MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / March 10, 1999

Welcome to a basketball junkie’s heaven, otherwise known as the NCAA tournament.

Sixty-four teams in an atmosphere where anything can happen and usually does. Remember last year with upsets and buzzer beaters setting thebasketball world a buzz through the early rounds? Expect the unexpected again this year. Who will be this year’s cinderellamaking its appearance at the ball in St. Petersburg? We will know in lessthan two weeks.

This year’s tournament begins and ends with every college basketball fan’s favorite four-letter word – Duke. That’s right, the big, bad BlueDevils are back to their old selves, dominating the basketball scene like in the early 1990s when they had the Hurley-Laettner-Hill trifecta.

Duke, the No-1 ranked team for much of the season, should breeze into St.

Petersburg. Their main competition in the East Regional will come fromMiami (Fla.) and Cincinnati but the Blue Devils may have faced a tougherroad in the ACC Tournament.

Two teams could be ripe for an upset in the first round. Wisconsin, thefifth seed, has to face Southwest Missouri State, a solid fundamental team. And seventh-seeded Texas, a team that struggled down the stretch,will meet Purdue, a team that struggled in a strong Big 10 conference but a very good one nonetheless.

The best regional may be the Midwest where the bottom half of the bracket will be played in New Orleans. The teams that played in the lasttwo championship games can be found in this regional – Arizona, Kentucky and Utah – and it offers some intriguing matchups.

Kentucky and Kansas, two of the top three winningest programs in college basketball history, could square off in the second round. The Jayhawks’first round game against Evansville marks the return of every LSU fan’s favorite transfer, Lester Earl. How loud do you think the booing will get?If Kentucky gets by Kansas, the regional semifinal game could be a rematch of last year’s NCAA final with the Wildcats and Utah facing off.

Michigan State is the top seed in this regional but I see Kentucky the one coming out of it. The Wildcats are on a role after slumping near the end ofthe season and there are few better big game coaches than Tubby Smith.

For upset possibilities, watch out for fifth-seeded UNC-Charlotte and Rhode Island. The Rams are on a roll after defeating Temple at the buzzerto win the Atlantic 10 conference tournament. Also watch out for fourth-seeded Arizona and Oklahoma.

In the South Regional, Auburn is the No. 1 seed. Auburn is the type of teamthat could go to the Final Four or it could be knocked off early. The Tigersplay Winthrop in the first round so look out for their possible second round matchup against Syracuse as a prime spot for an upset. Maryland could bea Final Four team if it can get by last year’s darling, Valparaiso, in the first round.

An intriguing matchup awaits in the second round if George Washington can pull off the upset of the General, Bobby Knight, and his sixth-seeded Hoosiers in the first round. St. John’s, coached by former Colonels coachMike Jarvis, may be their second round opponent. As for upsets, watch outfor Detroit and fifth-seeded UCLA and Creighton and seventh-seeded Louisville.

Out West, Connecticut is the top-seeded team. Stanford, a good candidatefor a No. 1 seed, is the second seed and could be a team to watch. The Westmight be the most wide open regional with No. 3 North Carolina and No. 4Arkansas always a factor. Upsets could include No. 5 Iowa and Alabama-Birming-ham and Penn and sixth-seeded Florida.

My Final Four picks are Maryland, Stanford, Duke and Kentucky. Stanfordand Duke will meet in the finals with the Blue Devils capturing their third championship of the 1990s.

Of course, remember that this is the NCAA Tourna-ment. You might see aNew Mexico or a Charleston slip into the dance. It’s not known as MarchMadness for nothing.

Let the craziness begin.

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