Going to St. Petersburg: After clinching the Pac-10 regular season championship, Stanford stumbled a bit lately. But with seniors Arthur Lee and Mark Madsen leading an experienced team that went to the Final Four a year ago, the Cardinal is battle-tested.

Team on the rise: Discounting its loss yesterday against Duke, North Carolina (24-9) suddenly woke up in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. The Tar Heels have the combination of experience, with point guard Ed Cota and Ademola Okulaja, and raw talent in sophomores Brendan Haywood and Max Owens.

Team(s) on the decline: Take your pick between two Big Ten teams, Iowa (18-9) or Minnesota (17-10). The Hawkeyes started out 13-1 and the Gophers 9-1, but each team finished losing five of eight.

Cinderella story: Led by hot-shooting guard Matt Santangelo, Gonzaga (25-6) is a dangerous 10th seed. First off, the Bulldogs will bring many of their fans from nearby Spokane with them to the Kingdome in Seattle. Second, they have gotten a taste of big-time competition this year already, having lost at Kansas and having beaten Pac-10 teams Washington and Washington State.

Prime-time player: Despite some midseason injuries that slowed him a bit, Richard Hamilton is one of the five best college players in the country and capable of carrying the Huskies on his slim shoulders.

Most underrated player: As a sophomore, Quincy Lewis helped Minnesota get to the Final Four. Now a senior, Lewis is one of the leading scorers in the country and one of the best players in the Big Ten.

Coaching edge: Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun could be the most star-crossed, given the way the Huskies have lost games in the NCAA tournament. But if the Huskies are to make their first Final Four, the ever-competitive Calhoun will have to be at the top of his game.

Pub Date: 3/08/99