Anaheim, Calif. ? It became known as the Great Candy Machine Caper, and the incident at the Marriott SpringHill Suites in Lawrence has hovered over the Wildcats like an albatross.

For example, when Arizona blew out an opponent during the season, a writer penned that the Wildcats’ victory was “as easy as taking candy from a machine.”

Now, with Arizona meeting Kansas University again in tonight’s NCAA West Regional final, it was inevitable the incident would be resurrected.

“We know people will try anything to keep our minds off track,” UA guard Salim Stoudamire said Friday. “We just ignore it.”

On the night before Arizona was to meet KU in Allen Fieldhouse, a guest at the downtown Lawrence hotel reported he had seen three Wildcats, including Stoudamire, rifling a hotel candy machine. Hotel officials notified the local authorities and police were waiting for the Wildcats outside their dressing room following their 91-74 victory over the Jayhawks.

An assistant coach paid restitution. Later, Arizona officials said appropriate action had been taken, and the flap eventually became old news. Until Friday. When asked about it, ‘Zona coach Lute Olson was noticeably irritated as

he defended his players, suggesting the hotel guest had made the story up in an attempt to distract them.

Whatever, Stoudamire was definitely NOT distracted, not after making 12 of 19 shots and scoring 32 points to lift the Wildcats to a 17-point win after they had lagged 52-39 at halftime.

“I thought we were gonna get smoked,” Stoudamire said in reflection. “I thought we’d lose by 30. At halftime, coach questioned our heart. That’s the only time he did that because that’s the only time we were getting our butts kicked.”

Curiously, Stoudamire, a 6-foot-1 left-handed guard from Lake Oswego, Ore., had shot miserably against Kansas in Tucson the previous season. On Dec. 1, 2001, at the McKale Center, Stoudamire bricked 17 of 19 shots as Kansas won, 105-97.

“Nobody’s perfect,” Stoudamire said. “That first game against Kansas I didn’t take good shots.”

In effect, tonight’s battle to determine the NCAA West representative in the Final Four is a rubber match. Kansas won last year in Tucson. Arizona won this season in Lawrence.

Winners of 28 of 31 games, the Wildcats seem to be peaking at the right time, mentally as well as physically.

“In watching them practice today,” Olson said, “it looks like we’re fresh, and we’re playing far and away the best we have all year.”

Nevertheless, the Wildcats know they have to stop Nick Collison and the Jayhawks’ transition game or they’ll be putting their uniforms into storage Sunday.

“In my opinion, there is no question how good Collison is,” Olson said. “He’s so versatile and he plays so hard. Collison runs the court like a guard so you have to be ready to play right now. The number one key for us is our transition defense.”

Added center Channing Frye: “They do try to ram it down your throat, so we need to get back on defense.”

Olson shrugged speculation Arizona has an edge because of the January triumph in Allen Fieldhouse.

“I don’t think it’s an advantage us beating them,” Olson said, “because they know how they dominated us in the first 15 minutes.”

Arizona is also concerned about KU guard Kirk Hinrich despite the fact he scored only two points in Thursday’s 69-65 victory over Duke.

“Hinrich had an off-shooting night,” Arizona’s Luke Walton said, “and he’s such a good player I doubt if he’ll have back-to-back nights like that.”

When push comes to shove, though, Kansas could leave Arizona at the candy counter if Stoudamire doesn’t emulate his performance in Lawrence.

“Salim was on fire,” Olson said. “It’s not surprising when he has a game like that because I’ve seen him hit 20 in a row in practice.”