At Charlotte

* Duke (33-1) vs. Tulsa (23-9): Blue Devil guard Trajan Langdon will return today after being sidelined three games because of a strained left foot. “We think it’s time to test it. Right now he’s starting,” Coach Mike Krzyzewski said, adding that he was concerned about the top-seeded Blue Devils losing their rhythm if they continued to play without Langdon. No. 9-seeded Tulsa better be ready to face Duke’s pressure after nearly blowing a 26-point lead and committing 25 turnovers against the College of Charleston and its press in a 62-53 first-round victory. “If you commit 25 turnovers against Duke, they’ll take the game right there and blow you out and make no contest of it,” said Tulsa center Brandon Kurtz, who is from Bakersfield. Tulsa forward Michael Ruffin played against Duke’s Elton Brand in the Goodwill Games tryouts last summer and called him “real aggressive, real physical.” Tulsa guard Marcus Hill said, “I don’t think anybody on this team feels Duke is unbeatable.”

* Tennessee (21-8) vs. Southwest Missouri State (21-10)--Steve Alford and his 12th-seeded Bears will try to extend their run against the fourth-seeded Volunteers after knocking off fifth-seeded Wisconsin in the first round. “It’s just different as a player. I wasn’t the boss then. As the coach I kind of am,” said Alford, 34, who played on Indiana’s 1987 NCAA title team. “As coach, I wake up and tell them when we’re going to practice, what time we’re eating breakfast, when to get on the bus.” Whenever Southwest Missouri State loses, it figures to be Alford’s last game at the school. He’s a hot coaching candidate, rumored most strongly to take over for Tom Davis at Iowa. “I think we keep it from being a distraction if we keep winning,” he said. “As long as we keep winning, everybody will keep talking, but nobody will talk to me. It’s exciting and fun. It strokes your ego to know other people appreciate what you do.” Tennessee could live up to its early-season promise by making the Sweet 16 but is inconsistent offensively. “I believe we can’t really shoot worse than we did Friday,” said guard Brandon Wharton of the Volunteers’ 33% shooting in a 62-52 victory over Delaware.

At Boston

* Cincinnati (27-5) vs. Temple (22-10)--The No. 3-seeded Bearcats will want to run against the Owls to avoid facing Temple’s matchup zone. “We’ll have to speed things up and get them out of their game,” Cincinnati forward Pete Mickeal said. The Bearcats eliminated the Owls in 1995 and ‘96, and will try to do it again to edge another game closer to a possible rematch against Duke in the East Regional final next week at East Rutherford, N.J. Cincinnati handed Duke its only loss of the season, 77-75, in the final of the Great Alaska Shootout on Nov. 28. No. 6-seeded Temple will have to contend with Cincinnati’s physical play, prompting Coach John Chaney to say the Bearcats “beat the hell out of you.” Temple guard Pepe Sanchez accomplished a remarkable feat in a 61-54 victory over Kent. He played all 40 minutes without a turnover. He also scored 15 points, his season high.

* Purdue (20-12) vs. Miami (23-6)--No. 2-seeded Miami, a strong team out of the Big East, finally won an NCAA tournament game in its third try after failing last season and in its only other appearance in 1960. “The Sweet 16 would be a tremendous feat for us,” said guard Johnny Hemsley, who made nine three-point baskets and had 31 points in the Hurricanes’ 75-54 victory over Lafayette. The NCAA record of 11 three-point baskets was set by Loyola Marymount’s Jeff Fryer against Michigan in 1990. Forward Tim James, usually Miami’s leading scorer, had only nine points in the first-round game. No. 10-seeded Purdue, which limped into the tournament after losing five of its last six games, beat No. 7-seeded Texas, 58-54. Purdue doesn’t have a distinguished NCAA history, however, and figures to be hard pressed to match last year’s Sweet 16 finish.