Field analysis

Sporting News, The, March 15, 2004

They'll go home when ... the 3-pointer, a staple of Herb Sendek's Princeton-style offense, doesn't drop. With its smallish frontline, another area of concern for the Wolfpack is interior defense and defensive rebounding, even though Melvin has improved tremendously as a board man and defender this season.

An opposing coach says: "N.C. State has risen in the ACC standings because Ilian Evtimov is healthy again and Marcus Melvin has improved so much this season. What makes Evtimov and Melvin--and therefore N.C. State--so tough to deal with is the fact that can play so well away from the basket. That forces your big men to guard them 18 to 20 feet away from the basket."

RPI 11 LIKELY SEED 3 RECORDS 19-8 (11-5) KEY PLAYER Julius Hodge (18.1 ppg)

PITTSBURGH They'll stay alive as long as ... they can set the tempo. When Pittsburgh battered Syracuse in the Carrier Dome, it established the tone immediately and had easy baskets galore. This isn't a complete run-and-gun outfit, but with Carl Krauser at the helm, the Panthers like to get out and go. That's evidenced by the team's superior shooting accuracy and the fact that four starters average double figure points and a fifth (Chevon Troutman) comes close. The Panthers also play good defense, holding rivals below 40 percent shooting from the field (30.9% from 3-point range) and have a solid, plus-6.5 rebounding margin.

They'll go home when ... it turns into a free throw contest. Against Syracuse on February 29, Troutman had a chance to win the game in regulation, but he missed the second of two free throws with 3.2 seconds to play, forcing overtime. Pitt was just 9-for-17 from the line against Syracuse. The Panthers also are shaky from behind the arc. If a club--such as the Orangemen--can close down the interior, Pitt could struggle.

An opposing coach says: "Pittsburgh is as good a team as any. They don't have many weaknesses. But you want to make them beat you on the outside."

RPI 5 LIKELY SEED 2 RECORDS 27-3 (13-3) KEY PLAYER Chris Taft (7.7 rpg)

PROVIDENCE They'll stay alive as long as ... PF Ryan Gomes keeps it going. Providence is a veteran team that doesn't make many mistakes and won't get rattled. But without Gomes, there is no way the Friars would have 20 wins. He's a first-team All-American caliber player who can score from anywhere on the court and brings a relentless attitude to the game. The Friars do support him with three double-figure scorers (Rob Sanders, Donnie McGrath and Sheiku Kabba), but Gomes is the meal ticket and will be one of the bigger stars in the tournament.

They'll go home when ... they meet some great guards. McGrath is a tough, old-school point guard, and Kabba is a solid wing. But Providence doesn't have a very deep backcourt, and McGrath is a sophomore who is bound to have some lapses against better teams in crucial situations. The Friars also are shaky at times defensively and have had some trouble keeping opponents down, especially from behind the arc.

An opposing coach says: "They are an older group, and they play like one. They are poised, and that is what they have shown all season, and that is why they are one of the better teams, not only in the (Big East) but nationally."