WEST REGIONAL AT A GLANCE: WHAT TO LOOK FOR

* The draw: Kansas might have lost a No. 1 seeding in its Big Eight tournament loss to Iowa State on Sunday, but the Jayhawks didn’t exactly get banished to Devil’s Island. Kansas got a cozy No. 2 seed and a date with fresh air and sunshine in Tempe, Ariz. The Jayhawks will be rewarded for good play with a regional final trip to Denver, practically their own back yard.

* Best first-round game: No. 8 Georgia (19-9) versus No. 9 Clemson (18-10). This will be a good ol’ no-holds-barred rumble between Southern neighbors who don’t meet that often because they play in different conferences. The Bulldogs and Tigers, however, had almost identical seasons. Both started fast, sagged in mid-season, then closed with gusto. Georgia will win because Clemson starts four freshmen and is without injured point guard Merle Code.

* Upset waiting to happen: No. 11 George Washington over No. 8 Iowa. History tells us that Iowa Coach Tom Davis has never lost in the first round. But the Colonials, snubbed by the tournament selection committee last year, have been waiting for this. Plus, you have to love a team whose center, Alexander Koul, wears a headband and thinks it looks cool. Give George Washington bonus points, too, for handing Massachusetts its only loss of the season.

* Sleeper: Syracuse. A No. 4 seed with 24 victories is a sleeper? Wake up! Jim Boeheim’s talented team got lost in the Big East shuffle behind Connecticut, Georgetown and Villanova. John Wallace is as good as any power forward in the nation. Depth is a concern, however.

* The impact coach: Tubby Smith of Georgia. He led Tulsa to consecutive Sweet 16 appearances before taking over in Athens, Ga. The region features bigger name coaches--Gene Keady, Roy Williams, Gary Williams--but none with a better name.

* The impact player: Porter Roberts, Purdue. He’s just another name on a nearly anonymous team but is the type of dependable point guard you need to make NCAA title runs.

* The pick: Purdue over Kansas. If experience and destiny mean anything, the Boilermakers are the team to beat. They start four seniors, play six, and are led by Keady, who should be national coach of the year.