1. UConn coach Kevin Ollie said Wednesday night that his predecessor, Jim Calhoun, has been at most of the individual and team workouts leading up to Friday's start of practice. Ollie, who was at the Jimmy V Classic dinner at New York City's Pier Sixty, said that Calhoun -- still recovering from hip surgery -- has been taking notes and waving his cane around to illustrate his points. Calhoun uses a cane at times to get around but is aggressively rehabbing from his injury. Ollie said Calhoun keeps his distance when Ollie is going over team issues so as not to distract the players -- but added that it's good to have Calhoun involved and for the players to see him still actively contributing. UConn officials confirmed Calhoun's statement last week that he plans on making the trip to Germany for the Huskies' opener against Michigan State at Ramstein Air Base on Nov. 9.

2. The freaky, scary injury to Wisconsin forward Mike Bruesewitz rocked the Badgers on Tuesday, according to a UW official. The Badgers were understandably anxious when they saw the gory cut on Bruesewitz's right leg after he sliced it on the back of a basket standard while chasing an loose ball. Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan was there to comfort Bruesewitz and the training staff was apparently quick to treat him before he was taken away by ambulance. Bruesewitz has become the leader of this squad and is easily one of the most well-liked Badgers in the past three years. He will have to take his time returning from this injury. He was apparently fortunate that the prognosis is for him to be out only four to six weeks. The Badgers have two big-time games in their first five that will be much harder if Bruesewitz isn't available -- a Nov. 14 visit to Florida and a Nov. 23 meeting with Creighton in Las Vegas.

3. Texas Southern was banned from the 2013 postseason due to rules violations. TSU hired Mike Davis to shepherd the program through the season before it knew of the penalties. If Davis wants the job long-term, the Southwestern Athletic Conference school should sign him to a lengthy contract to get the program right. Texas Southern isn't going to get a coach with Davis' experience. The school has him now -- it should do everything in its power to keep him.