Long before the players and coaches from UC San Diego graced the court at Ball Arena on Thursday, a god walked among men.

That, at least, was the vibe that 30-year-old Indiana resident Nick Strafford was going for when he dressed up as King Triton — the team’s mascot — on Thursday.

The Tritons moved up to Division I during the 2020-21 season and qualified for the NCAA Tournament in their first year of eligibility with a 75-61 victory over UC Irvine in the Big West championship.

UC San Diego faced No. 5 Michigan as the No. 12 seed Thursday night. Strafford was hopeful the glass slipper — or rather, the gold crown — fit just right. It was his first time supporting the Tritons in person, and he bought the costume just for this occasion.

“I am King Triton, Poseidon, Neptune — if you’re more into Roman mythology. This is our first tournament appearance, so I’m hoping this gets us over the edge. We’re two-point dogs, so hopefully we beat Michigan,” he said during the first game of the day at Ball Arena, Montana vs. Wisconsin. “I actually had a trident and they took it from me before I could get in, which was unfortunate.

“I’m going to have to live in this costume until 8 p.m. tonight, but it’s method acting. You’ve got to get into character early and then just keep going all day.”

An Indiana alumnus and fan by trade, Strafford said that he and his friends, who all donned “Big West champions” T-shirts, had “a lot of pent-up cheering” after the Hoosiers’ lackluster season. He was all-in on his new bandwagon team.

“The pandemic year was our first year in Division I, and then, boom, within five years, we’ve made the tournament,” he said of his adopted team. “It’s Cinderella season. Why not us? Why not shock the world? And why not today?”

Checking in on Jimmer Fredette >> On Thursday, as a BYU home crowd just 500 miles from campus infiltrated Ball Arena, the fans’ buzz quickly turned to a legendary member of their own: now-Colorado resident Jimmer Fredette, a former Cougar and NCAA Tournament hero.

“You’re looking good,” Fredette told one BYU acquaintance, who’d come up for a hello and a hug.

“You feel good,” they responded, a muscled-up Fredette laughing in a blue Cougars tee.

Worlds collided in pure serendipity Thursday for Fredette, who now lives in Littleton with his wife. He loved it here, he told The Denver Post. He’d taken up skiing. And he got to come relive the glory days with his Cougars Thursday at Ball Arena without buying a plane ticket, No. 6 BYU downing No. 11 VCU to notch their first NCAA Tournament win since 2011-12.

“It’s like, coming back full circle, and reminiscing on that run and what we did is very special,” Fredette smiled in the stands.

Badgers’ clutch bench >> To win games in the tournament, teams need momentum-swinging plays from bench players, and that’s exactly what Carter Gilmore provided in the second half as No. 3 Wisconsin pulled away from No. 14 Montana, 85-66.

In a sequence about five minutes into the second half, Gilmore — who’s averaged 19 minutes off the bench while appearing in every game this season — had three key plays that jump-started Wisconsin pulling away from the Grizzlies.

The backup forward made a 3-pointer, then drew a charge on the other end, then came back and hit another jumper — all in the span of 43 seconds. On the Badgers’ next possession, Nolan Winter hit a 3, stretching Wisconsin’s lead to a then-high 12 points with 13:13 left.

Montana never got close again after that. Gilmore finished with eight points, and fellow forward Xavier Amos came off the bench and delivered 11 points, too.

“That (sequence by Gilmore) was huge,” Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard said. “He’s done that all year for us. He’s made big plays.

“I think our bench has been one of our strengths throughout the year. We’ve gotten great contributions off it. You saw Amos tonight, (guard Kamari) McGee has done that throughout the year. (Guard Jack) Janicki has done it at times. Obviously, Gilmore. They know I don’t want them to be bashful. I don’t want them to be passive. I want them aggressive when they come in. Obviously, Carter took advantage of his opportunities there.”