NCAA TOURNAMENT : MIDWEST REGIONAL

* Kentucky is without peer in this region, but Coach Rick Pitino needs something to talk about, so he worries about his lack of size in the post. The Wildcats don’t have a true center in Walter McCarty, who is 6-foot-10 and reed-thin. “We won’t even see Walter if we post him up, that’s how big Utah is,” Pitino says. True enough. Yet, McCarty and 6-8 forward Antoine Walker managed to combine for 40 points in last weekend’s 24-point victory over Virginia Tech. Utah does pose a problem for Kentucky with 6-11 center Michael Doleac, coming off a superb 23-point, 12-rebound game against Iowa State center Kelvin Cato. Leading scorer and rebounder Keith Van Horn said he expects to be at full strength.

* Louisville Coach Denny Crum swears his team isn’t looking forward to a possible regional final showdown with Kentucky. “That would be the kiss of death,” Crum says. The Cardinals have had superb defense in victories over Tulsa and Villanova and stellar play from point guard DeJuan Wheat, who has scored 52 points in two games. Wake Forest will be favored, but the Demon Deacons aren’t exactly brimming with confidence. Tim Duncan, the team’s center and a first-team All-America, lost 10 pounds last week because of flu and turned in a zombie-like but effective 13-point, 11-rebound game against Texas. And Tony Rutland left the Texas game late because of a tender right knee. Wake Forest Coach Dave Odom said Rutland will play sparingly at best.