In postseason play, teams are required to open their locker rooms for the media, which is something many schools — WVU included — just won’t do during the regular season.

That’s not a complaint, but this is another reason to embrace March. Players are just much different speaking from a podium and in front of a couple dozen reporters and television cameras than they are in their locker room.

In one environment, they’re frequently uncomfortable in your surroundings. They’re nervous, hesitant and careful not to screw up. In the other, you’re quickly made aware you’re on their territory. You see the broken bits of things thrown either in halftime anger of postgame jubilation. Funny messages are scribbled on the dry erase board. Players are clowning around and enjoying the moment. They’re calm, willing and probably trying to do their best to make your story.

Oh, it can suck, too. Just about every time I round a corner and head into a locker room, I think back to the brutal scene in 2006 after WVU lost to Texas on Kenton Paulino’s 40-foot-buzzer beater. Five kids helplessly watched their college careers come to an end and you knew asking how it happened was going to be an awful experience.

Mostly, though, it’s great and what we witnessed Saturday afternoon was exactly why. In fact, it’s one of the funniest things I’ve seen all year.

First, reporters were trying to get Joe Alexander to open up a little bit, which can be difficult, and they struggled to disarm his dry wit and sarcasm.

When told that the Mountaineers had just beaten a team with eight McDonald’s all-Americans, Alexander seemed startled. He arched his eyebrows and asked in a serious tone, “Who?”

See, that’s Alexander. Part of him doesn’t know. Part of him doesn’t care. The latter attitude has become that of WVU’s. The Mountineers are playing with an edge right now and they think they’re as good as anyone they’ll play.

Anyhow, the whole eight McDonald’s All-Americans thing was a difficult concept to grasp. And not just for Alexander.

As a reporter was leaving, the reserve Cam Thoroughman asked if Duke point guard Greg Paulus was one of the eight McDonald’s all-Americans. When told yes, Thoroughman said: “Oh my God. Are you kidding?”

No joke. And for the rest of the college basketball off-season, no-names like Thoroughman have made once-mighty Duke a punch line.