Thursday marked the first time I've spent any real amount of time in Wisconsin. My previous trips to the Badger State have been spent on its interstates en route to Minnesota.

So far, so good in advance of Illinois men's basketball playing Xavier at 8:45 p.m. Friday in a first-round NCAA tournament game at Fiserv Forum. Illini beat writer Scott Richey and I arrived in advance of the Illini's open practice at Fiserv Forum, where a hearty contingent of orange-and-blue die-hards filled the stands for a free glimpse at their favorite team.

Chilly temperatures didn't deter us from taking in Milwaukee's vibrant downtown, or from enjoying a bite to eat at Lakefront Brewery. Shoutout to my friends from Wisconsin for the great recommendations -- keep 'em coming.

Fiserv Forum, considered one of the NBA's best venues, is fittingly a stone's throw away from Milwaukee Area Technical College. Zach Piatt might have seen the Stormers in action at the NJCAA Division II men's basketball tournament while covering Parkland this week in Danville.

The Milwaukee portion of a great week of basketball in Champaign-Urbana is off to a great start. We'll see what Friday brings!

Joey Wright is a staff writer at The News-Gazette. He can be reached at [email protected].