The Post-Gazette's Dan Majors will be blogging about the NCAA tournament, from the first tipoff to the final buzzer. E-mail Dan at postscript@post-gazette.com. Back to Dan the Fan's current page.

How did we exist before blogs? 3/16/07

Comment: "Big East: NASCAR of the hardwood." It doesn't get any better than that. How did we exist before blogs? Your coverage was wonderful. As a lit major (Pitt, '64), I thought you did a great job in bringing the day's events to life. Of course, everything is great when the Panthers win, especially in the tournament, but this season, no matter the outcome, was special, coming on the heels of that 'nightmare,' better known as the college football season. I eagerly look forward to your continuing coverage. Thanks. -- Stan Schweiger, Longmeadow, MA

Pitt wins, 79-58, to advance in tournament 3/15/07

	Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Pitt coach Jamie Dixon relaxes on the sidelines as the Panthers seal their victory over Wright State in the opening round of the NCAA tournament in Buffalo. Click here for more pictures from the game. Click photo for larger image.

This is kind of funny. A Wright State player hits a 3-point shot with 2:39 left and the Raiders quickly call a timeout, a move that might be strategically sound in a close game, but it's of questionable effectiveness right now. The funny part is the muttering that the move generates along press row, where deadline-conscious reporters are getting antsy. One guy gripes to another, while a third slams a stat sheet down on the table.

I shouldn't laugh.

Ah, the Panthers' backups, getting a chance at a little NCAA Tournament action here in the minutes after midnight, try to make a point of two. Guard Geoff Rizk is fouled while attempting a shot with 16.7 seconds left and has a chance at the free-throw line. He misses the first, but makes his second, and the Panthers' fans give him a rousing cheer.

A moment later, it's over and the final score is 79-58 in Pitt's favor. They will meet the upstart Rams of Virginia Commonwealth on Saturday.

I can hardly wait.

Six minutes and counting 3/15/07

We're bearing down on less than six minutes left in the game and Pitt is running away with a 72-49 lead. It's almost midnight, and the reporters around me are speaking with their editors by phone back in the newsroom, mapping out plans for how and when they will transmit their stories, who will plug in the final statistical information once the game ends, and what they're going to do about the postgame quotes they get from Coach Dixon and the players.

Some of the Pitt starters are being pulled from the game and they each receive a nice ovation from the Panthers fans as they leave the court. The fans in the Wright State section show their true colors by holding steadfast, cheering their players when they do something well and urging them on. This will be the end of the tournament road for their players and they want to make sure the young men know how proud they are of them. Yeah, that's nice.

Otherwise, the place is emptying out pretty quickly. Myself, I'll have a bit of an advantage, because my blog, what with its running dialogue kind of thing, will be done just about the same time as the game is. I can leave the postgame quotes and perspective to Ray and Gene, the real experts.

Me, I'm just a fan.

Coaches at work 3/15/07

The game resumes and it looks like there's a little desperation out there on the court. Players, particularly those battling for Wright State, are diving more and chasing balls further out of bounds in vain attempts to make something good happen. One loose ball is slapped out of bounds and rolls right at Post-Gazette photographer Matt Freed who is seated with the other lensmen along the Pitt baseline. Matt kicks at the ball like a man trying to keep an angry dog at bay, while giant sweaty athletes come rolling into him.

When things calm down, he comes up smiling. He's a professional. He's faced danger situations before. Besides, who knows. He might have gotten a hell of a photo out of it.

I see that Panthers coach Jamie Dixon hasn't downshifted yet, still shouting instructions to his players and working the refs for the occasional call.

On the other end of the court, Wright State coach Brad Brownell takes a moment to speak with a splayer away from the rest of the team. I can't see the player's number, but he is hanging his head. The coach finishes whatever he's saying and gives the young man an encouraging smack on the rear. The two of them then move into the benchside huddle with the rest of the Raiders.

Pitt picks up the pace 3/15/07

The second half of the Pitt-Wright State game is about to begin and it's clear that many of the people who were packing the arena earlier in the evening have headed for the comfort of their homes or hotel rooms. The folks filling the green-and-gold section of Raiders fans are still here, as are those across the way in the Pitt section. But most of those in the upper reaches of the building have called it a night.

On the court, the Panthers have picked up where they left off at halftime, swinging the ball around with crisp passes and slamming it home with authority. I become aware that the Pitt players throw very hard passes to each other, hurling the basketball with force and velocity that could easily jam or break fingers if the receivers weren't properly trained in the way to catch the ball.

The Raiders, conversely, throw the ball with a little less power and a little more touch, if you will. I don't suppose it makes much difference either way. Both types of passes are effective, and both occasionally fail. The softer passes can be intercepted, but the harder passes sometimes go flying out of bounds as they miss their mark by an inch or two.

I see that this time down the court, Pitt center Aaron Gray flashes a big grin at teammate Ronald Ramon, who a moment later has the ball and is wide open for a 3-point bucket that he makes. I guess that's the kind of thing that players develop after all that time of practicing and playing together.

