MIDWEST REGIONAL

L.A. Times Archives

March 9, 1998 12 AM PT

1. KANSAS (34-3)

* First-round opponent: Prairie View.

* Season in brief: Center Raef LaFrentz, among the preseason favorites for national player of the year, missed nine games because of a broken bone in his hand, but the Jayhawks managed without him. Their only losses were upsets by Maryland, Hawaii and Missouri.

* Player to watch: Paul Pierce, a junior forward from Inglewood High, is a versatile and explosive player whose potential is still unreached. He also might be playing his final college games before jumping to the NBA.

* Tidbit: The almost eery “Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk” chant was invented in 1886 by a Kansas professor. The words were adopted because they rhymed and paid tribute to limestone formations on nearby Mount Oread.

* NCAA bio: Kansas went bust last season, losing to eventual champion Arizona in a regional semifinal after being ranked No. 1 for 10 weeks. The Jayhawks have won the NCAA tournament twice: in 1988 with Danny Manning and Coach Larry Brown and in 1952 under coach Phog Allen, for whom the Jayhawks’ Allen Fieldhouse is named.

2. PURDUE (26-7)

* First-round opponent: Delaware.

* Season in brief: The Boilermakers were steady early, with “good losses” against North Carolina and Kentucky, and looked like the best of the Big Ten with an outside game led by Chad Austin and the inside finesse of 6-foot-11 Brad Miller. But the conference started to get the better of Purdue late in the season, especially in losses to Iowa and, worse, Penn State. One of the problems was a nagging ankle injury to guard Jaraan Cornell that left his status questionable for the postseason. In the inaugural Big Ten tournament, Purdue was runner-up.

* Player to watch: Austin is a versatile guard and a streak shooter. He and his brother Woody, who also played at Purdue, are only the third pair of brothers in Big Ten history to each score 1,000 points.

* Tidbit: The late popcorn king, Orville Redenbacher, was a Purdue graduate.

* NCAA bio: Coach Gene Keady has a reputation for not going very far in the tournament. Despite winning at least a share of six Big Ten titles, in 13 NCAA appearances with Purdue, he has an 11-13 record, advancing past the second round only twice, in 1988 and 1994.

3. STANFORD (26-4)

* First-round opponent: College of Charleston.

* Season in brief: Along with Utah, Stanford was one of the nation’s last two unbeaten teams, reaching 18-0 before falling to Arizona. That started a midseason swoon in which the Cardinal lost to Arizona State in Maples Pavilion and at Connecticut before recovering with a victory over UCLA that completed a season sweep of the Bruins. Arizona, however, dominated again in the rematch, winning by 32 points.

* Player to watch: Though much is made of the front line anchored by 7-footer Tim Young and Mark Madsen, guard Kris Weems’ three-point shooting is often the key to Stanford’s success.

* Tidbit: Forward Pete Sauer’s father, Mark, is president of the St. Louis Blues and CEO of the Kiel Center arena.

* NCAA bio: Led by point guard Brevin Knight, Stanford reached the round of 16 last season for the first time, losing to No. 2 Utah in overtime. In 1942, Stanford won the NCAA championship, taking home a check for $93.75 from the fledgling eight-team tournament.

4. MISSISSIPPI (22-6)

* First-round opponent: Valparaiso.

* Season in brief: The highlight was a stunning victory over Kentucky at Rupp Arena--the Rebels’ first on a Kentucky home court since 1927--but Ole Miss also built momentum with a late-season upset of Arkansas.

* Player to watch: Ansu Sesay, a senior forward from Houston, was the SEC’s leading scorer and a finalist on some lists for national player of the year.

* Tidbit: Best-selling author John Grisham is a Mississippi graduate.

* NCAA bio: Ole Miss has made the tournament only twice: in 1981 and last season, when the Rebels lost to Temple in the first round.

5. TEXAS CHRISTIAN (27-5)

* First-round opponent: Florida State.

* Season in brief: Coach Billy Tubbs is at it again, with a new version of the 100-point scoring teams he had at Oklahoma with Stacey King and Mookie Blaylock. The Horned Frogs’ style has helped make power forward Lee Nailon among the nation’s leading scorers and put guard Mike Jones in the top 10 as well. A blowout of New Mexico drew attention in February, and TCU swept through the Western Athletic Conference’s Mountain Division with a 14-0 record. The Frogs lost to New Mexico in the tournament semifinal.

