Information from a FBI investigation into a former Kansas City-based AAU coach led the NCAA to look at the amateur status of UCLA's JaRon Rush, Missouri's Kareem Rush and Oklahoma State's Andre Williams.

	A sight seen too often -- players in street clothes. Erick Barkley served two separate suspensions this season.

The amateurism issue would eventually lead to suspensions for Erick Barkley of St. John's, Cincinnati's DerMarr Johnson and Michigan's Jamal Crawford. Temple's Kevin Lyde was the latest to be hit by a suspension for a related offense. Auburn's Chris Porter was hit by a suspension because of alleged dealings with an agent or emissary of an agent.

Coaches were aghast, players were feeling wronged and the NCAA was simply saying it was enforcing its rules. The issue won't go away -- and more suspensions could occur during conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament.

Injuries to Michigan State's Mateen Cleaves, Utah's Hanno Mottola, Stanford's Mark Madsen and Fresno State's Courtney Alexander to start the season appeared to doom their teams on the surface. But by January, all had survived, with the Cardinal and Spartans thriving. The return of all four players has made their teams not only NCAA Tournament teams, but for two of them -- Stanford and Michigan State -- title contenders.

Team of the year
Cincinnati: When the Bearcats were on, they were as dominating as the 1991 UNLV Runnin' Rebels. Sure, they had a few games where they seemed bored, but the defensive intensity and offensive execution at times were unmatched by any other team. The Bearcats enter the NCAA Tournament as the team to beat.

Runner up: Stanford. The Cardinal went virtually unnoticed while they crushed most of their competition. Quick, name the Cardinal point guard who has handled almost every challenge (Mike McDonald).

Surprise team of the year
Iowa State: The Cyclones met Cincinnati in the Big Island Invitational final in November but didn't pose much of a challenge. They cruised through a non-conference schedule that was uneventful. But the Cyclones answered every hurdle in the Big 12 and won the regular-season title.

Runner up: LSU. The Tigers had plenty of talent in Jabari Smith and Stromile Swift, but who would have thought they could win the SEC West over Auburn? LSU got through a rough SEC start and started to waste opponents, even Arizona, on its way toward a sensational finish.

Player of the year
Kenyon Martin, Sr., C, Cincinnati: Martin's dominating play against DePaul (twice) should serve notice to the Wooden, Naismith, USBWA and AP player of the year award voters that anything but a unanimous vote would be disrespectful. Martin should be rewarded for his hard work in the offseason, staying all four years and leading the Bearcats to a No. 1 seed.

Runner up: Marcus Fizer, Jr., C, Iowa State. Fizer wasn't as intimidating as Martin, but he wasn't far behind, bullying his way in the post in the Big 12. When the Cyclones needed a basket, Fizer was ready for an answer. He may be the most improved player from last season, but Kentucky senior center Jamal Magloire would get the honor within the season. He was non-existent early in the year but was the sole reason for the Wildcats turn around after the first of the year.

Runner up: Casey Jacobsen, SG, Stanford: The Cardinal sharpshooter led the likely Pac-10 champs in scoring. He made his mark in New York at the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament and never slowed down.

Coach of the year
Larry Eustachy, Iowa State: Spurned by the Naismith Award, Eustachy deserves the honor for turning a mediocre team around in a year and making it a legitimate Final Four contender. He got Fizer to play with more aggressiveness after he nearly left a year ago for the NBA (even though he wasn't ready). He entrusted point guard Jamaal Tinsley at the point, giving him enough freedom to create more scoring opportunities. He helped develop Michael Nurse's shooting confidence.

Runner up: John Brady, LSU. Limited by scholarship reductions, Brady made the Tigers a national story with a team that really only runs six deep. The Tigers have helped get basketball back in the bayou. Brady earned a deserved contract extension.

Climbing up
Seton Hall: The Pirates have struggled of late, suggesting their run to the top of the Big East is still a year away. Tommy Amaker blended a mix of perimeter shooters and inexperienced, but potentially intimidating forwards into a NCAA Tournament team. The Pirates weren't supposed to be this good until next season.

Runner up: St. John's. The Red Storm were a preseason top 25 team before losing to Samford. They have weathered the Barkley suspensions and are one of the hottest teams entering the postseason.

Falling down
N.C. State: Who can explain the Wolfpack's fall? N.C. State looked like the second-best team in the ACC in early January, only to fall out of potential consideration for even the NCAA Tournament bubble. N.C. State can't afford another subpar season in 2000-01.

Runner up: North Carolina. The Tar Heels rebounded to look like an NCAA Tourament team, but it's still hard to explain their inconsistent play. North Carolina had to play without Ron Curry, and at times, Brian Bersticker and Kris Lang. They never had Jason Parker or Vasco Evtimov, so that's not an excuse. The starting five should have been enough to avoid home losses to teams like UCLA and Florida State.

Five teams that exceeded expectations
Tulsa: The Golden Hurricane were expected to be a WAC contender, not a team destined for the top 15. Bill Self should get coach of the year recognition.

Pepperdine: Jan van Breda Kolff came in and swiped the West Coast Conference title away from Gonzaga in his first season. The Waves were one of the better stories few people knew about.

Utah State: Stew Morrill never got Colorado State to the NCAA Tournament. Morrill is three wins away from an automatic trip with Utah State. He should go regardless after coaching the Aggies to an undefeated Big West season.

Indiana State: The Sycamores finally got the Larry Bird stigma off their back. Indiana State hasn't done anything worth reporting since Bird left in '79. First, Indiana State upset Indiana in the Indiana Classic. Then the Sycamores won a highly competitive Missouri Valley Conference regular season. The story would be complete with a conference tournament title.

Virginia: The Cavaliers finished last in the ACC a year ago, but Pete Gillen -- the consummate rebuilder -- has Virginia in the NCAA Tournament and a No. 3 seed in the ACC tournament. The Cavaliers should be one of the ACC contenders next season.

Five who didn't live up to expectations
Weber State: The Wildcats returned Harold Arceneaux and Eddie Gill but weren't able to get the magic back that led Weber State to a first-round upset of North Carolina in last year's NCAA Tournament. Weber State wasn't able to win the regular-season title and has to win the Big Sky tournament to get back to the NCAAs.

Michigan: No team was hurt more by suspensions than the Wolverines. Losing Jamal Crawford took the Wolverines' heart away and led them to a brutal finish that saw their NCAA Tournament chances disappear. Give the Wolverines a fresh start next season and they should be a NCAA Tournament team.

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons were as much a mystery as N.C. State. Wake Forest lost its season in Hawaii in December, when it couldn't get out of the consolation bracket alive. Wake Forest never found another reliable scorer for Robert O'Kelley to pass to. Instead, O'Kelley had to shoulder too much responsibility.

Alabama: Losing Jeremy Hays didn't help. Having Schea Cotton out at times hurt even more. The Tide rebounded to win games over Auburn and Tennessee late but they were thought to be more of a SEC West contender in the preseason. Barring injuries, they will be in 2000-01.

Bradley: The Braves were supposed to be the team to beat in the Missouri Valley. Instead, they got beat, plenty. Bradley played a tough non-conference slate and never seemed to recover.

Andy Katz is a senior writer for ESPN.com. His Weekly Watch appears every Sunday.