March 23 Sunday 11:30 p.m. Raleigh, N.C.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. Davidson’s not supposed to beat Georgetown. Davidson’s especially not supposed to beat Georgetown when their down 17 points in the second half. But today, it happened. It’s a few hours later, and even though I watched it unfold in front of me, I still can’t really believe what I saw.

Again, the Wildcats were down 17. Georgetown at one point was shooting 71% after making 10 straight shots. Steph Curry was completely shut down by the Hoyas defense -- the best defense in the whole land.

But then something happened. No one could really explain what it was after the game. But Georgetown started hoisting bad shots, and Curry started hitting shots. The snowball effect was on…and it didn’t stop until Curry hit a straight-away 3 put the Wildcats up 5.

Funny thing about that late 3...Steph’s father Dell didn’t want him taking it. He yelled out “no” when he saw Steph was about to shoot it…but then…swish…and it was pretty much game over.

I can’t explain how great it was to be able to sit in front of the Curry family for these two wins. First of all, they are the All-American family through-and-through. From Dell, to Sonya, to Seth, to Steph’s grandma’s…they are some of the most humble and gracious people I’ve ever met. And to see their reactions this weekend is something I’ll never forget.

Yes, this is a game…but Stephen Curry and the Wildcats have taken this tiny school in Davidson, NC and put it right in the center of the college basketball universe for at least four more days.

So many doubted they could get here. Should we doubt that they can’t extend those four days into a trip into the Final Four?

Random thoughts:

--It’s amazing that UNC has become somewhat of an after-thought after this weekend in Raleigh. But they were supposed to be here. Davidson’s not, and stories like the Wildcats are what touch people, sports fans or not.

--The Tar Heels are playing at such a high level right now, it’s almost scary.

--The folks running the RBC Center are some of the most helpful I’ve ever run into at an arena, stadium, etc. They really, truly cared if you were having a good stay and they really wanted you to like their city.

--I’ve been saying it all weekend, and I’ll say it one more time: Detroit is lovely this time of year. Maybe not, but for Davidson and their fans…it’s at least fun to pretend!

March 21 Friday 11:30 p.m. Raleigh, N.C.

12 hours after first arriving at the RBC Center today, I'm finally able to catch my breathe. Yup, it's been one of those days. But one of those good days when adrenaline does your job for you.

Davidson's win over Gonzaga may have thrust the Wildcats in the national spotlight, but the only surprise to me is that it's taken them so long to get that marquee win. Ohio State two years ago. Maryland last year. UNC, Duke, UCLA this year. All times when Davidson's had a big guy on the ropes, only to fall just short. All year long I've been comparing them to Winthrop's team last year. The Eagles came close to a big win so many times, but didn't get it until the NCAA Tournament. Now it's Davidson's turn to wear the Cinderella slipper.

Of course today's win basically comes courtesy of Stephen Curry. We know all about him...and I'll tell ya what...the national media that's gathered here...is enamored with him now. So many reporters were asking me about his story after this game, and it was a pleasure to share with them his journey from a lighty-recruited high school kid, to NCAA Tournament hero.

I watched today's game in front of Curry's family. His composed dad, his energetic mother, his calm brother and his nervous grandmothers. What an amazing experience watching a performance like that, while seeing first-hand the Curry family reactions.

Now, it's onto the second round Sunday and mighty Georgetown. We'll touch on that match-up tomorrow. For now, it's time to let today's experience soak in...another one of those special March moments.

Random thoughts:

--I should mention UNC played tonight. A 39-point rout over Mt. St. Mary's. So yes, it was the scrimmage we thought it would be. Plenty more on the Tar Heels and their 2nd round game tomorrow.

--Spent some time at the Davidson team hotel tonight...the players were off-limits to us...so I'll just report on the little blog here that yes, they were still beaming.

--Watching Indiana's Eric Gordon struggle big-time against Arkansas right now. Maybe he's not the super-star some say he is. Or maybe he's just more-than-ready to bolt Bloomington after Indiana's controversial season.

--Red, red, red. A red court, red stands, Davidson in red, Gonzaga in red, Indiana in red, Arkansas in red. Plus I'm pretty sure my eyes are blood-shot. Time to get some sleep!

March 20 Thursday 10:00 p.m. Raleigh, N.C.

Welcome to Raleigh!

It was practice day here at the RBC Center for eight teams, including UNC and Davidson. Practice might not sound all that interesting -- just ask Allen Iverson -- but for the NCAA Tournament, it’s more than what you’d expect. You get little schools like Mt. St. Mary’s walking wide-eyed into a not-so-little arena. You get teams like Indiana, who weathered a tumultuous season, truly believing that this is a second season. And you get teams like Davidson, now veterans of three-straight tournaments, truly believing that they’re good enough to win a couple games.

The Wildcats tip-off at 12:25 tomorrow afternoon against Gonzaga, and I’ll tell you what -- the ‘Zags aren’t very comfortable with the match-up. You see, just 10 years ago…Gonzaga was the small liberal arts school that became big on the national scene. Now, Davidson’s trying to become a carbon copy. And everyone who came to this arena today, knows it very well could happen. The Wildcats are anything but Mt. St. Mary‘s-like wide-eyed. And…they’re not sleepy-eyed as well. What a big advantage Davidson has, traveling about 160 miles, while the ‘Zags logged over 2,000!

As far as the Tar Heels go, tomorrow should amount to a glorified scrimmage for them. Mt. St. Mary’s is a nice story for today…but by tomorrow night, they’ll go down in history as just another 16 seed losing to a 1. Nice side story about former Providence Day star Jeremy Goode getting to face the team he used to root for…but let’s be real…’Heels roll by at least 30.

Random thoughts:

--Don’t adjust your set during the Davidson/Gonzaga game…it’s supposed to look that red. Both teams feature red predominately in their school colors, and the RBC Center has a red floor and thousands of red seats.

--Poor Wolfpack fans. There were a bunch of them here today. Gotta give ‘um credit for still wearing State stuff after the year that just was.

--We’re supposed to be impartial in this business, but it’s going to be tough not to root for Davidson tomorrow after the Wildcats came oh-so-close to pulling off a bunch of upsets earlier this season.

--I’m sitting courtside right now in an empty arena on the eve of NCAA tournament games. If there’s a more peaceful place for a sports fan to be tonight, I have no idea where it is.