It Would Have Blue-Deviled Them to Go Elsewhere

By ROBYN NORWOOD

March 8, 1999 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Duke was poised to vent its ire if it was not put in the East Regional-- keeping it away from Charlotte Coliseum, where the Blue Devils had just won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in dominating fashion.

Never mind that, geographically, Duke is in the South and Connecticut is in the East. The ACC winner traditionally goes to the East, and Duke, as the No. 1-seeded team overall, got its way. Revenge could wait down the line: Cincinnati, the only team to beat Duke all season, is the No. 3-seeded team in the East.

The College of Charleston wanted to go back to Charlotte, where the Cougars defeated North Carolina early this season. However, a potential second-round game with Duke faces Charleston.

1. DUKE (32-1)

* First-round opponent: Florida A&M.;

* Season in brief: Ranked No. 1 since early February, and led nation in scoring margin. Swept through the conference season unbeaten and won the ACC tournament. The only team to beat Duke was Cincinnati, which won, 77-75, at the Great Alaska Shootout on Nov. 28. The Bearcats scored on a dunk off a length-of-the-court play in the final seconds and held on when the buzzer sounded a moment before Duke’s potential tying shot fell through the net. Scariest thought: Trajan Langdon is the only senior starter team on a team dominated by sophomores.

* Player to watch: Sophomore center Elton Brand led the ACC in scoring (17.7), rebounding (9.9), field-goal percentage (61.3) and had 15 double-doubles.

* Tidbit: The only teams ranked No. 1 at the end of the season that have gone on to win the NCAA title the last 15 years were Duke in 1992 and UCLA in 1995.

* NCAA bio: Still the only team to win two consecutive titles--’91 and ‘92--since UCLA. Eleven Final Fours, including seven of the past 13.

2. MIAMI (22-6)

* First-round opponent: Lafayette.

* Season in brief: Broke into the top 10 for first time since 1960. Took Connecticut to overtime in one game, then beat the Huskies the next time. Swept St. John’s during the regular season but lost to the Red Storm in the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden.

* Player to watch: Tim James, a senior power forward, is the first Miami player to have his number retired since Rick Barry.

* Tidbit: The payoff for sticking with Coach Leonard Hamilton for nine years despite a losing overall record has finally arrived.

* NCAA bio: Lost to UCLA in the first round last season and in 1960, but this looks like the year Miami chalks up a victory--and probably more.

3. CINCINNATI (26-5)

* First-round opponent: George Mason.

* Season in brief: The Bearcats’ undefeated start was spoiled by North Carolina Charlotte after a controversial call by an official, but the 49ers upset Cincinnati again in the Conference USA tournament without any outside help. A physical, athletic team, the Bearcats struggled with turnovers during a midseason slump but seemed to recover late in the season.

* Player to watch: Forward Pete Mickeal (pronounced Michael).

* Tidbit: Mickeal is another of the junior college transfers--along with Maryland’s Steve Francis and Auburn’s Chris Porter--who made an impact this season.

* NCAA bio: Upset in the second round by West Virginia in ’98 and Iowa State in ’97. Reached the Final Four in 1992 with Nick Van Exel. Went to five consecutive Final Fours from 1959-63, winning back-to-back titles in 1961 and ’62.

4. TENNESSEE (20-8)

* First-round opponent: Delaware

* Season in brief: Ranked No. 9 in the preseason poll but fell quickly after losses to Arizona, Miami (Ohio) and St. Joseph’s. But the Volunteers resurrected their season and climbed back into the Top 25 down the stretch, winning six in a row and completing a sweep of Kentucky before losing to Mississippi State in the SEC tournament.

* Players to watch: Sophomore point guard Tony Harris and senior guard Brandon Wharton are a solid tandem.

* Tidbit: Coach Jerry Green took Oregon to the NCAA tournament in 1995, and had the Ducks in the Top 25.

* NCAA bio: Tennessee hasn’t won an NCAA game since 1983. Upset by Illinois State in overtime in a first-round game last season, and also lost in the first round in 1989.

5. WISCONSIN (22-9)

* First-round opponent: Southwest Missouri State.

