Let the countdown begin

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This is the most exciting week of the year. The NCAA Tournament is just hours (yes, I'm counting in hours) away, and there's no denying college hoops fans can't wait to get the show on the road. Here are a few odds and ends from the sea of tourney hype:

Word on the street:Sould we be surprised all the attention in Philly is focused on Villanova? Absolutely not. But don't think people aren't paying attention to the Quakers. The three big local TV stations and Comcast SportsNet had camera crews at Penn's last practice before the trip to Dallas yesterday. First question for Penn coach Fran Dunphy: so have you heard from Temple? His answer: No, and all I'm interested in now is Penn, Texas and the NCAAs.

Southern Quakers: Gary Susswein of the Austin American Statesman listed several reasons Texas fans should pay attention to the Red and Blue. Among them, the Palestra and that 13-point loss to Duke, compared to the Longhorns 33-point blowout. Whether or not burnt-orange fans will listen to this Penn grad is up in the air.

Who's got Tucker: In Penn's full practice yesterday, Dunphy and assistant coach Dave Duke went through plenty of sets they expect to see from Texas Friday night. Adam Franklin played the part of Big-12 Player of the Year P.J. Tucker, while Brennan Votel was Brad Buckman. Freshman Cam Lewis filled the shoes of LaMarcus Aldridge.

Can I get a pair: Dallas-bound fans looking for tickets to Friday's game are in luck. Ticketmaster will be selling a limited number of seats at 3 p.m. tomorrow. Tickets for Friday's second session which includes Bucknell-Arkansas and Penn-Texas cost $50 plus service charges.