What happens in Vegas is sent to Omaha

Who wants the sightseeing of Washington D.C., the warm beaches of Tampa, Fla., or a day at Disneyland in Anaheim when you can have...Omaha, Nebraska? While it's nothing against the city or its people, it's the card the Rebels drew in the 2008 NCAA tournament, so here we are. Omaha: Day 1.



Las Vegas' finest media crew wandering the streets of Omaha, in front of the Qwest Center in search of snacks in the wee hours of the morning.


We missed the memo that bars close at 1 a.m. Something tells me this is going to be a lot different than our trip to Chicago and the NCAA tourney in '07. Us Rebels gotta bring our own nightlife on this one. A thank you to Southwest Airlines for the drink coupons, which made the flight fantastic. Like Chicago last year, it's cold enough to make your ears fall off. Really, no exaggerating or sarcasm on this one.



That's ice frozen over on this small lake in downtown Omaha. As our late-night trek pushed us further into the heart of downtown, we didn't see a soul. Empty bars with basketball decor awaited fans (hopefully) coming the next day.

Omaha: Day 2.

Media day and practices brought us to the Qwest Center, which is actually a very nice large facility.









Rene Rougeau gets off the bus at the Qwest Center and the Runnin' Rebels get checked in.



Rene, Wink and Curtis take questions from the media before practice on Wednesday...



...and of course coach K was in the house.



As many know, Wink Adams, the Rebels leading scorer, has been under the weather with the flu this week. During the press conference, he mentioned the going was rough earlier this week, but he is now eating, drinking a lot of water and practicing again.









After practice, Curtis Terry and the rest of the Rebels hung out to sign autographs for kids at the arena.

Lace up those shoes, it's dancin' time. Will have more tomorrow... time to hit the town before the place shuts down! Go Rebels!