GLENDALE, Ariz. _ The Final Four is an event where stars become star struck and distractions are plentiful.
Fulfilling a request from Nike, Kobe Bryant visited Oregon and Gonzaga locker rooms.
South Carolina players were given a deadline on distributing tickets to friends and family. Gonzaga players wondered what it would be like to play in front of 70,000 fans in a few days.
While North Carolina is making its second straight Final Four appearance, this business is all new for the other three teams. And the coaches are trying to manage the hoopla surrounding this event.
South Carolina coach Frank Martin turned to some friends who know what it's like to work on this stage.
"We talked about all the stuff that kind of prevents you from focusing on basketball and how they managed it, the mistakes they made their first time through and how they tried to adjust it every single time," Martin said.
Oregon has not been to a Final Four since the first championship in 1939, which it won. The Ducks brought the wobbly trophy with them to the University of Phoenix Stadium.
Gonzaga and South Carolina never have been to a Final Four before. The goal now: Don't get overwhelmed by the moment.
"Focus on doing your job," Martin said he told his players. "If our job is not good enough, nothing to be ashamed of. But we're not playing the arena. We're not playing the Final Four. We're playing Gonzaga. So we have to focus on doing what we have to do to figure out a way to win that game."
