Previews for Thursday's games

SOUTH REGIONAL

No. 12 Temple (21-12) vs. No. 5 Michigan State (25-8)

11:30 a.m., Denver

The 411: Team Schizo, which rhymes with Izzo (coach Tom). With a veteran team returning, Michigan State was expected to spend the season in the top 10 but was troublingly inconsistent. Fran Dunphy, the former coach at Penn, is in his second season at Temple. The Owls started to click with his coaching and enter the NCAA Tournament on a seven-game winning streak.

The strategy: Izzo’s team relies on a structured offense with the occasional run out for an easy basket. If the patterns don’t work, the Spartans’ offense can struggle to break 50. The Owls play the same kind of suffocating defense they did under former coach John Chaney but the offense under Dunphy is more free flowing. Temple’s defense will try to clog Michigan State’s set plays.

The key players: Temple guard/forward Dionte Christmas and Michigan State guard Drew Neitzel. Each are the offensive sparks for their teams. Christmas can score with jump shots or drives. Neitzel is a 3-point threat but has trouble creating his own shot.

No. 11 Kentucky (18-12) vs. No. 6 Marquette (24-9)

1:30 p.m., Anaheim, Calif.

The 411: Billy Gillispie, in his first season at Kentucky, overcame injuries and shocking home-court losses to keep the Wildcats’ NCAA Tournament appearance streak alive (17th in a row). Marquette reached the 2003 Final Four but hasn't made it out of the first weekend since.

The strategy: Marquette will try to force its will on Kentucky. The Golden Eagles love to pressure all over the court and prefer a fast-paced game. The Wildcats are short-handed and win games with their defense plus a patient half-court offense. If Kentucky is going to win, it needs to keep the score in the 60s.

The key players: Kentucky point guard Ramel Bradley and Marquette’s backcourt trio of Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews. Bradley will have to help the Wildcats break through the Golden Eagles’ pressure defense. Bradley, who rarely goes to the bench, will also have to supply some offense.

No. 13 Oral Roberts (24-8) vs. No. 4 Pittsburgh (26-9)

*2 p.m., Denver, Colo.

The 411: The Golden Eagles are in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year and are seeking the program’s first win since 1974. Pitt enters the NCAAs on a roll after winning four games in four days to capture the Big East Conference tournament title. The Panthers are coached by former TCU guard Jamie Dixon.

The strategy: Oral Roberts will try to win the game from the perimeter. Robert Jarvis, a 5-11 junior guard, is the team’s leading scorer off the bench. If he’s hot and the Golden Eagles can limit Pitt’s streaky outside shooting, they might have a chance. The Panthers, though, are a tough-minded group that thrive on defense and rebounding.

The key players: Oral Roberts' Moses Ehambe vs. Pitt’s Sam Young. Ehambe, a Mansfield Summit product, needs to outduel Young. Both are wing players who can score from the outside and slash to the basket.

No. 14 Cornell (22-5) vs. No. 3 Stanford (26-7)

*4 p.m., Anaheim, Calif.

The 411: Cornell has won 16 in a row; its last loss was at Duke on Jan. 6. Stanford reached the Final Four in 1997 (when, like this year, it was in San Antonio). Since then, though, the Cardinal has been known for being an opening weekend flop.

The strategy: As one might expect from and Ivy League school, the Big Red play smart. Cornell has balanced scoring led by sophomore forward Ryan Wittman. Cornell will need to take good shots and keep Stanford off the boards. If the Cardinal perimeter game is sub-par, Cornell will have a chance to pull the upset.

The key players: Cornell’s Jason Hartford and Jeff Foote vs. Stanford’s Brook and Robin Lopez. Hartford is 6-9, Foote is 7-foot. At best against Stanford’s 7-foot twin towers, they’ll need to keep Team Lopez from combining for 40 points and 20 rebounds.

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