Is it 2008 already? Just about, which means we're almost halfway through the regular season. Before we get entrenched in conference play and the chase for the 65 golden tickets into the NCAA Tournament, here's a look back at some of the season's most interesting games so far.
Nov. 2
• Grand Valley State 85, No. 8 Michigan State 82 (2OT)
Granted, it was a preseason exhibition game, but the media frenzy around the result made it seem like it was a regular-season defeat. Did the loss and the related fallout serve as the perfect motivational tonic for a developing Michigan State squad? The Spartans are now 12-1 and look very much the part of Big Ten favorite.
Nov. 7
• Gardner-Webb 84, No. 22 Kentucky 68
Two months of evidence -- UK is now 5-6 and also has lost at home to UAB and San Diego -- make this second-round CVC game look a bit less shocking. A very little bit. The Bulldogs' margin of victory at Rupp and their complete control of the game were stunning. Oh yeah, Gardner-Webb is now 6-8.
Nov. 9
• Kansas State 94, Sacramento State 63
Michael Beasley dropped a jaw-dropping 32 points and 24 rebounds on the Hornets in his collegiate debut. The manchild has kept it up, averaging 25.8 points and 13.7 rebounds through 12 games for the 9-3 Wildcats.
Nov. 10
• Mercer 96, No. 18 USC 81
When O.J. Mayo decided to come to USC to take advantage of the L.A. media market, this probably wasn't the debut he dreamed about. Since then, though, the Trojans have quietly played good basketball. Their only two losses are by four points apiece to Kansas and Memphis, and they have beaten South Carolina, Miami (Ohio), Southern Illinois and Oklahoma.
• Saint Mary's 72, Drake 66
Who knew at the time this was a matchup of two teams that would be a combined 22-2 entering 2008 and looking like legitimate threats in the WCC and MVC?
Nov. 13
• Tennessee-Martin 116, Central Baptist 74
UTM's Lester Hudson posted what is believed to be the first quadruple-double in men's Division I history, finishing with 25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals in 31 minutes. The juco transfer guard is averaging 27.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.6 steals for the 5-8 Skyhawks.
Nov. 14
• No. 1 North Carolina 72, Davidson 68
This was as close as the unbeaten Heels have come all season to being beaten and was the first in a series of tough, high-profile losses that have Davidson almost certainly needing the SoCon's auto bid to get back to the NCAAs.
• Sam Houston State 56, Texas Tech 54
The game was at SHSU, which was surprising enough, but not as shocking as the Bearkats' eventual 10-0 start (even with four non-DI games). Their first loss came Dec. 28 at San Diego State by a point in overtime.
Nov. 17
• George Mason 67, Dayton 56
This is still Dayton's only loss now that the Flyers have beaten Louisville and Pitt, and it is a win that will keep helping Mason, which looks like a solid pick in the Colonial.
Nov. 18
• New Orleans 65, No. 22 NC State 63
A banked-in 3 at the buzzer did it for the Privateers on the road. This looked like a shocking win at the time, but UNO is now 11-2 and NC State, even at 9-3, has had some additional struggles.
Nov. 20
• No. 1 UCLA 68, No. 11 Michigan State 63
The Bruins fought back from 13 down to win the CBE Classic and hand Michigan State its only loss of the season. The first potential "Final Four preview" game of the season.
• Saint Mary's 99, No. 11 Oregon 87
The game that introduced the now 12-1 Gaels -- and Aussie freshman point guard Patty Mills, who had 37 points -- to the nation.
Nov. 21
• No. 5 Georgetown 57, Ball State 48
The revenge angle after the weird end to brother Ronnie's tenure at Ball State never materialized for John Thompson III's Hoyas, who slogged past the very undermanned Cardinals. Ball State is now 0-11 under first-year coach Billy Taylor.
