Duke and Carolina. That says it all. The Tar Heels and Blue Devils, archrivals located just a short hop away from each other on Tobacco Road, are the top seeds in the Syracuse and Austin regions, respectively, in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Both are overwhelming favorites in their regions, presaging a possible showdown in the Final Four in St. Louis.

They’ll get a taste of each other before then, as both teams were sent to the Charlotte “pod” this weekend for their opening-round games. While they won’t face each other on the court, that won’t stop some good-natured trash talk from fans of the two sides in anticipation of a rendezvous the first weekend in April.

Other threats lurk in both regions, however. North Carolina has to get past SEC tournament champion Florida and last year’s NCAA champ, Connecticut, if the Heels are to make their date against the Blue Devils. In the Austin region, Duke could face a partisan Oklahoma crowd in the regional final and must survive 2003 champion Syracuse in the Sweet 16.

But before any of those matchups happen, the top seeds need to get past the aspiring Cinderellas that await them in the first round. Let’s take a closer look at Thursday’s and Friday’s matchups in the Austin and Syracuse regions:

AUSTIN REGION

(1) DUKE VS. (16) DELAWARE ST.
FRIDAY, 7:25 P.M., CHARLOTTE

Duke doesn’t have its usual depth this year but has more than made up for that with star power. J.J. Redick (22.6 ppg, 93.3 FT%), who was named the ACC’s player of the year yesterday, is the best shooter in the country, Shelden Williams (15.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg) is an imposing inside force, and guard Daniel Ewing (15.1 pg) is a solid table-setter. Duke has a quick turnaround after this one, playing on Sunday afternoon, so they’ll aim to put the overmatched Hornets away early and get some much needed rest for the starters.

(8) STANFORD VS. (9) MISSISSIPPI STATE
FRIDAY, 9:45 P.M., CHARLOTTE

Stanford lost star forward Dan Grunfeld to a knee injury in February and wasn’t that good even before he was hurt, so it’s puzzling to see them seeded so high. They can shoot, though, led by guard Chris Hernandez (15.1 ppg). Mississippi State struggled down the stretch, too, thanks to an injury to guard Winsome Frazier (12.4 ppg), but he’s back. The Bulldogs’ Lawrence Roberts (17.3 ppg, 11.1 rpg) should dominate Stanford inside, but can MSU finish it off at the end? Their Achilles’ heel is poor free-throw shooting (66.5%).

(4) SYRACUSE VS. (13) VERMONT
FRIDAY, 7:10 P.M., WORCESTER

Big East tournament champion Syracuse got a raw deal from the selection committee, seeded a spot lower than most expected and drawing a tough opponent in the Catamounts. The Worcester, Mass., site is thought to heavily favor Vermont, but Syracuse is only 35 miles farther away, so that part may be overstated. The key for Vermont is forward Taylor Coppenrath (24.7 ppg, 8.9 rpg), a sweet mid-range jump shooter reminiscent of a righthanded Troy Murphy. Syracuse’s mystifying zone defense can’t lose track of him, and the Orange will need high-flying Hakim Warrick (21.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg) to dominate the interior.

(5) MICHIGAN STATE VS. (12) OLD DOMINION
FRIDAY, 9:30 P.M., WORCESTER

Michigan State looms as a dark horse in this bracket – a veteran team with several potent offensive players. Tom Izzo’s squad played at a slow pace this season, which suppressed their scoring stats, but led the Big Ten in both field-goal and free-throw percentages. Center Paul Davis (11.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg), the Spartans’ only quality big man, is the key. Old Dominion’s star is 6-foot-9-inch Australian Alex Loughton (13.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg), but Davis can dominate him physically. Worse for the Monarchs, third-leading scorer Arnaud Dauhi is questionable after hurting his shoulder last week. ODU’s one advantage is depth – they go 10 deep.

(2) KENTUCKY VS. (15) EASTERN KENTUCKY
THURSDAY, 12:20 P.M., INDIANAPOLIS

Coached by former Kentucky guard Travis Ford, EKU gets its shot at the big, bad Wildcats, and its upset chances can’t be dismissed. The Ohio Valley champions can hang with Kentucky in the paint as long as Michael Haney (13.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and Alonzo Hird (9.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg) avoid foul trouble. Plus, their three guards can nail the open jumper. However, the Colonels have to handle Kentucky’s suffocating defense and contain forwards Kelenna Azubuike (14.5 ppg) and Chuck Hayes (10.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg).

(7) CINCINNATI VS. (10) IOWA
THURSDAY, 2:40 P.M., INDIANAPOLIS

Don’t expect to see much scoring in this one. Cincinnati is trying to end a recent string of tournament disappointments behind the nation’s best field-goal percentage defense (36.8%). Hard-nosed forward Jason Maxiell (15.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg) is the catalyst. Iowa made a late rally to earn a tournament spot despite the midseason dismissal of leading scorer Pierre Pierce. The Hawkeyes will miss Pierce against Cincy’s relentless pressure, but guards Jeff Horner (14.0 ppg, 5.6 apg) and Adam Haluska (14.5 ppg) will try to pick up the slack.

(3) OKLAHOMA VS. (14) NIAGARA
THURSDAY, 12:45 P.M., TUCSON

Despite the disparity in seeding, this is a dangerous game for the Sooners. They’ll be playing at 10:45 a.m. local time, which means they could be in snooze mode, and Niagara is dangerous offensively. The Purple Eagles boast the nation’s third-leading scorer in 6-foot-8-inch Juan Mendez (23.6 ppg, 10.5 rpg), but also love to go outside and shoot the 3. Oklahoma wins with tough defense and a strong front line led by 6-foot-9-inch Taj Gray (14.7 ppg). They’ll need a strong effort from him to get past Niagara.

