Not Invincible, but Still Duke

No. 1 DUKE (29-3)

First-round opponent: Winthrop.

Season in brief: Any talk of invincibility was halted by the defending national champions’ startling loss at Florida State followed by losses at Maryland and Virginia, although the Blue Devils won their unprecedented fourth consecutive ACC tournament title. Last season’s championship team also lost three regular-season games.

Player to watch: Jason Williams. The 6-2 junior guard is the favorite for national player of the year, and some expect him to be a Stephon Marbury-type or Allen Iverson-type player when he joins the NBA next season.

Tidbit: At 6-9, forward Mike Dunleavy has grown three inches since arriving at Duke--and is six inches taller than his father, the former NBA player and coach by the same name.

NCAA bio: Three NCAA titles--in 1991, ’92 and 2001--and 13 Final Fours, the last nine under Mike Krzyzewski.

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No. 2 ALABAMA (26-7)

First-round opponent: Florida Atlantic.

Season in brief: The Crimson Tide won the regular-season Southeastern Conference title, clinching with victories over Florida and Auburn, but lost in the tournament final to Mississippi State. Alabama rose to a top 10 ranking after early struggles that included road losses to Missouri and UCLA.

Player to watch: Erwin Dudley. The 6-8 junior forward had 14 double-doubles during the regular season and was the SEC player of the year

Tidbit: Coach Mark Gottfried was a senior guard on Alabama’s last SEC championship team, in 1987. He later became a UCLA assistant coach.

NCAA bio: A tournament regular under Wimp Sanderson in the 1980s and early 1990s, Alabama is in the field for the first time since 1995.

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No. 3 PITTSBURGH (27-5)

First-round opponent: Central Connecticut State.

Season in brief: This surprise team broke into the top 10, set a school record for victories and earned Ben Howland nominations for coach of the year. The Panthers were one of the nation’s best defensive teams, allowing only about 60 points a game. They lost to Notre Dame twice and had double-overtime setbacks to Miami and Connecticut, the latter coming in the Big East tournament final. Brandin Knight sprained his right knee in the Big East tournament final, but is OK to play.

Player to watch: Knight. The 6-foot junior point guard is the brother of Brevin Knight, an NBA player and former Stanford star point guard.

Tidbit: Howland, who guided Northern Arizona to the NCAA tournament in 1998, is a former UC Santa Barbara assistant who was a standout player at Cerritos High in the 1970s.

NCAA bio: First appearance since 1993, but made the field six times in the 1980s. Reached the Elite Eight in 1974 and the Final Four in 1941.

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No. 4 USC (22-9)

First-round opponent: North Carolina Wilmington.

Season in brief: The Trojans roared into the Pac-10 tournament with a 25-point victory over Stanford before losing to Arizona in the championship game. With three seniors who played on last season’s Elite Eight team--Sam Clancy, Brandon Granville and David Bluthenthal--USC is tournament-tested. The Trojans had a nine-game winning streak at one point, but stumbled in early nonconference games to Fresno State and Pepperdine.

Player to watch: Clancy. The 6-7 senior forward was the Pac-10 player of the year after recording a double-double in 17 of 28 games and 11 in a row.

Tidbit: If Henry Bibby ever reaches the Final Four, he will join a group of six coaches who have played and coached in it--Dean Smith, Bob Knight and Billy Donovan among them.

NCAA bio: Reached the Elite Eight last year before losing to eventual champion Duke. This marks the Trojans’ first repeat appearance since 1991 and ’92 under George Raveling.

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No. 5 INDIANA (20-11)

First-round opponent: Utah.

Season in brief: The Hoosiers started 7-5 with losses to Southern Illinois and Butler, but recovered to earn a share of the Big Ten title with three other teams. They won only four of their last eight games.

Player to watch: Jared Jeffries. The 6-9 sophomore forward was the Big Ten player of the year and the conference’s leading shot-blocker, but he has been bothered by a nagging ankle injury.

Tidbit: Indiana hasn’t reached a regional final since 1993.

