Previews for Thursday's games

MIDWEST REGION

No. 16 Portland State (23-9) vs. No. 1 Kansas (31-3)

11:25 a.m., Omaha, Neb.

The 411: Portland State is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance. The Vikings rely on 3-pointers so they’ve got a shooter’s chance. Kansas has made two regional finals and had two first-round flops under coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks are primed to make the Final Four.

The strategy: Portland State will hope that mighty mite guard Jeremiah Dominguez -- he’s 5 feet, 5 inches tall -- can disrupt Kansas’ backcourt. If he’s able to flit about and create havoc, Portland State might be able to make it a game into the second half.

The key players:The Jayhawks’ front court against Portland State’s front court. Kansas should dominate the rebounding and low-post scoring. If not, KU fans will start fretting about their team’s NCAA future.

No. 9 Kent State (28-6) vs. No. 8 UNLV (26-7)

*1:55 p.m., Omaha, Neb.

The 411: It has been 17 years since UNLV won the national championship and the Runnin’ Rebels of the Mountain West Conference have dropped back to “mid-major” status. That puts them on a par with Kent State of the Mid-American Conference. After losing four starters from last season’s Sweet 16 team, UNLV coach Lon Krueger again proved his worth as a college coach.

The strategy: Both teams are guard-oriented. Don’t expect to see a lot of low-post scoring. The best interior player on the floor should be Kent State’s Haminn Quaintance, who is more of a defensive force than a scorer. Either Krueger or Kent State coach Jim Christian will need to come up with some defensive adjustments to try to disrupt the other team’s offensive rhythm. UNLV has the overall defensive edge.

The key players: UNLV’s Wink Adams and Kent State’s Al Fisher. Both are dynamic junior guards who are capable of taking over a game with their scoring and playmaking. Adams is the only holdover from last year’s UNLV team, while Fisher, a junior-college transfer, joined a team returning five starters.

No. 11 Kansas State (20-11) vs. No. 6 USC (21-11)

6:10 p.m., Omaha, Neb.

The 411: USC’s O.J. Mayo was heralded as the best freshman before the season started. Kansas State’s Michael Beasley proved on the court and in the stat sheet that he’s the rookie of the year. They’ll decide on the court which player will (probably) end his brief college career and which will advance to the second round.

The strategy: The Trojans have played great defense all season. USC coach Tim Floyd is a master at employing “junk” defenses (box and one, triangle and two). You can bet he’s got something special in mind for Beasley. Kansas State must prove it can take good shots and show patience against whatever defenses the Trojans employ.

The key players: USC’s Devon Jefferson and Taj Gibson vs. Kansas State’s Michael Beasley. While the Mayo vs. Beasley angle is sexy, the work of the 6-8 Jefferson and the 6-9 Gibson against Beasley will be where this game is one and lost.

No. 14 Cal State Fullerton (24-8) vs. No. 3 Wisconsin (29-4)

*8:40 p.m., Omaha, Neb.

The 411: The Titans -- who came within a victory of reaching the 1978 Final Four in their only other NCAA Tournament appearance -- average 80 points a game. Wisconsin leads the nation in scoring defense (54.3 points per game) and scored 80 or more twice in 33 games.

The strategy: Cal State Fullerton relies on its perimeter game and 3-point shooting. The Titans lack size, so they’ll need their outside shooting to counter Wisconsin, which is led in scoring and rebounding by 6-11 senior Brian Butch. The Badgers figure to dominate the boards.

The key players: Wisconsin’s Joe Krabbenhoft vs. Cal State Fullerton’s guards, particularly leading scorer Scott Cutley. The 6-7 Krabbenhoft is the prototypical role player who is a defensive stopper. He can check guards or forwards.

All times CDT; * -- approximate time (30 minutes following first game)