Measuring the early returns: if you missed the shows Hakim Warrick and Nate Robinson staged in November, good news: the season lasts another four months

If there is one thing about this sport that does not work, it is the start of the season. Baseball has opening day. The NFL has its big kickoff weekend. By comparison, college basketball sneaks into its schedule. Even so, there was a lot to see in November, and this is what I noticed.

* Hakim Warrick is ready to carry Syracuse. It was pretty amazing that Warrick averaged 19.8 points as a junior without a reliable post move or a pure jump shot. He picked up a lot of his points through physical ability--he's 6-9 and a terrific leaper--and sheer hustle.

In the offseason, though, Warrick developed a midpost turnaround jumper. Even if Warrick were to shoot it going straight up, his length would make it tough to block. But he fires falling away from the goal. No one's going to reach that.

Stopping Warrick mandates a double-team, and that means dropping off somebody like Orange guard Gerry McNamara. We've all seen McNamara shoot, so good luck with that.

* Sean Singletary might save Virginia. He's wasn't a McDonald's All-American in high school, but Singletary already is proving to be one of the most impressive and important freshmen. In an ACC loaded with great point guards, he will be as quick and strong as anyone.

Singletary is generating a proficient attack for Virginia, which won its first four games, including an 18-point victory over Arizona. Thanks to Singletary's penetration, wings Gary Forbes and Devin Smith are more dangerous.

Singletary is from Philadelphia, and for some reason, the players from that area frequently are underrated. It might be that other coaches don't talk up those players because it is presumed they'll wind up inside Philly's Big Five. Getting a great player away from those schools isn't easy, but it might be worth the trouble.

* Wake Forest's defense is improved. Though George Washington got some easy baskets in the opener, the Demon Deacons held their first four opponents to an average of 68.4 points. Arizona shot 31.6 percent against Wake, with Wildcats big men Channing Frye, Ivan Radenovic and Isaiah Fox making a combined six of 22 field-goal attempts. Versatile Deacons forward Jamaal Levy has developed into a defensive force.

* Memphis has more weapons than most, but ... Forwards Rodney Carney and Sean Banks and point guard Darius Washington can create offense. That's a lot of play-makers.

But there's a connection lacking among the Tigers. Part of it is the absence of a consistent inside presence. Part is that Washington, a freshman, still is adjusting to his position. And part is that Banks occasionally appears to be bothered when someone else on his team is getting noticed.

* No one should be forced to guard Nate Robinson. Who among us has done enough wrong to merit such punishment? Robinson, a 5-9 Washington junior, already was the quickest and most powerful guard in Division I. Now, he's stopping without notice and hitting pull-up jumpers. He has improved from a 35.4 percent 3-point shooter as a sophomore to 56.3 (9-for-16) in his first four games.

Robinson declared for the NBA draft after last season but returned to school partly to polish his playmaking skills. Will Conroy is the Huskies' primary point guard, but Robinson gets plenty of opportunities to initiate the attack. He is most dangerous, though, when he is the attack.

speed reads

St. John's punished itself with scholarship limitations and a 2005 postseason ban after an investigation into a players claim that he received extra benefits. So on the way to a 6-21 record, the Red Storm had problems with the legal system and NCAA rules. This might have been the most pathetic excuse for a major program, ever.

The biggest problem with the NCAA's investigation into Texas freshman Nike Williams' relationship with an AAU coach is that it's happening now. Williams, who has yet to be cleared to play, signed with Texas last November. This stuff didn't just come up.

Greg Paulus is a fine prospect, one of the best point guards in the class of 2005. Duke risks little by waiting to see whether he'll fulfill his commitment. But the Blue Devils are risking a lot if they aren't doing everything to line up a point guard for the class of 2006--say, D.J. Augustin of New Orleans-in case Paulus pursues a football career.

INSIDE DISH

Iowa coach Steve Alford is using junior PG Jeff Homer off the ball for stretches. That puts SG Pierre Pierce in charge of the attack, and he's matching Homer's 5.8 assists per game. "Pierre is just so strong and explosive that nobody takes it from him," Alford says. "We know the ball is going to get down the floor." That switch also takes pressure off Homer from always having to set up his teammates. He is one of the nation's best shooters; much like Syracuse's Gerry McNamara, Homer's value increases if there are times when he can concentrate on scoring. In Iowa's first four games, which included wins over Louisville and Texas, Homer averaged 18.3 points. * Iowa's run to the Maul Invitational championship was nice, but for the most part the Big Ten is off to another sorry start, with only a .690 winning percentage after 42 nonconference games and a 4-5 mark against the other nine major conferences. Entering the week, even the Missouri Valley Conference had a winning mark against Big Ten opponents. * Pittsburgh was using its soft early schedule to discover which players would best fit as replacements for SG Julius Page and SF Jaron Brown. "You don't replace seven years of starting experience in 25 practices," coach Jamie Dixon says. Though he's just 6-1, freshman Ronald Ramon has been starting at shooting guard. He's the team's best long-range shooter, and his skills complement junior playmaker Carl Krauser. Senior wing Yuri Demetris also has been starting. He played little before this season but is the type of player who can scrape up several extra possessions by diving for loose balls and picking up stray rebounds. The key is whether he'll maintain his confidence on offense; Demetris frequently passed up open shots last season but was 4-of-8 on 3-point attempts in Pitt's first three victories. The Panthers also will use Antonio Graves and junior college recruit John DeGroat on the wing. * Some NBA scouts expressed surprise that Providence senior PF Ryan Gomes routinely was making 3-point shots in practice. He did make 29 of 87 last year (33.3 percent), so it's not like he had never done it before. But Gomes is better and more comfortable shooting from long range this season; he made 10 of his first 19 3-point attempts. Still, the Friars need all the help Gomes, 6-7, can give them down low. * How good has Lute Olson been in November? The Wildcats made the championship game of the Preseason NIT, but their 3-2 start was their worst since they put up the same mark after five games in 1992-93. That team lost only once more in the regular season before being knocked out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Santa Clara and Steve Nash.