NCAA Atmosphere at the BOK

Originally Published: Mar 17, 2011 10:21 PM CDT

It was a little unusual- not bad, just unusual. Normally this time of the year were traveling to some not-so-exotic NCAA Tournament location to follow one of our local teams. Not this year.

We've already chronicled the fact that this is the first time since 1981 none of the in-state teams made it to the NCAAs, but this is still unusual.

For the first time, I could pull out of my driveway, travel 20 minutes, and be at an NCAA Tournament site.

The BOK Center looks like an NCAA venue (not that most don't once all the blue and black is put in place). The star power is there with Kansas and Texas. Bill Self remembering his days leading ORU and TU. Oakland's Greg Kampe holding court before lunch stating that his team should be a crowd favorite when they take on the Longhorns (OU equals Oakland University as well as Oklahoma, the dislike for Texas, etc).

The rumor mill was churning among national as well as local reporters. Memphis coach Josh Pastner was asked if he's been contact by OU (Oklahoma, not Oakland) about the coaching vacancy. He says he hasn't.

Thousands of fans filed in to watch the 8 teams go through public workouts.

Its a scene replayed over and over every March. Now its here. Its unusual, but its fun.

And we hope it comes back soon.