So here’s a few basketball notes and links to get your Monday going.

• Later this morning, expect junior Michael Washington to be named SEC Player of the Week for the second time this season. Pretty sure 24 and 11 against Oklahoma (the country’s fourth-ranked team) and 34 and 11 against North Texas should get you that award. Also, maybe freshman point guard Courtney Fortson for Freshman of the Week? Guess we’ll see.

• I also anticipate Arkansas (11-1) moving into the national college basketball polls this week. Though it’s certainly possible the Razorbacks fall one or two spots short when the polls are released in a few hours. Arkansas is at No. 20 on my AP ballot, one of six new teams for me this week. I’ll try and share my AP vote every week from here on out, since this was my first that included the Hogs (it’s at the bottom of this blog entry).

• One of the more interesting quotes from my conversation Sunday with Texas coach Rick Barnes dealt with Arkansas’ conference affiliation. Barnes likes the history of the UT-Arkansas rivalry and thinks the Hogs might be in the wrong league: “I think our league would be a better league if Arkansas was in it, not to take away what they have with the SEC. But it’s really too bad. Arkansas would be great for the Big 12.”

Links

• In today’s Morning News, I had a story about the respect Barnes has for Arkansas’ young talent; Robbie Neiswanger wrote about UA’s expected ‘plunge’ into the Top 25.
• Need any more evidence that Texas-Arkansas is a big game Tuesday night, even on a national scale? ESPN’s Weekly Watch has Tuesday’s night’s ESPN2-televised contest as one of nine on it’s “viewer’s guide.”
• ESPN’s Jay Bilas also mentioned the Razorbacks over the weekend in his blog.
• And, to end with, I tried to find something Texas-related from the Austin American-Statesman, Dallas Morning News or Fort-Worth Star-Telegram — but, no dice. Then, I remembered: Texas vs. Ohio State tonight in the Fiesta Bowl. Explanation enough.

Ryan’s AP ballot

1. Pittsburgh
2. North Carolina
3. Duke
4. Wake Forest
5. Michigan State
6. Texas
7. Georgetown
8. Connecticut
9. Syracuse
10. Oklahoma
11. Clemson
12. UCLA
13. Villanova
14. Purdue
15. Tennessee
16. Boston College
17. Notre Dame
18. Marquette
19. Wisconsin
20. Arkansas
21. Butler
22. Xavier
23. California
24. Minnesota
25. West Virginia