* Player to watch: Nailon, a junior college transfer who is unlikely to return for his senior year, has quick and powerful offensive moves but isn’t as developed defensively.

* Tidbit: Nailon was concerned when he learned what the “C” in TCU stood for, but relaxed when he found out he didn’t have to attend church or wear a uniform.

* NCAA bio: The last appearance was in 1987. The best finish in six appearances was regional runner-up in 1968.

6. CLEMSON (18-13)

* First-round opponent: Western Michigan.

* Season in brief: A top 10 team before the season, the Tigers had to claw their way back into an NCAA tournament bid with late-season victories over North Carolina State and Georgia Tech and a two-point Atlantic Coast Conference tournament semifinal loss to Duke. Trouble was foreshadowed by a loss to Gonzaga in November. One weakness has dogged Clemson all season and does not bode well for the tournament: poor free-throw shooting.

* Player to watch: Greg Buckner, a senior guard, has started since he was a freshman. Whether he has recovered from a slump late in season is a key.

* Tidbit: Point guard Terrell McIntyre, at 5-9, is one of the ACC’s smallest players.

* NCAA bio: It’s the third consecutive appearance and seventh overall. Clemson reached the regional final in 1980 before losing to UCLA.

7. ST. JOHN’S (22-9)

* First-round opponent: Detroit.

* Season in brief: A revitalized team won 12 of 13 down the stretch of the regular season behind the determination of seniors Felipe Lopez and Zendon Hamilton, whose careers had been considered busts.

* Player to watch: A New York schoolboy legend, Lopez was expected to jump to the NBA long before his senior season. With a more controlled game and a team working well together under second-year Coach Fran Fraschilla, Lopez averaged 18 points and finally played on a winner.

* Tidbit: With 41 victories in the NIT--once the more prestigious postseason tournament--St. John’s has more than any other school.

* NCAA bio: It’s the Red Storm’s first bid since 1993, but the school has appeared in the tournament 23 times, reaching the Final Four in 1985 and 1952.

8. RHODE ISLAND (22-8)

* First-round opponent: Murray State.

* Season in brief: Jim Harrick makes it back to the tournament after sitting out last season unemployed after his firing at UCLA. The Rams are a veteran team that made the NCAA tournament last year, and even though they’re given to wild swings, they’re good down the stretch, with superb late-game free-throw shooting. Their biggest win of the season was in double overtime agaisnt Massachusetts.

* Player to watch: Tyson Wheeler, a 5-10 point guard, runs the show with dramatic flair. But guard Cuttino Mobley is the scoring leader.

* Tidbit: Sophomore center Luther Clay started his career at Purdue, with fellow Maine Central Institute products Chad Austin and Brad Miller.

* NCAA bio: Rhode Island made a big splash by reaching the round of 16 in 1988 with a team led by Tom Garrick and coached by Tom Penders, beating Missouri and Syracuse before losing to Duke by one point.

9. MURRAY STATE (29-3)

* First-round opponent: Rhode Island.

* Season in brief: Former UCLA assistant Mark Gottfried has the Racers back in the tournament a year after giving Duke a 71-68 scare in the first round. The Racers rank among the nation’s top 10 in scoring, field-goal percentage and scoring margin.

* Player to watch: Shooting guard De’Teri Mayes scored 42 points against Arkansas in a 94-83 loss.

* Tidbit: Gottfried, who played at Alabama, is among the candidates to become the Crimson Tide’s next coach.

* NCAA bio: The team has solid upset-threat credentials. It upset 14th-ranked North Carolina State in the first-round of the 1988 tournament. It’s Murray’s sixth appearance in the 1990s.

10. DETROIT (24-5)

* First-round opponent: St. John’s.

* Season in brief: Competed with Illinois Chicago for the Midwestern Collegiate Conference title, with a loss in the semifinals of the conference tournament.

* Player to watch: Senior swingman Derrick Hayes, who started his career at Iowa State, is a versatile scorer who holds his own rebounding at only 6-5.

* Tidbit: Dick Vitale once coached the Titans.

* NCAA bio: Detroit has made three appearances--in 1962, ’77 and ‘79--with one victory, in ’77.

