• Minneapolis architectural firm Ellerbe Becket designed Oregon's new Matthew Knight Arena, a $227 million facility that the school opened Thursday. The Ducks' new home floor, decorated with a forest silhouette (seriously), has been called an eyesore by various critics. You wonder if Oregon consulted with the same folks who named the Big Ten's new divisions.
• Entering its matchup against Pacific on Saturday, Dan Monson's Long Beach State team is 5-0 in the Big West. The former Gophers coach continues to build the California program, which won six games in his first season. Casper Ware is scoring 14.6 points per game. The 49ers were 6-25 during the 2007-08 season. They went 15-15 in 2008-09. And last season, they went 17-16. Looks like Monson has found the right place to rebuild his coaching career.
• Kentucky is 13-3 and 1-1 in the Southeastern Conference entering its Saturday matchup against LSU. The Wildcats lost road games to unranked North Carolina and Georgia this season. But they have a chance to finish strong in a weak SEC. And as Duke proved last season, it's possible to earn a No. 1 seed by beating up on subpar league competition.
