AT BIRMINGHAM, ALA

* Stanford vs. South Carolina State: Guard David Moseley said Stanford’s approach to the tournament is “Fear no one but respect all opponents.” What the players feared Thursday was the cockroach that skittered across the floor of the locker room. “Oh my God. I don’t like bugs,” point guard Michael McDonald said as he jumped to his feet. Squashing South Carolina State may not be as easy as it appears, but the fact remains that no 16th-seeded team has ever beaten a No. 1. Also keep in mind: Stanford’s 35.2% defensive field-goal percentage is the best in the nation, and South Carolina State’s 39.5% shooting percentage is the second worst in the NCAA field.

* North Carolina vs. Missouri: Coach Bill Guthridge’s Tar Heels must reach the Sweet 16 to avoid becoming the first North Carolina team to win fewer than 20 games since 1970, and Missouri poses a threat. The quickness of Keyon Dooling and Kareem Rush--averaging 17 points a game since returning from an NCAA suspension--is one challenge. The Tar Heels also have been susceptible to the three-point shot, and Clarence Gilbert, Dooling and Rush combine to make Missouri one of the best long-range teams in the nation. In North Carolina’s favor: Only one Missouri regular is taller than 6-feet-6, and North Carolina’s front line of Brendan Haywood, Kris Lang and Jason Capel is 7-0, 6-11, 6-8.

* Connecticut vs. Utah State: Rarely does a defending national champion start the tournament with so little fanfare. “I think our team right now is really underrated. We just want to make a statement,” point guard Khalid El-Amin said. Utah State didn’t get much respect from the selection committee for winning the Big West title. “I don’t care what conference they’re from,” Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun said. “I do know they won 19 in a row, and I know 19 in a row is real good.”

NASHVILLE

* Tennessee vs. Louisiana Lafayette: Jessie Evans was an Arizona assistant when he was hired as Louisiana Lafayette’s coach in 1997, and Arizona’s road to the NCAA title went through Birmingham. “After every game we won, I put on my Ragin’ Cajun hat and Lute [Olson] got a little upset, but what was he going to do, fire me?” Evans said. It will be tougher for him to get out of Birmingham this time, but against the athletic but erratic Volunteers, you never know. Tennessee--coming off a loss to South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference tournament--lost to Southwest Missouri by 30 in the NCAA second round last season.

* Miami (Fla.) vs. Arkansas: The question is whether the Razorbacks will be gassed or energized after a run through the SEC tournament that included victories over Kentucky, Louisiana State and Auburn. Freshman forward Joe Johnson is the star, but Arkansas has a horde of ball-pressuring guards. Miami relies so heavily on flashy guard Johnny Hemsley and his 18 points a game that it could make a big difference if Arkansas is able to harass Hemsley and point guard Vernon Jennings. The Hurricanes also finished strong, beating Connecticut, Notre Dame and St. John’s before a one-point loss to St. John’s in the Big East tournament.

* Ohio State vs. Appalachian State: The interesting matchup is at point guard between 5-10 Scoonie Penn and 5-9 Tyson Patterson, who makes everything go for Appalachian State. But even if the Mountaineers could contend with Penn and Michael Redd in the backcourt, there’s more trouble inside, where the Buckeyes have 6-11 shot-blocker Ken Johnson and 6-7 George Reese and Appalachian State has to try to counter with a front line that goes 6-8, 6-5, 6-2. * Tulsa vs. Nevada Las Vegas: That gaudy Tulsa record includes one really impressive victory--a 20-pointer over Tennessee--along with three losses to Fresno State and a one-point loss to Oral Roberts. Coach Bill Self’s team thrives on defense, steals, and a balanced offensive attack. A key player is 6-10 center Brandon Kurtz, who needs to be steady because he is the only starter over 6-5, and UNLV’s 6-9 center Kaspars Kambala could be a challenge.

* Cincinnati vs. North Carolina Wilmington: Even without Kenyon Martin, this game shouldn’t be any trouble for the Bearcats. Instead of the usual romp, though, they’ll need to use the 40 minutes to work on a new identity after losing Martin to a broken leg. Ryan Fletcher replaces Martin, but freshman DerMarr Johnson and the underrated Pete Mickeal will need to replace his scoring.