haws' ankle: Initial indications were that the ankle sprain Haws suffered in Saturday's victory at Weber State would keep BYU's leading scorer off the court for at least two weeks. But Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com reported Monday that Haws could return as early as Saturday's home game against Stanford.
C's
Cal-Santa Barbara: I expected more from the Gauchos, who return four starters (including All-American candidate Alan Williams) from a 21-win team. But UCSB is 4-5, with losses to Florida Gulf Coast and San Diego. Williams is doing his part, though, with 18 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game.
Wichita State's frontcourt: I love what I'm seeing from Darius Carter (12.7 points, 5.8 rebounds). But otherwise the Shockers lack quality depth in the paint. It's never a good sign when your shooting guard (Ron Baker) is your second-leading rebounder. Still, reserves Shaq Morris and Rashard Kelly should improve significantly in the next month or two.
Illinois: It's tough to get a feel for the Illini. The best win for John Groce's squad was against Kenny Chery-less Baylor on Nov. 28. Since then they've dropped contests to Miami, Villanova and Oregon, the latter of which came after Illinois blew a 13-point lead. Illinois should win its next three games (against Hampton, Missouri and Kennesaw State) and take a 10-3 record into Big Ten play.
D's
Memphis: There's a lot of angst surrounding the Tigers program following a 4-4 start. With three straight winnable home games, it's important for Josh Pastner's squad to establish some momentum before opening conference play against Houston on New Year's Eve.
Marcus Paige: Countless media outlets (including this one) tabbed Paige as a first-team preseason All-American. But the North Carolina point guard has been underwhelming thus far. A junior, Paige is averaging 13.1 points per game but is shooting just 34.8 percent from the field. He made just four of his 16 field goal attempts in a home loss to Iowa last week.
Bruce Pearl: It's way too early to cast judgment on Pearl in his new job at Auburn, but I thought he'd have the Tigers playing at a higher level than they've been. As if toting the worst record (3-5) in the SEC wasn't bad enough, Auburn has suffered some brutal losses against teams such as Clemson, Texas Tech, Tulsa and Coastal Carolina. Hopefully, the return of scoring machine Antoine Mason from injury will help (although it didn't Sunday against Clemson).
F's
SEC: One of the main reasons the Kentucky-going-undefeated talk is picking up steam is because the Wildcats play in an incredibly weak league. Other than Florida (which is getting better) it's hard to think of one surefire NCAA tournament team in the SEC, although Arkansas certainly appears to have a good chance.
Andy Enfield: Enfield went 11-21 in his first season at USC and lost 17 of his last 19 games. The former Florida Gulf Coast coach is off to a rough start in 2014-15, too. The Trojans are 6-4 but lack a quality win. And their losses are against Army, Portland State, Penn State and Akron.
TCU's schedule: At 10-0, the Horned Frogs are the only undefeated team in the Big 12. But don't be fooled. While TCU is definitely much-improved, Trent Johnson's squad has played one of the country's weakest non-conference schedules. TCU's top wins are against Mississippi State, Washington State and Ole Miss. With upcoming games against Texas-San Antonio, Grambling State and Tennessee State, I expect the Horned Frogs to be 13-0 entering league play.
Texas A&M's rebounding: The Aggies didn't have a single offensive rebound in their loss to Baylor. That's the first time that's happened to an SEC school in 19 years.
A Dozen Words About My Top 12 Teams
1. Kentucky: Here's a scary thought: Kentucky hasn't come close to reaching its ceiling.
2. Duke: One of college basketball's best teams is also among the most likable.
3. Wisconsin: I'm hardly down on the Badgers for losing to red-hot Duke.
4. Arizona: Brandon Ashley continues to improve, which makes the Wildcats that much tougher.
5. Gonzaga: Kentucky transfer Kyle Wiltjer is averaging 20 points in four December games.
6. Villanova: The Wildcats' resume gives them the slight edge over Louisville--for now.
7. Louisville: Love the starting five, but depth is a concern for the Cardinals.
8. Kansas: Getting embarrassed by Kentucky apparently lit a fire under Bill Self's Jayhawks.
9. Texas: The Longhorns surrendered just 27 points in Saturday's win over Texas State.
10. Virginia: The Cavaliers' nine wins have come by an average of 22.3 points.
11. Iowa State: The Cyclones will challenge Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma for Big 12 title.
12. Utah: Utes erased a 21-point deficit against Kansas Saturday, but still lost.
Making A Statement
• Kansas is the best team in the Big 12 and will win an 11th straight conference title. It certainly won't happen with ease, as Texas, Iowa State and Oklahoma are more than capable of winning the league crown. But Kansas has a higher ceiling than any of those teams and will make bigger, more significant strides in the next few months. The toughness—both mental and physical—that Kansas has shown in recent wins against Michigan State, Georgetown and Utah has been encouraging. I'm picking Bill Self's squad to win the Big 12 with a 14-4 record.
