WHAT TO LOOK FOR

The draw: If the West Regional is the bracket of champions, the South landed some top runners-up. The second through fourth seeds all lost in the finals of conference tournaments: Alabama (Southeastern), Pittsburgh (Big East) and USC (Pacific 10). The No. 1 seed, Duke, is a champion in every sense of the word. The Blue Devils are back to defend their NCAA title and just rolled to the ACC tournament crown.

Best first-round game: No. 5-seeded Indiana vs. No. 12 Utah. It’s Big Ten player of the year Jared Jeffries and a Bob Knight-influenced system against the tactics of Rick Majerus. Utah’s coach is great under tournament conditions, with quick turnarounds, and now he gets three days of preparation. In February, the Utes had to clear out of their dorms to make room for the Winter Olympic athletes. Now they’ll be much closer to home (in Sacramento) than Indiana will be.

Sleeper: USC. If the Trojans can somehow get past Duke--or get someone else to do the dirty work for them--they could roll through whomever emerges from the lower half of the draw. They’re athletic and tournament-tested after making it to the Elite Eight last season.

Upset in the making: No. 10 Kent State vs. No. 7 Oklahoma State. Kent State has won 18 consecutive games; the Cowboys have won only eight of their last 18. If Oklahoma State’s jump shots aren’t falling and the offense stops moving, it comes down to guards Maurice Baker and Victor Williams trying to take their men off the dribble. Middle-of-the-pack teams from the power conferences tend to overlook mid-major conference champions. The Cowboys should check with the Indiana Hoosiers, who lost to Kent State in the first round last year.

Impact coach: Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski. He’s always the impact coach, no matter what the region. Nine Final Fours, three championships. Enough said.

Impact player: Just like last year, it’s a battle between Duke teammates. Last time it was Jason Williams and Shane Battier. This time it’s Williams and Mike Dunleavy Jr. Dunleavy can drain three-pointers, make athletic plays around the hoop, get into the passing lanes on defense and create steals. When he’s on, Duke is almost invincible. But Williams is the one who makes it happen, with his quick-release shot and his ability to get to the basket. The status of Pittsburgh point guard Brandin Knight’s sprained knee will determine how far the third-seeded Panthers advance in the tournament.

The pick: Duke. With projected opponents Notre Dame, USC and Alabama, the path to the Final Four won’t be easy. But the Blue Devils have all the ingredients for another championship run: size (Carlos Boozer), athleticism (Dunleavy, Chris Duhon, Dahntay Jones) and a great lead guard (Williams).