My first thought?

I miss Reynolds Coliseum.

Three hours later, I walked out after N.C. State had beaten Providence.

My last thought?

I don’t miss Reynolds anymore.

I fell in love with the Wolfpack’s brand-spanking new home. It’s big and fabulous and eye-opening.

And red. Boy is there a lot of red in there.

The students are still given the prime seats, circling the first few rows on each side of the court. That way, their sophisticated humor (that’s what they call it anyway) can be heard loud and clear by the opposing players and occasionally over the television voices sitting on press row.

It’s still loud — N.C. State fans will always make the most noise — and it will only get louder as the Wolfpack gets better.

But the players around the Atlantic Coast Conference will tell you that they’ll still miss Reynolds. In fact, during a recent gathering of ACC coaches and players, there was some heavy reminiscing going on.

“What I remember most was the long walk up the stairs from the locker room,” said Duke’s Shane Battier. “We wouldn’t even be on the court yet and the fans would spit on us.”

“I thought it was the hardest place to play,” said 7-footer Adam Allenspach of Clemson. “It makes it really tough when everybody’s taunting you. When we won there, they didn’t take it so well. People were screaming at us.

“And I thought that was awesome — the team spirit and everything. The fans were really into it.”

n

Rafael Vidaurreta came to Wake Forest from Spain. In the European leagues, people throw coins at players. They yell obscenities. In some places, they have to put a fence around the court.

Then, Viduarreta visited Reynolds.

“It was my freshman year,” he said with a grin. “I was shooting free throws and everybody was yelling, ‘USA!USA!’ I’ll never forget that. It was funny at the time.”

North Carolina’s Ed Cota is perhaps the most — shall we say — popular opponent to visit Reynolds over the past few seasons. Cota likes to bring up the fact he beat the Pack with a jumper during his freshman season. Pack fans like to bring it up too.

“People always come up with some ridiculous comments,” Cota said.

“You can hear them, definitely,” Battier said. “They had some interesting catcalls during layup lines.”

“That’s just being a fan, I guess,” Cota shrugged.

n

Yes, an N.C. State fan. They were proud of Reynolds, despite its size, despite its looks and despite the heat that had everyone inside sweating like a horse, even when it was below freezing outside.

Maybe that made the Reynolds inhabitants even more insane than at Cameron Indoor Stadium, where the fans actually call themselves “Crazies.”

“There was something about that place that was good,” said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.

n

If the Wolfpack’s 64-60 win over the Friars Saturday is any indication, the Entertainment and Sports Arena will be just as tough for the opponents.

“Our fans will take it as a challenge to be the loudest,” said State senior Justin Gainey.

It’s 770,000 square feet make it the biggest basketball palace in a state known for basketball palaces. Don’t forget that the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill seats 21,500. The Charlotte Coliseum seats more than 23,000. The Greensboro Coliseum seats 21,000.

While N.C. State’s new place seats 19,722 for hoops, it is now the most glamorous.

It should be for a $158 million price tag, don’t you think?

n

I’m like everyone else who will visit the Entertainment and Sports Arena for the first time. I sat there admiring the joint but with a tinge of sadness and, like many of the ACC players, a lot of Reynolds Coliseum memories.

“My first memory was that it was a barn,” Battier said. “A farm barn.”

“I’ll always remember how the fans were breathing right down your neck,” said Maryland’s Terrence Morris. “They try to distract you as much as they can — and they do a good job of it.”

It was nice that Virginia’s Pete Gillen came into the league last season so he received the Pack venom at least once.

“There were fans screaming in my face,” Gillen said. “They’d yell, ‘We know where you live! We’re going to blow up your car! We’re going to kill your cat!’

“I’d ask my assistant, ‘Tommy, what are they doing?’ Ten guys would yell, ‘Tommy, what are they doing!’ I always look bad but I looked like I had died.

“Duke is very tough but State is the best,” Gillen said.

Gillen made that remark about the Pack fans before ever playing in the Entertainment and Sports Arena. He’ll get the opportunity to compare arenas Jan. 12.

With the noise I heard Saturday, Gillen will probably leave the Entertainment and Sports Arena thinking the same thing I did.

It ain’t like Reynolds.

It’s better.

n