* Season in brief: Limped into the postseason with five losses in its last seven--including 51-39 to 10th-place Michigan. The Badgers set a school record for victories but were scrambling to recover in time for the NCAA tournament after Coach Dick Bennett suggested the late-season slide was the result of a loss of humility. Bennett’s teams are known for an old-fashioned offensive style and strong defense--qualities that can make the Badgers uncomfortable to play against, a plus in the NCAA tournament.

* Player to watch: Senior guard Sean Mason, a good outside shooter, is the Badgers’ top scorer.

* Tidbit: Guard Mike Kelley was the Big Ten defensive player of the year.

* NCAA bio: Lost to Texas in first round in 1997 in only its second appearance in 50 years. Won 1941 NCAA title against Washington State.

6. TEMPLE (21-10)

* First-round opponent: Kent.

* Season in brief: One of the more confounding teams in the nation. Ranked No. 7 early in the season but lost to Penn, Penn State, Indiana and Wisconsin in succession. Also lost to Stanford, Fresno State, St. Bonaventure, Xavier and Massachusetts, but won its division in the Atlantic 10. Temple allows 58 points a game and less than 38% shooting and leads the nation by committing only 11 turnovers a game. However, the Owls are offensively challenged at times: They shot only 28% in a loss to Massachusetts. * Player to watch: Junior forward Lamont Barnes is Temple’s best player, but sophomore Mark Karcher has made strides in his first season after sitting out for academic reasons.

* Tidbit: Coach John Chaney apologized to Harry Litwack, 91, for breaking Litwack’s record of 373 victories at Temple, telling him he hadn’t done a good job with this season’s team.

* NCAA bio: Lost to West Virginia by 30 points in the first round last season. Reached final eight in 1993.

7. TEXAS (19-12)

* First-round opponent: Purdue.

* Season in brief: Tom Penders was forced out as coach at the end of last season, and under new coach Rick Barnes, the Longhorns turned a poor start into a Big 12 regular-season championship. Lost to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament, however.

* Player to watch: Gabe Muoneke was suspended for throwing a punch in a game against Kansas, but he packs a scoring punch too.

* Tidbit: Barnes is one of two former Clemson coaches in the tournament, along with Auburn’s Cliff Ellis. Clemson, however, is not in the tournament.

* NCAA bio: Ninth trip in the ‘90s, the first eight under Penders. Made Final Four twice in the 1940s.

8. COL. OF CHARLESTON (28-2)

* First-round opponent: Tulsa.

* Season in brief: Extremely well-coached, senior-laden team defeated North Carolina in December and swept through the Southern Conference regular season and tournament to bring a 25-game winning streak into the tournament. Only losses were to Georgia and South Carolina. The Cougars run, play an effective pressing defense, and know one another inside out. Interior defense might be a shortcoming.

* Player to watch: Senior forward Sedric Webber was conference player of the year.

* Tidbit: Three key players are transfers--center Jody Lumpkin (Rice), guard Danny Johnson (Clemson) and forward Carl Thomas (Western Kentucky).

* NCAA bio: Lost in the first round last season to a Stanford team that made the Final Four. In 1997, upset Maryland, then gave eventual national champion Arizona a scare in second round.

9. TULSA (22-9)

* First-round opponent: College of Charleston.

* Season in brief: Left out of the tournament last year at 19-12 in Coach Bill Self’s first season, the Golden Hurricane made it this time as an at-large team with a solid finish that included a 29-point victory over Fresno State in the Western Athletic Conference tournament.

* Player to watch: Senior forward Michael Ruffin isn’t a big-time scorer, but he’s a powerful rebounder, shot-blocker and defensive standout.

* Tidbit: Kentucky Coach Tubby Smith took the Golden Hurricane to the tournament in ’94 and ‘95, reaching the Sweet 16 both times.

* NCAA bio: Tulsa has made five appearances in the last six seasons under three coaches: Smith, Steve Robinson and Self.

10. PURDUE (19-12)

* First-round opponent: Texas.

* Season in brief: Limped into NCAA play with a loss to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament after a 4-6 regular-season finish that included a loss to Penn State. All that conspired to lower the seeding of a team that would have been in danger of missing the field if not for a good RPI. Long forgotten is 12-1 start that included a victory over St. John’s, with the only loss to North Carolina.

