Get better acquainted with Auburn Hills

Pitt’s basketball team is about to crash Auburn Hills, Mich.

The Panthers were selected to… Pitt’s basketball team is about to crash Auburn Hills, Mich.

The Panthers were selected to play in the Oakland regional along with schools such as Memphis, Marquette and Gonzaga.

The regional tournament is held at The Palace, the home of the Detroit Pistons.

Oakland’s tournament director, Greg Kampe, is excited that the Panthers are coming to town and that months of hard work are about to pay off.

“We’re very pleased Pittsburgh is coming here,” he said. “We are trying to host a very special event, a very first class tournament.”

Kampe, the men’s basketball coach and interim athletic director at Oakland University, looks forward to the arrival of Pittsburgh fans in the Detroit suburb.

“The city came together with Steelers fans during the Super Bowl, so there are good vibrations between our cities,” he said. “It’s been a lot of work putting this tournament together, so hopefully the fans will be pleased.”

Local businesses are also anticipating the upswing in patronage during the tournament.

Jose Ortiz is the manager of Big Buck Brewery and Steakhouse, located approximately two miles from The Palace.

“It gets absolutely crazy here during tournament time,” he said. “We get a lot of business from The Palace, and a couple of teams will be in here on Friday.”

Ortiz believes Pittsburgh fans are welcomed more than others in Detroit because of the recent Super Bowl fervor.

“When the Super Bowl was here, Steelers fans were here two weeks in advance,” he said. “A lot of the tournament fans still have school, so they will probably come out here in packs on Wednesday or Thursday.”

Ortiz also won’t be afraid to show his bias when Pitt plays Kent State on Friday.

“It will be a good game, and Pitt will win,” he said. “I’m glad the Steelers won the Super Bowl because they have great fans, and I prefer the Panthers to win for the same reason.”

Post The Bar is directly across the street from The Palace, and manager Shaun Buckley anticipates a steady flow of fans from the tournament.

“We get all of the business from any event at The Palace,” he said. “We are already booked with parties and events. This place was Steeler Haven during the Super Bowl, so I assume there will be a good turnout amongst Pitt fans.”

The Palace is also the site of the infamous fight between former Indiana Pacer Ron Artest and a Detroit fan.

The men’s basketball tournament probably won’t include fan-player brawls, but it will provide an entertaining and exciting first round of college basketball.

“It was a very tedious process trying to bring the tournament here,” Kampe said. “But I’m sure it will be a great success.”