Arizona Plans Surprise Party

It isn’t often this way for Arizona. But amid all the orange and the talk of a bygone Illinois recruiting scandal, the Wildcats are lying in the grass at the Chicago Regional, hoping to pounce.

“I don’t think people talk about us, period, but we like it like that,” guard Salim Stoudamire said. “We like to sneak up.”

For third-seeded Arizona to reach the Final Four, it will take more than stealth.

The Wildcats face second-seeded Oklahoma State tonight at Allstate Arena in what might be the best of the regional semifinal matchups, a contest of skilled, athletic and disciplined teams coached by old friends Lute Olson and Eddie Sutton, who have 1,500 coaching victories between them.

If Arizona wins tonight, it would on Saturday face either top-seeded Illinois or underdog Wisconsin Milwaukee, a No. 12-seeded team whose coach, Bruce Pearl, is hated by Illini fans for making allegations of NCAA violations against Illinois when he was an assistant at Iowa in 1989.

To reach St. Louis, Arizona probably would have to beat a No. 2 and a No. 1.

The Wildcats are ready to try, and Sutton is convinced they’re capable.

“I think they’re the most athletic team we’ve seen all season long,” Sutton said. “I’m not sure they’re not the most talented and best team we’ve faced.”

Oklahoma State must contain Stoudamire, and Sutton is echoing Olson’s claim that Stoudamire, not Duke’s J.J. Redick, is the best shooting guard in the country.

Daniel Bobik, the 6-foot-5 senior from Newbury Park, has drawn the assignment of guarding the 6-1 Stoudamire, who will have to contend with Bobik’s height.

“I think the really amazing thing for me is the freedom he has to shoot the ball,” Bobik said. “Any shot is a good shot for him.”

Arizona must handle not only skilled and savvy guards John Lucas and JamesOn Curry, but faces what could be a ferociously physical inside attack.

Arizona’s Channing Frye is a shot-blocker, but he and Ivan Radenovic will have to muscle up against Ivan McFarlin and Joey Graham.

Graham is the Cowboys’ star, but has been oddly quiet the first two rounds, held to single digits.

“He hasn’t played as well the last third of the season,” Sutton said, calling Graham “a wonderful young man” who might be trying too hard.

After the first two games of the tournament, the Oklahoma State staff put together clips of some of Graham’s best games. “I think he’s even surprised at how different he’s playing,” Sutton said. “I think he isn’t as aggressive. That shows up in not getting to the free-throw line, not rebounding, maybe not playing defense. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t play better.”

Graham expects to.

“I’m very optimistic about my game, and very confident,” he said. “Unfortunately, I picked up some fouls early in the last game that put me on the bench.”

During Graham’s slump, McFarlin has taken over, and he pounded Southern Illinois with 31 points in the second round.

Something of a role player during the season, the 6-8, 240-pound McFarlin is a monster at tournament time.

“I nicknamed him the ‘Warrior,’ ” Sutton said.

McFarlin’s 149 points in 11 NCAA tournament games during his career rank third in Oklahoma State history, behind Bryant Reeves and Randy Rutherford.

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TONIGHT’S GAMES

No. 1 Illinois vs. No. 12 Wisconsin Milwaukee

* Site: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Ill.

* 4:27 p.m. PST.

* What to watch for: Wisconsin Milwaukee made at least 11 three-point shots in each game to pull early-round upsets of Alabama and Boston College. Expect Illinois to try to make it very difficult for Ed McCants to get good looks. Illinois probably won’t cough up the ball against pressure the way Alabama and Boston College did, committing 22 and 19 turnovers, respectively.

* Key to the game: Wisconsin Milwaukee got this far with high-pressure, up-tempo basketball, but that style plays right into the Illini’s hands.

No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 3 Arizona

* Site: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Ill.

* 6:57 p.m. PST.

* What to watch for: As ever, keep an eye out for indications whether mercurial Arizona guard Salim Stoudamire is going to be hot. (Lately, the answer is yes.) Oklahoma State will try to control the game physically, especially inside, and Joey Graham is due to break out of his slump.

* Key to the game: The burden is on Arizona’s Channing Frye to keep bruisers Ivan McFarlin and Graham under wraps. It’s a tall order, but if Graham is held in check, Oklahoma State Coach Eddie Sutton says it will be hard for the Cowboys to win.

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-- Robyn Norwood