To know list: 7 candidates for an at-large bid

[1] THE BEST TEAMS ...

Forward, March

There is no debating Illinois' position as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. But when the selection committee meets next Sunday, there might be some arguments about the other three spots.

North Carolina is the closest to a lock and would finish the debate by defeating rival Duke at home Sunday. Wake Forest owns more wins against the Ratings Percentage Index top 50 than any team but must avoid a stumble at rival N.C. State, also Sunday.

Boston College is much stronger than its detractors believe. The Eagles own more RPI top 50 wins than Kansas, Kentucky or North Carolina.

Even after three consecutive losses, Kansas remained the No. 1 team in the RPI standings. Last Sunday's win over Oklahoma State put the Jayhawks back in a solid position.

Washington squeezed into the debate by gaining a fourth top 25 win, this one against Arizona. But the Huskies can't afford another loss short of the Pac-10 Tournament championship game.

Beating Alabama gave Kentucky its first top 25 win. The Wildcats need everyone else to take a step or two back.--Mike DeCourcy

[2] ... AND THE BEST PLAYERS

There's hardware to go around

It's a good thing there are so many trophies for college basketball player of the year--those named for Oscar Robertson, James Naismith and John Wooden and the one presented by SPORTING NEWS. We all might be able to justify choosing someone different. The top candidates:

Chris Paul, PG, Wake Forest. He has been the best player, but his unselfish style might prevent voters from recognizing his skill. Paul shoots only nine times per game but averages 6.7 assists.

Andrew Bogut, C, Utah. With averages of 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks, Bogut is delivering better numbers than anyone. But he's doing it in the Mount West Conference and hasn't been on national TV since January 31.

Deron Williams/Dee Brown/Luther Head, Gs, Illinois. Their accomplishments are hard to separate. Williams is the point guard and leader. Brown changes games with his energy. Head is the leading scorer. Will any one be viewed as a singular star?

J.J. Redick, SG, Duke. Some are weary of individual honors being reserved for Blue Devils; they've had three consensus player of the year choices in the past six years.--M.D.

[3] PGA TOUR

Is Tiger back? Bay Hill will be a good barometer

In the grand scheme of things, the PGA Tour's Bay Hill Invitational March 17-20 doesn't exactly instill shivers in casual golf fans, but this year it's worth a cold, hard look.

Why? Tiger Woods, naturally. Bay Hill practically is in Woods' Orlando backyard, so you know he wants to make up for finishing in a tie for 46th last year. So what? What: Tiger is hotter than a jalapeno in a microwave, with a first- and a third-place finish through four events. Oh, and he won at Bay Hill every year from 2000 to 2003, good for a cool $2.7 million. Adding to the suspense: Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Mike Weir are going to try to freeze him out. Starting to get chilly, isn't it?--Paul Grant

[4] MOSS ON THE MOVE

Raiders have gathered rolling stones before

Almost as soon as the Randy Moss deal went down last week, people were calling him a perfect fit for the Raiders--a malcontent veteran moving to a team known for harboring them. But not all such acquisitions work out well, as five Raiders of recent vintage show.--Dave Sloan

Player, position, years with Raiders Bill Romanowski, LB, 2002-03

Previous teams 49ers, Eagles, Broncos

How it worked out His spitting days behind him, he nearly maimed a teammate in an '03 training camp fight. But he did help the Raiders reach Super Bowl 37.

Andre Rison, WR, 2000

Colts, Falcons, Browns, Jaguars, Packers, Chiefs

Was gone two months after helping the Raiders reach the AFC title game in his lone season with the team.

Jeff George, QB, 1997-98

Colts, Falcons

The story of his underachieving career: He had a spectacular season statistically in '97--and the Raiders won four games.

Kerry Collins, QB, 2004

Panthers, Saints, Giants

Alcohol problems and inconsistent play made this former first-round pick an NFL journeyman by age 27.

Warren Sapp, DT, 2004

Buccaneers

Future Hall of Famer had only 2 1/2 sacks last season, and his string of consecutive Pro Bowls ended at seven.

[5] YOU HEARD IT HERE

'I've been with a lot of teams. This is the best group of arms I've seen,'

--New Tampa Bay second baseman Roberto Alomar, a 17-year veteran, on 21-year-old Scott Kazmir (pictured) and the rest of the D-Rays' talented young pitchers (see page 49)

[6] SIXER MIXER

Webber and Iverson should hit it off fine, but ...

The combination of Allen Iverson and Chris Webber should not be a problem for the Sixers. The pair have offensive styles that are well-suited to each other--Webber as a perimeter scorer and passer, Iverson as a penetrator. Their personalities also should mesh because Iverson is accustomed to leadership and clutch shots, where Webber treats leadership and clutch shots the way Star Jones treats SnackWells (thanks, but no thanks).