WHAT TO LOOK FOR

The draw: The Final Four contenders before the season began looked like Illinois and Florida. But make way for Kansas--deposed by Duke as the nation’s No. 1 team Monday after losing to Oklahoma in the Big 12 final--and for Oregon, not even a top-40 team before the season. It’s hard to see anyone stopping either from reaching the regional final, but the intrigue in the bracket is a potential Florida-Illinois second-round game Sunday in Chicago--probably for the right to play Kansas. Illinois made a nice late-season recovery and Frank Williams is often brilliant late in games.

Best first-round game: Stanford-Western Kentucky is a rare first-round contest between ranked teams: No. 24-ranked Stanford (19-9) is the eighth-seeded team, but ninth-seeded Western Kentucky (28-3) is ranked No. 19. It’s also a head-to-head matchup of two of the nation’s most skilled 7-footers--Curtis Borchardt and Chris Marcus.

Sleeper: Mississippi State. The Bulldogs were under the radar for most of the season because of an early blowout loss to Cincinnati, but won the Southeastern Conference tournament over Alabama and defeated all the good SEC teams at least once. Cautionary note: Mississippi State would have to play hometown favorite Texas at Dallas in the second round if Boston College can’t upset the Longhorns.

Upset in the making: Pepperdine over Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons were a first-round victim of Butler last season, so the Waves could strike a blow for the left-out mid-majors by upending the Atlantic Coast Conference team Thursday at Sacramento.

Impact coach: Roy Williams. He has guided Kansas to a No. 1 seeding five times in 14 seasons and made the Final Four twice, in 1991 and ’93 (But neither time as a No. 1). The only coaches in the field with better NCAA tournament winning percentages than Williams (67.6%) are Mike Krzyzewski (80%) and Tubby Smith (72%).

Impact player: Drew Gooden. The 6-10 junior forward for Kansas averages 20 points and 11 rebounds and probably will finish second to Duke’s Jason Williams in the Wooden Award balloting. Keep an eye on his excellent hands--one of several keys to his rebounding ability.

The pick: Oregon. Kansas meets its mismatch in a regional final between the two best running teams in the country. It will be bombs away too: Oregon is No. 1 in the nation in three-point shooting, and Kansas is No. 3. The problem for the Jayhawks is perimeter mismatches. The small Kansas guards won’t be able to shoot over Oregon’s wings, and 6-3 Kirk Hinrich--the tallest player in a three-guard attack--will be hard pressed to defend 6-7 Luke Jackson. And somebody still has to stop Frederick Jones, who plays like a smaller Vince Carter, and Luke Ridnour, the Oregon point guard who would be the epitome of a classic Jayhawk guard.