COLLEGE BASKETBALL : TEAM-BY-TEAM LOOK AT THE NCAA MEN’S TOURNAMENT : MIDWEST REGIONAL

1. ARKANSAS (25-3)

* Player to watch: Corliss Williamson, a 6-7 sophomore forward, is the Southeastern Conference player of the year. He averaged 19.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and made 64.5% of his shots. Arkansas Coach Nolan Richardson says Williamson is one of the five best players in the country. Williamson was injured during parts of his freshman season, but he has become the major force on the nation’s No. 1 team.

* Little-known fact: In its three seasons in the SEC, Arkansas has won the conference title twice.

* Outlook: No team, including North Carolina, has as much talent as the Razorbacks. Williamson is among the country’s elite players and forward Scotty Thurman isn’t far behind. Point guard Corey Beck runs the team with aplomb and forward/center Darnell Robinson was recently named to the SEC’s all-freshman team. And as always, there is Richardson’s “40 minutes of hell”--up-tempo offense, constant pressure on defense. Arkansas is the closest thing to a Final Four certainty.

2. MASSACHUSETTS (27-6)

* Player to watch: Lou Roe, a muscular 6-7 junior forward, gets the call here, but not by a large margin. Roe averages 18.6 points and 8.3 rebounds and gives the Minutemen an intimidating force. But this a team with three starters in double figures (Roe, guard Mike Williams, forward Donta Bright) and another one right at the edge (freshman center Marcus Camby).

* Little-known fact: As a favor to ESPN, Coach John Calipari agreed to play a Feb. 18 game against Manhattan at midnight. The way Calipari figured it, Massachusetts owed it to the network for giving the Minutemen the much-needed TV exposure they craved several seasons ago.

* Outlook: Massachusetts played a tough regular-season schedule, has four terrific starters, has some depth on the bench, has a good coach and knows how to play defense.

3. MICHIGAN (21-7)

* Player to watch: The Wolverines still have four of the Fab Five, but a Final Four is possible only if versatile Jalen Rose can continue his fine play. Rose has been a joy to watch during the past month and is having as good an overall season as any player in the country. He actually has played better without Chris Webber on the team.

* Little-known fact: Even with the Fab Five last year, Michigan had to grind its way to the Final Four. Not counting the blowout of Coastal Carolina, the Wolverines advanced to the finals with a two-point overtime victory against UCLA, an eight-point victory against George Washington, a five-point victory against Temple and a three-point overtime victory against Kentucky.

* Outlook: The starting five is great. The bench is iffy. If Jimmy King, Ray Jackson, Juwan Howard (another key player) and Dugan Fife are on the floor at game’s end, we like Michigan’s chances to go far. Rose has to continue his consistent play and Michigan has to get the ball inside to Howard.

4. OKLAHOMA STATE (23-9)

* Player to watch: Center Bryant Reeves is the star, but Fred Burley, a senior forward, could make or break the Cowboys. Reeves and guards Randy Rutherford and Brooks Thompson are consistent scorers. Burley, when he plays to his potential, helps free up Reeves in the middle.

* Little-known fact: Coach Eddie Sutton has taken four teams--Oklahoma State, Kentucky, Arkansas, Creighton--to the NCAA tournament.

* Outlook: Depending how its bracket shakes out, Oklahoma State could do well. Its starting five is as good as most, but the bench is suspect. Foul trouble or facing a team with a deep bench is bad news for the Cowboys.

5. UCLA (21-6)

* Player to watch: Tyus Edney, bad back and all, still runs this team and when he struggles, so do the Bruins. The junior point guard can do lots of things: hit the three-pointer, penetrate the lane, shoot free throws, play aggressive defense and run an offense that often sputters in his absence. If Edney isn’t able to go by tournament time, the Bruins will have to depend on freshman Cameron Dollar, who has yet to start.

* Little-known fact: Marques Johnson, the former UCLA star who now does color commentary on the Bruin radio broadcasts, has an interesting dilemma next season. After all, how many broadcasters have to analyze the talents of their own sons? Kris Johnson, a star at Crenshaw, has signed with the Bruins and joins the team next fall.

