EAST REGIONAL AT A GLANCE

* How they got here: No. 1 Kentucky warmed up for the tournament--oh, that was the tournament?--with 38- and 24-point victories over San Jose State and Virginia Tech, all while purists searched for flaws in college basketball’s Mona Lisa. Well, there are those blue-jean colored uniforms. No. 4 Utah picked up the badge-of-courage award in Dallas, beating Canisius as star Keith Van Horn, down with a viral infection, sipped soup back at the hotel; then held off pesky Iowa State with Van Horn and Brandon Jessie contributing half their usual offensive output. No. 6 Louisville can thank a Crum, Denny, and a Wheat, DeJuan, for being here. Crum got the Cardinals to the tournament with the patchwork job of his career and Wheat kept them in it with his 33-point performance in an opening-round overtime victory over Tulsa. That second-round win over Villanova wasn’t shabby, either. No. 2 Wake Forest was the Utah of its bracket, winning twice while star center Tim Duncan, ill with flu, tried to keep his meals down. Duncan should be OK by Thursday, but what about guard Tony Rutland, who re-injured his right knee in the waning moments against Texas?

* Difference maker: Kentucky’s Tony Delk, senior guard. He’s the one Wildcat who’s pressing, suffering from what Coach Rick Pitino calls “senioritis.” After scoring 22 points against San Jose State, Delk had only eight against Virginia Tech, making three of eight shots.

* Four questions: Will Van Horn and Duncan be at full strength? Have they infected teammates? Will Rutland’s knee hold up for Wake Forest? Can Louisville center Samaki Walker neutralize a healthy Duncan?

* Looking forward to: A Kentucky-Louisville regional final would paralyze the Bluegrass state, lower the crime rate there and allow the Cardinals a chance to avenge a 23-point loss to the Wildcats earlier this season.

* Glimpse at the coaches: Utah’s Rick Majerus and Dave Odom of Wake Forest are the funny ones. Kentucky’s Rick Pitino is the best dresser. Crum is the one with two national titles.

* How it shakes out: Utah is the nation’s best free-throw shooting team, so it stands a chance against Kentucky in a close game. But who thinks it’s going to be close? Look for Louisville to pull out another squeaker against a fading Wake Forest team.

* Final prediction: Kentucky beats Louisville and, in a wager settled afterward, the mayor of Louisville presents the mayor of Lexington with two cases of beer and a canned ham.