Video: San Diego State's Jamaal Franklin Pulls Off The Dunk Of The Week

Sometimes it's just easier to do things yourself. On a fast break during Wednesday's game against Fresno State, San Diego State's Jamaal Franklin took off in transition and instead of finding a teammate, Franklin threw a pass to himself off the backboard.

The dunk earned Franklin the No. 1 spot on ESPN SportsCenter's Top Plays and buzz from fans and analysts across the country. That's the kind of dunk you may see in practice gyms across the country, but it takes skill and a whole lot of confidence to pull off the self pass during a game.

And in case you were wondering, this wasn't a fluke. Franklin, who is only 6-foot-5, can throw it down with the best of them, as he showed at the Say No Classic during the summer of 2011.

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How Seriously Should We Take Arizona?

Arizona is 12-0, but are the Wildcats an elite team? (pac-12.com)

Sean Miller's Arizona team is 12-0, ranked No. 3 in the country and is off to the school's best start since the late 1980s (1987-88).

Arizona was projected to win the Pac 12, but not many expected this team to start off this well, and some are still questioning if this is an elite team. The pickup of Xavier transfer Mark Lyons is clearly paying off, as he is averaging a team-high 13.4 points and 3.2 assists per game. Senior Solomon Hill has also been playing great, averaging 12 points, five rebounds and three assists per game.

But both Arizona's games against top-25 opponents have been one-point wins against Florida and San Diego State, neither on the road and both could have very easily been losses. Florida was up by six with 56 seconds left and it took an incredible collapse for the Wildcats to sneak out a win. Against San Diego State, it was a last-second defensive stop with a block that kept SDSU from taking the lead and possibly winning.

Arizona deserves the No. 3 ranking because they did enough to win those games and stay undefeated. But are they ready to be called elite? Not quite yet. Outside of those two one-point wins, none of the teams Arizona has played so far will be expected at the party in March. They survived the Florida game in part to the crowd energy and home-court advantage that the Wildcats won't have in March.

Part of the issue with Arizona not getting the same love given to other top five teams is geographical. With games that start late in most of the country, everyday fans haven't had the opportunity to see the Wildcats play on a regular basis, and when they have, it's games like against Florida when they probably should have lost.

Another could be that while Lyons has played well for the Wildcats, he's not a household name. Arizona doesn't have a Mason Plumlee, Trey Burke or Cody Zeller to grab headlines. This helps make what the Wildcats have done more impressive, but it also makes them less marketable to everyday fans.

This could all change in the next month when Arizona's conference schedule starts out with some big (for Pac 12 standards) challenges. Colorado is talented enough to keep with the Wildcats on Jan. 3, and if Arizona wins, two-loss Oregon and Oregon State will be waiting back-to-back on Jan. 10 and 12. The Wildcats are the only Pac 12 team ranked in the top 25, so beating up on a weak conference won't do a lot to help their case, but a couple of early losses will do much more to discredit what Arizona has accomplished so far.

Perceptions change from December to March, and maybe Sean Miller's club has what it takes to make a run at a national title, but it's going to take more from the Wildcats to win the respect of the country.

What We Learned From The First Weekend Of College Basketball

Playing on an aircraft carrier is great, if the weather cooperates. It didn't for Florida/Georgetown and Ohio State/Marquette. (usatoday.com)

Nearly every team now has a game under its belt after the opening weekend of college basketball, but the important thing to remember is we've got a long way to go before March. Now is not the time to make brash assumptions about a team after 40 minutes of play, like that Kentucky's freshman system is a failure since they nearly lost to Maryland and now they're not longer title contenders and might not make the tournament even and it's that's probably the reason for the Mayan Apocalypse. OK, that's a bit of an over exaggeration, but you get the point. Instead, we're going to be rational and patient - two approaches many in the sports industry refuse to try - while explaining this opening weekend.