There's a timeout on the floor with 13:48 left in the second half and Pitt leading, 57-38. It occurs to me that I have yet to take a walk up through the arena where the souvenir stands are. A couple of my Panther-loving friends have asked me to see what sort of geegaws their nCAA is hawking here, and I've always liked to score a trinket or two myself. You know, a fashionable ballcap or a nice pin that I can show off back in the office. I mean, I didn't come all this way for nothing.

Apparently, however, Wright State did. The poor Raiders seem to be wearing down, some of their sweat-soaked starters sitting on the bench while the kids on the court are slinging up airballs that are way off target.

Raiders coach Brad Brownell seems to be sensing this and calls a timeout with 11:21 left and his beleaguered crew down, 61-40. That's a heck of a hole they're in, and the fans seem to be all too aware of it as well. I look back over my shoulder and see that they're looking sort of depressed in their seats, barely paying attention to the imploring claps of the Raiders cheerleaders who are the only ones wearing green and gold and smiles.

Pitt roars back into the lead 3/15/07

Pitt's Aaron Gray is flagrantly fouled as we get to the seven-minute mark and steps to the free-throw line, where he misses one and makes one. The difference in audience reaction makes it clear that the sentiment of the house is squarely behind underdog Wright State.

Funny, but I have a fan moment there for a second, blurting out a cry of shock at the foul on Gray. I quickly regain my composure and apologize to Ray Fittipaldo for my lack of decorum along press row. Even though I am writing this blog as Dan the Fan, cheering and booing by the media is expressly forbidden -- unless, of course, you're doing play-by-play for one of the programs and it's part of the job.

Ray forgives me for my lapse -- as long as I promise not to do it again.

I look across the court and it looks like Pitt coach Jamie Dixon is doing a little scolding of his own with a couple of his players. I guess they get the message, because the next thing I know, the Panthers have rebuilt their lead with an 11-point run and are now up 38-27.

I can cheer on the Dan the Fan blog, so here goes: Yaaaaay!

Meanwhile, things have settled down in the Virginia Commonwealth section of fans seated behind me. I suspect they're drained from all the cheering and celebrating they were doing an hour ago when their team defeated Duke in the closing seconds. But then I overhear them talking about how they're rooting for Wright State to win this game so they won't have to face Pitt on Saturday. I suppose that such sentiment makes sense. They're only looking out for their own best interests; the Panthers represent a much stronger foe than Wright State would be. But it doesn't seem fair, especially since I was rooting for them a little while ago.

I know I shouldn't take it personally, but the way they were high-fiving me after the VCU-Duke game, I kind of thought they were my friends.

The first half of the Pitt game is winding down and the Panthers have stormed back to their 13-point lead, 43-30. Things are as they should be.

From a walk-in-the-park to a scramble 3/15/07

I see by the clock that it's getting pretty close to bedtime along the East Coast, and a lot of people are going to hit the sack not knowing the outcome of this game. I know the final score isn't going to be available in time for the 11 o'clock news sports report.

With any luck, it'll be in your morning Post-Gazette. If not, you know you can always get it at our Web site, along with other breaking and overnight news.

Speaking of breaking news, Wright State just made a basket and tied the game, 22-22, at the 8:29 mark. Ah ha, there are the Raiders' fans, cheering loudly now that their team has made a game of it.

Of course, Wright State couldn't have come back from a 13-0 deficit all by themselves. Fortunately for them, they've had a handful of help from Pitt's poor passing and suddenly-cold shooting.

The Pitt band stands up during a timeout to try and kick things up a notch. I notice that their band director is the picture of resplendency in a nice suit and tie. That's the way to take the stage!

The Panthers players retake the court and are facing the possibility of trailing in the game for the first time. Some tough defense, however, forces a turnover and Pitt reclaims its rightful place atop the scoreboard.

Early leads hits the fade 3/15/07

We're approaching the midpoint of the first half already and there are a few things that already are jumping out at me about this game. First, there aren't nearly as many fouls being called. Again, I don't know if that's because of the way the players are playing or because of the way the refs are calling the game, but I can't help but notice it.

Also, the crowd is much more subdued. I wonder if that's because the score of this game isn't nearly as close as that of the Duke-VCU game, or whether its attributable to the attitude of the fans. The largest round of applause I've heard in the past 10 minutes was from the Virginia Commonwealth fans when they saw their victorious players, dressed now in their street clothes, emerge from the locker room to take some seats in the stands.

The rows of reporters at the media tables also are much more sparsely populated. That's probably because so many of them were from the Washington, D.C., area, here to cover the Virginia Commonwealth-Duke contest, and they're all in the post-game interview sessions, writing their stories for the morning papers.

Earlier, we were sitting elbow-to-elbow, almost growling and glaring at each other over infringements on our individual body space. Now, with all this wide-open room, I can relax a bit more.

Ah, I see that the CBS Network cameraman is getting down low for a shot of the Panthers' cheerleaders shaking their pompons at the camera. It's a pretty standard stock shot, but the girls seem to love it and they give it their best million-dollar smiles. I hope their mothers saw them on TV.

