FanHouse John Pelphrey

It's a marriage of mutual necessity. He needs them -- and, oh, do they need him, as sure as Ashley Judd can fill a "Go 'Cats'' t-shirt. The anguished looms at Kentucky need John Calipari because he'll hustle, sell the program, recruit stud players, kiss babies and embrace the psychotic romance that is Big Blue Nation. And John Calipari needs Kentucky because, well, he still isn't roundly accepted as an elite coach, a perception he'll change if he resurrects a fallen dynasty.

Coming into the season, the South Alabama Jaguars weren't on anyone's radar. John Pelphrey traded up for the Arkansas job so even with a 19-win team returning intact some backsliding was expected. Indeed, they slid back 15 years when they hired former coach Ronnie Arrow to coach the club. It turns out what's old is new again. The Jaguars are 13-3 and, after consecutive wins against Western Kentucky and at New Orleans, the favorite in the Sun Belt. Arrow took USA to the second round in 1989 and could have a team ready to repeat that performance.

Those three losses tell us almost as much about the team as the 13 wins. They fell at Ole Miss, at Vandy in double OT and to Miami (OH) on a neutral site, all by five points or less. Their senior backcourt has been the motor. Demetric Bennett averages 20 points a game and Daon Merritt runs an offense that averages more than a point per possession and rarely turns the ball over. The team also rebounds very well, best in the league with 38 a contest.

Their defense has to improve but probably will now that Western and New Orleans are in the rear view. Even if they don't take a quantum leap forward, their rebounding and offensive efficiency make them a good bet more often than not. That, and an RPI of 30, means they should start garnering some buzz soon.