* Player to watch: Physical junior forward Brian Cardinal had 33 points and nine rebounds in the tournament loss to Michigan.

* Tidbit: Gene Keady has won 451 games, but has never reached the Final Four.

* NCAA bio: Purdue got past the second round last season for only the third time in 14 appearances, losing to Stanford in the Sweet 16.

11. KENT (23-6)

* First-round opponent: Temple.

* Season in brief: Picked to finish sixth in the East Division of the Mid-American Conference, Kent beat regular-season champion Miami of Ohio in the tournament final to gain a bid. With Miami strong enough to make the field of 64 anyway, it gives the MAC two NCAA teams a second year in a row after Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan made it last season. Coach Gary Waters’ team likes to run, press and take the three-point shot.

* Player to watch: Junior center John Whorton leads the way, but sophomore Kyrem Massey is a physical defensive presence.

* Tidbit: The Ohio school is better known by its former name: Kent State.

* NCAA bio: First appearance.

12. SW MISSOURI STATE (20-10)

* First-round opponent: Wisconsin.

* Season in brief: Gives the Missouri Valley Conference three teams, along with tournament winner Creighton and at-large selection Evansville.

* Player to watch: Center Danny Moore, a 6-10 center, is good enough to often have defenses designed to stop him.

* Tidbit: This is Steve Alford’s team, and perhaps his last at Southwest Missouri State. The former Indiana guard has been rumored all season as a likely replacement for Tom Davis at Iowa.

* NCAA bio: One victory in five previous appearances, all under coach Charlie Spoonhour, who recently stepped down as coach at Saint Louis.

13. DELAWARE (25-5)

* First-round opponent: Tennessee.

* Season in brief: Beat Drexel to win the America East tournament and reach the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row under Coach Mike Brey, a former assistant to Mike Krzyzewski. Brey has relied heavily on transfers, with eight in his first four seasons at the school.

* Player to watch: Mike Pegues, a 6-5 junior forward, was among the nation’s top 15 scorers at 22 points a game.

* Tidbit: Delaware has three players from Senegal on its roster--and only two from Delaware.

* NCAA bio: Lost to Purdue by 39 points in first round last season. Blue Hens have not won a game in three appearances.

14. GEORGE MASON (19-10)

* First-round opponent: Cincinnati.

* Season in brief: An athletic, run-and-press team, the Patriots started 1-5 but won their last 10. Point guard Jason Miskiri, a boyhood friend of Maryland’s Steve Francis in Takoma Park, Md., made a 25-foot shot with a minute left in the Colonial Athletic Assn. tournament final to beat Old Dominion. Among the teams to beat George Mason: Villanova, College of Charleston and Penn State.

* Player to watch: Sophomore center George Evans is a 28-year-old Gulf War veteran who spent seven years in the Army before becoming the CAA player of the year this season.

* Tidbit: Notable former coaches at Fairfax, Va., school include Paul Westhead, Rick Barnes and Joe Harrington.

NCAA bio: Only other trip was 1989, when Patriots lost to Indiana in the first round.

15. LAFAYETTE (22-7 )

* First-round opponent: Miami (Fla.).

* Season in brief: The team’s prospects looked dim when the Leopards’ best player, Stefan Ciosici, tore a ligament in his knee before the season. But Lafayette not only recovered, it reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1957, beating Bucknell in the Patriot League tournament final to qualify.

* Player to watch: Junior guard Brian Ehlers was the Patriot League player of the year.

* Tidbit: The Leopards have come a long way in a short while: They won only two games in 1994-95.

* NCAA bio: Lost opening game to Syracuse in 1957 in only other appearance.

16. FLORIDA A&M; (12-18)

* First-round opponent: Duke.

* Season in brief: The only team in the tournament with a losing record, the Rattlers earned their bid by beating South Carolina State in a close Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament final.

* Player to watch: Guard Monroe Pippens.

* Tidbit: Located in Tallahassee along with Florida State, the school is known locally as FAMU.

* NCAA bio: First appearance.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

EAST REGIONAL

First-Round Matchups

1. Duke (32-1)

16. Florida A&M; (12-18)

8. COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (28-2)

9. TULSA (22-9)

4. TENNESSEE (20-8)

13. DELAWARE (25-5)