• Ohio State 79, No. 21 Syracuse 65
This NIT Season Tip-Off semifinal highlights the inconsistency of teams like the Buckeyes and Orange in this freshman-oriented era. Syracuse is 10-3 and has won at Virginia but also lost at home to UMass and Rhode Island (both good A-10 teams). Ohio State, 9-3 now, got crushed two days later by Texas A&M in the final.
• No. 10 Duke 77, No. 13 Marquette 73
Tough win to capture the Maui Invitational hinted that both clubs were more potent than some expected.
Nov. 23
• BYU 78, No. 6 Louisville 76
The win stamped BYU as the MWC favorite, derailed a hyped Louisville-North Carolina matchup in Vegas and was a precursor to some of the Cardinals' woes so far this season.
Nov. 24
• No. 16 Texas 97, No. 7 Tennessee 78
The first "Whoa!" result of the season really altered impressions of two teams. The post-Durant Horns went from intriguing to extremely dangerous (as long as they don't play an upper-level Big Ten team). Meanwhile, the Vols' preseason Final Four hype seemed premature. Of course, Tennessee is now 12-1 and just beat Xavier and Gonzaga (essentially) on the road.
Nov. 25
• USC 70, No. 18 Southern Illinois 45
Another "Whoa!" game after the Trojans' Mercer loss and SIU's presumptive role as Missouri Valley favorite. This loss started a run of six defeats in eight games that has the at-large hopes for the Salukis (6-6) on extremely thin ice.
Nov. 27
• No. 7 Duke 82, No. 20 Wisconsin 58
If the Marquette win wasn't enough evidence, this beatdown of the Badgers completed a Cheese Sweep and suggested that North Carolina would have some company in the ACC.
Nov. 29
• No. 19 Gonzaga 70, Saint Joseph's 65 OT
Another great installment in what's arguably the most entertaining nonconference series in the nation. Good road win for the Zags ahead of a win in Boston over UConn. Also, it was the first of two damaging home losses for the Hawks that have them in at-large distress.
Dec. 1
• No. 15 Indiana 64, No. 22 Southern Illinois 51
Probably the best win of the season for freshman star Eric Gordon and the Hoosiers. The schedule has been a bit soft, but the 11-1 Hoosiers aren't.
• Harvard 62, Michigan 51
Tommy Amaker's revenge.
Dec. 2
• No. 8 Texas 63, No. 1 UCLA 61
The nation's best true road win of the season. Ironically, second on that list might be Wisconsin's (without Trevon Hughes) at Texas on Dec. 29.
Dec. 4
• No. 2 Memphis 62, USC 58 (OT)
The ballyhooed matchup between O.J. Mayo and Derrick Rose devolved into a triangle-and-two-fueled slogfest, but you sense that Memphis will need to win a game like this at some point in the NCAAs.
• Rhode Island 77, Providence 60
Front end of a Big East sweep (the Rams then won by a deuce at the Cuse four days later) that has driven Rhode Island's 13-1 start.
Dec. 5
• No. 6 Washington State 51, No. 19 Gonzaga 47
The game wasn't pretty, but it was beautiful for the Cougars, who validated their top-10 status and downed their local rivals.
Dec. 6
• No. 21 Villanova 68, LSU 67
The season's most unlikely comeback as the Wildcats rallied from 18 down in the final four minutes to shock LSU.
Dec. 8
• No. 24 Arizona 78, Illinois 72 (OT)
A better result for the Cats in Chicago against the Illini after they blew a 15-point lead with four minutes left in the 2005 Elite Eight. The "did he or didn't he" Nic Wise timeout call that was ignored by the refs (when Arizona was out of timeouts in regulation) added to the intrigue.
• No. 15 Marquette 81, No. 23 Wisconsin 76
No one wins at the Kohl Center. Why hasn't Marquette gotten more attention for this high-quality road win?
• Wright State 43, No. 13 Butler 42
The Raiders did it to the Bulldogs for the third time in 2007 (and seventh straight overall) at the Nutter Center. This remains 12-1 Butler's only defeat.
