Posted: Sat March 21, 1998 at 11:29 PM ET

I woke up Saturday morning to a strange sight: Florida sunshine. There's been a dark cloud hanging over St. Petersburg all week, but now that we've got the game everyone wants to see -- Duke-Kentucky: The Next Generation -- it is a fitting time for a breakthrough from the heavens.

You can look at Duke's 80-67 win over Syracuse in one of two ways. On the one hand, Trajan Langdon still hasn't found his shooting touch (he was 2 for 13 from the floor and scored just seven points) and Roshown McLeod and Steve Wojciechowski were persona non grata because of foul trouble. It doesn't bode well when your best players are not at their best in March.

Then again, look at how the Blue Devils were rescued by their sparkling freshman trio of Shane Battier, Elton Brand and William Avery. That's the sign of a great team. Brand played his best overall game since returning from a foot injury on February 22, which is especially impressive because Brand played his worst game since his return in the second round against Oklahoma State. The Dukies can survive a cold shooting day by Langdon, or a lack of offensive production from Battier and Avery, but the one thing they cannot do without is a big game from Brand.

Kentucky's whupping of UCLA is also hard to figure. Were the Wildcats that good, or were the Baron Davis-less Bruins that bad? The answer is yes. Kentucky is a fun, relaxed and yes, very talented group, and the Wildcats certainly have what it takes not only to beat Duke but to win the whole shebang.

Two questions: First, given that they haven't played a close game or a team of this caliber in a long time, how will the Cats respond if they encounter a tight situation? And will it be tougher for them to handle such a situation with the ghosts of '92 breathing down their necks? This program has as close a relationship with its fans as any in the country, and the players are well aware of how important this game is to the folks back home. But this bunch is so laid-back that I'm guessing they'll respond well. Look for Kentucky to pull it out in a squeaker.

It's amazing to think that either Stanford or Rhode Island is going to the Final Four. Can you imagine Jim Harrick in San Antonio while his erstwhile players are back in Westwood? Make no mistake, that could very well happen. The Rams have exactly the kind of guard-oriented, north-and-south team that gave the Cardinal fits this year. (I'm sure Stanford remembers its three shellackings at the hands of Arizona and Connecticut, two teams of exactly that nature.) I think the key to this game will be the inside play of Luther Clay, who has the capacity to make great plays around the basket and then disappear for fortnights at a time.

Stanford has been playing solid basketball since Mark Madsen returned from his injury, and he was the critical factor again Friday night, chipping in 15 points and 13 rebounds. Madsen opens things up inside for seven-footer Tim Young, who also tends to vanish for long stretches, and Madsen's presence makes Arthur Lee more potent from the perimeter. Lee and Kris Weems had a horrendous shooting night Friday -- a combined 3 for 21 from the field -- and a repeat performance on Sunday could send Stanford home. But the Cardinal has a distinct depth advantage, and I'm guessing Stanford just has too many weapons for Rhode Island to handle.

Previous Seth Davis articles:
March 20: Confessions of a hoophead
March 18: Who should pack for San Antonio
March 14: Notes from the road