1. Root, root, root for the Cardinal(s)

Louisville is just 60 miles away, but archrival Kentucky hosts the game and Stanford is the underdog. Who will have the crowd behind them?

2. All clear?

Head coach Trent Johnson insisted everyone is 100-percent healthy, but Anthony Goods’ (ankle sprain) legs gave out against USC about the time that Lawrence Hill (hip contusion) took a game-ending spill. Add in Mitch Johnson’s plantar facitis and Juan Palacios’ return from a five-game injury, and the battle of attrition becomes all the more important.

3. Man-on-man

Brook Lopez (7 feet, 255 pounds) has an inch and 10 pounds on David Padgett, but the junior Padgett has the experience edge — he played in the Final Four his freshman year. If either player can’t shut down the other, his teammates will have plenty of open looks.

4. Been there, done that

Stanford lost its NCAA game two years ago and outright missed the tourney last year. Fred Washington, the only starter who’s seen an NCAA win, discounted the experience factor, but his underclass teammates may not fare as well on the big stage.

5. X’s and Oh-no’s

Trent Johnson’s primary weakness, end-of-game coaching, is precisely Rick Pitino’s strength. Bite your fingernails extra-hard if this comes down to the last minute — like so many NCAA games do.