The game is about to resume and I see that Wright State has scratched its way back to a 21-15 score, meaning they've cut the Panthers' early lead in half. Funny thing, this game of basketball. You have to keep watching or you might miss something.

Pitt bursts out of the gate 3/15/07

When last we spoke, the HSBC Arena was trembling down it its very foundation. Things are calmer now as the players from Pitt and Wright State University take the court.

On a personal level, the Panthers are a familiar and welcome sight to me. I know their players and how they play the game. I feel like I have a better handle on what lies ahead.

But, then again, you never know.

Pitt bursts out of the gate for a 9-0 lead and the Raiders of Wright State look a little overwhelmed. They're missing shots and fumbling away passes. One player gets a rebound in his fingertips, and the Panthers' Aaron Gray simply takes it away. A moment later, it's 13-0, and Wright State coach Brad Brownell has seen enough to know that he better call a timeout.

Now, let's introduce our cheerleaders.

The Wright State faithful wear green, gold and white, but there don't seem to be all that many of them up in the stands. Maybe they're up there, but they're just real quiet considering that the game isn't three-minutes old and their boys are behind by a baker's dozen.

The Pitt cheerleaders, of course, we already know and love. That beautiful blend of blue and gold that is the very image of confidence, the picture of strength and confidence.

The mascot competition, however, is a little tougher. Wright State's Raiders are represented by a big gray wolf, an intimidating figure that looks like he's already downed Granny and is on the lookout for someone in a little red riding hood.

Pitt's Panther takes the court during the first media timeout and pumps his fists through an inspiring routine that almost catches the attention of some of the fans in the stands.

I can see the familiar T-shirts of the Pittsburgh Zoo across the way. There aren't as many of them here as I expected. Maybe it's a school night back in the 'Burgh.

VCU's breathtaking Duke upset leaves fans weeping and laughing 3/15/07

	David Duprey, Associated Press Virginia Commonwealth's Eric Maynor, left, celebrates with teammate Jamal Shuler after Maynor hit the game-winning shot in the closing seconds of their first round NCAA West regional basketball tournament game against Duke tonight in Buffalo, N.Y. Maynor's mother was in the stands with other Rams fans just behind Dan the Fan for the Virginia Commonwealth 79-77 upset of Duke. Click photo for larger image.

For the first time today, I notice the luxury boxes here in the HSBC Arena. They're also filled. It occurs to me that this might not have been the case earlier in the day.

Virginia Commonwealth hits a shot to take a 74-72 lead with only about a minute to play, and Duke responds to tie it up. VCU comes right back down the court and retakes the lead, and the decibel-level must be off the board. With 16 seconds remaining, Virginia Commonwealth has a one-point lead and the Rams' Pellot-Rosa is at the free-throw line. He hits the first, but misses the second.

Duke makes a basket to tie it up, but with 1.8 seconds left, the Rams' Wil Fameni drains a shot and the underdog VCU is poised for the upset.

The Blue Devils take the ball out under the basket and launch a desperation 3-point attempt that is woefully off the mark. Things explode!

For a moment, it looks as though I'm in the center of a maelstrom of joyful players, fans and coaches, circling and swirling together with two little rows of media types precariously placed in their midst. Security guards rush over to protect us and our precious electronic equipment.

The Virginia Commonwealth fans behind me are weeping and laughing. It turns out that Barbara Johnson, the mother of Rams guard Eric Maynor is directly behind me. Her son is the player who hit the decisive shot to give their team the win.

"I told him he would do it! I told him he would do it!" she screams to me, her voice hoarse, her eyes welling up with an intoxicating mix of pride and delight.

"He dedicated this game to his father," she tells me before family members grab her up in massive bear hugs and dance her away into the throng.

VCU coach Anthony Grant comes close to do an interview with the CBS play-by-play announcers and, when it is finished, he walks past and raises his arms in celebration. The fans ... well, you know. They go crazy!

Pitt and Wright State have a tough act to follow. And so do my co-workers, Ray and Gene, who take a look at the time and realize that the Panthers' game isn't going to end until well after midnight, making their jobs deadline-intensive and all the more difficult.

We'll have to see how it goes. But I'm going to take a short break right now. I have to catch my breath.

VCU ties this game up and then some 3/15/07

We're under the 4-minute mark and there's another timeout. I suddenly realize that some of the reporters sitting in the front row have television monitors on which they can see replays. That doesn't seem quite fair to me, but I can't really complain. I have a pretty spiffy laptop that the company provided me here with all kinds of Internet capability. And I don't have time to look at any of it.

We're tied up, 70-70, and I suspect every self-respecting basketball fan in the country is watching this match now. The place is rocking with the roars of the VCU fans, and a look at the Duke fan section across the way reveals some nervousness, I think.

Or maybe it's just me, too excited to even pay anymore attention to the bands, the mascots or the cheerleaders. Well, that's not really true. There's always time for cheerleaders.

Duke ekes out a one-point lead, thanks to a free throw by Greg Paulus, but VCU's Jesse Pellot-Rosa -- at the crowd's urging -- gets an open shot, takes it and makes it. There's less than two minutes left, and VCU as a one-point lead, 72-71.