• Michigan State is in a transition year, but I'm still impressed with the coaching job that Tom Izzo is doing in East Lansing. The Spartans lost their best three players (Adreian Payne, Keith Appling and Gary Harris) from last year's team along with projected starter Kenny Kaminski—and they didn't replace any of them with high-profile recruits. Branden Dawson and Denzel Valentine are good players, but they're not exactly stars. Still, Izzo's team has been competitive in every game it's played, and that includes losses to Top 25 opponents Duke, Notre Dame and Kansas.
• Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein should be in the conversation for National Player of the Year. The 7-foot junior leads the Wildcats in points (10.7), rebounds (6.8) and steals (1.7) and is also averaging 1.6 blocks. Those numbers don't seem gaudy, but remember, Cauley-Stein averages just 24.5 minutes per game in Kentucky's platoon system, and he's surrounded by more talent than any player in the country. Still, he's clearly been the best player on the nation's best team. At least so far.
• VCU's 93-87 double-overtime victory over No. 23 Northern Iowa Saturday was the best game I've watched all season. And no offense to VCU, but I actually came away more impressed with Northern Iowa. The Panthers responded again and again in clutch moments despite playing in a hostile road environment. Whether it was point guard Wes Washpun (wow, he's good) penetrating for a basket in the paint or Matt Bohannon hitting a timely three to force a second overtime, Northern Iowa showed tons of resolve against an excellent VCU team. Even with the loss, Ben Jacobson's team deserves to be in the Top 25. I can't wait to see Northern Iowa and Wichita State play (at least twice) this season.
Starting Five
Teams that should be better:
LSU: The most maddening team in college basketball could be a force in the SEC if it ever develops consistency. The frontcourt of Jordan Mickey and Jarrell Martin is one of the most talented in America. And point guard Josh Gray averaged more than 30 points in junior college last season. Still, LSU lost to Clemson and Old Dominion and barely escaped Texas Tech.
VCU: There's no shame in losing to Villanova and Virginia. But by 24 and 17 points, respectively? C'mon now, Rams. You're too talented and too experienced for that. And that defeat against Old Dominion... what happened there? Hopefully Saturday's double-overtime win will get Treveon Graham, Briante Weber and the rest of VCU's talented roster back on track.
Kansas State: The same team that opened the Maui Invitational with a convincing win over Purdue and a near-upset of Arizona was walloped by 23 points against Pittsburgh. The experienced Wildcats have also lost to Long Beach State and barely beat UMKC and Bradley at home. Marcus Foster, Nino Williams, Thomas Gipson and Co. are better than this.
Colorado: With Askia Booker, Josh Scott and Wesley Gordon, the Buffaloes have too much talent and experience to be losing to Georgia, Wyoming and Colorado State. And yes, I realize Colorado State is 10-0. But at this stage in his program, Tad Boyle needs to win that game. And only scoring 33 points against Wyoming is indefensible.
UNLV: The Runnin' Rebels are 6-2, but they lack a quality win. And Dave Rice's squad was annihilated against the two decent teams it has faced, losing to Stanford 89-60 and Arizona State 77-55. UNLV features a lot of new faces, so growing pains were to be expected. But this program has clearly dipped under Rice.
Welcome To My Radar
Brannen Greene, Kansas: The sophomore sharpshooter's role is increasing at Kansas, where his 19-point effort keyed a 75-70 win over Georgetown on Dec. 13. Three days later Greene made four huge free throws in the final 21 seconds to help the Jayhawks stave of Utah 63-60 in Kansas City.
Wayne Tinkle, Oregon State: Early indications are that the Beavers made a tremendous hire when they tabbed the former Montana coach to replace Craig Robinson. OSU is a long way from becoming an upper echelon Pac-12 team, but the 6-2 record thus far is encouraging.