* Outlook: If there is a more inconsistent team in the top 25 than UCLA, we’d like to see them. On second thought . . . The Bruins defy explanation. At times, they look like a team headed toward the Sweet 16. At least they did when they beat Louisville not long ago. But in recent weeks, for every victory against Louisville, there is a loss against Oregon. A banged-up Edney won’t help UCLA’s chances, but some consistency from Shon Tarver and Ed and Charles O’Bannon would. Coach Jim Harrick says the Bruins will be ready for the tournament. Maybe so, but right now they look as if they’re ready to be upset in the first round. The Bruins aren’t good enough to phone it in and still win.

6. TEXAS (25-7)

* Player to watch: There aren’t many guards better than B.J. Tyler, who is averaging 23.3 points, 6.3 assists and 3.1 steals. With him, the Longhorns average about 96 points. Without him, they dip to 78 points.

* Little-known fact: Texas is forcing about 23 turnovers per game, a remarkable number and one of the main reasons for the Longhorns’ second-half turnaround.

* Outlook: If Texas can get past the first round, it could cause some damage. Not many opponents are used to playing against the Longhorns’ style of non-stop running, fullcourt pressing and trapping. Texas, which won 15 of its last 16 regular-season games, will have its problems if it faces a team with big guards who can pass over the Longhorn press.

7. SAINT LOUIS (23-5)

* Player to watch: Junior guard Erwin Claggett has become the Billikens’ go-to guy in tight games. If Coach Charlie Spoonhour needs a basket, Claggett gets the call.

* Little-known fact: Saint Louis, which returned all five starters, was picked in preseason polls to finish sixth in the seven-team Great Midwest Conference.

* Outlook: The Billikens have three solid guards--Claggett, Scott Highmark and H Waldman--and an undersized forward in Donnie Dobbs, but they don’t have an inside game to speak of. If Saint Louis isn’t hitting its outside shots, it’s doomed. Example: a loss to last-place Dayton. But Spoonhour is a proven winner and Saint Louis has enough talent to beat nearly any team.

8. ILLINOIS (17-10)

* Player to watch: Fifth-year senior center Deon Thomas is Illinois’ all-time leading scorer and one of the top 15 scorers in Big Ten history. His 19.6 scoring average comes the hard way: inside.

* Little-known fact: In the last six years, 75 of Illinois’ 79 players have been in-state recruits. This year, all of Illinois’ roster players are from Illinois, which means one of two things: Coach Lou Henson can’t recruit nationally or the state of Illinois is loaded with talent. (The answer is No. 2.)

* Outlook: The Illini don’t play particularly well on the road and they’ve been prone to ups and downs all season. They shoot less than 50% from the field and all things considered, have been something of a disappointment--a fact that won’t be disputed by Illinois’ own players. Still, they have Thomas and freshman point guard Kiwane Garris, who is averaging 15.8 points and is shooting 81% from the free-throw line. Garris is the only Big Ten freshman ever to score 30 points or more in two consecutive games.

9. GEORGETOWN (18-11)

* Player to watch: Sophomore center Othella Harrington has continued the legacy of Georgetown big men that began with Patrick Ewing and continued with Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning. Harrington was among the Big East Conference leaders in scoring, free-throw percentage, rebounds and blocks.

* Little-known fact: The Hoyas have advanced as far as the Sweet 16 only twice since 1985.

* Outlook: A Sweet 16 visit this time around would take some doing. Harrington gives the Hoyas an intimidating force in the middle and, as always, Georgetown plays an aggressive brand of defense. But the Hoyas have trouble scoring points and don’t shoot three-pointers particularly well. Senior point guard Joey Brown provides lots of experience and junior college transfer George Butler, an off guard, has come on lately.

10. MARYLAND (16-11)

* Player to watch: Freshman center Joe Smith, who was responsible for Maryland’s first-half successes. Smith earned much more defensive attention during the second half and it showed as the Terrapins struggled down the stretch.

* Little-known fact: This is Maryland’s first postseason appearance since 1990.

* Outlook: A first-round victory wouldn’t be a total surprise, but a second-round victory would. The Terrapins showed their age (very young) as the season wore on and there’s no reason to think things will improve during the NCAA tournament. Still, this has been a season for Maryland and Coach Gary Williams to cherish.

11. WESTERN KENTUCKY (20-10)

* Player to watch: Sophomore swingman Chris Robinson is averaging 14.5 points and scored 30 against Jacksonville in a Sun Belt Conference tournament semifinal victory.