Playing outdoors doesn't always go smoothly:
The near perfection that was the first Carrier Classic last year in San Diego between UNC and Michigan State sent the expectations through the roof. Then reality settled in and we realized there's a reason basketball is played in a gym. 
Syracuse and San Diego State were able to play outside Sunday, but that's only because the game, originally scheduled for Friday night, was postponed due to rain. In the two other games set on aircraft carriers Friday, One game wasn't able to finish (Florida lead Georgetown 27-23 at the half) and the other (Ohio State vs. Marquette) wasn't even allowed to start due to weather and condensation on the courts. The experience is remarkable if the conditions allow it to be, but Mother Nature doesn't always let that happen.

Freshmen are still freshmen
ESPN college basketball writer Jason King tweeted Monday morning that eight of the top-10-ranked freshmen according to ESPN played over the weekend and collectively averaged 7.6 points. Probably the freshman performance most surprising to people in a negative way was Kentucky's Nerlens Noel, who scored just four points in 26 minutes. The No. 1 player in the 2012 class did grab nine rebounds, but expectations are high for the freshman, who is assumed to be a star from his first minute on the court. But let's not forget, this was his first taste of college basketball, against a good opponent, where the play is quicker and more physical. It's going to take time. Some adjusted quickly, like Baylor's Isaiah Austin, who scored 22 points in 17 minutes against Lehigh, but there's still going to be a learning period for freshmen to get adjusted. It doesn't mean that Noel or others are suddenly a wash; they just needs time to adapt and get comfortable in a new system.

Most Impressive Win: Kevin Ollie and UCONN
Kevin Ollie didn't have the easiest first game to prepare for as a collegiate head coach. Replacing Jim Calhoun with only a seven-month contract and having basically a new team from last year, Ollie's first test was No. 14 Michigan State and a future hall-of-famer in Tom Izzo while traveling to Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Ollie had been Calhoun's pick for his replacement since his retirement, and Calhoun's judgement looks to be correct so far.
Ollie's Huskies left Germany with a 66-62 victory over the Spartans after shooting 46 percent from the field and from 3-point range. Guard Shabazz Napier is the biggest piece leftover from the Calhoun era, and he stepped up with a huge 25 points on 8-16 shooting.
UCONN was not expected to do much this season, being picked to finish ninth in the Big East, but this early win over a ranked opponent could be the kind of confidence this team needs to "overachieve" this season. Ollie just proved in his preparation that he deserves the faith his team needs to have in him, and that is a great way to spark a team starting a season.


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Five Games To Watch In College Hoops' Opening Weekend

Maryland is the first test on the schedule for Kentucky as the Wildcats look to repeat their title. (espn.com)

It's finally here. College basketball season is at our fingertips, with just four more months before March Madness. There's no easing into it either. Tough matchups are awaiting ranked teams from the start, and with a multitude of games to watch and only so many TVs in your house, here are five games (and two who nearly missed the cut) to watch this opening weekend. All times are eastern.

Maryland vs. No. 3 Kentucky - 8:30 p.m. Friday ESPN
Kentucky is the defending national champion, although most of that team isn't around to defend the title. New faces are running the show, and this is the country's first look at a Calipari team without a "can they win a title this way" question surrounding it. The Wildcats might not breeze through the season as easily as last year - that was a special team - but they will still be very talented and win a lot of games. The Cats' first test is against a Maryland squad that is on the way up. Coach Mark Turgeon's squad got some great news this week regarding transfer Dez Wells, which is a huge lift for the Terps. Maryland will give Kentucky their best shot to see what the Cats have so early in the season.


Marquette vs. No. 4 Ohio State - 7 p.m. Friday NBC Sports Network
The big names are gone for both teams as they try to find new identities. It might be easier for Ohio State, as even though the Jared Sullinger and William Buford era is over in Columbus, the Buckeyes still have plenty of firepower. Deshaun Thomas will pick up some of the scoring and the defense will always be strong as long as Aaron Craft is on the court. The Golden Eagles are looking for people to step up after losing their top two leading scorers, Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder. It will be interesting to see which team's role players step up early, as it could be a good sign for growth throughout the season.


