What To Look For

* Gonzaga vs. Purdue: Don’t let the seedings fool you. This is an even game. Gonzaga is here after beating No. 7 Louisville and No. 2 St. John’s. Far from a novelty act, or a brains-only operation, the Bulldogs are loaded with athletes who can beat you inside or out. You want perimeter play? Swingman Richie Frahm scored 31 points against Louisville and guard Matt Santangelo had 26 against St. John’s. Forward Casey Calvary was the most valuable player of the West Coast Conference tournament and had 12 second-half points in the win against St. John’s. Athleticism? Frahm’s rejection of a dunk attempt by Louisville’s Quintin Bailey probably ranks thus far as the play of the tournament. Of course, it’s Zag-mania all over again in Spokane, Wash. The tiny Jesuit school’s phone lines are ringing off the hook. The basketball exposure elicited 12 application requests alone from Massachusetts. Last year, admission applications rose 37% after the team’s run to the Elite Eight, and the school raised a record $13.4 million in donations.

Purdue is the last of six Indiana schools left in the field, although it barely survived Dayton in the opening round. Saturday’s win over No. 3 Oklahoma was impressive, though, given that Purdue is not that quick or athletic. The star of that game was junior center Greg McQuay, who kept Sooner star Eduardo Najera in check--15 points, six rebounds--while scoring 16 points, the most since his 20-point outburst against Coppin State on Dec. 11. Both schools are capable of scoring. Gonzaga averages 78 points a game to Purdue’s 74, although the Zags shoot a higher percentage, .480 to .445. The keys for Purdue are senior forward Brian Cardinal, who averages 14 points and plays a rugged, elbows-and-knees game under the basket. If Cardinal can slow Calvary on the inside and still get his points, the Boilermakers will be in good shape. Also, after a season-long slump, Purdue guard Jaraan Cornell made some big shots against Dayton and Oklahoma and appears to have recovered his shooting stroke.

What To Look For

* Wisconsin vs. Louisiana State: Wisconsin has already derailed Fresno State and Arizona, two teams with superior talent. Can the Badgers make it three? Yes, if Wisconsin keeps shooting straight. Although shooting only 42.9% for the season, Wisconsin made 13 of 26 shots in a second-half blitz against Fresno State and shot 49% in Saturday’s upset over top-seeded Arizona. Dick Bennett likes to play the hot hand and constantly juggles his lineup to find a combination that works. If Duany Duany’s jump shot is off, Bennett will summon Jon Bryant off the bench. Against Fresno State, Bryant nailed four consecutive three-point baskets from the same spot--baseline, left of the basket--to deflate the Bulldogs. On offense, the Badgers move until they get an open shot. Saturday, Maurice Linton, who averages only four points a game, stunned Arizona with 14. “All the shots I took were given to me,” Linton said. “They weren’t forced.”

Wisconsin’s scrappiness, however, does not compensate for matchup problems against the Tigers’ skyscraper front line of Jabari Smith, Stromile Swift and Brian Beshara. Swift can flat-out jump, and personally seized the Texas game with 23 points, 10 rebounds and a resounding block on center Chris Mihm’s dunk attempt in the closing minutes. Wisconsin center Andy Kowske did a superb job of denying Arizona forward Michael Wright the ball, holding the standout center to only two points. But Kowske, at 6 feet 8, and 6-9 forward Mark Vershaw will have to be at their defensive best against the 6-9 Swift and the 6-11 Smith. The key to the game may be Louisiana State’s Beshara. He’s tall at 6-8, and can bang inside, but the Tigers also count on his outside shot. He made the winning three-point basket to beat Southeast Missouri State in the opening round, but has made only two of his last 17 three-point attempts.