WEST REGIONAL AT A GLANCE

* How they got here: No. 8 Georgia and its all-senior lineup was too smart for Clemson’s four freshmen in the opener and then shocked--or was it a shock?--No. 1 Purdue in the second round. Pundits overestimated Purdue’s experience and undersold Georgia because of six losses in January. No. 4 Syracuse had the sweetest path to the round of 16, thanks to Drexel’s first-round upset of No. 5 Memphis. The Orangemen easily disposed of No. 13 Montana State and then strangled No. 12 Drexel with their 2-3 zone. No. 3 Arizona made the NCAA selection committee look like hoop gurus for keeping the Wildcats in the West and shipping out Pac-10 champion UCLA. Arizona sent the committee thank-you notes in the form of victories over Valparaiso and Iowa. No. 2 Kansas didn’t get mad when the committee yanked its No. 1 seeding and gave it to Purdue, it got even. No. 15 South Carolina State and No. 10 Santa Clara didn’t offer much resistance, but the Jayhawks suddenly look like the best team west of Lexington, Ky.

* Difference maker: Kansas’ Jerod Haase, junior guard. He had a bad shooting season--27% from three-point range--and needs to snap out of it for the Jayhawks to make the Final Four. Haase made four of five three-point shots against South Carolina State, but only two of seven against Santa Clara.

* Four questions: Can Georgia stay out of foul trouble to keep from tapping a suspect bench? Can Syracuse survive with a point guard, Lazarus Sims, who averages only five points a game? Can Arizona point guard Reggie Geary take Arizona where Damon Stoudamire never could--an NCAA title game? Was that loss to Iowa State in the Big Eight tournament just the wake-up call Kansas needed?

* Looking forward to: A Kansas-Syracuse final would match East Coast brawn against Midwest finesse. The Jayhawks have size inside with 6-11 Raef LaFrentz and 6-10 Scot Pollard but have been outrebounded badly in two of four losses. What Kansas player is going to stop Syracuse star forward John Wallace?

* Glimpse at the coaches: Georgia’s Tubby Smith is the one who is most underrated. Jim Boeheim of Syracuse is the one who has won 20-games or more the last 14 seasons. Arizona’s Lute Olson is the one whose teams have made three first-round exits in the 1990s. Kansas’ Roy Williams is the best one never to have won a national title.

* How it shakes out: Syracuse over Georgia; Kansas over Arizona.

* Final prediction: Kansas over Syracuse.