AT WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.

* Duke vs. Lamar: The Blue Devils beat 16th-seeded teams by an average of 39 points the last two years. The trend should continue. Lamar’s best player, forward Landon Rowe, will be guarded by Shane Battier, perhaps the nation’s top defender. Rowe, a 6-8 senior forward, averages 14.5 points. Duke brings a blend of veteran and youthful talent. Senior forward Chris Carrawell was Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year and juniors Battier and Nate James have tournament experience. Freshman point guard Jason Williams was at his best in the ACC tournament and freshman center Carlos Boozer improved rapidly after recovering from a broken foot.

* Kansas vs. DePaul: Both teams are limping into the tournament. Kansas was clocked by Oklahoma State, 77-58, in the first round of the Big 12 tournament, ending a streak of three titles. DePaul was upset by Saint Louis in the Conference USA tournament. Expect these teams to be seeded higher next year. Kansas starts three freshmen and DePaul starts four sophomores, one the ultra-talented 6-7 forward Quentin Richardson. The play of freshmen forwards Nick Collison and Drew Gooden could make or break the Jayhawks.

* Florida vs. Butler: Butler allows only 55.7 points a game, third-best in the nation, but hasn’t seen the likes of Florida’s athleticism and depth. The Gators will pressure Butler guards Thomas Jackson and LaVall Jordan and try to crank up the tempo. Butler is from the same Midwestern Collegiate Conference as Detroit Mercy, which upset UCLA and St. John’s the last two years. But for the Bulldogs to have a chance, they must grind the pace to a near halt.

* Illinois vs. Pennsylvania: Penn possesses the mistake-free game and senior-loaded lineup to pose problems. Illinois has greater depth, much more big-game experience and excellent guards in Cory Bradford and Frank Williams. Illinois has played consistently well for a month, having won 10 of its last 12. Bradford was especially hot, making 29 of 69 three-point shots to end the regular season. Penn starts four seniors, including Michael Jordan, a 6-foot guard who averages 16 points.

AT BUFFALO, N.Y.

* Pepperdine vs. Indiana: Pepperdine’s varied pressure defense meets an Indiana offense that led the powerful Big Ten in scoring at 78.7 points a game and field-goal percentage at 48.5%. A.J. Guyton, a first-team Associated Press All-American, is the Hoosiers’ primary threat, although center Kirk Haston averages 15.8 points and is similar to Gonzaga’s Casey Calvary, who gave Pepperdine fits in the West Coast Conference tournament. Indiana’s Achilles’ heel is fatigue: The Hoosiers lack depth and blew several late leads in Big Ten play. The Waves force 19 turnovers a game and like to score in transition. * Oklahoma State vs. Hofstra: This game could be determined by the point-guard matchup of Oklahoma State’s play-making Doug Gottlieb and Hofstra’s do-it-all Craig “Speedy” Claxton. Gottlieb, a senior from Tustin High, averages 8.6 assists but shoots a little more than 40%. Claxton, a 5-11 senior, averages 22.3 points, 6.0 assists and 3.3 steals. If Gottlieb can neutralize Claxton, the Cowboys should roll behind forward Desmond Mason, an explosive Wooden Award finalist who can score from inside and out.* Oregon vs. Seton Hall: With similar up-tempo styles, these teams could provide the regional’s most entertaining first-round game. Fast-breaking Oregon raced to a third-place finish in the Pacific 10 on the play of point guard Darius Wright and forward Alex Scales. Wright thrives in the clutch, makes free throws and dishes to Scales, a 6-4 senior who scored 31 in a victory over Arizona. Seton Hall is bolstered by the fact that all four No. 10-seeded teams won in the first round last year. The Pirates are fueled by the three-point shooting of Darius Lane and Rimas Kaukenas.* Temple vs. Lafayette: Temple ranks third in the nation in field-goal defense at 36.3% and limited opponents to 55 points a game. Lafayette is a prime candidate to become the 12th team the Owls have held under 50 points. The Leopards, who lost in the first round last season to Miami, 75-54, are led by senior guard Brian Ehlers, two-time Patriot League player of the year who averages 17.4 points. Temple counters with senior guard Pepe Sanchez, who averages only 6.4 points but 8.5 assists. Sanchez was player of the year in the Atlantic 10 Conference.