March Madness: San Diego State has been there before, but they've never done anything. This time promises to be different. The Aztecs are seeded 2nd in the West Regional. In years gone by, come selection Sunday, they always sat there, eyes glued to the tube, fingers crossed, surrounded by coaches and a few friends. Hoping to get chosen. Wondering who they would play. Wishing they would not get embarrassed. Always fearing it would be a typical "one and done."

Not anymore. Now they belong. Forever forgotten is the (0-6) NCAA tourney history record, replaced by a nationwide best (32-2) ledger.

My, times have changed at the Madhouse on Montezuma Mesa. More than 1,000 fans took part, cramming the seats at center court for the selection show. "The Show", the student body came wearing their gear, some with face paint, others with signs. And of course, there were those with the cutouts too, pictures of Coach Steve Fisher, the Aztecs logo, signs that read "March Gladness" and even one with a cutout of BYU enemy-guard Jimmer Fredette. with a diagonal redline across the picture.

The Aztecs Warrior, the old Monty Montezuma, was there. So was outgoing President Steven Weber, an unabashed supporter of SDSU athletics, through wins-losses, empty seats, budget cutbacks, and campus-wide criticism.

The fans roared when the Aztecs fight song was played. They stood and cheered as the lights dimmed, and each player was introduced. They stomped their feet in basketball tradition as the architect of all things hoops, Coach Steve Fisher, was brought out.

They booed when Duke was given the top seeded spot for the West Regional in Tucson. They came out of their seats when San Diego State was announced as the second seed. They mocked State's opponent, Big Sky champion Northern Colorado, chortling who-where. They high-fived when CBS announced that maybe the Aztecs bracket was the toughest in all.

Play the best, beat the best, to be the best, echoed around the Arena, knowing full well the road in this tourney will be a challenge. Duke, U-Conn, Michigan, Cincinnati, Missouri, and Texas will be part of that regional party.But for this day, it was all Red and Black. It was like being at a World Cup soccer game, the noise, the music, the chants.

Billy White, the hero of the trashing-thrashing win over BYU, was honored. Malcom Thomas, wearing the nets they cut down from the Mountain West Conference tourney baskets, around his neck, beamed about how good it was to come home. In unison, fans chanted "D-J Gay" when the lead guard brought the league and tournament trophies onto the floor.

There was a video light display, there was hip-hop music banging off the walls and into the corridors. There was longtime Fisher assistant Brian Dutcher standing in the shadows, having been with the head coach through the glory days at Michigan with the Fab Five, the days they all got fired, and the day they were hired at SDSU.

It was like a frat party from the movie Animal House, noise and dancing, stomping and cheering, and then the anticipation of what would come starting next Thursday.

It was all basketball talk all day long. Standing in lines outside the arena, fans wondered if star forward Kawhi Leonard would come back to school or head to the NBA. They wondered if Steve Fisher could open more recruiting doors by virtue of the 32-2 season, and make this a yearly national event. They talked about the great job the Aztecs did in finally bottling up BYU's shooter Jimmer, without his jumper, Fredette. They mocked the selfishness of Cougar forward Brandon Davies for getting suspended late in the season. they yakked about where they were, what they saw, and what they remembered about all those home court wins.

They wondered out loud, who are these other teams, and where is Wofford, Belmont, Morehead State, Old Dominion, and the like? They brought their brackets with them to fill out as the selection show continued amidst all the bedlam.

A wonderful experience to see. A monument to hard work by a head coach, given a second chance, after a player-booster scandal nearly wrecked his good name at Michigan. A day to salute an outgoing President, who never wavered in his support of the student-athlete experience, by never de-emphasizing Aztecs athletics.

I walked out of that Arena, across a quiet campus, saw the beauty of the Aztecs Athletic Center, and the serenity of the shiny new Alumni center. I never honestly thought I would ever see this day. SDSU fans going crazy over basketball. A hoops team getting national acclaim. And electricity in a building, without ever having to throw a switch on.

And I marveled at the year. Ask someone about San Diego State, and they would mention Marshall Faulk, Hall of Fame. Or Stephen Strasburg, No. 1 pick in the baseball draft. Now they add Aztecs basketball and Steve Fisher.

For the first time ever, March Madness really means something, and San Diego State is right in the middle of all of it.

Big games, big shots, big time teams. The Aztecs, about to play in it, now themselves one of the "Big Boys."