Elias Harris could be a huge force for the Zags/AP

Good morning, Hoopheads. Here are my Monday Hoop Thoughts to get your week started off right:

• We gave our colleague Kevin Armstrong grief for drafting Tulsa center Jerome Jordan with the first pick of the second round of our fantasy draft, but I have to say, while watching Tulsa's game against Arkansas-Little Rock I was quite impressed with how Jordan has expanded his offensive game. Here's a guy who three years ago could barely make a layup, and now he's executing smooth drop steps and sinking feathery 17-foot jumpers. He still needs to get stronger (especially in his lower body), but he has come a long way and should have a nice career as a pro.

• Ditto for VCU's Larry Sanders, who had 17 points in the Rams' upset of Oklahoma. He has always been a terrific rebounder and shot blocker, but Sanders has added some nice low post moves to his game. He's also making nice passes and can really flush an alley-oop. Let's all say it together: Hey now!

• As for the Sooners, their loss at VCU illustrates why coaches don't like to play true road games in November. (Actually, they don't like to play them in any month, but the conferences kinda force them.) That's especially true of a team that starts two freshmen. The only reason OU was in Richmond on Saturday was because there was a clause in Jeff Capel's buyout at VCU that if he left for another job before his contract was up, he had to take his new team to his old school. (Why don't more mid-major schools put this in their coaches' contracts?) Willie Warren, who was bothered by a leg cramp in the second half, was horrendous in the game, shooting three for 14 from the field (zero for eight from three). Warren needs to learn how to play well when his shot isn't falling, and he also has to learn that when you're on the road, the goal is to shoot a lot of free throw, not three-pointers. In addition, the Sooners tended to forget about their low-post game, which made them even more reliant on outside shooting. Whenever they went inside to freshman forward Tiny Gallon, good things happened (15 points, 11 rebounds), but they didn't go to him enough.

• Can we make it a rule that Michigan State and Gonzaga have to play each other every year? This Zags squad may not be as talented or experienced as they've been, but they are definitely tougher. Elias Harris, the 6-7 freshman forward from Germany, is the real deal (he's averaging 14 points and seven rebounds through three games), and 7-foot sophomore center Robert Sacre gives them the rugged, pure post player that they've lacked in the past.

• Anyone else out there thinking that Washington State is the third-best team in the Pac 10?

• Jim Boeheim bristled when I brought this up to him in the locker room after Syracuse beat North Carolina, but several people around the program told me they believe Boeheim is enjoying coaching this team far more than last year's group. That is not necessarily an indictment of the character of Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris, but let's face it, those guys didn't always make life easy for their coach, on or off the court. The primary problem was that neither was committed to playing defense. Not so with this year's team. And when your biggest problem is that your best player (Wesley Johnson) is too unselfish, that makes it a lot more enjoyable to come to practice.

•  Kansas State looked pretty good while beating a tough Dayton squad in Puerto Rico. I know their talented (if undersized) guards Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente will get most of the pub this year, but I was impressed with the decisions made by the Wildcats' best two big men, Curtis Kelly and freshman Wally Judge. This is a rugged team that is tailor-made for Big 12 basketball.

• I've read some speculation that Georgetown sophomore center Greg Monroe's draft stock is dropping, but that's not what I'm hearing from NBA scouts. I don't think Monroe will ever look totally comfortable in the Princeton offense, but it says here he will still be a lottery pick next spring.

• I'm embarrassed to admit it but it's true: I have never set foot inside Hinkle Fieldhouse. I know, I know, it's at the top of my bucket list.

•  I love that on the last possession against Miami of Ohio, Kentucky freshman point guard John Wall didn't even look to John Calipari to see whether he should call time out. I hate it when coaches call time out in those situations. As Bob Knight used to say, if the players don't know what to do, there's nothing a coach can teach at that point. Besides, calling time out only gives the defense a chance to set up.

•  Doug Gottlieb made a great point about John Henson looking lost in North Carolina's offense. Henson's problem is that he has the height but not the strength of a power forward, and North Carolina has better players at that position, like Ed Davis and Deon Thompson. Moreover, while Henson barely has the skills to play small forward, Roy Williams has been deploying him at shooting guard. When the starting guard, Will Graves, started taking bad shots in the second half against Syracuse, Williams yanked him, turned to his bench and put Henson in. Henson has great potential, but he still has a lot to learn, and though he was one of the nation's top recruits he underscores what I've been saying for the last two years –- namely, that this year's freshman class is not nearly as good as some of the more recent classes that have lit up college hoops.

• If DePaul has another disastrous season in the Big East, then Northern Iowa's loss to the Blue Demons will really hurt the Panthers' chances to get an at-large bid if they don't win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. Then again, DePaul followed up that win by playing Tennessee tough before losing by four, so maybe the Demons are a little better than we thought.

•  I love Michigan State, but that team is going to miss Goran Suton a lot more than people realize.

• Saint Mary's center Omar Samhan had 25 points and 18 rebounds in the Gaels' loss to Vanderbilt. That kid is going to have some year.

• It's not technically a point of emphasis, but referees are on notice from the NCAA to be a lot less generous to players who use a shot fake to get a defender in the air, lean in for contact and then chuck up the ball in an effort to get to the foul line. Players will need to make a more legitimate try for goal to get that call.

•  Speaking of the refs, I really think they need to be more stringent about calling palming violations, and not just when a player is driving to the basket. I was watching Ohio State courtside at Madison Square Garden last week, and I swear Evan Turner and P.J. Hill carry the ball when they're casually dribbling upcourt with no defender in front of them –- and they're not the only ones. Look for it the next time you're watching a game on TV. Jim O'Connell of the Associated Press believes the trend started when Chris Smith was playing at UConn.

•  If Ole Miss guard Terrico White ever adds a consistent three-point shot to his game, it could be lights out, folks.

• You think Ben Howland is wondering if it's possible just to put this season on fast-forward and start all over again next year? With all their youth and injuries, the last thing the UCLA Bruins needed was for their lone returning starter, Nikola Dragovic, to get suspended because of a felony assault charge. At least James Keefe is back from his injury.

•  Remember Freddy Asprilla, the FIU forward who wanted to transfer but couldn't because the school refused to grant him his release? Well, he is currently playing at Miami-Dade Junior College and has decided to transfer to Kansas State. He'll give the Wildcats yet another strong frontcourt player who can score in a variety of ways.

•  Here are two mid-major freshmen whom NBA scouts have mentioned to me as sleeper prospects: Aaric Murray, a 6-10 center at LaSalle, and Andrew Smith, a 6-10 center at Butler.

• I don't know about you, but I watch these holiday tournaments and I see coaches wearing golf shirts and slacks on the sidelines and I wonder: Why don't they dress like that all the time? Is there a rule somewhere that says you can't coach unless you're dressed for a GQ shoot?

• If Kansas and Texas are the best two teams in the country, doesn't that mean the Big 12 has to be considered the best conference? Food for thought.

• Wasn't this supposed to be a breakthrough year for Oregon State? The Beavers are 1-3 with losses to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas Tech and Sacramento State. If that's a breakthrough, I'd hate to see a rebuilding year.

•  Keep in mind that Dayton is still without senior point guard Rob Lowery, who missed the final 11 games of last season with a knee injury. The Flyers were 22-3 with Lowery and 5-6 without him. He is expected to return in the next two weeks but won't be at full strength until mid-January.

• Ironic to see Mike Mercer is now playing guard at South Florida after transferring from Georgia. Is that really the same guy who was so heralded while playing alongside Louis Williams in high school?

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