Winning can make the biggest impression: sometimes being a senior means you're experienced and wise. Sometimes it means you're desperate

When the Oklahoma State Cowboys finally separated themselves from Syracuse in the Jimmy V Classic, they had enough seniors on the floor to form a potent Social Security lobby. OK, so they might not know the names of Tommy Dorsey's best swing tunes or recognize the comedic appeal of Milton Berle, but these guys have been around.

Their experience explains a lot about their excellence. They understand how to react in difficult situations. With a pro-Syracuse crowd at Madison Square Garden and the Orange 2-3 zone at its most oppressive, "We just showed our maturity," guard John Lucas says. "We didn't get antsy. Everybody stayed in character."

Once apparently headed for extinction, the Division I senior is, at least for this season, making a comeback comparable to the bald eagle's. N.C. State's Julius Hodge, Mississippi State's Lawrence Roberts and Providence's Ryan Gomes could be All-Americans for a second straight year, and forwards Wayne Simien of Kansas and Hakim Warrick of Syracuse might be ready for promotion to the first team. Plus, Marquette guard Travis Diener has played as well as any senior.

This is good for college basketball. But there is a potential detriment for teams that rely heavily on seniors: senioritis. This is not the senioritis that is manifested primarily in skipped classes and an occasional mid-lecture nap. This is more serious. This strain of senioritis leads marginal pro prospects--who are running out of time to impress NBA scouts--to force jump shots when they should be screening, to gamble for show-stopping steals when they should be playing position defense, to listen to agents or family members when they should be listening to their coaches.

Seniors are so routinely praised for their mere existence that this problem doesn't get the attention it warrants. A team with seniors is presumed to be rich with knowledge and wisdom. Even when that's true, some of those guys can become more interested in being just plain rich.

This issue is important this season because many elite teams are built on foundations of senior players who are not certain NBA prospects. The principal reasons for Illinois' ascent are the dramatic improvement by wing Luther Head and the versatility delivered by power forward Roger Powell. As they continue to embrace their roles, Illinois will flourish and they will receive a longer look from scouts. Kansas seniors Aaron Miles and Keith Langford have been enormous winners, with a 12-3 NCAA Tournament record. Now is not the time to look to their box score lines for fulfillment.

Such players find themselves in a difficult position. But it's disappointing that many players who are into their fourth years of college education disregard the empirical evidence that winning enhances a player's NBA prospects. The first two college players taken last season were Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon, from reigning NCAA champion Connecticut. Saint Joseph's and Stanford won a combined 94 percent of their games. They produced three first-round picks.

Oklahoma State's players saw what winning did for Tony Allen. He averaged only 16.0 points last season, but pro teams liked that he played for a demanding coach with a sophisticated system.

There are six seniors in the Cowboys' primary rotation this season. Like the Illini and Jayhawks, the Cowboys have demonstrated early this season that their focus is on collective success. "We know what our purpose is," says forward Joey Graham. "We know what we're trying to do. As seniors, we have a goal in mind, and that's to win a national championship. That's all we're focusing on."

The seniors on Division I's best teams can focus on one of two goals for early April: the Final Four or the Portsmouth Invitational tryout camp. It's really their choice.

speed reads

Is it proper to rain on Massachusetts' celebration after its win over Connecticut, perhaps the Minutemen's biggest victory since 1996? Yeah, because the celebration was the problem. UMass forward Rashaun Freeman scored a go-ahead basket with 4.3 seconds left, but he left his teammates playing 4-on-5 while he congratulated himself by running into the crowd. There is no excuse for this. Period.

Even those of us who suggested Memphis faced chemistry problems after forward Sean Banks' selfish performance in the Coaches vs. Cancer title game didn't expect the Tigers to deteriorate so rapidly. They've lost four of five games against major-conference opponents. A team blessed with athleticism and offensive talent has become paralyzed and impotent.

It's great the NCAA and the National Association of Basketball Coaches have been meeting to find ways to improve the game. Here's one tactic they should employ: a campaign stressing how college basketball developed players such as Ben Gordon, Devin Harris and Emeka Okafor. College is losing players and fans because the game's value is underestimated.

INSIDE DISH

Illinois PG Deron Williams admits he began thinking about a 3-point shooting slump before anyone in the media brought it to his attention. Williams has been terrific as a playmaker for the nation's No. 1 team, but he was shooting 33.3 percent from long range after a 1-of-3 effort against Oregon last Saturday. "I've been thinking about it before I shoot, and that's the problem," Williams says. With a string of five games in 11 days in early December, there had been little practice time to fix the problem. But the Illini are scheduled to play only twice in the 15 days after the Oregon game. Williams plans to work at regaining comfort with his shot during that stretch.