* Little-known fact: Coach Ralph Willard’s son, Kevin, is a freshman reserve guard. Kevin scored 18 points in Western Kentucky’s 72-71 tournament loss to Southwestern Louisiana.

* Outlook: Western Kentucky, which reached the round of 16 in last year’s NCAA tournament, will be hard pressed to repeat the feat this season. The Hilltoppers, the Sun Belt regular-season champion, have only one senior, 6-6 Cypheus Bunton. He averages 10.5 points.

12. TULSA (21-7)

* Player to watch: Senior Gary Collier, a 6-4 forward, is averaging 22 points and 6.9 rebounds. He was the Missouri Valley Conference player of the year.

* Little-known fact: Coach Tubby Smith spent two seasons as an assistant on Rick Pitino’s Kentucky staff.

* Outlook: Smith is a disciple of Pitino’s philosophy of full-court pressure and three-point shots. The Golden Hurricane hardly notices the 35-second shot clock, what with their up-tempo play. Tulsa has made 223 three-pointers, which would make Pitino proud. Don’t be fooled by Tulsa’s semifinal loss to Northern Illinois in the MVC tournament. This is the same team that took Arkansas to overtime this season before losing, 93-91. Also in Tulsa’s favor is the location of its first-round NCAA game against UCLA: nearby Oklahoma City.

13. NEW MEXICO STATE (23-7)

* Player to watch: Senior forward James Dockery was the Aggies’ only returning starter from a season ago, but it could have been worse for Coach Neil McCarthy. Dockery, 6-8 but a slim 205 pounds, has great leaping ability and a soft shooting touch. He scored 23 points against Nevada Las Vegas in the Big West Conference semifinals and also had 12 rebounds.

* Little-known fact: In less than nine seasons, McCarthy is the Aggies’ all-time winningest coach, long since surpassing the 173 victories by Illinois’ Henson. McCarthy has 193.

* Outlook: After ending the regular season with four losses in five games, New Mexico State probably needed to win the Big West tournament to earn an NCAA invitation. Now that the Aggies have made it, they’ll need Dockery to continue his fine play. They’ll also need a minor miracle to duplicate last year’s NCAA performance, when the Aggies advanced to the second round.

14. PEPPERDINE (19-10)

* Player to watch: Senior forward Dana Jones, who is averaging 18.5 points, was named the West Coast Conference tournament most valuable player. It marked the fourth consecutive season Jones has made the all-tournament team. Jones is shooting 56% from the field, hasn’t missed a start and also leads the Waves in rebounds, steals and blocked shots.

* Little-known fact: An earlier three-game losing streak was the program’s longest since the 1990-91 season.

* Outlook: The Waves enter the NCAA tournament with a seven-game winning streak (their longest of the season) during which they’ve outscored opponents by an average of 14.3 points. Pepperdine is playing excellent defense and Jones and senior guard Damin Lopez are dependable scorers. The Waves have lots of experience, a solid coach in Tom Asbury and enough to score at least one upset.

15. SOUTHWEST TEXAS STATE (25-6)

* Player to watch: Whenever the Bobcats need an important shot taken, the ball finds its way into the hands of Lynwood Wade, a senior forward who averages 18.6 points and 8.5 rebounds. Wade was recently named the Southland Conference tournament most valuable player.

* Little-known fact: Two seasons ago, Southwest Texas State could barely win seven games. Now it’s making its first NCAA appearance. Not bad.

* Outlook: Not good. The Bobcats, who are ranked nationally in field-goal-percentage defense and scoring defense, don’t have much size. Their forwards go 6-4, 6-4 and their point guard is 6-0.

16. NORTH CAROLINA A&T; (16-13)

* Player to watch: Junior guard Phillip Allen. The 6-1 Allen began the season as the Aggies’ leading returning scorer, which wasn’t saying much since he averaged only seven points last season. But Allen has responded, as evidenced by his play during the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference semifinal against Maryland Eastern Shore. Allen scored 19 points, made the game-winning assist to Joe Bunn and also forced Eastern Shore’s Aaron McKinney to miss a potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer.

* Little-known fact: Coach Jeff Capel is the father of Jeff Capel Jr., a freshman guard at Duke.

* Outlook: The quintessential thanks-for-stopping-by-the-booth team. One game and gone.