The most amazing thing about the Longhorns' scintillating double-OT win over Texas A&M in Austin on Wednesday night is the fact that it was only the second-most exciting game they played in this season. In my mind, the triple-OT loss to Oklahoma State on Jan. 16 still takes first prize. Unfortunately, the Longhorns followed that game with a desultory seven-point loss at Villanova, during which Kevin Durant scored just 12 points and was 1 for 8 from three-point range. Given how well Kansas has been playing, it would have been tough for the Longhorns to win in Allen Fieldhouse even if they weren't coming off such an emotional win. Kansas was fortunate to escape Oklahoma with a two-point win Monday night after blowing a 17-point lead. Some might see that as an inconsistent unit reverting to bad habits, but I give the Jayhawks credit for grinding out a tough road win when they weren't playing well. That shows me they could be rounding into form.

North Carolina's No. 1 problem this season has been an inability to stop dribble penetration. The Tar Heels saw D.J. Strawberry light them up for 27 points in a loss at Maryland on Sunday, and during Thursday night's defeat at Georgia Tech they allowed Tech point guard Javaris Crittenton to dish out a career-high 11 assists. Fortunately for UNC, it is returning to the friendly confines of the Smith Center to face a team that hasn't beaten anyone off the dribble all year. Duke's calling card has been its defense and ball movement, but this is also one of the worst-shooting teams Coach K has had in Durham. The Blue Devils are last in the ACC in points, are ranked ninth in threes made per game and are eighth in both field goal and free throw percentage. People will be talking a lot about how this is North Carolina's last chance to make its case for a No. 1 seed, but the more pressing priority for the Heels is to get back on the winning track.

I had the pleasure of being in Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville on Tuesday night, and while I didn't get Peyton Manning's autograph or a kiss from Pat Summitt, I did see a shockingly listless Florida team get embarrassed en route to its third loss in four games. I wasn't so shocked the Gators lost, but to see the defending champs down 27 points indicates this team has some fundamental problems. It's obvious the emotional weight of taking every team's best shot has had its toll. The good news is that Florida is returning home (all those losses were on the road) and facing a Kentucky team that, unlike Tennessee, does not apply full-court pressure or score with much potency. If the need to get their March Mojo back isn't motivation enough for the Gators, this is senior night for Lee Humphrey, not to mention junior night for the quartet of starters who will almost certainly turn pro this spring.

Perhaps it's time for Derrick Low to get a new tattoo. The Cougars' much-decorated junior guard has been in a slump the last few weeks. He has scored in double figures twice in his last five games and went for six and two points, respectively, in the Cougars' losses to Oregon and UCLA. USC also seems to be running out of gas as it approaches the finish line, which might be the result of having such a thin bench. The Trojans gave Arizona State its first Pac-10 win two weeks ago and lost at Washington on Thursday night. USC had been getting some quality production from senior guard Lodrick Stewart (he had 26 points in a win at Arizona on Feb. 15), but he only had nine in the loss to Washington. Which is the real Lodrick Stewart? Time will tell, I suppose, but in the meantime, I think Washington State will be more ready to win a grind-it-out game at home, especially coming off the loss to the Bruins.

This has been a season of peaks and valleys for Marquette. After dropping its first two Big East games, the Golden Eagles reeled off eighth-straight, including a three-point win at Pittsburgh on Jan. 21. Now, however, they have lost four of their last five, most notably a heartbreaking home defeat to Louisville on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by the Cardinals' Jerry Smith. Marquette's D has been underwhelming during this bad stretch; the Eagles have averaged just 6.0 steals in the four losses. That's a problem for a team that does not score easily in the half-court. Meanwhile, junior forward Ousmane Barro, who had 12 points and seven rebounds in Marquette's earlier win at Pitt, has averaged just 3.8 points in his last four games. Pittsburgh also seems to be lacking offensive firepower at times, but the Panthers had 24 assists on 29 made field goals in Monday's thrashing of West Virginia. I'm sure Marquette will be pumped up in front of its home crowd, but I still think Pitt is the better team.