Notable notes, stats that stand out, and emerging trends as college basketball closes out the month of January.

Mark Sears was benched over the weekend against LSU, but he bounced back nicely against Mississippi State.

The Cougars (17-3, 9-0 Big 12) are riding a 13-game winning streak behind the nation’s stingiest defense and priding themselves in slowing down the other team’s top scorers.