MIDWEST REGIONAL

North Carolina Charlotte (22-10) vs. Rhode Island (20-12): These teams are evenly matched in the crucial free-throw shooting department--they’re both pretty bad. Charlotte shot 66% this season and Rhode Island shot 67%. Ask Rhode Island how important free throws are in the tournament. Some missed freebies down the stretch against Stanford last year cost the Rams a trip to the Final Four. Charlotte is an outside-oriented team that made 38% of its three-point shots. Rhode Island’s Lamar Odom can do it all. While the 6-foot-10 forward and Jim Harrick might have their eye on bigger prizes during this tournament (the NBA and a new job, respectively), Charlotte is rallying for teammate Charles Hayward, who is battling leukemia.

* Arizona (22-6) vs. Oklahoma (20-10): Arizona’s Jason Terry is speedy on the fastbreak and money in the clutch. The Wildcats have played so many close games this season that their three freshman starters should be accustomed to pressure situations. Neither team has a dominant inside game, but Arizona’s 6-10 A.J. Bramlett will be the best big man on the court. Forward Edjuardo Najera is the go-to guy for Oklahoma.

* Michigan State (29-4) vs. Mount St. Mary’s (15-14): Michigan State is what UCLA could be like if the Bruins’ talented core stays together. With point guard Mateen Cleeves running the show, the Spartans take it right to opponents. Tiny Mount St. Mary’s (enrollment 1,300) got here the way many of the longshot teams got into the tournament, by making a lot of three-point shots. But the Mountaineers got a big-time player small schools rarely land after Melvin Whitaker came to them following an incident that cost him his scholarship at Virginia. Mount St. Mary’s had a second-half lead in a loss to Villanova earlier this season.

* Villanova (21-10) vs. Mississippi (19-12): Since pulling off the ultimate upset by beating Georgetown in the 1985 championship game, Villanova has been very quiet in the NCAA tournament. That has been the biggest criticism of seventh-year Coach Steve Lappas. Mississippi has spent so much time playing Philadelphia teams it ought to be an honorary member of the Big Five. The Rebels lost to Temple, 68-52, on Nov. 18 and beat St. Joseph’s, 66-61, on Dec. 21. Mississippi was on the wrong side of one of the highlights of last year’s tournament when Valparaiso’s Bryce Drew made a buzzer-beating shot.

* Utah (27-4) vs. Arkansas State (18-11): Utah has won 22 consecutive games. The Utes made it to the final game last year; no Arkansas State player has ever appeared in the NCAA tournament. It’s the school’s first appearance. Arkansas State goes small, with a three-guard starting lineup that reaches its minimum with 5-foot-6 point guard Chico Fletcher. Fletcher has put together a great season, averaging 16.9 points and 8.5 assists, but he didn’t do it against players the caliber of Utah’s Andre Miller.

* Washington (17-11) vs. Miami of Ohio (22-7): Instead of building on its Sweet 16 appearance in 1998, Washington had to fight just to get back into the tournament. The Huskies won eight of nine games to boost their chances, but begin this tournament on the skids, having lost four of their last six. Center Todd MacCulloch led the nation in field-goal shooting at 66.2%. Miami is making its third NCAA appearance in five years. Top gun Wally Szczerbiak dislocated his knee cap in practice two weeks ago, but says it is just about back to normal. The RedHawks need to play up-tempo as much as possible because they can’t match up with Washington’s height.

* Kansas (22-9) vs. Evansville (23-9): Even though the inconsistent Jayhawks managed to win the Big 12 tournament, there’s no reason for Evansville to be in awe. Evansville made 51% of its shots this season, including 41% of its three-point attempts. Kansas will have to find a way to stop high-scoring Marcus Wilson (20.2 points a game). The Jayhawk defense is rounding into Roy Willliams-dictated form, holding opponents to 32% shooting during the Big 12 tournament. Forward Lester Earl--from Baton Rouge, La., and a former Louisiana State player--is back after sitting out 20 games because of injuries.

* Kentucky (25-8) vs. New Mexico State (23-9): The Wildcats begin defense of their NCAA championship. They’ve undergone a huge transformation in the last three years, from a three-point-happy team loaded with lottery picks to a less talented group that struggles with the outside shot. But the seniors have played in three consecutive championship games, and that experience should come into play. New Mexico State Coach Lou Henson has been around long enough to win 700 games and made a trip to the Final Four with Illinois in 1989, so maybe he can impart some of that knowledge to his tournament newcomers. He always emphasizes defense and balanced scoring, and that’s what this team has.