Of the East Regional's 16 teams

5. Alabama5. AlabamaRecord: 22-95. AlabamaRecord: 22-9At-large selection 5. AlabamaRecord: 22-9At-large selection from the Southeastern5. AlabamaRecord: 22-9At-large selection from the SoutheasternConference5. AlabamaRecord: 22-9At-large selection from the SoutheasternConferenceLast year: lost 5. AlabamaRecord: 22-9At-large selection from the SoutheasternConferenceLast year: lost in second round to 5. AlabamaRecord: 22-9At-large selection from the SoutheasternConferenceLast year: lost in second round to Purdue F: Jason Caffey, 6-8, Sr. F: Jamal Faulkner, 6-7, Sr. C: Antonio McDyess, 6-9, So. G: Marvin Orange, 6-0, Jr. G: Artie Griffin, 6-3, Sr. Key Statistics: The strength of the Crimson Tide lies inside, where the starting frontcourt averages a combined 37.5 ppg. The trio of McDyess, Caffey and Faulkner also hits the boards well, pulling down nearly 23 rpg. Guard play could be a problem -- Alabama has had trouble handling pressure defense, and outside shooting is weak. One player who can shoot from outside is sophomore forward Eric Washington, who hit 43 percent from three-point land and led the Tide with 13 ppg despite coming off the bench. Season Highlights: Alabama finished third in the SEC West in the regular season. The team's biggest victory was a 88-70 win over Arkansas in Fayetteville. Before losing to the Razorbacks in the semifinals of the SEC tournament, the Tide had won four of its last five games. 12. Penn Record: 22-5 Automatic bid as Ivy League champion Last year: lost in second round to Florida Probable Starters: F: Shawn Trice, 6-7, Sr. C: Eric Moore, 6-7, Sr. G: Matt Maloney, 6-3, Sr. G: Jerome Allen, 6-4, Sr. G: Scott Kegler, 6-6, Sr. Key Statistics: Interior sizewill be a concern for the Quakers, with no one taller than 6-7 in their usual seven-man rotation. But in Allen, a potential NBA first-round pick, and Maloney, the Ivy League Player of the Year, Penn has one of the best backcourt tandems in the nation. Without much height in the frontcourt, the Quakers are forced to rely heavily on the three-point shot. As a team they converted on 40.7 percent from beyond the arc, led by Kegler (50.9 percent) and Maloney (44.9 percent). Junior forwards Ira Bowman and Tim Krug provide a defensive lift off the bench. Free throws have been quite foul for Penn -- the team shoots only 65.5 percent from the line. Season Highlights: The Quakers enjoyed a bit of the national spotlight this season, winning at Michigan and capturing the ECAC Holiday Festival in New York by defeating St. Johns. Penn also extended its Ivy League unbeaten streak to 43 games, going undefeated in the Ivies for the third straight year. 6. Tulsa Record: 22-7 At-large selection from the Missouri Valley Conference Last year: lost in regional semifinals to Arkansas Probable Starters: F: Ray Poindexter, 6-11, Jr. F: Kwanza Johnson, 6-4, Sr. C: Rafael Maldonado, 6-11, So. G: Shea Seals, 6-5, So. G: Pooh Williamson, 5-11, Sr. Key Statistics: The Golden Hurricane plays an up-tempo game with three-point shots galore. This year's squad does not shoot as well as the team that upset UCLA and Oklahoma State last year, but an aggressive defense that holds opponents to 40.8 percent from the floor has brought Tulsa back to thetournament. Seals and Williamson can both get hot from outside, while Poindexter and Maldonado add size inside. The Hurricane also has depth, with eight players seeing significant action. Season Highlights: Tulsa hung tough in an early-season 93-88 loss to Oklahoma State. The Hurricane ended the MVC regular season with six straight wins and added two more in the conference tournament before falling to Southern Illinois in the finals. 11. Illinois Record: 19-11 At-large selection from the Big Ten Conference Last year: lost in first round to Georgetown Probable Starters: F: Jerry Hester, 6-6, So. F: Robert Bennett, 6-6, Sr. C: Shelly Clark, 6-9, Sr. G: Richard Keene, 6-6, Jr. G: Kiwane Garris, 6-2, So. Key Statistics: The Illini are 15-1 when they score 70 points or more. The problem has been scoring that many -- Illinois shoots only 44.7 percent from the field and 64.7 percent from the foul line. Balanced scoring is the team's trademark, with four starters scoring in double figures, led by Garris' 15.4 ppg. Garris also leads the Illini in assists, steals and minutes. Clark, who averages 11.6 ppg and 7.8 rpg, is a widebody who can be an inside force. Season Highlights: Illinois began the season 8-1 and at one point stood in second place in the Big 10. Late-season wins over Iowa and Minnesota helped solidify the Illini's spot in the field of 64. However, they lost three straight to Michigan, Indiana and Purdue before crushing Northwestern and Ohio State to end the regular season. 