Can crowd energy lift VCU? 3/15/07

Boy, I gotta tell you, whenever VCU hits a big shot and inches a little closer to Duke, these Rams fans go crazy! And, you know, it's not just them. A lot of people in this place -- fans who came for the early games as well as those waiting for the start of the Pitt game -- are pulling for VCU to pull off the upset. Sure enough, one of the Rams makes another 3-pointer, pulling the score to 67-66, and the eruption of sound behind me is almost deafening.

I sneak a glance over at Gene Collier, but the man is like a sphinx, his hand at his chin as he weighs the words he will use to tell the story of what he is watching.

It occurs to me that I should be seeing all kinds of media celebrities sitting around me, and sure enough, there they are. Bill Hillgrove and Dick Groat, sitting a short distance away from me, getting ready to do the play-by-play for the Pitt radio network. They're both wearing those great big headphones. I'm not sure whether those things are intended to transmit sound to them or keep the sound of these fans from deafening them.

Virginia Commonwealth's Michael Anderson hits two free throws to give the Rams a 68-67 lead with less than six minutes left, and you can feel the floor vibrating from the noise and the stomping of the fans.

Duke responds with a big bucket to retake the lead, and Coach Krzyzewski calls a quick timeout to talk defensive strategy.

The next time down the trip, another foul is called. I see by the scoreboard that the fouls these refs have been calling are really starting to add up. There's 4:21 left to play in regulation, and a couple of players on each side are perilously close to fouling out. That should add a dimension to the strategies at work here.

When heads hit the hardwood 3/15/07

There's a timeout and I notice that a lot of the VCU fans are waving small signs that say "Beat Duke." I don't see the Duke fans waving any signs at all, but I'll keep an eye out. (Maybe it's one of those deals where they let their players do the talking.)

Suddenly the fans behind me start yelling to the refs that Duke guard Gerald Henderson, "Number 15 is bleeding!" Somehow, these refs, as attentive as they've been to teeny, weeny foul calls, have failed to notice this. (When a player on the court is bleeding, the game is halted and he must leave the court for treatment.)

We're coming down to the 10-minute mark in the second half, and Duke now has pulled out to a 10-point lead. As the players come racing down the court, two Virginia Commonwealth players collide and tumble over each other to the floor. The sound of their heads and elbows hitting the hardwood reminds me of something you might hear happening at Arsenal Lanes Bowling Alley in Lawrenceville. Ouch! The game is halted for a couple of minutes while the players are attended to. Neither one seems hurt too bad, and they're getting ready to resume the action.

Nice coaching! VCU's Anthony Grant calls out for a double-team and the player who responds immediately steals the ball and breaks down the court for a 3-point shot, bringing the score to 63-55.

But then there are two more fouls called in succession. This game has more whistlestops than the old Baltimore & Lake Erie Railroad ever had.

High energy second half takes off 3/15/07

Well, it's halftime and the players are back on the court for a little shooting, a little stretching. I notice that Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is sitting by himself on the bench with his hands folded in his lap, almost serenely, watching the players. No frantic conversations with assistant coaches, no animated instructions to a player who might be struggling. It's almost as if he's sitting at the controls, but the plane is on automatic pilot and we're in midflight. No time for desperate maneuvers now. Just watch the events unfold.

I'm down with that. The Virginia Commonwealth players are the first to return to the floor, and the players wave their arms to the fans sitting in the section behind me, which draws a strong cheer in response.

Sure enough, the Rams score the first bucket of the second half, and we're tied at 40. Duke, however, comes back with a sweet 3-pointer to take the lead.

A couple of turns up and down the court and -- Ohmygod! -- VCU has the lead. Maybe those guys at CBS knew what they were doing all along. Because, the truth is, this is suddenly a fire drill of a basketball game, with players flying up and down the court in dizzying circles and patterns aimed creating offensive opportunities. It's kind of hard to watch, unless you just sort of relax and let the motions hypnotize you.

This has been an intense opening to the second half, and it seems like neither coach wants to call a timeout, hoping that the action might explode in their favor.

Wait a second. There's a guy sitting over here near me who has just about the worst haircut I ever saw.

There's a timeout on the court and the VCU cheerleaders return to the court. I just noticed that not only is the VCU band wearing simple yellow T-shirts, but their leader is wearing a sleeveless muscle shirt,, kind of like the uniforms on the players on the court. That strikes me as kind of weird. Maybe he's in a punk rock band during his time away from the arena.

I look up into the stands, and I have to tell you that this place now is packed! Filled to the rafters with basketball fans hoping to see one of the tournament's few early upsets.

Another foul call and this one seems to have stirred a reaction from Rams coach Anthony Grant, who steps out onto the court to ask the ref "What was that? What was that call?" The ref doesn't seem to take too kindly to it and walks away to a point under the basket where he stops, turns back around, and glares intently back at the coach. I wonder if he's thinking about calling a technical foul.