NCAA bio: Three NCAA championships, in 1976, 1981 and 1987, all under Bob Knight. Upset by Kent State in first round last year in Mike Davis’ first season.

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No. 6 CALIFORNIA (22-8)

First-round opponent: Pennsylvania.

Season in brief: Defeated UCLA in the Pac-10 tournament before losing to Arizona in the semifinals. The sometimes-erratic Golden Bears contended for the Pac-10 regular-season title until the final weekend, but finished with a stunning 46-point loss at Arizona. The defense-oriented Bears were 17-1 at home--defeating Stanford, Oregon, USC and UCLA--but only 4-6 on the road.

Player to watch: Joe Shipp. The 6-5 junior forward has been Cal’s most consistent scorer, though freshman forward Amit Tamir--with his European-style skills--had the biggest scoring output of the season with a 39-point game against Oregon.

Tidbit: Tamir, a native of Israel, was forced to sit out the first eight games for playing with professionals there.

NCAA bio: Lost to Fresno State in first round last season after three-year absence. Won 1959 title under Pete Newell and lost in NCAA final in 1960.

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No. 7 OKLAHOMA STATE (23-8)

First-round opponent: Kent State.

Season in brief: A hot start that included a victory over Cincinnati helped the Cowboys reach as high as No. 5 in the rankings. Leading scorer Maurice Baker was hampered by a severe ankle sprain through most of their 10-6 Big 12 season as the Cowboys lost by 22 to Texas Tech in conference tournament.

Player to watch: Baker. Guard’s fitness might have a lot to do with Cowboys’ fate.

Tidbit: Eddie Sutton’s 22 tournament appearances put in him one ahead of Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim for second behind Lute Olson among active coaches.

NCAA bio: Made 1995 Final Four under Eddie Sutton, losing in the semifinals to eventual champion UCLA. Won back-to-back titles in 1945 and ’46 under Henry Iba.

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No. 8 NOTRE DAME (21-10)

First-round opponent: Charlotte.

Season in brief: The Irish survived the early departure of Troy Murphy to the NBA rather well. Notre Dame defeated Pittsburgh twice and was a 20-point winner over St. John’s in the Big East quarterfinals.

Player to watch: Chris Thomas. The 6-1 freshman point guard played all 60 minutes in Notre Dame’s quadruple overtime victory over Georgetown--and finished with only five turnovers to go with 22 points and 12 assists.

Tidbit: Leading scorer Ryan Humphrey, a 6-8 senior forward, reached the 1999 Sweet 16 as a player for Oklahoma.

NCAA bio: Returned to tournament under Mike Brey last season for first time since the Digger Phelps era. This is the 26th appearance for Notre Dame, which reached the Final Four in 1978.

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No. 9 CHARLOTTE (18-11)

First-round opponent: Notre Dame.

Season in brief: Nothing scintillating, just another solid resume in Conference USA and beyond. Key victories included games against Marquette and Memphis. The 49ers played Indiana, Temple, Florida and Miami in nonconference games but didn’t win any of them. They also fell to Cincinnati for a third time this season in the Conference USA tournament semifinals.

Player to watch: Jobey Thomas.The 6-4 senior guard with a quick-release shot had a five-game streak with at least five three-pointers and averages 19 points a game.

Tidbit: The nickname 49ers is said to come from the school’s proximity to Hwy. 49.

NCAA bio: Fifth appearance in six years, and ninth overall. Lost to Illinois in second round last season. Made Final Four in 1977 with Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell.

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No. 10 KENT STATE (27-5)

First-round opponent: Oklahoma State.

Season in brief: Started sluggishly under new Coach Stan Heath after Gary Waters left for Rutgers. But the Golden Flashes hit their stride with an 18-game winning streak, the most recent victory a 70-59 win over Bowling Green in the Mid-American tournament final.

Player to watch: Trevor Huffman. The 6-1 senior guard scored 24 points in the NCAA first-round upset of Indiana last season.

Tidbit: Kent State was the school that was site of the infamous 1970 National Guard shootings in which four students were killed during an antiwar protest.

