With their wheelie chairs and shoulder-mounted weapon, game-day camera crews have always fascinated me. So when I was assigned to help the ESPN Plus crew for the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center, I couldn’t wait to get started.

Every job has perks. Through my connections at Northwestern Athletic Media Services, I was able to help out with the Big Ten Tournament on March 8 and 9, and the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, from March 15 to 18.

Walking through the gates of the United Center without being stopped by security was exhilarating. I met quickly with my crew chief, and began work with my brother and a large, bearded, self-proclaimed Viking named Sven. Our job, to run a few broadcast cables from the production truck to the court, seemed simple.

I learned several lessons immediately: Swearing was tolerated, almost encouraged, and mistakes were not. First day or not, I was expected to perform my duties quickly and efficiently. I needed to make sure that no one tripped over the wire on the court, and that no pressure was placed on the wires off the court. As the extra wire wrangler, I was able to stay directly behind the basket.

My chosen baseline seat could not have been better. I was two feet from the court and could feel the energy rippling around me in the United Center. The team I grew up revering, Michigan State, was playing Wisconsin in the first game.

Michigan State came out strong against the heavily favored Badgers. Forward Marquis Grey threw down several dunks that seemed bound for my face, while Wisconsin had some problems shooting from behind the three-point line. But with the second half came the hot hand of Wisconsin superstar Alando Tucker. Making shot after shot, the senior led his team to a commanding 70-57 win and a berth in a Big Ten semifinal game.

Next came Indiana, with its old-school burgundy-and-white striped pants, and Illinois, having won four of its last five games. As exciting as floor seats at the United Center can be, the first half was flat-out dull. Neither team seemed to control the game.

The rest of the game made up for the lackluster beginning, though. Both teams began making their shots, Indiana led by giant D.J. White and Illinois by the lanky Warren Carter. The game was tied at the end of regulation, sending the orange-and-white Illinois crowd into a frenzy. The Illini managed to pull out a close one, prompting an excited fan to rush the court. One minute he was yelling and pumping his arms, the next he was on the ground in a headlock from a United Center security guard. The guard quickly escorted the exuberant fan off the court as I went off to do my duties.

I was able to cross off two events on my “Things to experience before I die” list after the final buzzer of the night sounded:

• Have a superstar athlete jump into the crowd right where I was sitting. (I helped Wisconsin’s Alando Tucker back to his feet, prompting a text message from my mom, who was watching the game in Michigan.)
• See a pep-band director cuss out a fan and go into the stands after him. (This was a new addition to my list, but was almost as exciting.)

Halftime and postgame interviews included a whirl of lights, stools and people. Sven, my brother and I had 90 seconds to run two tripods, two stools and as many lights as we could out onto the court, dodging fans as we went. Attempting to swim through the loads of people while carrying my equipment, I looked at Sven for some help.

“Angry Viking coming through!” screamed Sven as he raised a tripod like a battle axe over his head. People quickly moved out of our way, and we were able to finish up the setup for the interview.

Barely awake on the train ride home, the past two days seemed so surreal. From navigating the depths of the United Center to laying endless feet of wire, I was exhausted.

And it only got better. Armed with my experience from the Big Ten Tournament, I headed back into the city for my NCAA Tournament assignment. My new job involved no wires, no wheelie chairs and, a little disappointingly, no money. As an assistant quote-taker for the Big Ten Conference, I needed to gather quotations from players or coaches after each game so the NCAA could distribute them in the official press releases. This meant that I was only busy directly after a game, leaving me to watch all six games at my leisure.

I thought sitting on the court for a Big Ten Tournament game was as good as it got, but after sitting in the front row at the NCAA Tournament, I was having my doubts.

Georgia Tech and UNLV were the first to play on March 16. Led by the family combo of coach Lon Kruger (father) and point guard Kevin Kruger (son), the Rebels managed to squeak out a close one against the 10th-seed Yellow Jackets. Although Kruger went 0-8 from the floor, he racked up eight assists on the way to the victory.

Next came the heavily favored Wisconsin Badgers against tournament first-timers Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. To the shock of the overwhelmingly red crowd, the Islanders got out to a quick 10-0 lead. The Islanders were led by big man Chris Daniels, who finished the game with 20 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. Badger superstar Alando Tucker threw down a dunk at the end of the first half, bringing Wisconsin to within eight of the Islanders. With its new momentum, Wisconsin scored 57 points in the second half and survived the scare, winning 76-63.

Top-seed Kansas played Niagara next. Kansas played every player on its bench in its easy 107-67 win.

My seat was located directly in front of a group of Kansas parents. Waving their arms and bellowing for their team, I felt like I was suddenly in the heart of Jayhawk country.

“You didn’t know we would be so loud, did you?” one parent told me after cheering for her team.

The last game of the day was between Kentucky and Villanova. In a close match the dominant presence of Randolph Morris, recently acquired by the New York Knicks, helped Kentucky score a 67-58 win.

Two days later, second-round games got underway. Practically every seat was filled by a red-clad fan to see Wisconsin battle UNLV. Wisconsin seemed to fall upon the same struggles that plagued them during their first-round game, as UNLV entered the locker rooms at halftime with an eight point lead. But Wisconsin’s Kammron Taylor came out with a bang, finishing with 24 points while going nine for nine from the foul line. Kevin Kruger would not be defeated though, hitting four big three-pointers and dishing out seven assists as the Rebels pulled out a shocker and beat the 2nd-seed Wisconsin 74-68.

The next game, and the last of my NCAA experience, was between Kansas and Kentucky. Kansas continued to execute their fast-paced offense as they ran around Kentucky, scoring 52 points in the second half to beat Kentucky 88-76. Running from the press room to the court, I practically tripped all over myself as I bumped into Kentucky coach Tubby Smith, after what later turned out to be his last game as coach of the Wildcats.

Entering a locker room is always an experience too. Having played sports during all four years of high school, there is still no way to prepare yourself for the smell that smacks you in the face as you enter the room. I was assigned to cover the locker rooms of both the winning and losing teams, and the different dynamics were as obvious as one would expect. There were cheers and backslaps as reporters rushed into the confident winner’s locker room. Only tears were flowing in the loser’s locker room, as reporters there asked about next year.

After watching eight games and quoting dozens of players, I was thrilled with my United Center experience because I could not have imagined a better way to spend five days. Only one idea ever crossed my mind: When can I do this again?