Meanwhile, the other two refs are up at the other end of the court, talking and laughing together.

OK, now the timeout is just about over, and the players are back on the court. Coach Grant has his hands on his hips and returns the look at the ref. There isn't any love lost between those two right now.

As the game resumes, Duke starts to muscle its way to a seven-point lead. VCU's Eric Maynor takes to the free-throw line but misses both of his shots.

A moment later, there's a brutal exchange under the Duke basket and both players involved go hard to the floor. The ref calls a foul on VCU.

Next thing you know, the Rams have a fast break that turns into a layup that they fail to convert. The fans in the VCU section are beginning to lose their patience.

... and rally they do! Make it 40-38 at the half 3/15/07

There's a timeout on the court, so let's grade the mascots.

First, we have the iconic Duke Blue Devil, a giant evil-looking figure with a superhero's mask and cape. He's a fixture on Duke's televised games and, like their storied coach, Mike Krzyzewski, even appears in a commercial or two.

The Rams mascot is a big old ram, with a nasty-looking set of curling horns. But he's kind of got a goofy grin, which makes him much less intimidating. I'm afraid I'm going to have to vote for the Blue Devil in this one.

Oh, wait. The game's back on. VCU has the ball with five minutes left -- and a chance to tie the game with a 3-pointer! Man, I have to start paying more attention to the game. This might get interesting.

I've noticed the refs in this game are calling more fouls than the refs in the earlier games did. Now, that might mean that these players are smacking each other around a little more than the other guys did. Or it might mean that these refs are crankier. Judging by the way that one ref ejected a fan, I'd lean toward the latter.

Yikes! Especially after that foul call I just witnessed. What's going on out there on the court? Let the kids play! A little bumping never hurt anybody.

But, then again, I spend most of my time watching Big East basketball, which is kind of like the NASCAR of the hardwood.

Four minutes left in the first half, and Duke has re-established itself to a 35-29 lead. There's a timeout on the court, so let's take this opportunity to discuss the youngsters who leap out onto the court to wipe the sweat off the floor so none of the players slips and hurts himself. These kids are loving the gig. They wear nice white polo shirts, khaki pants, and seem to take great pride in keeping the athletes safe. And it isn't all about swabbing the deck with a towel. A couple of the kids have big dustmops.

You know, it's not my job to cover the game, but I gotta tell you, some of these fouls are really ticky-tack calls. I've bumped guys harder trying to get to the vending machines in the Post-Gazette snack bar. It doesn't mean I have to treat them to a free Snickers bar.

Oh well, the players seem to be rising above it, hustling as hard as they can. VCU has missed its past couple of shots, but the Rams are still hanging around, trailing 38-32 as we get down to the final minute of the first half.

And now the Rams have hit back-to-back 3-pointers and tied the game at 38-38 with only 10 seconds left in the half. Duke has the ball. The Blue Devils are trying to kill the clock. Here's a shot up with 2.8 seconds left -- and another foul!

Well, this should make for a vocal and volatile halftime in the section behind me.

But, you know, it may be noisy, but it's kind of fun.

Halftime, and the score is Duke 40 -- thanks to those foul shots -- and VCU 38. Stay tuned.

Now's the time for VCU to rally 3/15/07

And there it is, Virginia Commonwealth's 10th point. Unfortunately for the Rams' backers -- and the Duke haters -- the Blue Devils have 22.

At this rate, I'd have to have better math skills to figure out the winning margin.

As I watch the game, it's hard for me to imagine why CBS, the television network broadcasting the tournament, wanted this matchup played in prime time. Perhaps they were buying into the talk that this was an off-year for Duke and they might be vulnerable for an upset. Or maybe the mentality is more along the lines that Duke guarantees a big audience no matter who they play or what the outcome.

Either way, if VCU doesn't spark a rally pretty soon, this is going to get ugly.

Uh-oh, a referee just made a call against the Rams, right over here near where I -- and the VCU fans -- are sitting. This young man behind me just got ejected for screaming at the ref.

I didn't even know refs could do that. And the guy wasn't using any profanity or anything, he was just shouting that it was a bad call.

There he goes, escorted out of the seats by a security guard and a policeman. Shame, really. Especially since I noticed that he wasn't wearing a VCU shirt. He was wearing one that said "Wright State."

Pity.

Regardless, it seems to have inspired the fans in this section to even newer heights. And the Rams players have trimmed the Duke lead to 28-22.

The cheerleading, band and mascot factor 3/15/07

I'm already starting to feel sorry for the VCU players. They're markedly smaller and not nearly as quick as the Blue Devils. But they've shown some heart here early, and the coach just called a timeout with 13:23 left in the first half, so maybe they're geting ready to put together a little run.

Meanwhile, let's start our cheerleader, band and mascot evaluations.

Bands first.

OK, the Blue Devils band should be familiar enough to you, wearing their trademark blue-and-white striped polo shirts as they blast their way through a rousing version of ... I don't know what it is. Something loud that sounds like a cross between a Sousa march and a rock 'n' roll number.