7. UNC Charlotte Record: 19-8 At-large selection from the Metro Conference Last year: did not participate Probable Starters: F: Jarvis Lang, 6-7, Sr. F: Bruce Patterson, 6-4, Jr. C: Jermain Parker, 7-0, Sr. G: Bobby Kummer, 6-6, Jr. G: Roderick Howard, 5-10, So. Key Statistics: Lang, who leads the 49ers in both scoring (16.2 ppg) and rebounding (8.7 rpg), became only the second player in school history to score 1,800 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in a career. Parker blocked a school-record 181 shots and also contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds a game. UNCC is as deep as any team in the tournament -- 10 players get at least 12 minutes of action per game, and the 49er bench averages nearly 27 points a game. Charlotte also plays tough defense, holding opponents to only 40.4 percent shooting from the field. Season Highlights: The 49ers flew out to a 14-2 start, their best in school history. They posted wins during the season over George Washington, Lousiville and Tulane, but stumbled late, losing four of their last five. 10. Stanford Record: 19-8 At-large selection from the Pacific Ten Conference Last year: dnp Probable Starters: F: Andy Poppink, 6-7, Sr. F: Darren Allaway, 6-8, Jr. C: Tim Young, 7-1, Fr. G: Brevin Knight, 5-10, So. G: Dion Cross, 6-2, Jr. Key Statistics: The under-publicized backcourt is the strength of the Cardinal. Knight can score (16.8 ppg) and distribute (6.8 apg), while Cross, who averages 17.5 ppg is the team's main threat from three-point range, where he shoots 49 percent. Young, one of the better freshman in the country, scores 12 a game and also pulls down 8.3 boards. Youth and inexperience could be a problem -- Stanford has not appeared in the NCAAs since 1992. Season Highlights: The Cardinal earned wins over four nationally-ranked opponents during the season, including a 64-60 win at Virginia and a 91-75 victory over Arizona State. 8. Minnesota Record: 19-11 At-large selection from the Big Ten conference Last year: lost in second round to Louisville Probable Starters: F: Jayson Walton, 6-6, Sr. F: Chad Kolander, 6-9, Sr. C: John Thomas, 6-9, So. G: Townsend Orr, 6-1, Sr. G: Voshon Lenard, 6-4, Sr. Key Statistics: Another talented backcourt. Lenard (17.8 ppg) and Orr (13.4) are scorers who can fill it up from the perimeter. However, both are streaky and can go cold. The Golden Gophers are an experienced team -- the seniors have played over 100 games in their careers. Minnesota is also deep, with 11 players averaging at least seven minutes per game, and it limits opponents to 41 percent field goal shooting. The Gophers have not lost a first-round game during Clem Haskins' tenure. Season Highlights: Minnesota began the season impressively, with consecutive wins over Arizona, Villanova and Brigham Young. The Gophers posted Big 10 victories over Michigan State and Michigan, but they closed the season by losing four of their last six games, including a final-game defeat at Penn State. 9. St. Louis Record: 22-7 At-large selection from the Great Midwest Conference Last year: lost in first round to Maryland Probable Starters: F: Scott Highmark, 6-5, Sr. F: David Robinson, 6-6, Sr. C: Jeff Harris, 6-5, So. G: H Waldman, 6-3, Sr. G: Erwin Claggett, 6-1, Sr. Key Statistics: With no player taller than 6-6, the Billikens depend heavily on threes. St. Louis ranks in the top 15 in the nation in three-point accuracy, and Waldman and Claggett both hit over 40 percent from long range. Highmark and senior guard Carl Turner can also score from three-point land. The major area of concern will be rebounding, even though the Billikens actually outrebounded their opponents during the regular season. St. Louis ranked 10th in the country in scoring defense and forced its foes into 17 turnovers a game. Season Highlights: The Billikens have regular-season victories over Cincinnati and Memphis, and they played Massachusetts close before losing 80-74. St. Louis won eight of its last nine games before falling to Cincinnati by two in the Great Midwest tournament finals.