MIDWEST REGIONAL AT A GLANCE: WHAT TO LOOK FOR

* The draw: Massachusetts should make a bee-line to the regional final, with one possible snag in the semifinals against Marquette, a No. 4 seed on the prowl having defeated Louisville, Memphis and Cincinnati in recent weeks. Look for Georgetown to bully its way through the other bracket, although another roadblock beckons. If you really love a mystery, check out No. 3 Texas Tech, 28-1 and the most ignored team in the land. Opinions about the Red Raiders range from “first-round washout” to “Final Four bound.” Lubbock-born rocker Buddy Holly would handicap Texas Tech’s chances as “Maybe Baby.”

* Best first-round game: No. 5 Penn State (21-6) versus No. 12 Arkansas (18-12). A David and Goliath coaching matchup. Jerry Dunn has done a bang-up job in his first season as coach of the Nittany Lions, but he may be tempted to send his identical twin brother, Terry, out against Nolan Richardson, who has taken his last two teams to title games.This one is stumbling into the tournament, having lost top scorer, Jerry Pate, and top rebounder, Sunday Adebayo, who were declared ineligible by the NCAA late last month after questions arose about their junior college transcripts.

* Upset in the making: No. 11 New Orleans over No. 6 North Carolina. Tic Price beats Dean Smith? It could happen. The Privateers have won 16 of their last 19 games, whereas the Tar Heels are shaking off the effects of a ego-crushing defeat by Clemson in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament. The case against this upset happening? North Carolina hasn’t lost its opening NCAA game since 1980.

* Sleeper: No. 8 Bradley. Don’t let that loss to Tulsa in the Missouri Valley tournament final throw you. The Braves are a veteran team that was good enough to beat Georgia Tech and Tulsa (twice) earlier this season.

* Impact coach: Tom Asbury, No. 10 Kansas State. Those who saw him at Pepperdine know he can coach. Those who hired him at Kansas State knew what they were doing. Those who don’t think his team can beat No. 7 New Mexico are in for a surprise.

* Impact players: Allen Iverson, Georgetown; Marcus Camby, UMass. Iverson is almost unstoppable but must avoid the foul trouble he got himself in during the Big East tournament. Massachusetts was 4-0 when Camby sat out after a fainting spell but the Minutemen really do prefer him in the lineup.

* The pick: Georgetown. Ray Allen’s miraculous shot denied the Hoyas the Big East championship game, but the Hoyas have their eyes on another prize.