11. WESTERN MICHIGAN (20-7)

* First-round opponent: Clemson.

* Season in brief: Western Michigan opened with a bang, upsetting Michigan, 68-63, on the Wolverines’ home court. That nonconference victory helped the Broncos make it into the tournament at the end of the year, helping to squeeze out Mid-American rival Ball State.

* Player to watch: Guard Saddi Washington is a scorer, team leader and clutch player who has overcome knee injuries to continue his career.

* Tidbit: Coach Bob Donewald is a former assistant to Bob Knight at Indiana.

* NCAA bio: There has been only one appearance, in 1976.

12. FLORIDA STATE (17-13)

* First-round opponent: Texas Christian.

* Season in brief: Considered the ACC’s third-best team early in the season, the Seminoles flagged badly and finished tied for sixth in the nine-team league.

* Player to watch: Guard Terrell Baker, a junior college transfer, was the addition that made the Seminoles go this season.

* Tidbit: Former coach Pat Kennedy left for DePaul, where he went 7-23 this season, the worst mark of his career.

* NCAA bio: Florida State hasn’t been in the tournament since 1993. The Seminoles made the Final Four in 1972, losing to North Carolina before UCLA beat the Tar Heels for the title.

13. VALPARAISO (21-9)

* First-round opponent: Mississippi.

* Season in brief: It won its fourth consecutive Mid-Continent tournament, defeating Youngstown State. Valparaiso is only the eighth Division I school to win at least four consecutive conference tournaments. Kentucky holds the record with seven.

* Player to watch: Senior guard Bryce Drew, the son of Coach Homer Drew, is a dead-eye shooter who passed up Notre Dame, Syracuse and Stanford to play for his father.

* Tidbit: Former UCLA coach Jim Harrick’s son, Jim Harrick Jr., is a Valparaiso assistant coach.

* NCAA bio: Drew’s shooting ability can have a dramatic effect on a game. He made eight three-pointers in a 73-66 loss to Boston College in the first round last year.

14. COL. OF CHARLESTON (24-5)

* First-round opponent: Stanford.

* Season in brief: Charleston lost four starters from a team that made a big splash in last season’s NCAA tournament, but won the Trans-America Athletic Conference tournament over Florida International again. It is built on quickness and defense--Charleston is second only to Princeton in scoring defense, giving up 54 points a game--but not very big. An early season loss to Massachusetts is only gauge against top competition.

* Player to watch: Sedric Webber, a 6-6 junior power forward, is the leading scorer.

* Tidbit: Like Dean Smith, John Kresse--Charleston’s coach for 19 seasons--has had an arena named after him while still on the job.

* NCAA bio: Certified Cinderellas in ‘97, the Cougars beat Maryland in the first round and gave eventual NCAA champion Arizona a 73-69 scare in the second. They also made the field in 1994.

15. DELAWARE (20-9)

* First-round opponent: Purdue.

* Season in brief: The Blue Hens, coached by former Duke assistant Mike Brey, defeated Boston University in the America East tournament final to earn an automatic bid.

* Player to watch: Darryl Presley, a transfer from Virginia, played high school basketball for legendary Coach Morgan Wootten at DeMatha, as did sophomore Mike Pegues.

* Tidbit: Brey and assistant coach Kenny Blakeney also went to DeMatha.

* NCAA bio: This is the third appearance in school history.

16. PRAIRIE VIEW (13-16)

* First-round opponent: Kansas.

* Season in brief: The longest of longshots, Prairie View came from 20 points behind at halftime to beat Texas Southern in the Southwest Athletic Conference tournament. A rare NCAA tournament team with a losing record, Prairie View ranked among the bottom teams in Division I in recent seasons.

* Player to watch: Kevin Bell made the jump shot with 20 seconds left that put the Panthers in the NCAA tournament.

* Tidbit: Location of the school makes enough sense: It’s in Prairie View, Texas.

* NCAA bio: First appearance.

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MIDWEST REGIONAL

FIRST-ROUND GAMES, THURSDAY

1. Kansas: (34-3)

16. Prairie View: (13-16)

8. Rhode Island: (22-8)

9. Murray State: (29-3)

4. Mississippi: (22-6)

13. Valparaiso: (21-9)