Sean Merriman, BTN.com web editor, April 6, 2015

INDIANAPOLIS — His name is Gregg Anthony. No, not the former UNLV star, not even close. This Gregg is the one who is responsible for escorting Wisconsin players and head coach Bo Ryan from event to event. He is the one who makes sure Coach Ryan gets from place to place, while, of course, protecting him from the numerous hecklers that surround an event like the Final Four.

[ MORE: Get all of our NCAA tournament coverage ]

If you talk to Gregg for a minute, you will be convinced he is one of the nicest people you've met. I know this because I had the chance to meet him following Wisconsin's memorable win over No. 1 Kentucky on Saturday night.

"What a game," he said. "Have you ever seen something like that?"

The truth is, no, I haven't. The Badgers accomplished something on Saturday night that no other team could this season. They prevented history from happening, handing Kentucky its first loss of the season, while capturing some history of their own in the process, advancing to their first national final since 1941.

As I told Gregg, this is my first Final Four. I got the chance to come here and cover the event for the Big Ten Network, and it is everything I thought it would be? and then some.

If you think being able to cover a Final Four is one of the neatest experiences a young sports journalist can have, you are underselling it. The atmosphere here, from the fans, to the employees, to the coaches and players, is truly unparalleled to anything in the college sports world. When I tell people like Gregg that I am here covering the Final Four for work, I actually feel guilty. It's like telling someone that you have magical powers that can turn the perfect dream into reality.

Yes, covering any sporting event, especially a Final Four, can have its crazy moments. Like when Saturday night's Michigan State game ended, and you have a 15-minute span to get from player interviews at one end of the stadium, to Tom Izzo's interviews at the other end of the stadium, and then file a story while making sure you get done in time to see the next game, which features another Big Ten team in Wisconsin.

[ MORE: Twitter: Badgers, past and present, react to national semi win ]

But, for the most part, this experience of covering a Final Four is near perfect. You get an inside look into what players, coaches and some of the most passionate fans around experience leading up to college basketball's biggest stage.

This season, I've got to chronicle some of the best moments in Big Ten history, many of which were made by the two teams representing the Big Ten this weekend. I got to see Frank Kaminsky put up 27 points and 12 rebounds in the Badgers' opening game of the tournament, becoming the second player ever to accomplish that feat in Big Ten history. I got to see Michigan State run off three straight wins to reach the Final Four, all three of which they were the lower seed. And finally, last night, I had a front row seat to witness what will go down as one of the best games in college basketball history. A Wisconsin team filled with a group of talented goofballs, take down an undefeated Kentucky team chasing perfection.

The joy I get while being able to cover an event like this is tough for me to explain to Gregg. He gets to take in the games from a completely different angle, and he's been doing it since 1998. While reporters spend their time waiting to get five minutes with a player or coach on camera, Gregg is the one conversing with them off of the camera.

"I have to pinch myself sometimes when I realize how neat of a position this is to be," he said. "I'm able to have real, personal conversations with Coach Ryan, and it makes you respect what a great guy he is."

But Anthony's job does have one major similarity to that of a reporter: no bias, and certainly, no cheering.

"I have to be impartial, and that can be tough sometimes," said Anthony, who grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and attending UW Whitewater, which is just 40 miles outside of Madison.

While our jobs are so far apart, we both share the love and passion for college sports. It provides emotion, knowing that any time you are at a college sporting event, be it as a media member, a fan, or a team escort like Gregg, you have the chance to witness something truly incredible, as we did on Saturday night.

[ MORE: Video: Wisconsin fans greet Badgers | Video: Frank Kaminsky dances ]

One of the first questions asked to the Wisconsin players during Sunday's media session was, "has what you accomplished last night sunk in yet?" And just about every player responded by talking about how much fun they are simply having during this process.

"We're having a great time," Wisconsin sophomore forward Nigel Hayes said. "We enjoy our fun time and we try to bring it everywhere else with us."

When I look back on this experience several years down the road, I'm confident that I will have a similar answer. I'll remember witnessing Wisconsin end Kentucky's pursuit of perfect. But I'll also remember meeting a guy who takes in a game from a completely different vantage point than I do, but also shares the love and passion for college athletics as a whole.

I didn't know how to answer Gregg's first question of "have you ever seen something like that?" at the time. Now, my answer would be simple — No I haven't, but I hope every college sports fan gets a chance to experience something like this at one point in his/her life.

And the best part of it all is that there's still one more game to go.