No. 3 Kansas at No. 14 UCLA

GAME TIME:	Saturday, 3 p.m. ET (CBS)
LAST MEETING:	UCLA 99, Kansas 98 (Nov. 9, 2000)
SERIES:	UCLA leads, 8-3

	Don't question Kirk Hinrich's toughness, or his ability to break down a defense.

Kansas is very deserving of the Associated Press No. 1 ranking. The Jayhawks have the most balanced team in the nation inside and out. This is the best Jayhawk team Roy Williams has coached since his 1997 version that featured Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz, Jacque Vaughn and Scot Pollard -- the very best team in the nation before being upset by Arizona in the NCAA Tournament.

This team may not be as talented or dynamic as that special bunch in '97, but its not far off either.

Kansas is just a few Maui muscle cramps away from being unbeaten, and Williams has a team capable of cutting the nets down in Atlanta. Despite the farm boy look of some of his players, Williams has a team that can really get out in transition and run. The Jayhawks lead the nation in scoring, and are in the top five in field goal percentage.

Kansas essentially starts two point guards, freshman Aaron Miles and junior Kirk Hinrich. Both are excellent handlers and passers, able to pitch ahead to each other and to the Jayhawk big men, who by the way, run the floor as well as any frontcourt in the nation.

Hinrich is one of the very best guards in the nation and, despite looking like your paperboy, is a tough and athletic competitor. He averages 14 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and shoots over 53 percent from the floor. Hinrich has worked tirelessly to improve his game, has gotten stronger, burns to win, and consistently grades out as Kansas' best perimeter defender.

After getting popped in the mouth against Nebraska, tasting some blood and loosening some teeth, Hinrich refused Williams' request that he come out because he had hit his first shot and wanted to stay and play. Book this: Kirk Hinrich will be a pro, and a good one.

Jeff Boschee (14 points, 43 percent on 3-pointrers) can drill shots with his feet set, runs the court looking to spot up, and is a solid defender. Keith Langford, meanwhile, is a lefty slasher who adds a dimension some thought lost when >Kenny Gregory graduated.

But it's inside where Kansas is truly special.

The Jayhawks boast the best frontcourt trio in the nation in Drew Gooden, Nick Collison and Wayne Simien. Gooden is making a great case for Big 12 Player of the Year, averaging 21 points and 12.5 rebounds, and he has been attacking defenders at every turn. If not for a few turnovers here and there, Williams would have precious few "dadgummits" to shout Gooden's way.

Collison is the most fundamentally sound post player in the college game, with a vast array of post moves and terrific footwork. Collison averages 16 points and 9 rebounds on 64-percent shooting, and seals his defender in the post, runs the court and defends well inside. Simien is incredibly productive in his short minutes, putting up 10.6 points and 6 rebounds in only 15 minutes per game.

Despite the loss to USC on Thursday night, the Bruins have rolled since Maui.

UCLA is without a true point guard right now, with freshman Cedric Bozeman limited due to recent knee surgery. Jason Kapono has taken on more ball-handling duties since Bozeman's injury in addition to his scoring, and the Bruins have kept on winning, perhaps giving the impression to vocal critics that Steve Lavin can indeed coach.

Kapono is a terrific college player, averaging 19 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists while shooting 49 percent from the floor and 83 percent from the line. Kapono is old-school, with a quick-trigger release that, if he gets a glimmer of daylight, is down. UCLA, however, has several players who can put up numbers in addition to Kapono.

Billy Knight is a great corner shooter, and the lefty put up 32 points in Pauley against Washington State last week. Matt Barnes is an outstanding athlete, a former prep football star, who lit up USC for 34 points. Dan Gadzuric, while not flashing all-star numbers, can still be productive when he runs the floor, finishes plays and hits the offensive glass. T.J. Cummings had his best game as a collegian against Kansas last year (his debut as a freshman), a track meet at Madison Square Garden won by the Jayhawks.

UCLA has two freshmen in addition to Bozeman who will be fine players as they develop. But Dijon Thompson, a smooth shooting swingman, and Andre Patterson, an active offensive rebounder and defender, will see plenty of minutes Saturday and as the season goes along. Both have great potential.

Key matchup: Barnes vs. Gooden

Barnes is coming off of a career game, but will likely not get the same looks against Kansas' pressure defense. Kansas will look to trap at every opportunity over halfcourt and try to take advantage of UCLA's lack of a primary handler. Gooden is a handful for any defender, and his ability to post, put the ball on the floor from the high post, and go after offensive rebounds makes him a unique threat. The edge goes to Kansas in this matchup.

Key Stats: Transition Points, Turnovers and Offensive Rebounds

Kansas scores a great deal of its points off of its secondary break, hitting quick looks inside or shooters spotting up. The Jayhawks run the floor and that puts a lot of pressure on your transition defense, especially the big men. Kansas goes hard after second shot opportunities with Gooden, Collison and Simien, and UCLA gave up 24 offensive rebound opportunities to USC on Thursday to a team not as proficient on the glass as Kansas.