(6) UTAH VS. (11) UTEP
THURSDAY, 3:05 P.M., TUCSON

The much-anticipated showdown of the nation’s two “Yoot” teams is a contrast in styles. Utah features All-America center Andrew Bogut (20.6 ppg, 12.0 rpg), an Aussie who dominates with his skill in the post. UTEP’s strength is on the perimeter, where guard Filiberto Rivera (12.9 ppg. 7.2 apg) and forward Omar Thomas (20.2 ppg) should have a big edge in quickness. If the Miners can force Utah into an up-tempo game, they could spring the upset.

SYRACUSE REGION

(1) NORTH CAROLINA VS. (16) OAKLAND
FRIDAY, 2:50 P.M., CHARLOTTE

After beating Alabama A &M in the play-in game on Tuesday night, Oakland is team no. 64 on the bracket. The Golden Grizzlies are from Michigan, not California, but you won’t need to retain that information for long. Against a hostile pro-Carolina crowd and a lineup laden with NBA prospects, Oakland will consider it a moral victory if it loses by less than 20.

(8) MINNESOTA VS. (9) IOWA STATE
FRIDAY, 12:30 P.M., CHARLOTTE

The Gophers are an excellent defensive team, and they’ll need it against a potent Iowa State backcourt. Curtis Stinson (17.3 ppg, 4.4 apg) is a clone of ex-Cyclone and current Indiana Pacer Jamaal Tinsley, while backcourt mate Will Blalock (12.9 ppg, 4.8 apg) is the table-setter. Oddly, Iowa State presses and traps all game despite a lack of depth, so they’ll need to avoid foul trouble and keep the starters fresh. For Minnesota, the key player is wingman Vincent Grier (17.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg), but the Gophers also can hurt ISU with their size – led by 7-footer Jeff Hagen (11.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg).

(5) VILLANOVA VS. (12) NEW MEXICO
FRIDAY, 2:45 P.M., NASHVILLE

New Mexico is the tournament’s most dangerous no. 12 seed. They’ve won six straight and versatile 6-foot-8-inch forward Danny Granger (18.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg) is a likely NBA lottery pick. Four other Lobos averaged in double figures, though New Mexico was 0-3 when Granger didn’t play and 22-3 when he did. But Villanova closed the season strong, and the Wildcats have a good match for Granger in rapidly improving forward Curtis Stinson (16.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg). They also wield a huge edge in the backcourt with Allan Ray (17.3 ppg) and Randy Foye (14.5 ppg).

(4) FLORIDA VS. (13) OHIO
FRIDAY, 12:25 P.M., NASHVILLE

The intrigue here is Florida’s string of first-round failures matched against the Mid-America Conference’s string of first-round upsets. But don’t expect these trends to continue. Unlike previous seasons, Florida closed with a bang, routing Kentucky in the SEC title game. Lightning-quick guard Anthony Roberson (18.6 ppg) and “center” David Lee (13.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg), who plays more like Keith Van Horn, are the catalysts. Ohio is a rising force with two stud freshmen in forward Leon Williams (11.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg) and guard Jeremy Fears (10.7 ppg), but the Bobcats are a year away from making their big splash.

(6) WISCONSIN VS. (11) NORTHERN IOWA
FRIDAY, 7:20 P.M., OKLAHOMA CITY

I don’t know how to put this gently, but Wisconsin might be the most boring team in college basketball. They play at a snail’s pace and force opponents to grind it out. That style should help keep NIU in the game. The Panthers are dangerous because they shoot so well from downtown, led by guard Ben Jacobson (17.8 ppg, 45.3 3-pt%), and their lack of size won’t be an issue against an equally small Wisconsin team. However, the Badgers’ 6-foot-8-inch Mike Wilkinson (14.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg) may be too skilled for Northern Iowa’s big men to guard.

(3) KANSAS VS. (14) BUCKNELL
FRIDAY, 9:40 P.M., OKLAHOMA CITY

Unlike most minor-conference schools, Bucknell has size, and 6-foot-11-inch Chris McNaughton (12.4 ppg) presents a matchup problem for a smallish Kansas team. Otherwise, Kansas has several major advantages. Nobody on the Bisons can guard All-America forward Wayne Simien (19.4 ppg,11.1 rpg), and point guard Aaron Miles (7.3 apg) should be able to penetrate at will and get easy shots for his teammates. Keep on eye on the Jayhawk’s Keith Langford, who is trying to come back from an injury suffered last week.

(7) CHARLOTTE VS. (10) N.C. STATE
FRIDAY, 12:15 P.M., WORCESTER

Charlotte is an odd team, with three outstanding players and very little else. Forward Eddie Basden (15.3 ppg, 3.3 spg) is an awesome defensive player, forward Curtis Withers (17.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg) is a dominating low-post presence, and guard Brendan Plavich (14.1 ppg) led the nation in 3-pointers. Basden will be asked to contain N.C. State’s star guard Julius Hodge (17.1 pg, 6.9 rpg), but the bigger danger may be the Wolfpack’s swarm of 3-point gunners. In N.C. State’s tricky Princeton-style offense, they always seem to pop open.

(2) CONNECTICUT VS. (15) CENTRAL FLORIDA
FRIDAY, 2:35 P.M., WORCESTER

With a different opponent, the Knights might be a trendy upset pick. They’re deep, they can shoot, and they play defense. But the talent divide against UConn is too vast. Connecticut has five players with NBA potential, led by 6-foot-10-inch frontcourt studs Josh Boone (12.9 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and Charlie Villanueva (13.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg). Jim Calhoun’s club led the nation in rebounding and blocked shots, but it needs to work outside sniper Rashad Anderson back in the lineup to successfully defend its national title.