NCAA bio: Golden Flashes upset Indiana in the first round last season before losing to Cincinnati. Third appearance overall.

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No. 11 PENNSYLVANIA (25-6)

First-round opponent: California.

Season in brief: Played in unprecedented three-way playoff for the Ivy League title in what amounted to a mini-tournament for the only conference that doesn’t hold a tournament. The Quakers handily defeated Yale to earn the conference bid. Highlights of the season included victories over Philadelphia rivals Villanova, Temple and St. Joseph’s.

Player to watch: Ugonna Onyekwe. The 6-8 junior forward is a powerful inside player and the team’s leading scorer.

Tidbit: Cornell was the last team besides Penn or Princeton to win the Ivy League title, in 1988.

NCAA bio: The Quakers have made 19 appearances, with Penn and Princeton dominating the Ivy League conference championship. Reached 1979 Final Four, losing to Magic Johnson’s Michigan State team. Only victory since was a 1994 upset of Nebraska.

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No. 12 UTAH (21-8)

First-round opponent: Indiana.

Season in brief: The Utes played in the National Invitation Tournament last year after Coach Rick Majerus missed most of the season on medical and personal leave. This season, Utah hit a midseason stride that included a 13-game winning streak. They were only 4-4 down the stretch before losing to Nevada Las Vegas in the semifinals of the Mountain West tournament.

Player to watch: Britton Johnsen. The slender 6-9 junior forward has eye-catching ability as an inside-outside player and was voted conference player of the year.

Tidbit: Some of the Ute players had to move out of their dorm rooms to make way for athletes in the Olympic Village in Salt Lake City.

NCAA bio: Made Final Four in 1998, losing to Kentucky in the title game. Won 1944 NCAA title.

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No. 13 N.C. WILMINGTON (22-9)

First-round opponent: USC.

Season in brief: This isn’t exactly the University of North Carolina school that usually makes the field. The Seahawks earned a bid by defeating Virginia Commonwealth in the Colonial Athletic Assn. tournament--a year after losing the final to George Mason in a 35-33 game that was the second-lowest scoring game since the shot clock was introduced in college basketball.

Player to watch: Brett Blizzard. The 6-3 junior guard was the player of the year in the CAA.

Tidbit: Wilmington is Michael Jordan’s hometown.

NCAA bio: Second appearance. Lost to Cincinnati in first round in 2000.

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No. 14 CENT. CONNECTICUT ST. (27-4)

First-round opponent: Pittsburgh.

Season in brief: Tournament’s other Blue Devils won bid by defeating Quinnipiac in Northeast tournament final--their 19th victory in a row. A key result was a 66-44 loss to Oklahoma, in opening game of Preseason NIT.

Player to watch: Corsley Edwards. The 6-9 senior center was on the NCAA team that almost upset Iowa State two years ago.

Tidbit: The Northeast Conference has never had a team win an NCAA tournament game.

NCAA bio: Second appearance.

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No. 15 FLORIDA ATLANTIC (19-11)

First-round opponent: Alabama.

Season in brief: This team looks a tad dangerous after the way it played to defeat Lefty Driesell’s Georgia State team in the Atlantic Sun final. Program is on the rise after winning only seven games last season and a mere two the season before. Cautionary result: Lost to Miami, 74-48.

Player to watch: Raheim Brown. A 6-10 forward who transferred from South Florida, Brown averages 17 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.

Tidbit: The Owls’ coach is Sidney Green, the former Nevada Las Vegas and NBA player.

NCAA bio: First appearance.

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No. 16 WINTHROP (19-11)

First-round opponent: Duke.

Season in brief: Small private school from South Carolina is making its fourth consecutive NCAA appearance after defeating High Point in the Big South final. Started 4-8, defeating Clemson but losing to Ohio State by 24.

Player to watch: Greg Lewis. The 6-6 senior forward averages a double-double and was the Big South player of the year.

Tidbit: Reserve guard Alex English is the son of the basketball Hall of Famer.

NCAA bio: A first-round loser as a No. 14 seed in 2000 and a No. 16 in 1999.