9:53 p.m. — Crowd is on its feet. The sound is deafening. I can foresee the floor being flooded here at the fieldhouse.

9:10 p.m. — They better slow down, says Andy Beauchamp, a 22-year-old from Omaha, from Allen Fieldhouse at the half. KU leads 44-27. “I didn’t think the lead would be so high, but they let go now and getting really ahead of themselves. Let’s hope they come out and Self talks to them real good.” Here’s what Beauchamp’s pep talk would be right now at the half: “Slow down, take a breathe, and we’re doing good.” If KU wins tonight Beachamp expects not only the Fieldhouse but Lawrence to get crazy. “Lawrence will burn a second time,” he said.

8:52 p.m. — this crowd has endured a major mood swing as the game has progressed. One minute every one is thrilled by KU’s offensive explosion and the next everyone is worried about a UNC run. Everyone just seems glad to have made it to half without more foul trouble.

8:32 p.m. — “I cannot express anything,” said Tigest Frew, 25, KU student, of the incredible lead KU has 7:32 before the half. “I didn’t think it would’ve been (such a high lead).” She said the fieldhouse is “going to be crazy,” if the Jayhawks win. “It’s very loud,” Frew said. “It feels like everyone is here.”

8:30 p.m. — The energy, the volume, seems to be as hyped as the Jayhawks here at Allen Fieldhouse. One fan – Vicki Adams — is screaming like she’s never screamed before, she said. “I point three, they do a three,” she said. “Oh my god, it’s amazing,” she said. “This is the game that’s going to teach Roy a lesson,” she said.

8:27 p.m. — “Oh my god, this is awesome. ” I’m not sure who said it, but coming out of the Mario Chalmers trey with about 10 to go in the first half, someone just yelled that for everyone at Quinton’s to hear. I don’t know what could be more descriptive.

8:07 p.m. — This place is electric. The crowd in Quinton’s was on its feet and yelling for the tip and the excitement hasn’t stopped. The crowd did the rock chalk chant and has been raising its arms for every free throw. All these Jayhawk fans are excited to see their team in the first Final Four in five years.

7:40 p.m. –The only time Quinteon’s has been quiet all night was when CBS was playing Bill Self’s pre-game pep talk. Once it ended with Self saying he expected the locker room to be a big celebration in about 2.5 hours, the bar erupted with a massive cheer.

7:38 p.m. — The energy of the fieldhouse is comparable to a live game. Fans are interactive with shots on the screen, cheering for each Jayhawk player and booing shots of the opponents. All is quiet, however, as Bill Self talks to his team in a recorded locker room pep talk, as if coach is talking to the fans.

7:36 p.m. — Roy William’s interview on ESPN prompted an echo of boos throughout the fieldhouse. It’s hard to hear what anyone is saying over the cheers, however.

7:27 p.m. — It’s a mixed crowd at Allen Fieldhouse, filled with students and families. Lonna Summers, a master’s students at KU, is watching the game with her sister and nieces. “We just thought it would be fun to come see the game as a family and to see the energy (at the fieldhouse),” she said. Mojtaba Ghoraishy, a KU doctoral student, is watching the game with family too. “We wanted to be with other people.” There are only minutes left until the much-anticipated game begins. “We are so excited, we can’t wait,” Ghoraishy said.

7:20 p.m. — Doors opened 20 minutes ago and fans are still filing in Allen Fieldhouse at 7:20 p.m. Many picked up plastic cups from Senior Night and then fled to seats on each side of the scoreboard screens to where the game is aired. Fans watched the remainder of the UCLA-Memphis game on the screen. After the Memphis win, Jim Conklin, 35, of Gordon, was happy. “Everyone says Memphis is the best team around and I want KU to play the better team,” he said. The KU Band is adding to the cheers whenever KU is mentioned on ESPN.

6:40 p.m. — It seems the college students were much more prepared for these crowds than the local residents and older alumni. While the crowds inside the bar are composed mostly of 20-somethings, the line outside seems to be a bit, uh, mature. An hour until tipoff and the crowd seems to be restless. No doubt everything will quiet when the KU game begins.

5:10 p.m. — The TVs in here are tuned to either ESPN or CBS, and ESPN just showed its prediction thread. As Dick Vitale, Bob Knight and Digger Phelps picked North Carolina to win, the bar erupted into a crowd of “boos” only to begin cheering when Jay Bilas said he thought Kansas would win. Also, Kansas City TV stations are all over Mass Street picking up local color.

4:25 p.m. — The folks at Anheuser-Busch are out in full force to amp up the crowds. Bags of beads and wrist bands are being passed around for eager fans. In other news, at least at Quinton’s where I have taken up residence for the game, the building has reached its fire code maximum and no one else will be allowed in unless someone leaves. Also, photos will have to come later because no wireless is available here.

4 p.m. — The bars, including Quinton’s and Jefferson’s, that closed are reopen and the crowds are intense. Tables are all full, and there are already a number of people standing. At least one downtown bar is serving out of glass bottles, despite a request by police for only plastic to be used. So far, people seem excited to be here and ready to cheer on the Jayhawks. Two KU students, Kelly O’Brien and Mary Kate Nemrava, brought a travel version of the game Battleship to help pass the hours until game time.

3:10 p.m. — The first sighting of White Owl has occurred on Mass Street today. Though he made it to the Orange Bowl, evidently the Final Four was too tough. He was hanging out at Jefferson’s in a line that’s probably 30 to 50 deep.

2:45 p.m. — Sales at sports apparel stores are brisk this afternoon. T-shirts and other Jayhawk items are flying off the shelves at Joe College and Jock’s Nitch as fast as they can be replaced. Looks like a pretty good day to be a downtown merchant.

1:21 p.m. — Some short lines have started forming outside popular downtown spots that are planning to show the game. There are a number of fans in crimson and blue right now and everyone seems to be waiting in eager anticipation of the game starting at 7:47 tonight.