TODAY’S GAMES : Tulane’s Posse Rides in Search of Cowboys

When Perry Clark became Tulane basketball coach four years ago, he was starting from scratch.

“I didn’t have a courtesy car,” Clark said. “I had no assistants, no files, no basketballs . . . absolutely nothing.”

Today, four years after bringing the Green Wave (22-8) back from a self-imposed exile after a gambling scandal, he has a spot in the second round of the Southeast Regional, playing 11th-ranked Oklahoma State (27-7) for the right to advance to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament.

In four years, Clark has recruited a team that includes reserves--called the “Posse”--who enter the game as a five-man wave and average almost 40 of the Green Wave’s 83 points, while creating havoc with pressure defense.

“This is a three-year evolution,” Clark said. “I don’t think anything’s going to awe ‘em or scare ‘em.”

The second half of today’s doubleheader matches No. 15 Michigan (21-8) against East Tennessee State (24-6), which beat 10th-ranked Arizona on Friday night in the biggest upset of the opening round.

In the Midwest Regional at Dayton, Ohio, fifth-seeded Michigan State (22-7) will play fourth-seeded Cincinnati (26-4). Texas El Paso (26-6) will play top-seeded Kansas (27-4), which is going to the site of the regional semifinals--Kansas City--win or lose.

“We can either fly home happy or sad,” said Kansas Coach Roy Williams, who was in the 10th grade when Texas El Paso’s Don Haskins won a national championship in 1966.

In the East Regional at Worcester, Mass., third-seeded Massachusetts (29-4) will play sixth-seeded Syracuse (22-9) and second-seeded Kentucky (27-6) will play 10th-seeded Iowa State (21-12).

In the West Regional at Tempe, Ariz., 12th-seeded Southwestern Louisiana (21-10) will play 13th-seeded New Mexico State (24-7) in a game involving two of the lowest-seeded teams to meet since the tournament went to 64 teams.