Greetings from Houston!  Day one of my trip to the South Regional was a pretty eventful one.  I left Waco about 8:00 a.m. and pulled up to massive Reliant Stadium at 11:00 a.m.  The first interviews weren't until about 1:00 p.m. ... so I was VERY early.  That's okay though, because it gave me plenty of time to check out the setup inside.  It's pretty wild.  I'm still not used to basketball being played in football stadiums.  I am still not sure if I am big fan of playing ball in huge stadiums like Reliant, but I guess it's here to stay.  Here's a look at what it looks like inside:

I was able to watch both Baylor and Saint Mary's practice.  I also interviewed players and coaches from both teams.  Here are some thoughts on both squads after yesterday:

* Saint Mary's is incredibly loose.  Their practice at Reliant Stadium was more like a goof-off session.  They practiced half-court shots more than they did offensive and defensive strategy.

* Randy Bennett was a pleasure to interview.  The Saint Mary's head coach is very personable.  He gives reporters great answers to their questions and you can tell he's having a lot of fun right now.

* Baylor is a big story in Houston right now.  It seemed as though all of the Houston media is doing some sort of story on the Bears.  This kind of media attention in a recruiting is certainly a good thing.

* Ekpe Udoh is quickly becoming my favorite interview on the Bears.  The Edmond native is well-spoken, smart, and thoughtful with his answers.  And he is also honest.  When I asked him what it will be like to play inside Reliant Stadium he admitted to me that he'll be a bit nervous in front of all these people.

That's all for now ... I'll check in again soon.