Sons of Famous Fathers: Detroit's Juwan Howard Jr. was dominant in a 28-point effort against Wichita State. Gary Payton II had a triple double (10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists) in Oregon State's win over Grambling State. It was the first triple-double by an Oregon State player since his dad, Gary Payton, accomplished the feat in November of 1988.
Dillon Brooks: Oregon's freshman small forward scored 24 points in the Ducks' come-from-behind victory over Illinois Saturday and is averaging 15.8 points and 6.2 rebounds on the season. Brooks has scored in double figures in each of Oregon's nine games.
Rapid-Fire Thoughts
That's what we've been waiting for: TaShawn Thomas, Oklahoma
Still waiting: Kelly Oubre, Kansas
About to get better: Florida
About to get worse: Texas Tech
Hotter than donut grease: Amida Brimah, Connecticut (40 points on 13-of-13 shooting against Coppin State)
Cold as ice: Anyone in the Nebraska-Cincinnati game (each team shot below 33 percent)
In line for a Christmas bonus: Larry Eustachy, Colorado State
May get a lump of coal: Andy Kennedy, Ole Miss
Love to interview: Nigel Hayes and Sam Dekker, Wisconsin
Would rather not interview: Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
Press Row Chatter
The All-Christmas-Character Basketball Team:
C: Cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation—The Bill Laimbeer of this unit would mow over fools down low
F: Karl from Diehard—With his menacing scowl and long blond hair, the German terrorist would be modern day Detlef Schrempf
F: Animal from The Muppet Christmas Carol—When your offense breaks down, it's good to have a bad mofo that can just go make a play
PG: Harry Lime from Home Alone—Joe Pesci was clumsy as a burglar, but the bad-assery he exhibited in GoodFellas and Casino is still inside of him.
SG: Billy Ray Valentine (Capricorn) from Trading Places—A gunner, Valentine is streaky from beyond the arc, but he has no memory and shows no pain. "I'm a karate man! A karate man bleed on the inside!"
Head coach: Old Man Parker from a Christmas Story—Ralphie's dad cusses a lot and he looks a bit like Gene Hackman, the greatest movie coach of all time. That's reason enough.
Assistant coach: Sgt. Al Powell from Die Hard—The cop that communicated with Bruce Willis throughout the hostage standout is the spittin' image of Wayne Morgan, who had moderate success as the head coach at Iowa State and Long Beach State.
Favorite food stops in airports…and what I order at each:
• Gold Coast Dogs, Chicago Midway (Chicago Dog with extra sport peppers)
• Interstate BBQ, Memphis (Fried bologna sandwich and a side of barbecue spaghetti)
• Earl of Sandwich, Detroit (Full Montague)
• Shapiro's Delicatessen, Indianapolis (Pastrami and corned beef sandwich)
• Whataburger, Dallas Love Field (Double-meat cheeseburger with grilled jalapenos and the bun toasted on both sides)
Chain restaurant appetizers I crave:
• Chips and salsa at Chili's
• Egg rolls at Jack in the Box
• Chili dog at Freddy's
• Spicy Garlic wings at Buffalo Wild Wings
• Chicken Tortilla Soup at Chick-fil-A (seasonal)
Pit Stops
Henderson Chicken, Dallas: Gus's in Memphis has a stranglehold on the No. 1 spot on my list of the nation's top fried chicken joints. But Henderson may have moved into second place.
There are a lot of good spots for battered bird in Dallas: Bubba's, Babe's, Sissy's. But Henderson has become a staple in my restaurant rotation each time I return to the home city. For one thing, Henderson is incredibly cheap. Last week I bought an entire chicken (10 pieces) for $11.91. That's unheard of, especially when you consider that fries, jalapenos and pickles are included. Before your bird is bagged, the good folks at Henderson sprinkle a secret seasoning over the batter, providing a flavor that makes Henderson unique. And when it comes to size...my goodness. These are Foghorn Leghorn-sized pieces, people. I challenge you to find a place that does a better job of matching quality with value.
There are several Henderson locations in Dallas, but I'm a regular at the one on Abrams Rd. and Royal—mainly because it's owned by Hillcrest High School graduates Shumone Burnett and Jerry Freeny. #pantherssupportingpanthers
Jason King covers college sports for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JasonKingBR.