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East Rutherford subregionals glance

THURSDAY, BUFFALO, N.Y.

NO. 1 SAINT JOSEPH'S VS. NO. 16 LIBERTY: There seems to be a wide range of opinion on the Hawks, who were demolished by Xavier in the Atlantic 10 tournament quarterfinals after streaking through the season undefeated. Senior point guard Jameer Nelson, considered by many to be the national player of the year, must rally his team. Liberty, the Big South champion, should help Saint Joseph's get some of its swagger back. Still, the Hawks must rebound much better, and Nelson and backcourt-mate Delonte West have to bring their A game every time out. Beyond those two, the Hawks have little firepower, not counting the verbal proclivity of coach Phil Martelli.

NO. 8 TEXAS TECH VS. NO. 9 CHARLOTTE: The 49ers boast two deluxe 3-point shooters in Demon Brown and Vanderbilt transfer Brendan Plavich, a force on the interior in first-team All-C-USA pick Curtis Withers and the league's defensive player of the year in Eddie Basden. Still, their overall defense has been spotty, and Texas Tech's efficient offense should exploit it in what likely will be a high-scoring game. Red Raiders senior Andre Emmett will be looking to end a superlative career with a tournament run after leading Tech to the NIT semifinals a year ago. He is the Big 12's all-time leading scorer and can take over in crunch time.

NO. 4 WAKE FOREST VS. NO. 13 VA. COMMONWEALTH: The Demon Deacons are led by the backcourt duo of sophomore Justin Gray and freshman Chris Paul. Gray is a first-team All-ACC selection, and Paul, who went to high school in Winston-Salem, made most national all-freshman teams. They are a handful, as is 6-foot-9, 275-pound center Eric Williams. VCU, which has the nation's youngest coach in Jeff Capel, 29, won the Colonial title over George Mason. The Rams have a respectable RPI of 54 but no eye-catching wins. Expect Wake to have a significant edge in fan support in nearby Raleigh.

NO. 5 FLORIDA VS. NO. 12 MANHATTAN: The Jaspers are one of the trendy bracket-buster selections. Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis picks Manhattan to beat Florida and Wake Forest. Guard Luis Flores is the main reason for the confidence. The Rutgers transfer has had a superlative career, equally adept at outside shooting and slashing to the goal despite his slight 6-2 frame. Manhattan coach Bobby Gonzalez is considered a rising star who could be in line for a much bigger job. Florida appears to have recuperated from the February defection of Christian Drejer, finishing strong with the exception of two blowout losses to Kentucky.

NO. 2 OKLAHOMA ST. VS. NO. 15 EASTERN WASHINGTON: Oklahoma State is the highest of the No. 2 seeds as it is in the same bracket as the lowest No. 1, Saint Joseph's. Former Brandon High and Central Florida stars Joey and Stevie Graham, twins, play for the Cowboys, and Joey Graham has emerged as one of the Big 12's top players. Another transfer, point guard John Lucas, came from Baylor and did not have to sit out a season. This is the 24th appearance in the NCAAs for well-traveled Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton. Eastern Washington, however, is making its first NCAA appearance after winning the Big Sky.

NO. 7 MEMPHIS VS. NO. 10 SOUTH CAROLINA: The Tigers were one of the five teams that tied for first in Conference USA, but they bowed meekly in the league tournament, losing to Saint Louis in a quarterfinal. Point guard Antonio Burks was named the C-USA player of the year, and he gets from end to end as fast as anyone. Forward Sean Banks was C-USA's top freshman and has been racking up double doubles. Memphis was a No. 7 seed last season but was dumped in the first round by Arizona State. South Carolina lost six of its last eight in the regular season to go back onto the bubble, but two wins in the SEC tournament helped secure a berth. Jefferson graduate Tarence Kinsey and Temple Terrace's Renaldo Balkman have been key contributors for the Gamecocks, who are making their first NCAA appearance since 1998.

NO. 3 PITTSBURGH VS. NO. 14 CENTRAL FLORIDA: The Panthers were one of the unluckiest teams or most disrespected by the selection committee, depending on your perspective. Most penciled them in for a No. 2 seed, but they received a No. 3 and must play in Milwaukee, where a second-round matchup with Wisconsin looms. Not fair, perhaps, but Pitt has the defense to beat anyone, anywhere. First-year coach Jamie Dixon has picked up where Ben Howland left off. Two New York City products, freshman center Chris Taft and sophomore point guard Carl Krauser, have been revelations. Dunedin graduate Josh Bodden has been one of UCF's top players. The Knights, who have an RPI of 62, beat Belmont and Troy State to win the Atlantic Sun tournament.

NO. 6 WISCONSIN VS. NO. 11 RICHMOND: The Big Ten might have received little respect from the selection committee, with just three teams in the tournament and none higher than a No. 5 seed (Illinois), but Wisconsin caught a huge break. Not only do the Badgers open with an at-large team many figured wouldn't get a berth, but they play in the biggest city in the state of Wisconsin. Badgers guard Devin Harris has been outstanding, but he will be matched up with Richmond's Tony Dobbins, a superlative defender and rebounder. Spiders forward Mike Skrocki excels at running off screens and draining 3-pointers.