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

1. PURDUE (26-4)

* Player to watch: Forward Glenn Robinson is the player of the year, but swingman Cuonzo Martin is the player who could determine just how far the Boilermakers advance in the tournament. A terrible three-point shooter in his first two seasons, Martin has become one of the Big Ten Conference’s best. Martin is also an accomplished defensive player. A quiet leader.

* Little-known fact: Robinson says that if there was a pickup game and you had to choose between him and Martin. . . Martin would be the first pick. Trust us, we’d take Robinson.

* Outlook: The only criticism of Robinson this season has been his shot selection. Otherwise, “Big Dog” has no peer. He can do just about everything, and that includes leading Purdue to the Final Eight. Robinson, who averages more than 30 points a game, needs some help, though. Indiana, for instance, figured Robinson would get his points and instead concentrated on stopping Martin and guard Matt Waddell. It worked, too. Purdue Coach Gene Keady is smart enough to adjust and the Boilermakers are good enough to make it to the regional final.

2. DUKE (23-5)

* Player to watch: Who else? Grant Hill, the senior swingman who can do everything and do it with grace. Hill averages 17.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and leads the team in assists. During the regular season he scored in double figures 23 of 26 games. And even when he doesn’t score in double digits, Hill can control a game. The Blue Devils were 3-0 in those contests in which he scored fewer than 10 points.

* Little-known fact: Hill is the eighth player in school history to have his jersey number retired. The two before him: Bobby Hurley and Christian Laettner, teammates from Duke’s NCAA championship seasons.

* Outlook: As usual, Duke doesn’t beat itself. Hill is an elite player who is complemented well by the likes of center Cherokee Parks, forward Tony Lang, swingman Marty Clark and guards Chris Collins and Jeff Capel. But for Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s team to advance to the Final Four, someone other than Hill is going to have to assert himself. Krzyzewski has done an impressive job of hiding Duke’s weaknesses, but a trip to Charlotte will take some doing.

3. KENTUCKY (26-6)

* Player to watch: Sophomore forward Rodrick Rhodes can have monster weeks, like the one he had entering the Southeastern Conference tournament (average of 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists), or he can sometimes disappear. Coach Rick Pitino has tried everything to pull more consistent performances out of the talented Rhodes. This year it showed. Rhodes is averaging 14.9 points and was named to the SEC third team.

* Little-known fact: During the recruiting process, Rhodes reportedly asked Pitino to promise he wouldn’t take another coaching job. Rhodes got his promise, Pitino got his player.

* Outlook: Kentucky isn’t a team of stars. Point guard Travis Ford was an all-SEC second team selection and Rhodes and guard Tony Delk were third-team picks. But the Wildcats score lots of points, play decent defense, can bury the threes (8.5 per game) and have one of the best coaches in the business. Pitino says he likes Kentucky’s chances to make some tournament noise. We believe him.

4. KANSAS (25-7)

* Player to watch: When junior center Greg Ostertag puts his mind to it, he can dominate a game. And therein lies the problem: he doesn’t put his mind to it all the time. That explains why the Jayhawks have looked unbeatable at times (Ostertag outplayed Oklahoma State’s Bryant Reeves, who was a Big Eight first teamer), mediocre at other times.

* Little-known fact: While jogging in Lawrence, Kansas Coach Roy Williams will run through the cemetery where basketball legends Phog Allen and James Naismith are buried. As he passes their markers, he rubs the headstones.

* Outlook: Williams is 11-4 in NCAA tournament play, so you know he can coach in big games. But the Jayhawks need Ostertag to play tough every game. Freshman forward/center Scot Pollard has played well in the last month and forward Richard Scott, a key inside player, is relatively healthy. Another Jayhawk must: the ability of Steve Woodberry, Sean Pearson and freshman Jacque Vaughn to hit the perimeter shots. None of this is out of the question for Kansas. Nor is a Sweet 16 appearance.

5. WAKE FOREST (20-11)

* Player to watch: Junior guard Randolph Childress is the reason for Wake Forest’s surprising season. A first-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, Childress has been bothered by a bruised shoulder for the last several weeks. When healthy, Childress is one of the league’s top scoring threats.

