DEC. 17 (awards based on games played Monday-Sunday)
TEAM OF THE WEEK: Michigan State
Coach Tom Izzo did an amazing job getting his kids ready to play against a talented and battle-tested Arizona club. The Spartans responded to the big crowd at the Breslin Center, recording their 50th straight home win.
Marcus Taylor really stood out for the Spartans, and Adam Ballinger came through with another solid performance. Michigan State's defense did a great job negating Arizona point guard Jason Gardner, who has been one of this season's premier PTPers.
It was a good week for the Big Ten overall, with Iowa's big win over Missouri.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Troy Bell, Boston College
Right now, Troy Bell is playing as well as anyone in America on the perimeter. He scored 42 points against Iowa State, including 17-of-17 from the foul line. That performance showed his ability to make key free throws under pressure, plus his knack for drawing fouls.
Bell has a magical touch and tremendous explosiveness to the basket. He followed up the 42-point performance with a 24-point effort against Holy Cross. Bell hit 9-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the line in that win.
The tandem of Bell and Ryan Sidney is among the best backcourts in America right now.
COACH OF THE WEEK: Bob Huggins, Cincinnati
This may not be one of Huggy Bear's most talented teams -- and that is not a knock -- but Cincinnati has had six straight seasons with 25 or more wins. The Bearcats had struggled from the perimeter, though Huggins had his team ready for the Crosstown Shootout vs. Xavier.
Steve Logan, Leonard Stokes and Immanuel McElroy were hitting their shots. Cincinnati was brilliant defensively against Xavier, and the Bearcats' domination and execution was part of Huggins' plan. The Musketeers suffered a blow when David West, the premier power forward in America, in my opinion, went down with an ankle injury.
Even before West got hurt, Cincinnati showed it was prepared to win at Xavier for the fifth time in six years.
SHOCK OF THE WEEK: Iowa over Missouri
It wasn't a shock that Iowa won the game; Steve Alford's Hawkeyes, with the dynamic duo of Luke Recker and Reggie Evans, can beat anyone in America. But it was a shock that Iowa won by such an impressive margin (83-65) at Missouri.
Recker scored 31 points, and as compatriot Chris Fowler would say, Iowa took Missouri behind the woodshed, baby! Diaper dandy Pierre Pierce helped out as well. The Tigers came in at No. 2 and unbeaten, but Iowa was out for revenge after losing a late lead at the Guardians Classic final against Quin Snyder's team.
The almost shock of the week came at Chapel Hill on Sunday. North Carolina 61, Binghamton 60! Can you believe it?
DIAPER DANDY OF THE WEEK: John Allen, Seton Hall
A Pennsylvania native, John Allen has moved into the starting lineup, and he knows how to score.
Allen shot 70.6 percent from the field in three games last week, hitting 24-of-34 from the floor. He had 16 in a tough loss to Billy Hahn's LaSalle team to close the week. He contributed in a win over St. Peter's.
The key game came against FDU, when Allen threw in a career-high 31 points. He hit 11-of-17 from the floor in that W.