The VCU band is much more muted in their yellow T-shirts. And, as they watch one of their players take a few too many steps on the court, the expressions on their faces suggest that they have a bad feeling about this.

The game resumes and proves to be a tad sloppy. Instead of trading baskets, the two teams just took turns committing traveling violations.

Duke has built an 18-9 lead already and the Blue Devils aren't giving any sign that they're going to cool off anytime soon. What they fail to do on the offensive end, they make up for with fierce pressure on the defensive end. I'm sure that VCU will eventually score that 10th point the players are working for, but I'm not holding my breath.

There are 10 minutes left in the first half and another timeout gives the VCU cheerleaders a chance to work the crowd. They're definitely inspired, and the folks in the VCU section behind me respond heartily.

They haven't given up yet.

If crowd noise could score points ... 3/15/07

Not only are there a lot more fans here for this game, but there's also more reporters. So many, in fact, that there doesn't seem to be enough chairs, and a couple of reporters just finished snapping at each other over it.

Let's keep it friendly, fellas.

You know, watching these games on TV or sitting up in the stands, I never appreciated just how noisy these fans can be.

What's puzzling is how any of them think that what they're shouting can be understood by the people down on the court. Every once in a while, a particularly shrill voice breaks above the din to deliver a pithy punch, but for the most part, it's like being in an airplane hangar while the engines are being tested.

Meanwhile, back on the court, the score is Duke 12, VCU 5, with more than 15 minutes to go in the first half. The way the Rams fans are shouting, they're going to be quiet pretty soon. either because they'll have lost their voices or because of the way the players are losing the game.

I'll be honest with you, I came to see a buzzer-beater or two, not a bunch of blowouts. VCU better step it up.

Duke vs. Virginia Commonwealth kicks off the games we've been waiting for ... 3/15/07

I don't mean to disrespect the first two games of the day -- because they were both good games and the young men played their hearts out -- but this is what the people came to see tonight at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y. Duke and Pitt, two of the top men's college basketball programs in the nation, playing in prime time.

As part of the Post-Gazette's media contingent, I'm sitting courtside with ace sports reporter Ray Fittipaldi and columnist extraordinaire Gene Collier. While they're covering the game for the morning paper, I'm blogging about it here on line, giving our readers a sense of atmosphere for the event.

Also, if either Ray or Gene needs a bottled water, I'm the one who runs to the cooler.

I figure most dedicated college basketball fans will be watching the Duke-Virginia Commonwealth matchup, and the Pitt-Wright State game that follows, on television. Which is great, if you want a sterile presentation of the on-court activity. But if you want to know what the fans in the stands are doing, how the bands are performing, and how the cheerleaders rate, there's no place better than this blog right here.

First thing you need to know, is that Duke fans love their Blue Devils and they apparently aren't shy about voicing their support. There's a lot of people in this crowd wearing blue and white.

Virginia Commonwealth's colors are black and gold, a gloriously attractive combination that ought to make VCU the Rams a sentimental favorite with all the fans back in Pittsburgh.

As we approach the start of the game, the player introductions show that there's a lot of love -- and a lot of hate -- in this audience. The crowd at the opening tipoff is much more vocal, much louder and more expressive than those that were present for either of the day's opening games. The roar when Duke guard Greg Paulus hits the first shot of the game -- a 3-pointer -- is almost deafening.

I peek over my shoulder to see the fans sitting behind me. It's the VCU section, and they are open for business, badgering the Blue Devils and ripping the referees. And we're only a minute and a half into the game. Which is now tied, 5-5.

Butler beats ODU, advances 3/15/07

	Stephan Savoia, Associated Press Butler's Marcus Nellems, left, gives a hand to Brian Ligon as time winds down during their 57-46 win over Old Dominion in a first round NCAA Midwest regional basketball tournament game today in Buffalo, N.Y. Click photo for larger image.

A timeout on the court with 3:35 left and apparently it is the ODU band's turn to play. It's kind of sad to see trombones pulled up to frowning faces. Out on the court, the Monarchs' cheerleaders do some elaborate stacking of bodies, but they seem to just be going through the motions. True, the motions are pretty slick, but I think they see where this one is headed.

When the action resumes, Old Dominion starts a desperation press that isn't quite as effective as they might have hoped. But a quick burst to the basket and a friendly foul call momentarily energizes the Monarchs' fans and the score is trimmed to 51-42.

Suddenly, one of the refs calls charging against an Old Dominion player, and the mild-mannered ODU coach finally erupts. I couldn't quite make out what exactly he snarled at the referee, but I assure you it wasn't an invitation to visit their beautiful campus in Norfolk, Va.

The scoreboard here in the arena has a video display that shows television scenes and replays. I look at it with one minute remaining in the game, and see a shot of the Old Dominion players sitting on the bench. No need to look at the score after you see those faces.

Then I look over at the heartless cameraman who sits crouched beneath the basket, taking these pictures of these crest-fallen young men. It almost seems like he's invading their privacy. (Dirty rotten media.)

Me, I'm trying to be all supportive and encouraging. These guys played a good game, and they wouldn't have been here today if they had'nt had a great season. They should walk off the court with their heads held high.

