TODAY’S GAMES

At Oklahoma City

* Kansas (34-3) vs. Prairie View (13-16): Parental discretion is advised for perhaps the biggest mismatch in NCAA tournament history. Kansas is a perennial powerhouse intent on making up for last year’s heartbreak, when the favored-to-win-it-all Jayhawks fell to Arizona in the regional semifinals, leaving Coach Roy Williams in tears. Prairie View is more notorious as a football school, loser of an NCAA-record 77 consecutive games. The basketball team hasn’t been much better, yet earned the right to get whacked by winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament.

* Rhode Island (22-8) vs. Murray State (29-3): The NCAA refused to pit first-year Rhode Island Coach Jim Harrick in a juicy grudge-match reunion against UCLA’s Steve Lavin, a former Harrick gofer handed the Bruin job after Harrick’s surprise firing in November 1996. We’ll have to settle for this, Harrick coaching against another former UCLA assistant, Mark Gottfried. The Rams are balanced and deep, led by senior point guard Tyson Wheeler. Murray State begins the tournament on a 10-game winning streak and is led by senior guard De’Teri Mayes, averaging 21.7 points.

* Texas Christian (27-5) vs. Florida State (17-13): The Horned Frogs were largely branded as a typical Western Athletic Conference team: You know the league’s football rap--all buzzers and whistles, no defense. Coach Billy Tubbs’ high-flying team scored 100 points or more 14 times but couldn’t crack the AP top-25 poll for months. TCU has a 20-point scorer inside, center Lee Nailon, and outside, shooting guard Mike Jones. A lot of people say Florida State doesn’t belong in the tournament after losing seven of its last 10 games. The Seminoles, though, cashed their “But hey, we play in the ACC” ticket and now must prove their worthiness.

* Mississippi (22-6) vs. Valparaiso (21-9): Mississippi Coach Rob Evans seemingly has done the impossible in reviving a long moribund program. Evans followed a 20-victory season--the first in 60 years--with another fine season. The player to watch is senior forward Ansu Sesay, who averages 20 points and can score inside or out. Valparaiso, the Mid-Continent Conference champion, is basically a father-son act, starring Coach Homer Drew and his point guard son, Bryce, who is averaging 20 points.