NCAA DIVISION II BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT PREVIEW--PART FOUR

NOTE: This is the final installment of a four part series previewing the NCAA Division II basketball tournament, with the women's regionals starting Friday, followed by the men on Saturday. Teams in conferences covered by D-II South Sports are marked in BOLD type.

SOUTH ATLANTIC REGIONAL--MEN--at Bowie, Md.

Bowie State (24-4) vs. Tusculum (18-10)

The Bulldogs earned the top seed and host role for the South Atlantic regional despite being upset in the quarterfinal round of the CIAA tournament by eventual runner-up Fayetteville State. On the other hand, the Pioneers earned their first-ever NCAA tournament berth by pulling off two upsets: one over top seed Catawba in the semifinals, and another over second seeded Lenoir-Rhyne to win the South Atlantic Conference tournament.

Columbus State (22-8) vs. Kennesaw State (24-5)

When the Cougars faced the defending national champion Fighting Owls in the semifinals of the Peach Belt Conference tournament last weekend, Yandel Brown exploded for a game-high 30 points, as CSU routed KSU 90-68. Now the two teams will play each other again, likely for the final time, as Kennesaw State makes the move to the NCAA Division I ranks after this season. This contest could go down as one of the best games in NCAA Division II tournament history.

USC Upstate (23-7) vs. Winston-Salem State (22-7)

The Spartans also fell to this aforementioned Columbus State squad in last Sunday's PBC tournament title game, as the regular season co-champions fell to the Cougars 93-81. Now USC Upstate must try to bounce back against the CIAA Rams, who, like Kennesaw State, are also planning a move to the NCAA Division II level for 2005-06.

Catawba (23-6) vs. Virginia Union (24-4)

The Indians take on the Panthers in this CIAA vs. SAC match-up. After making a surprise run to the SAC tournament championship last season, the Indians won this season's SAC regular season title, only to fall to Tusculum in the semifinals of this year's tournament. Meanwhile, VUU won an unprecedented 16th CIAA tournament tile by defeating Fayetteville State in the title game last Saturday.

For more information on the NCAA Division II tournament, as well as action on the other regionals nationwide, log on to http://www.ncaasports.com.