The final score is 57-46 in favor of Butler, which will play Maryland on Saturday. I'm already looking forward to tonight's tournament session which pits Duke against Virginia Commonwealth and our own Panthers against Wright State.

God and technology willing, I'll be right here, sharing my impressions of it all with you.

Now, it's off to the Pearl Street Cafe and Grille.

ODU fans calling for comeback as clock spins down 3/15/07

There's eight minutes left and Old Dominion has fallen behind 41-32, but that isn't keeping their fans from starting a cheer of "Let's go, Monarchs." The mood over on the bench, however, has taken a turn toward the sullen.

During a timeout, Butler's cheerleaders take the floor to whip their fans into a vocal frenzy. The Bulldog supporters now are very easy to see. They're almost the only ones still standing. (Except for the bare-chested Monarchs men who refuse to give way.)

Looking into the stands, I see a number of fans heading for the exits and the dinner break that beckons before the start of the evening games. I've heard that there is a nearby restaurant where the Pitt fans are planning a pep rally. I'll check that out and get back to you.

But first, we have to wrap this one up. There's five minutes left and Butler is leading, 46-34. Hey, there's a loose ball on the court and it bounces out of bounds right over to where I'm sitting. That's kind of cool.

A Butler breakout? 3/15/07

Man, these players are really hammering away at each other. It's unbelievable how much more you see when your perception isn't restricted to what the television cameras show you.

No sooner had I remarked on how evenly matched these squads seemed than Butler's boys put together a nifty couple of possessions and sneak out to a 38-32 lead with 9:29 left. There's a timeout on the court and the coaches huddle with their players. I can see Old Dominion's Blaine Taylor mapping out a strategy on a clipboard and talking intently into the faces of his players. He seems pretty upbeat and encouraging to them, which I only mention because of how many times we've all seen some of these coaches bellow and berate their players.

Which is all well and good, except I seem to recall some saying about where nice guys finish in the standings.

It's bucket for bucket ... tied at 29 all 3/15/07

Part of the attraction of the Butler-Old Dominion game, from every would-be expert that I heard, was that the two smaller schools were relatively evenly matched, with both of them coming to this tournament looking to prove that they could play with the big boys that sometimes dominate the sport.

So far, they are both giving as good as they're getting, with the score tied 29-29 at the 12:24 mark. The players are all hustling from one end of the court to the other, trading bucket for bucket or block for block. It's hard to imagine that either one of them will put together a run and open up an insurmountable lead. I have a feeling this one might go down to the final seconds.

Halftime for Butler and Old Dominion 3/15/07

Game 2 of the NCAA men's basketball tournament session at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y., between Butler and Old Dominion is at halftime with the ODU Monarchs leading, 20-19. You could almost cut the electricity here with a knife, but, of course, that's impossible and even if it were possible, you'd be crazy to start carving up electricity with a sharp metal object, because you'd almost certainly get electrocuted.

For the most part, the arena remains pretty much filled, even though these two schools aren't all that large and their fan base doesn't have all that much of a following. Most of the fans in attendance seem to be here for the hoops rather than any particular affiliation.

I can't help but notice that a whole lot of the people who had been here earlier in the day, wearing the red colors of Maryland and Davidson, seem to have already left. Still, as I look up into the rafters of the building, there are people sitting in seats as far as I can see.

I was remarking earlier on how these players aren't nearly as big as their counterparts with Maryland, the team that won Game 1 and will meet the winner of this game Saturday. But these guys make up for the lack of size with speed and agility. Guard Drew Williamson of Old Dominion just stole a sloppy pass by a Butler player and sliced through the opposition to score a basket on the other end, giving his team a 27-24 lead.

There's a timeout on the floor with 15 minutes left, which gives the fans a chance to vent their anger at one referee in particular, who stands on the court watching the cheerleaders. I can't imagine that he doesn't hear the heckling because I'm way over on the other side of the court and I can hear it pretty clearly. It's a creative mix of insult, criticism and helpful suggestion. From a guy whose face is painted blue and white and is wearing silver tinsel for hair.

A Panther tweaks the Gator: 3/15/07

Dan: Gee... hmmm... I wonder what team you'll be rooting for.... something about a gator from a southern state with a long peninsula? Hey, seriously... hope you have a lot of fun enjoying the tourney. I hope my Pitt guys can end up pretty far this year, too! Stay away from those gamblers in the sports dept! They'll take your hard-earned money. -- Don Ireland

Maryland vs Davidson / A rousing finish, especially for Maryland: 3/15/07

	Stephan Savoia, Associated Press Maryland's Greivis Vasquez (21) celebrates as time winds down on his team's win over Davidson during a first round NCAA Midwest regional basketball tournament game today in Buffalo, N.Y. Maryland won 82-70 to advance to Saturday's second round. Click photo for larger image.

Ah, now we've reached the point in the college basketball game where the coaches really take over. The interminable time when the players foul each other and everyone calls timeouts to stop the clock.

