1. The Connecticut women’s team finally lost after 1,000 days and 90 consecutive wins. Stanford knocked off the Huskies by a dozen to end one of the most remarkable runs in sports history.
2. On the topic of remarkable runs, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski passed North Carolina’s Dean Smith on the list of careers win when the Blue Devils beat down UNC Greensboro Dec. 29. He’s up to 880 wins and has his mentor, Bob Knight, in his sights at 902.
3. Mississippi landed a McDonald’s All-American somewhat indirectly as former Memphis recruit Jelan Kendrick announced he will transfer to the Rebels and will be eligible after the 2011 fall semester, writes the Associated Press’ Neal McCready.
4. CBSSports.com’s Gary Parrish points out the NCAA’s hypocrisy in handling the violations committed by Kansas State’s Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly compared to, say, the ridiculously massive fiasco of Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, whose father basically sold his son’s services to the highest bidder.
5. The Associated Press’ Luke Meredith goes on a whirlwind tour of teams with new coaches and finds many of them struggling in Year One.
6. Speaking of new coaches, Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg is losing a little depth as junior guard DeMarcus Phillips announced that he will transfer, according to a university release.
7. ESPN’s Andy Katz sums up the financial and competitive costs of Fairfield’s weather-induced cancellation against Florida.
8. Florida State’s Chris Singleton tells you who he finds difficult to defend in the ACC with a top five list led by Duke’s Kyle Singler.
9. Injury update: Xavier’s Jay Canty is out for at least a month with a stress fracture while Northwestern could have John Shurna for a huge game against Purdue Dec. 31 after he sprained his ankle against Mount St. Mary’s Dec. 23.

• Pittsburgh 78, Connecticut 63
• Wisconsin 68, Minnesota 60
• Syracuse 81, Providence 74
• Notre Dame 69, Georgetown 55
• St. John’s 81, West Virginia 71
• Dayton 73, George Mason 67
• Missouri State 58, Northern Iowa 57
• Vanderbilt 77, Marquette 76
• Villanova 78, Temple 74
• Missouri 81, Old Dominion 58

Phil also shares his observations on Cornell, New Hampshire, VCU and Wofford from the Holiday on the Hardwood Classic, including notes on some talented bench depth and a team playing more competitively than expected.

Michael Protos shows off the impressive stats posted by Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger in the latest Total Impact Quotient player ratings for the Big Ten. He also has updated ratings for ACC players, with Florida State rising while its star player falls a little in production.

Michael also bemoans the lack of a middle class in the ACC, as Duke continues to rule the roost and the rest of the conference scuffles along.

12/31:

• Minnesota at Michigan State
• Ohio State at Indiana
• Northwestern at Purdue
• Kentucky at Louisville
• Oklahoma State at Gonzaga

1/1:

• Notre Dame at Syracuse
• West Virginia at Marquette
• Valparaiso at Butler
• New Mexico at Dayton

1/2:

• Wisconsin at Illinois
• Miami at Duke
• High Point at Coastal Carolina

1/3:

• Michigan State at Northwestern

1/4:

• Connecticut at Notre Dame
• Missouri State at Creighton

1/5:

• Memphis at Tennessee
• BYU at UNLV
• Harvard at Boston College
• Drexel at VCU

1/6:

• Northwestern at Illinois
• Xavier at Cincinnati

If you’re Duke, that’s pretty hard to do. The Blue Devils’ resolution might easily be repeat everything in 2010: Peek in March (and April), win the national championship, deliver a great recruiting class led by a dominant guard, and witness your coach pass a legendary coach on the list of all-time most coaching victories. The scary part is that Duke has a significant chance of checking off all those items on the list.

For everyone else who didn’t enjoy as much success in 2010, the arrival of a new year is an opportunity to open a new chapter on the season or continue on the path to improvement. It helps that for college basketball teams, the new year also coincides with the arrival of the meat-and-potatoes portion of the conference season. You didn’t win many big-time games against other conferences? That’s OK. Just take care of business in January through early March, and you’ll still be in good shape to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.

For the vast majority of Division I teams, winning a conference championship and simply getting an opportunity to reach the Big Dance is a thrilling goal. The new year is their time to shine, and we’ll be watching closely to see which teams continue success forged in 2010 or turn over a new leaf with the new year and rise to conference glory.