By Chris Duncan
The Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - If Kentucky and Louisville play again this season, it will be for the national championship.

The Wildcats (29-3) are the No. 1 seeds in the Midwest Region and will open tournament play against Indiana-Purdue-Indianapolis (20-13) on Friday in Nashville, Tenn. The Cardinals (24-6) are the No. 4 seeds in the East Region and will play Ohio Valley Conference champion Austin Peay (23-7) on Friday in Birmingham, Ala.

Western Kentucky (24-8), the Sun Belt regular-season and tournament champions for the third straight season, earned a No. 13 seed in the West Region. The Hilltoppers will play Big Ten tournament champion Illinois (24-6) on Thursday in Indianapolis.

The Hilltoppers have lost their last two NCAA tournament openers, to Florida in 2001 and to Stanford last season.

Kentucky is expected to enter the tournament as the No. 1 team in the nation. The Wildcats have won 23 games in a row since an 81-63 loss to Louisville on Dec. 28.

A much-anticipated rematch would not occur until the NCAA championship game, on Monday, April 7.

If the Wildcats advance past their first game - and no No. 1 seed has ever lost to a 16 seed - they would play either Pac-10 tournament champion Oregon (23-9) or Utah (24-7), the regular-season champions of the Mountain West.

The Wildcats have now been No. 1 seeds six times since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. They've only won the championship once as a top seed, in 1996.

Kentucky was also a No. 1 seed in 1986 (lost to LSU in the regional finals), 1993 (lost to Michigan in the national semifinals), 1995 (lost to North Carolina in the regional finals) and 1997 (lost to Arizona in the national championship).

Kentucky was a No. 2 seed when it won the 1998 NCAA championship.

Louisville lost five of its last eight regular-season games, but regrouped to win its first Conference USA tournament championship on Saturday. If the Cardinals advance past their opener, they would play either fifth-seeded Mississippi State (21-9) or No. 12 seed Butler (25-5) in the second round.

Louisville has lost three straight NCAA tournament games, dating to its 1997 run to the regional finals.

The Cardinals were No. 2 seeds when they won the 1980 and 1986 NCAA championships. They came out of the Midwest Region in 1980 and the West Region in 1986.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino has been in the NCAA tournament six times - once with Boston University, once with Providence and four times with Kentucky.

Of the current Cardinals, only Reece Gaines and Kentucky transfer Marvin Stone have played in the NCAA tournament. But Pitino doesn't see that inexperience as a handicap - as long as his team plays without fear.

"You've got to be more of a risk-taker. You've got to run more, press more and have some more fun," he said Sunday night. "Don't be afraid to fail. Our players will do that."

Pitino said if his team lacks one trait necessary for a deep postseason run, it's focus.

"You don't get nervous if you focus. We're weak at that," Pitino said. "We need concentration and communication. We hope, that by Thursday, that will become a strength.

"In a four-day period, if our guys are really serious about getting out of the first round, then they have to change their basketball personality and improve their focus, which is very poor."

Western Kentucky threw a pep rally at Diddle Arena for its men's and its NCAA-bound women's teams.

The Lady Toppers (22-8) will play Rutgers (20-7) in the first round Saturday in Athens, Ga. Western Kentucky's women are back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2000.

The men's team is making its 19th NCAA tournament appearance.

"All I know is this - there are over 260 teams home right now watching a select few that are still playing," Felton told the gathering of fans. "Obviously, we are very proud to be in the national tournament again. We're going up to Indianapolis to keep playing as long as we can."