First-semester Report Card

Y2K had no adverse affect on the computers that figure college basketball power ratings (RPI), so here's a look at which teams' numbers have improved or fallen the most since the end of last season. On the plus side, Liberty, which was 4-23 a year ago, has seen the benefits of a strong recruiting class, and Hawaii, a winner over Oregon last week in the Rainbow Classic final, looks like a team to watch. (Howard's improvement, however, is purely a mark of its willingness to get beaten by teams with high RPIs in the early going.) On the downside, Miami, which suspended leading scorer Johnny Helmsley for two games after he stormed off the court during a win over Detroit on Dec. 21, has fallen from a lofty level.