Memphis is one tough team

Don’t get too caught up in debating whether North Carolina or UCLA should be No. 1.

For one thing, the top spot is likely to be handed off like a baton -- five different teams were No. 1 last season.

For another, the best team might be Memphis.

North Carolina lost Brandan Wright and Reyshawn Terry, and UCLA lost Arron Afflalo but added Kevin Love.

Memphis? Five starters are back from the 33-4 team that lost to Ohio State a step shy of the Final Four, and freshman point guard Derrick Rose already has nudged one of them aside.

Jeff Capel, whose Oklahoma team plays third-ranked Memphis in the semifinals of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic for Coaches vs. Cancer on Thursday at Madison Square Garden, called the Tigers “arguably the most talented team in the country.”

Amid all the talk about Rose -- one of the top freshmen in a class that is putting up stunning numbers -- some people have overlooked the start by junior guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, who is averaging 23.5 points and 8.5 rebounds. And senior Joey Dorsey, the Tigers’ powerful big man who missed the first two regular-season games because of a shoulder injury, is ready to go on Thursday.

John Calipari, who took Massachusetts to the Final Four in 1996 -- an achievement later vacated because Marcus Camby admitted taking money from an agent -- sounds as if he’s treading carefully to see that his players’ individual goals don’t interfere with a chance at a national title.

With much of the early focus in the media on Rose, Calipari said he called the team to his house for a meeting.

“My whole point was, ‘How do you feel about six of you winning 66 games the last two years and the story’s about Derrick? I asked Willie Kemp, ‘How do you feel not starting?’ How about Jeff Robinson, a top 25 high school player, not being talked about?

“If we do this right, there’s going to be enough light and press for everybody. . . . My team thought I was crazy. They said, ‘What are you worried about? We’re all fine.’ I said, ‘You’re human beings, and I want it to be out front.’ ”

One of the obstacles for Memphis last season was seen as the lack of competition in Conference USA. Calipari has tried to counter that with a nonconference schedule that includes Oklahoma -- and potentially Connecticut -- in New York this week, as well as USC, Georgetown, Arizona and Gonzaga.

He doesn’t have to convince Capel, whose Sooners lost to Memphis by 12 points early last season, that the Tigers are good.

“Look, Memphis is incredibly talented,” Capel said. “Obviously they are very athletic, very versatile. They have depth, and they’re very well coached. You can tell by how unselfish they are.

“A lot of people sometimes look at Memphis and look at the makeup of their team, and they’ll unfairly assume they’re a selfish group that doesn’t play well together and guys are just trying to get their stats. If you watch them with unbiased eyes, you see how selfless they are. How they share the ball, how their spacing is so good. You see a team, and that’s the reason they’ve been so successful.”

Gardner-Webb goes to the Garden

The little school from Boiling Springs, N.C., that upset Kentucky in Rupp Arena last week heads to New York to face Connecticut on Thursday in Madison Square Garden in the other 2K Sports College Hoops Classic semifinal.

“I’ve never been to the Garden,” Coach Rick Scruggs said. “I’ve been by it, but I’ve never been able to get into it. Maybe Thursday night, they’ll let me in.

“I was trying to sneak in one time, just to get a look, and they wouldn’t let me in.”

Gardner-Webb will get two shots at Connecticut -- one on Thursday and the other on Tuesday in a previously scheduled game in Storrs, Conn.

Four days later, Gardner-Webb plays at Clemson.

Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun praised Gardner-Webb’s performance against Kentucky as “exquisite” and “cerebral.”

He also offered some theories about smaller programs being able to pull off upsets, focusing partly on early departures to the NBA at the power schools but also on the familiarity of players at small schools with big-name players from more glamorous programs because of summer travel teams and tournaments.

“I think the fear factor is gone,” Calhoun said.

Mercer, the team that pulled the Atlantic Sun Conference’s other big upset by beating USC on Saturday, had another chance to make waves on Tuesday when it played host to Alabama, but the Bears lost to the Crimson Tide, 90-83.

Around the rim

Kevin O’Neill, the Arizona assistant coach who is handling the team while Lute Olson is on leave for unspecified personal reasons, told reporters this week that Olson will “be back shortly” and that he “seems good.” Olson went on leave Nov. 4 without elaborating why except to say it “isn’t a health scare.” . . . Gonzaga forward Josh Heytvelt is expected to miss four to six weeks after undergoing surgery Monday to insert screws in his right ankle to stabilize a stress fracture. Heytvelt missed the final nine games last season after a February drug-possession arrest. One player who could help in his absence is 6-10 freshman Austin Daye from Irvine Woodbridge High, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds against Montana in his debut. Daye is the son of former UCLA and NBA player Darren Daye. . . . Add Jonny Flynn of Syracuse to the burgeoning list of freshmen putting up big numbers. Flynn made six of seven three-point shots and scored 28 points Monday against Siena, breaking Carmelo Anthony’s school record for a freshman in his debut.

robyn.norwood@latimes.com

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Times’ rankings

ROBYN NORWOOD’S RANKINGS AND COMMENTS:

*--* Rk Team (Rec.) Comment (last week’s rank) 1

UCLA

(3-0) When Collison returns, Bruins should really start to go. 2

N. CAROLINA

(0-0) Note to Heel fans: Davidson’s Curry scored 30 vs. Maryland in NCAA tourney. 3

MEMPHIS

(2-0) At moments, this team looks so good it’s scary. 4

LOUISVILLE

(0-0) No turnovers, no missed shots, and uh, no game until Saturday. 5

KANSAS

(2-0) Sherron Collins sidelined six weeks (foot surgery); Brandon Rush out till December. 6

GEORGETOWN

(1-0) Hibbert made nine of 11 shots in debut. 7

TENNESSEE

(1-0) Lofton didn’t make a three-pointer in opening game. 8

INDIANA

(1-0) Looks as if it’s going to take Illinois a while to get over losing Gordon to Hoosiers. 9

OREGON

(3-0) Malik Hairston is trying to turn potential into performance. 10

WASHINGTON

ST. (2-0) There’s just something cool about Derrick Low. 11

DUKE

(2-0) Kyle Singler might be the purest-playing Duke freshman since Dunleavy. 12

GONZAGA

(2-0) Big man Josh Heytvelt is out four to six weeks after foot surgery. 13

MARQUETTE

(2-0) Golden Eagles trailed at halftime against Utah Valley State. 14

ARIZONA

(1-0) Thinking Kevin O’Neill makes big difference for Wildcats, even after Olson returns. 15

KANSAS ST.

(2-0) Freshman Michael Beasley has been beastly, and that’s a compliment. 16

MICHIGAN

ST. (1-0) Yes, Grand Valley State was an exhibition, but still. 17

TEXAS

(1-0) Four starters back, but the one that’s missing was a doozy. 18

STANFORD

(3-0) Absence of 7-footer Brook Lopez isn’t hurting high-scoring Cardinal. 19

PITTSBURGH

(3-0) It sure looks as if this will be a more up-tempo Panthers team. 20

ARKANSAS

(1-0) Rob Evans now an assistant to John Pelphrey. 21

TEXAS A&M

(2-0) When he was in College Station, nobody paid so much attention to Billy Gillispie. 22

SYRACUSE

(2-0) What they’re saying about Flynn: Jonny be good. 23

S. ILLINOIS

(0-0) Forward Randal Falker is the Salukis’ top dog. 24

DAVIDSON

(2-0) On the schedule: North Carolina, Duke, UCLA. 25

ATLANTIC

SUN Top 25 upsets by Gardner-Webb, Mercer give conference moment in sun. *--*