No. 10 Florida vs. Georgetown - 9 p.m. Friday NBC Sports Network
Florida - along with Missouri - has been many people's best bet to compete with Kentucky for the SEC crown without star guard Bradley Beal. Kenny Boyton should have an excellent year, starting with this game against a young Georgetown team without any seniors and with little experience. But both the Hoyas and Gators will be wearing camo jerseys and playing on an aircraft carrier in honor of Veteran's Day, so that's worth checking out in itself. The Gators should walk away victorious, but a program like Georgetown is never truly down and will put up a fight.


Bryant University at No. 1 Indiana - 8 p.m. Friday Big Ten Network
The state of Indiana has been waiting for this game for months. The hype is as strong as the expectations are for the No. 1 team in the country. This should be an easy win for the Hoosiers, but it will still be fun to see everyone's preseason pick for Player of the Year in Cody Zeller and the rest of the team in action. Let's not forget how low the program was after the Kelvin Sampson sanctions a few years ago. Tom Crean has done a great job revitalizing the program, and now is the time to see how far the team can climb. 


No. 9 Syracuse vs. No. 20 San Diego State - 4 p.m. Sunday
This is probably the most evenly matched game of the weekend. The game was pushed back to Sunday afternoon due to rain on Friday on the aircraft carrier in San Diego, so now more of the country will be able to watch with fewer games to chose from on Sunday. The Orange were a National Championship contender last season, blowing through the Big East. That's the goal again this season (as it always is in Syracuse), although the talent might not be as strong as last season. And don't sleep on what Steve Fisher is doing at SDSU. They may not play in a power conference, but they have the skill and discipline to compete with Jim Boeheim's squad. We'll be seeing both of these teams in the NCAA Tournament in March.


Honorable mentions:
Indiana State at No. 13 UCLA - 11 p.m. Friday Fox Sports Net
Talented freshman Kyle Anderson has been cleared to play for UCLA, but the Bruins are still waiting on word of fellow frosh Shabazz Muhammad's eligibility. It's been a dark couple of years for this storied program, but this highly recruited and highly praised freshman class could give UCLA instant success. They've all come in with plenty of hype, now it's time to watch what they can do at the college level.

No. 14 Michigan State vs. UCONN - 5:30 p.m. Friday ESPN 
The Jim Calhoun tenure is over at UCONN, so now we get to see what Calhoun's protege Kevin Ollie can do. Even with Shabazz Napier, it will probably be a rough first season for the Huskies. On the other side, Michigan State is without Draymond Green, a Player of the Year candidate last season, but will always be skilled and well coached under Tom Izzo. The Spartans will turn around and face No. 7 Kansas on Tuesday, but they better not look too far ahead of the Huskies.


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Syracuse/SDSU Push Back Carrier Game Due To Rain

UNC and Michigan State play in the first Carrier Classic last season on board the USS Carl Vinson. (nytimes.com)

The scene will be hard to recreate. North Carolina and Michigan State playing basketball for the first time ever on an aircraft carrier (the USS Carl Vinson) in front of more than 8,000 fans and military members on Veteran's Day with the background of a red and purple sunset.

The spectacle went so well that the Carrier Classic is not only coming back for a second season - where Ohio State will take on Marquette on the USS Yorktown in Charleston, SC - but two other carrier flight decks will host games this year. Syracuse and San Diego State will play on the flight deck of the USS Midway in San Diego, while Georgetown and Florida will play on the USS Bataan in Jacksonville, Fl.

Mother Nature was not as kind to San Diego this time around, as Syracuse and SDSU are pushing the game back from Friday night to 1 p.m. Sunday due to a high chance of rain and strong winds.

This is an issue college basketball has never had to deal with, but fans should be thankful the game wasn't immediately moved indoors. It would have been the easier solution, so credit those involved who took on the extra work to keep the game outside.

This is a special experience for the teams, military personnel lucky enough to attend the game and fans across the country watching on TV, and a budding tradition that is expanding and looks like it will see more years ahead. So it's smart one of the games was not given shelter as the event continues to take off.


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