By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

DAYTON, Ohio - The Bulls' day started and ended in fantastic fashion Monday.

The USF men's basketball team walked through a sea of loud fans at the Muma Center on campus in Tampa and boarded a bus to the airport to start a journey to Dayton, Ohio where the Bulls will begin their first NCAA tournament in 20 years.

Little did the Bulls know that they'd be greeted by more cheerleaders at the team hotel around 8 Monday night. Instead of USF spirit squads leading the fight song, the hotel staff was decked out with foam fingers and dancing in the lobby as the Bulls checked in.

The hotel staff even moved a basketball hoop to the front entrance and had "USF Bulls" chalked in green and gold in the paint area.

Just walking through the hotel to a scene like that was enough to give you chills. Dayton sure knows how to welcome its visitors.

Check back to GoUSFBulls.com on Tuesday for a practice report and much more in preparation for the Bulls' first round game against California on Wednesday night.