Dance Floor

Like every year, there are favorites. Some are taking on different identities in this year's tournament. Most Feared is no longer North Carolina - the Tar Heels have taken on the label of Most Reviled this season after stealing a tournament berth out from under several more deserving teams. Most Respected in this 2000 tournament could be Arizona. Very few are doubting the Wildcats despite the absence of Loren Woods and their reliance on freshmen.

Better yet, Gonzaga's run to the Elite Eight last year has revived hope for all those lower seeds out there that they, too, can steal a part of the glory. But it all starts at noon today, where eight different subregional sites kick off a much anticipated round one. The West and Midwest regions open play today; the East and South regions do battle tomorrow.

West Region

Season's over: No. 7 Louisville. It's not even guaranteed the Cardinals will make it past NCAA-savvy Gonzaga in the first round. If they do, St. John's will make sure that they watch the Sweet Sixteen from the comforts of home.

Upset city: Picking No. 9 Fresno State over No. 8 Wisconsin is a gimme, so I'll find another upset in this wide-open region. No. 11 Dayton will have a Flying chance of taking out No. 6 Purdue. The Boilermakers are on a slide that started with their emotion-sapping loss at Indiana and continued through the Big Ten Tournament. Dayton has knocked off Kentucky and played Temple close.

Fighting chance: No. 3 Oklahoma should advance to a Sweet Sixteen matchup with St. John's. The Sooners drew the most fortunate of No. 6 seeds for its second-round game - UCLA, Indiana or Miami (Fla.) would represent a much larger problem for Oklahoma. Perennial tournament unknown Purdue isn't going to light the fire anytime soon.

Favorites: No. 1 Arizona, No. 2 St. John's, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 5 Syracuse. Syracuse has more than its share of seniors that won't want their final NCAA Tournament run to be short. Louisiana State is so young that down the stretch they might not have the mental stamina to pull it out against the Orangemen.

MIDWEST REGION

Season's over: No. 11 Ball State. The Cardinals drew one of the nation's hottest teams in UCLA. Most of the nation saw the Bruins nationally televised, overtime victory at Stanford. UCLA coach Steve Lavin has locked all the proper pieces into place and is ready to roll in the tournament. Ball State, a quality Mid-American Conference team, ran into the wrong team.

Upset city: No. 3 Maryland eliminated by No. 6 UCLA on Saturday. Maryland is overhyped for the talent they actually have on the roster. UCLA is well-versed in being a No. 6 seed that upsets a No. 3 seed in the second round. Ask Michigan.

Fighting chance: No. 10 Creighton shoots 41.8% from 3-point range, a statistic that gives it an excellent chance of beating a Chris Porter-less Auburn. Auburn's Scott Pohlman is hot and cold from long distance, and a cold day for him could mean one for Auburn as well. Creighton's run would be one game at most, however. Marcus Fizer and No. 2 Iowa State would swat the Jays back to earth in round two.

Favorites: No. 1 Michigan State, No. 2 Iowa State, No. 4 Syracuse, No. 6 UCLA. The Syracuse-Kentucky game is about as much of a toss-up as there is.

young that down the stretch they might not have the mental stamina to pull it out against the Orangemen.

Season's over: No. 11 Ball State. The Cardinals drew one of the nation's hottest teams in UCLA. Most of the nation saw the Bruins nationally televised, overtime victory at Stanford. UCLA coach Steve Lavin has locked all the proper pieces into place and is ready to roll in the tournament. Ball State, a quality Mid-American Conference team, ran into the wrong team.

Favorites: No. 1 Michigan State, No. 2 Iowa State, No. 4 Syracuse, No. 6 UCLA. The Syracuse-Kentucky game is about as much of a toss-up as there is.