* Little-known fact: Before Makhtar Ndiaye was ruled ineligible at Wake Forest and transferred to Michigan, the Demon Deacons had three freshmen foreigners (Ndiaye from Senegal, Tim Duncan from the U.S. Virgin Islands and Ricardo Peral from Spain). Duncan, by the way, was named to the all-ACC freshmen team.

* Outlook: With Childress in the lineup, this actually is a pretty good team, good enough to win a first-round game. The key is their outside shooting. When the perimeter shots are falling, Wake Forest is very tough. But if the outside shots are clanging, or if Coach Dave Odom has to depend on his bench, the Demon Deacons will be reduced to actual praying.

6. MARQUETTE (22-8)

* Player to watch: Last year it was guard Tony Miller. This year it is senior Jim McIlvane, a 7-1 center who leads the nation in blocked shots and was recently named the Great Midwest Conference’s most valuable player. If McIlvane ever learns how to develop a more varied offensive game, he’ll be dangerous. McIlvane is vital to the Warriors because the team lives off defense. According to DePaul Coach Joey Meyer, McIlvane erases a lot of Marquette mistakes.

* Little-known fact: Coach Kevin O’Neill says he has seen replays of Marquette’s 1977 national championship just about every time he attends a Warrior booster function. If he had his way he’d burn every videotaped copy of the game. One problem: sitting on his bench is a constant reminder of the 1977 season, former Warrior player Bo Ellis, now a Marquette assistant.

* Outlook: Up-tempo trapping and pressing teams cause the Warriors lots of matchup problems. If Marquette can keep the score in the 60s and keep it to a halfcourt game, they have a chance to win a couple.

7. MICHIGAN STATE (19-11)

* Player to watch: Junior guard Shawn Respert is averaging close to 24 points and the main reason for Michigan State’s late-season victory surge. Respert can hit from anywhere and the Spartans do everything they can to get him the ball.

* Little-known fact: Coach Judd Heathcote is rumored to be considering retirement after this season.

* Outlook: Nobody knew how good the Spartans would be at season’s beginning. Respert was the only offensive threat and point guard Eric Snow couldn’t make a foul shot to save his life. But Snow has become the surprise player in the Big Ten (he leads the conference in assists) and senior Anthony Miller is third in rebounding. Fast finishes usually mean something and few teams are playing better than the Spartans these days. Good for at least one victory, maybe two.

8. PROVIDENCE (20-9)

* Player to watch: If there is a rebound to be had, senior forward Michael Smith will likely get it. He set a Big East rebound record, which put him ahead of Syracuse legend Derrick Coleman. Smith is averaging 11.6 rebounds.

* Little-known fact: Though the NCAA issued no official word, Providence was the last team to be bumped from the tournament bubble last year.

* Outlook: The Friars finished the regular season on a strong note, which is something to consider. Providence can bang and run, what with Smith and forward Eric Williams, a junior college transfer who can score lots of points. One area of concern: junior forward Franklin Western, the team’s leading scorer, is nursing an injured ankle.

9. ALABAMA (19-9)

* Player to watch: Freshman center Antonio McDyess, a third-team all-Southeastern Conference selection who averages 8.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and shoots 57.8% from the field. Actually, the 6-9 McDyess is more of a forward, but he is so talented that Coach David Hobbs was able to keep him in the low post and get away with it. A star of the future.

* Little-known fact: Jamal Faulkner, the 1991 Pacific 10 Conference freshman of the year, now plays for the Crimson Tide.

* Outlook: Alabama won eight of its last nine regular season games, thanks to the play of McDyess, Faulkner and Jason Caffey. Lots of potential, especially on the defensive side. A very athletic team, but one that sometimes has difficulty scoring many points. Keep an eye on the Crimson Tide.

10. SETON HALL (17-12)

* Player to watch: Senior forward Arturas Karnishovas, who leads the team with an 18.2 scoring average. He also averages 6.7 rebounds. He was named to he All-Big East Conference Second Team.

* Little-known fact: This is Seton Hall’s fourth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. The Pirates reached the championship game in 1989, losing to Michigan in overtime, 80-79.

* Outlook: Before losing to Georgetown in the Big East tournament semifinal, the Pirates had won four consecutive games and six of their last seven. Besides Karnishovas, sophomore forward Adrian Griffin has also come on strong. He leads the team in rebounds with a 7.8 average.

11. SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA (22-7)

* Player to watch: Senior point guard Michael Allen has NBA shooting range, can run an offense to perfection and knows how to penetrate the lane. He averages 22.7 points and 5.1 assists and is durable. He played 40 minutes in 20 of the Ragin’ Cajuns’ 29 games. Allen was the Sun Belt Conference player of the year and also the league tournament’s most valuable player.

* Little-known fact: In their last 10 games against Big Eight Conference and Southeastern Conference opponents, the Ragin’ Cajuns are 9-1.

* Outlook: Southwestern Louisiana has an impressive perimeter game, what with its four top scorers being guards. Allen is a star and 6-6 forward Shawn Griggs, a defensive specialist, leads the nation in steals (119). The Ragin’ Cajuns have forced more turnovers than their opponents in all 29 game, but they finished last in rebounding in conference play.

12. COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (24-3)

* Player to watch: Point guard Marion Busby, who averages 16.5 points and was named player of the year in the Trans-America Athletic Conference.

* Little known fact: Because of conference rules regarding teams moving from NAIA status to Division I, the Cougars were ineligible to compete in the Trans America league tournament. They could only earn an NCAA bid as an at-large team.

* Outlook: The Cougars have won 16 consecutive games. Their last loss came Jan. 13 against conference foe Central Florida, which also qualified for the NCAA tournament. Helping Charleston’s postseason chances is the return of forward Rodney Conner, a forward who returns after sitting out all but three games because of thumb surgery performed Dec. 18. Before his injury, Conner was averaging 19.7 points. The Cougars will need all the help they can get against a very tough Wake Forest team.

13. TENNESSEE CHATTANOOGA (23-6)

* Player to watch: Chap Copeland, a 5-11 senior guard who transferred from Florida State, has won just about every award the Southern Conference has to offer. Copeland, who averages 20.7 points, 3.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds, is the league’s most valuable player in both regular and postseason play.

* Little-known fact: Only a Division I program since 1977, this is Tennessee Chattanooga’s 11th 20-victory season.

* Outlook: The Moccasins are a great free-throw shooting team and they don’t panic when down by double digits. They don’t have much of a low-post game, but Copeland, who could play anywhere, gives them a dangerous backcourt. They won’t go easily.

14. TENNESSEE STATE (19-11)

* Player to watch: Center Carlos Rogers, a two-time Ohio Valley Conference player of the year, is averaging 24.8 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks. The 6-11 senior, who is shooting 61.7% from the field, is the only player in Division I to rank in the top 20 in four statistical categories.

* Little-known fact: The school is alma mater of Oprah Winfrey and Wilma Rudolph.

* Outlook: Everything rests on the shoulders of Rogers. It also would help if Tennessee State could learn to hit its free throws. As a team, the Tigers are shooting 64.6%.

15. TEXAS SOUTHERN (19-10)

* Player to watch: Guard Kevin Granger was the Southwestern Athletic Conference freshman of the year and his sophomore season has been even better. Along with senior guard Theon Dotson, Granger helps give the Tigers enough backcourt offense to cause problems for any team. An example: Granger had 24 points and Dotson 19 in Texas Southern’s SWAC semifinal victory against Southern Saturday evening.

* Little-known fact: Coach Robert Moreland has won 581 games during his 30-year career.

* Outlook: If only the Tigers’ frontcourt was as good as the backcourt. Not an office pool upset favorite.

16. CENTRAL FLORIDA (21-8)

* Player to watch: That’s easy--the player with the nation’s best nickname: Ochiel (Never Maybe) Swaby, a 6-7 junior forward who is averaging 18.5 points and 6.0 rebounds. Swaby, a transfer from Miami, hit three game-winning shots for Central Florida this season, two of them on four-point plays. Swaby is accustomed to scoring lots of points. In 1990-91, he led the nation as a high school senior with a 47.4 average.

* Little-known fact: This is only Central Florida’s first winning season since becoming a Division I member 10 years ago. So what happens? The Knights earn an NCAA bid.

* Outlook: As this year’s Trans America Conference sacrificial lamb, the Knights had better enjoy the moment. Central Florida has four players in double figures, but its center is 6-6.