WEST REGIONAL

* George Washington melted when Iowa turned up its full-court pressure and blew a late 17-point lead, so what’s to keep Arizona from doing the same? The Wildcats didn’t face this type of pressure in the Pacific 10, so guards Reggie Geary and Miles Simon might be easy pickings for the hopped-up Hawkeyes, who might clean up on the boards as well. Arizona hasn’t been much of a rebounding team since center Joseph Blair was ruled ineligible in January; Iowa was fifth in the nation in rebounding margin. The Hawkeye faithful are looking to this game for another reason: Lute Olson was Iowa’s coach for nine seasons before coming to Arizona in 1983.

* Santa Clara’s Steve Nash is being projected as the second coming of John Stockton and he certainly looked the part in a 28-point, 12-assist effort against Maryland. But can Nash continue to push up his NBA draft stock against Kansas, which doesn’t figure to let him to push the ball open throttle? Another problem for Nash is that he must defend Jayhawk point guard Jacque Vaughn, who figures to soften up the Broncos so twin towers Raef LaFrentz and Scot Pollard can pound away at them for easy baskets.