WHAT TO LOOK FOR

* The draw: The last team No. 2-seed Temple wanted in its regional was No. 1 Duke, which trounced the Owls by 19 points in last year’s regional final. In 1988, the Blue Devils kept Temple from the Final Four too. The Owls are 16-1 since Jan. 18, 17-2 with guard Pepe Sanchez in the lineup, and boast a victory over Cincinnati when it had Kenyon Martin. But Duke remains Temple’s demon. No. 3 Oklahoma State couldn’t get past Iowa State in the Big 12 but could spare Temple the pain of losing to Duke by knocking off the Owls first. Illinois will go as far as young run-and-gun guards Frank Williams and Cory Bradford take it.

* Best first-round game: As usual, the No. 8-No. 9 game should be close, but this one is of marginal interest because neither team is going far. Kansas finished fifth in the Big 12 and DePaul has been plagued by injuries and spotty performances by Quentin Richardson. No. 7 Oregon against No. 10 Seton Hall is better because the game will be up-tempo and both teams have defeated top opponents. Oregon knocked off Arizona, and Seton Hall handed Syracuse its first loss. Also, Seton Hall’s Tommy Amaker and Oregon’s Ernie Kent are rising coaches.

* Sleeper: Florida might have the best talent in the regional but is No. 5 because of losses to Auburn in the Southeastern Conference quarterfinals and Kentucky in the regular season. Florida has depth, a great pressing defense and an emerging star in forward Mike Miller. When the Gators are hot, they can beat anybody. But with three sophomores in the lineup, they can also beat themselves.

* Upset in the making: Maybe a team with a go-to guard named Michael Jordan shouldn’t be considered a sleeper. But No. 13 Penn has won 18 of 19, ranks 10th in the nation in defense and, by playing with discipline, could give youthful Illinois the fits Ivy League counterpart Princeton has periodically given tournament foes. Bonus upset pick: Defense-minded Pepperdine could upend Indiana, especially if Tommie Prince keeps Hoosier guard A.J. Guyton from getting open shots.

* Impact coach: This regional includes the promising (Amaker and Kent) and the proven (Bobby Knight and Mike Krzyzewski). But the sentimental favorite is 68-year-old John Chaney, whose Owls have lost in four regional finals in his 18 years. “One of our goals was to get to the tournament,” Temple guard Sanchez said. “And, of course, one of our other goals was to win it for the coach.”

* Impact player: The guards are good--from Guyton and Sanchez to Craig “Speedy” Claxton of Hofstra--but Duke forward Chris Carrawell has the experience and talent to make the difference under pressure. Carrawell, a 6-6 senior who averages 17.5 points, has played in 10 tournament games and is one of only two players to be on four consecutive ACC regular-season championship teams.

* The pick: Duke had four players picked in the first round of the NBA draft and Chris Burgess transferred, yet Krzyzewski landed the infrequent 1-2 combination of ACC regular-season and tournament championships. Freshmen Jason Williams and Carlos Boozer can be inconsistent, but Carrawell and the vastly improved Shane Battier and Nate James should lift the Blue Devils into the Final Four.