There's nothing like the last couple of minutes of a close basketball game. It's like watching the snow melt in Buffalo. Oh, wait. I'm not absolutely certain that the snow in Buffalo ever really melts. I've only been here in the fall, winter and spring.

We're down to 24.5 seconds left, and the fans are feeling it. There is joy in their faces as they watch their players exchange hand slaps on the court. They even give a hardy ovation to one of the Davidson players who has just fouled out of the game. Everyone is standing, clapping and cheering -- even the Davidson fans -- and both bands break into song. You can really feel the love as Davidson College becomes the first team in the tournament to be eliminated.

Not a bad start, I think.

The final score was 82-70, Maryland.

Another Dan who's a fan: 3/15/07

Dan The Man: The NCAA prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages at the basketball tournament. I remember attending a few years back when the Mellon Arena hosted first and second round games. Many people were surprised that you could not buy beer. -- Dan (The Other Man) McBride, Peters Township

Maryland vs Davidson / The fans get into the game: 3/15/07

OK, the second half is starting and the fans are back in their seats. And they're a lot more raucous. I wonder if the arena concession stands are selling beer. I don't think they are, but it's hard for me to imagine that all this enthusiasm is being generated solely by a bunch of teenagers playing hoops.

Whatever the Maryland coach said at halftime doesn't seem to have kicked in quite yet. Davidson has stormed onto the court and taken control here in the early minutes of the second half for a 52-44 lead. (Trust me, I can see the numbers clearly now that I know where to look for them.)

The Terrapin fans have decided that their players need a good chanting, so a chorus of "Let's go Maryland" has begun. Or is it "Let's go Terrapins"? It's hard for me to tell, really.

Maryland coach Gary Williams calls a timeout and his players gather in a tight circle around him, warming themselves near the fire in his face.

Maryland vs Davidson / It's halftime and I'm glad I'm not in the locker room: 3/15/07

This courtside reporting isn't nearly as easy as those guys on TV make it seem. There are all kinds of things happening all around you and there's a ton of distractions.

I'm just getting my bearings here, figuring out what parts of the scoreboard are relevant and which ones are beyond my understanding. But I'm catching on quickly, I think.

Davidson is coming down the court with the ball, trailing 44-43 as we enter the final minute of the first half. The face of Maryland coach Gary Williams turns as red as his tie as he bellows about a traveling call against one of his players. Fortunately, there are at least three young men standing behind him ready to hand him a cup of water or a towel whenever he needs it.

Halftime, and the coach is ticked. His players hustle off the court to the locker room while he stomps angrily behind them. I wouldn't want to be in that locker room any time soon. But, the truth be told, I don't really ever want to be in locker rooms. I believe in giving the athletes that space to themselves.

Maryland vs Davidson / Now I can sit, but the players are too tall: 3/15/07

You're looking live at words being typed by a journalist sitting in the media row at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y., where the first of today's four NCAA men's basketball tournament games is about to begin.

The public address announcer is introducing the players from the University of Maryland and Davidson College to the cheers of fans who made the trip to be a part of March Madness.

From all accounts, tickets to these games today were tough to get, but the scalpers lining the snow-dusted sidewalks outside the arena seemed to be brandishing handfuls of them at a time.

The game is under way and the first thing that strikes me is how tall the Maryland players are, especilly the young men on the bench. I can't help but notice because they're standing up most of the time, blocking my view of what's happening on the court. Suddenly, the cheap seats higher up don't sound so bad.

Maryland takes a 1-0 lead on a free throw at 18:27 in the first half. I can tell because I can see the scoreboard.

Maryland vs Davidson / No place to sit yet: 3/15/07

Well, I'm here in the arena's media work room. I had been hoping to get a courtside (or something like it) seat for the early games, but there might be a problem with that.

Because Pitt doesn't play until the evening session, Pittsburgh media are not assigned seats. That might mean I have to blog from the media work room, watching the game coverage on TV monitors.

But I have made a contact with a media relations guy who thinks he can get me a seat out there. (Evidently, the presence of Maryland, Virginia Commonwealth, Old Dominion and Duke has brought out a lot of reporters from the DC area. So seating is at a premium.)

The Zoo is on the road: 3/14/07

If Buffalo can't come to the Zoo, the Zoo must go to Buffalo.

And so it is that fans of the University of Pittsburgh's men's basketball team -- the students who call themselves "the Pittsburgh Zoo" -- are migrating north to Buffalo, N.Y., to see their third-seeded Panthers play in their sixth straight NCAA Tournament tomorrow night.

The game against the 14th-seeded Raiders of Wright State from Dayton, Ohio, is the last of four games scheduled for tomorrow in the HSBC Arena. The other games scheduled are Maryland (4 seed) vs. Davidson (13 seed); Butler (5 seed) vs. Old Dominion (12 seed); and Duke (6 seed) vs. Virginia Commonwealth (11 seed).

Dan the Fan will be following the Panthers' fans in Buffalo, blogging until the final buzzer. Join him here each day of the tournament, whether you're just taking the pulse of the Pitt faithful or contributing your own thoughts to the mix.

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