That four unbeaten teams remain thus far into the college basketball season isn’t all that surprising. That one of them is Boston College, well, that’s a shocker.

Not that the Eagles, preseason picks to finish in the middle of the Big East standings, haven’t earned their 15-0 record. It took them an overtime period to turn back Holy Cross and two overtimes to beat Yale. Only a buzzer-beating jump shot allowed B.C. to get past Kent State, and a pair of free throws with 5.5 seconds left provided the margin of victory earlier this week against Villanova.

Would any of the other three unbeaten teams (Illinois, Kansas or Duke), have pounded the likes of Holy Cross and Yale? Probably. Is Boston College coach Al Skinner complaining? Doubtful.

The origins of the Eagles’ unlikely start might be traced back a couple of summers ago.

In August 2003, Skinner and his staff were rocked by the news that freshman Dan Coleman, a 6-foot, 9-inch inside/outside forward, was transferring to home state Minnesota. Disappointed as they were, the Eagle coaches regrouped.

Choosing to use the scholarship freed by Coleman’s departure instead of holding it for the next year, B.C. contacted Jared Dudley, a 6-foot, 7-inch forward from San Diego who had received meager attention from some West Coast Conference schools, but was so lightly regarded by the power conferences that he was considering enrolling in prep school.

When the call came from Boston College, Dudley visited the school, and after analyzing the Eagles’ roster and watching tapes of games from the previous season, he became convinced he could make a quick impact.

Sold on the idea of earning immediate playing time for a school that toils in a power conference, Dudley forgot about prep school and signed with the Eagles.

In the vernacular of recruiting analysts, Dudley has turned out to be the ultimate “sleeper,” a player who goes largely undetected by upper-echelon schools but ultimately finds his way there anyhow. Dudley’s career-high 36 points – which included those two free throws in the waning seconds – in B.C.’s one-point win over Villanova on Wednesday night must have had Skinner and his staff fondly remembering the day Coleman checked himself out of the program.

Dudley, with his long, lean body and remarkable quickness, had already done considerable damage for the Eagles entering the Villanova game. Just two days before, he earned Big East Player of the Week honors after piling up 21 points,10 rebounds, and four steals in a win at West Virginia. For the season, the sophomore is averaging 16.0 points and 7.0 rebounds, just behind junior post man Craig Smith (19.1, 8.6).

Dudley’s emergence, along with the steady play of Smith and some key contributions from forwards Nate Doornekamp (5.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and freshman Sean Williams (team-high 32 blocked shots) has given B.C. a frontcourt capable of offsetting a guard corps that doesn’t provide much of a scoring threat and shoots just 30% from three-point range.

The strong inside game and a stingy defense that is allowing opponents to shoot just 41% are the hallmarks of a squad that can, for the time being anyway, stand tall among the nation’s three other undefeated teams.

While it’s unlikely that any of the four can become the first team since Indiana in 1976 to go unbeaten through the season, the Eagles have as good a shot as any. Tough road games are upcoming at Providence (January 26) and Notre Dame (February 8), but by luck of the Big East schedule draw, the Eagles get Syracuse (February 19) and Pittsburgh (February 28) at home and don’t have to return either game.

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All those who assumed before the season began that the Pac-10 had deteriorated into a top-heavy league with just two legitimate championship contenders might be surprised to see how things have progressed.

With four teams among the top 16 in the latest Ratings Percentage Index rankings, used by the NCAA as a barometer for a team’s tournament worthiness, the Pac-10 has turned out to be much deeper than the pundits predicted. UCLA and Oregon are pushing preseason favorites Washington and Arizona. And Arizona State, though under .500 in the league at 2-3, is 13-4 overall and making a serious run for a postseason tournament invitation.

How has the league managed to stave off what some thought would be a down year? An obvious reason is an apparent have-no-fear scheduling philosophy among the league’s top four teams. If a school plays a good schedule and wins its share of games, its RPI will be low enough to attract the attention of the NCAA Tournament selection committee. You can bet that a committee representative is following the Pac-10 and sending back glowing reports.

Consider the strength of schedule of Washington, Arizona, Oregon and UCLA, the top four teams in the Pac-10 standings. Of those four, Washington has the lowest RPI at no. 5, and its schedule is rated the eighth-toughest in the country. Like the Huskies, Arizona (no. 7 RPI, no. 9 schedule strength), Oregon (no. 12 RPI, no. 4 schedule strength),w and UCLA (no. 15 RPI, no. 5 schedule strength) have all fared well against demanding competition.

This is especially remarkable in the cases of UCLA and Oregon, who were left for dead in the preseason polls thanks to rosters loaded with freshman and otherwise inexperienced players. In a power conference, that is always a recipe for disaster. But UCLA coach Ben Howland and Oregon’s Ernie Kent have done a masterful job of blending rookies and returning players.

The Bruins, who had fallen on lean times in the final years of former coach Steve Lavin’s tenure, have rebuilt quickly on the strength of three freshmen starters. First-year guards Jordan Farmar (13.8 points per game, 5.0 assists per game) and Arron Afflalo (11.8 ppg) have more than lived up to their considerable high school reps.

Likewise, small forward Malik Hairston, Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook’s choice for national newcomer of the year, and guard Bryce Taylor have played key roles for the Ducks. Both average 12 points per contest and have helped Kent replace the firepower lost when 2003-04 All-American Luke Jackson left for the NBA.

Clearly, the Pac-10’s future is secure. With coaches the likes of Washington’s Lorenzo Romar, Kent, and Howland having ramped up recruiting at their respective schools, perennial powers Arizona and Stanford are going to be pressed in the years to come.

Mr. Dortch is the editor in chief of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.