Dec. 12
• No. 21 Vanderbilt 91, DePaul 85 (OT)
Huge escape for the Commodores, who rallied from 18 down to stave off defeat. They remain unbeaten.
Dec. 15
• Arizona State 77, No. 17 Xavier 55
One of the surprising margins of victory of the season. X is a quality team but couldn't rebound after a tough Crosstown Shootout win over Cincy. The Sun Devils, now 10-2, appear to be the much-improved team they were billed to be prior to taking seemingly five hours to score against Illinois in their season opener.
• No. 3 Kansas 88, Ohio 51
A "Hey, remember us?" reminder against a good MAC team from the now 13-0 Jayhawks.
Dec. 18
• Houston 83, Kentucky 69
Ongoing evidence of the Wildcats' woes, and a hint that Memphis might at least have one tough competitor in Conference USA.
Dec. 19
• No. 25 Stanford 74, Santa Clara 48
Having seen the Cardinal's lone loss of the season (at Siena) in person and this game on TV, the Cardinal looked entirely different in Brook Lopez's season debut.
Dec. 20
• No. 9 Pitt 65, No. 7 Duke 64 OT
The physical Panthers rallied from 16 down to hand Duke its only loss of the season on Levance Fields' clutch 3 in the final seconds. The good vibes didn't extend to the Panthers' next game, though. They were crushed at Dayton on Dec. 29 and lost Fields to a broken bone in his foot for the next 8-12 weeks.
• Oklahoma 72, No. 20 Gonzaga 68
One of last season's unluckiest teams, the Sooners picked up a very nice win in Oklahoma City. If this raised an eyebrow at the time, it shouldn't be a surprise anymore in light of the Sooners' double-overtime win over West Virginia in Charleston, W.Va., on Dec. 29.
Dec. 22
• No. 2 Memphis 85, No. 4 Georgetown 71
The second half by Memphis was an absolute clinic.
• No. 12 Tennessee 82, No. 24 Xavier 75
Gritty comeback win for the Vols that prefaced their strong win in Seattle over Gonzaga on Dec. 29.
• Ohio State 62, Florida 49
The Buckeyes finally beat Florida in something.
• Mississippi 85, No. 15 Clemson 82
The Rebels won the San Juan Shootout in this battle of mostly untested unbeatens. The Rebels remain a perfect 12-0.
• No. 10 Michigan State 78, No. 5 Texas 72
This wasn't as close as the score indicates as the Spartans rolled in front of a partisan Auburn Hills crowd.
Dec. 28
• No. 17 Butler 57, Southern Illinois 55
Maybe the ending of the season as A.J. Graves' 30-foot heave at the buzzer muzzles the Salukis.
Dec. 29
• Wisconsin 67, No. 9 Texas 66
Michael Flowers' late 3 and heady steal iced a great road win for the undermanned Badgers.
• No. 12 Tennessee 82, Gonzaga 72
In a pregame promo, Bruce Pearl caught a fish at Pike Place Fish Market. Is there anything he won't do to promote his program? Don't answer that
• Winthrop 76, No. 19 Miami 70
The Canes' shocking unbeaten start ended at the Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, Fla.
• Oklahoma 88, No. 23 West Virginia 82 (2OT)
The Sooners allowed a putback with 0.1 of a second left in regulation, but they then rallied from seven down late in the first overtime to get a very good win.
• Dayton 80, No. 6 Pitt 55
In case you were still wondering, the top of the A-10 is very good this season. It could be a four-bid league.
• No. 2 Memphis 76, No. 18 Arizona 63
Smart scheduling and solid play continue to make the Tigers an almost certain No. 1 seed come March.
Andy Glockner is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's college basketball coverage and is the host of the ESPNU College Basketball Insider podcast. He can be reached at bubblewatch@gmail.com .