What to watch For: The way Hinrich and Collison play the game.

Hinrich loves to get out and run, and Miles will pitch it ahead to him, and Hinrich is terrific with the ball. He gets into the defense to deliver a post feed, pull up for a mid-range jumper or find Boschee for a three. Collison is a joy to watch as a big man, because he uses his body and his head. He really pushes himself to run the floor, gets his work done positioning and beating his man before the ball arrives, and makes it look easy. It is not.

Texas Tech at No. 7 Oklahoma

GAME TIME:	Saturday, 1:45 p.m. ET
LAST MEETING:	Oklahoma 80, Texas Tech 72 (Feb. 7, 2001)
SERIES:	Oklahoma leads, 16-11

	Jason Detrick is just one of several athletic newcomers from the JC ranks that Kelvin Sampson has meshed together into a top-10 team.

No coach has engineered a better turnaround to this point in the season that Bob Knight. Texas Tech was picked 10th in the Big 12 by the coaches in a preseason poll, and the Red Raiders have responded to that challenge, and to the tutelage of Knight, by going 13-1 heading into Norman.

Texas Tech is as sound fundamentally as any team I have seen all season, running Knight's motion offense to get excellent movement, spacing and screening that gets the Red Raiders good shots. Texas Tech moves the ball, making passes and giving the defense a chance to break down. This is a more athletic Tech team than most observers expected, and Knight has meshed together a few talented junior college transfers with a couple of vastly improved returnees to form a team that presents unique matchup problems, not to mention a team that can really attack off the dribble.

Texas Tech is not deep, but very versatile, with Andy Ellis inside, Kasib Powell on the perimeter, and Andre Emmett along the baseline. Ellis (18 ppg, 7.6 rpg) has played very well all season, and looks like a different player under Knight. He is bigger, stronger and more confident, scoring in double figures in every game. Powell is a 6-7 shooting guard who has long arms and good athleticism. Powell can see over defenses, put the ball on the floor, and shoot from range. He is scoring over 15 points per game, to go along with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Emmett is an undersized post player, but is quick and strong on the block, and he finds a way to get the ball to the rim. Emmett is a solid rebounder and shoots over 51 percent from the floor. Will Chavis, a high school backcourt mate of Temple's Lynn Greer

UCLA has two freshmen in addition to Bozeman who will be fine players as they develop. But Dijon Thompson, a smooth shooting swingman, and Andre Patterson, runs the point, and is a good shooter and defender.

This Texas Tech team has the ability to win 20 games, and make it to the NCAA Tournament. However, over the past three years, the Red Raiders have been easy pickings on the road, winning only two Big 12 games outside of Lubbock in 24 trips. Since Knight's arrival, Texas Tech has already beaten Texas A&M on the road, but will face a much stiffer challenge in Norman.

Speaking of the Sooners, Oklahoma is one of the best teams in the nation. Kelvin Sampson has done a terrific job of blending new talent with some of his returning veterans. With so many newcomers, some felt that Oklahoma would take some time to gel together, but the Sooners seem to be ahead of schedule in that regard.

Oklahoma is led by Hollis Price, one of America's finer guards. Price is an outstanding shooter, scorer and leader, who is averaging over 16 points per game on 51-percent shooting. While the Sooners have several players who can put up numbers, Price is the heart and soul of this team, and Oklahoma's best player. The Sooners' most explosive player is 6-6 junior college transfer Ebi Ere, an outstanding, long armed athlete that can really score. Ere torched UConn for 24 points and 9 rebounds, averages 16 points and 7 rebounds, and is a spectacular athlete. Aaron McGhee is a low-post scorer; Jabhari Brown is a shotblocker and rebounder; and Quannas White can run the point for Sampson, who has his most athletic team in Norman.

Oklahoma is a good transition and offensive rebounding team, and can really get out and guard people and block shots.

Key matchup: Powell vs. Ere

Powell is capable of putting up big numbers, and has the talent to exploit the match-up problems he can create from the shooting guard position. He is long and athletic, and can shoot the ball, get out in transition, and put the ball to the deck. Ere can score in a variety of ways, but is not always efficient, and Texas Tech will challenge him at both ends.

Key stats: Rebounds and Free Throws

Oklahoma loves to get out in transition and run, so Texas Tech's defense must begin at conversion. The Sooners also love to pound the glass with their athleticism to get high-percentage second shots. If Texas Tech can box out, force the Sooners to climb their backs, and limit Oklahoma to one shot per possession, the Red Raiders can win. Texas Tech shoots only 11 3-pointers per game, but attempts 28 free throws. If Texas Tech can run good offense, they will get to the free throw line.

What to watch For: Watch Texas Tech run its motion offense.

So few teams really run straight motion, and Texas Tech does a great job of it. The Red Raiders keep their offense high, about 10 feet above the baseline, and use downscreens, backscreens and fadescreens to free up cuts, drives and shooters. Knight has not just taught his new team how to run plays, he has taught them how to play. The Red Raiders set screens, set their men up to use them, and make reads. It's fun to watch.