Nothing dampens expectations like an ugly, 46-45 home-opening squeaker over Temple, but the Hoyas (8-0) have made steady progress since and real noise last week with victories on opposites coasts over two ranked teams, Butler and Washington.

Key player » Greg Monroe. The sophomore center needs the dominance he showed vs. Butler (24 pts, 15 rebs) every night in conference play.

What is the deal with » Georgetown’s depth? The margin for error is slim when a freshman, F Hollis Thompson, is the only guy seeing significant minutes off the bench.

Outlook » John Thompson III has rediscovered defense and chemistry. But consistency and a killer instinct are required to contend in the Big East.

Maryland »  B-

The Terps (6-3) don’t have a quality win, which could be costly in March. But the return of Dino Gregory and the strong play of Eric Hayes, Landon Milbourne, Sean Mosley and Jordan Williams bodes well.

Key player » Greivis Vasquez. The Terps emotional leader needs to find his mojo and his stroke.

What is the deal with » Adrian Bowie? Where’s the disruptive defender, slasher and scorer we used to know?

Outlook » In the absence of a dominant team in the ACC, the Terps have the stuff to contend. Can coach Gary Williams to put the pieces together?

George Mason »  B-

The Patriots (5-5) have fared as expected given their challenging schedule and roster that includes one senior and two juniors. Freshman G Luke Hancock has impressed.

Key player » Ryan Pearson. When the 6-6 sophomore has scored in double digits and grabbed eight-plus rebounds, GMU is 4-1.

What is the deal with » Louis Birdsong? A 50.8 percent shooter for his career, the 6-6 senior has hit 22.2 percent and done nothing on the boards (1.1 rpg).

Outlook » Coach Jim Larranaga has won titles in seasons with modest expectations. In G Cam Long the Patriots have a go-to player who can deliver in the clutch.

George Washington »  B+

The schedule wasn’t set up for Colonials (7-2) to build an NCAA Tournament resume. Their sights are set on simply returning to the Atlantic 10 Tournament. A corps of exciting freshmen, including Lasan Kromah, Brian Bynes, David Pellom and Tim Johnson, has shown they’re on the right track.

Key player » Damian Hollis. Uber-talented and GW’s leading scorer, Hollis’ most important job is still keeping himself focused for 40 minutes.

Outlook » Thanks to athletes and defense, basketball is high-flying and fun again in Foggy Bottom. But it’s still far from perfect.

American »  C

The Eagles (1-8) knew the cupboard would be bare after two Patriot League titles, and they are indeed starving. Hopefully, the pounding they’re taking will be worth it when conference play gets underway.

Key player » Vlad Moldoveanu. The 6-foot-9 George Mason transfer (who was 6-10 with the Patriots, by the way) will make his American debut Wednesday at DePaul.

Outlook » Jeff Jones has a young group that is willing. They just need patience because Cinderella has other plans for her glass slipper this season.

Navy »  C-

The Mids (4-7) have fallen short of their 8-3 mark this time last year. Sophomore G Jordan Sugars (15 ppg, 8.3 rpg) has developed into a potent scorer and a surprising rebounder at 6-3.

Key player » Chris Harris. Navy is the worst shooting team (38.5 percent) in the Patriot League. Harris (20.6 ppg) is hitting a career-low 31.7 percent, while taking 32 percent of the Mids’ shots.

Outlook » Competing for a Patriot title will be difficult, even with standout coach Billy Lange getting the most from his hustling, limited team.

Howard »  D

After eight straight losses, the Bison (1-8) won in the Big Apple Classic. Paul Kirkpatrick’s dunk with 5 seconds left gave Howard a 56-54 win over Hampton.

Key player » Calvin Thompson. After offseason shoulder surgery, the sophomore PG has more than doubled his scoring average to a team-high 13.1 ppg.

Outlook » Howard’s last season with double-digit victories came in 2002-03. Getting there this year with the worst shooting team in the MEAC (36.8 percent FG, 23.7 percent 3-PT) will be tough.