GREEN & WHITE BASKETBALL

LCA doubleheader brings hoops excitement to Detroit

Mark Snyder

Detroit Free Press

There's no catchy nickname for the event or even a building in working order.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo looks on as Michigan coach John Beilein speaks during a press conference outside of the almost finished Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on April 25, 2017.

But when Olympia Entertainment president and CEO Tom Wilson stood in a dirt area outside Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday morning, announcing the Dec. 16 college basketball doubleheader, he shared a vision.

Michigan will face Detroit Mercy in the first college basketball game at Little Caesars Arena, and Michigan State plays Oakland in the second game that day in a one-time event.

But Wilson has bigger dreams about this as a tipoff, not a one-off.

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"Our goal is to bring back these school, one or all of them, on a regular, regular basis and to have major college basketball here on a regular basis every single year," Wilson said.

The challenge is logistical and contractual as U-M coach John Beilein said this set "a record for the number of conference calls" to set up a game.

The MSU-Oakland matchup is the renewal of a yearly series that has alternated between the Breslin Center and the Palace of Auburn Hills. That kickstarted the idea to add Michigan and Detroit, who played the first basketball game at Joe Louis Arena on Dec. 12, 1979. U-M won, 85-72.

This year's game will pit Beilein against his former U-M assistant Bacari Alexander, who will be in his second season at Detroit.

The arena will host the Horizon League tournament and NCAA tournament first and second round games in 2021.

Detroit Mercy men's college basketball coach Bacari Alexander talks during a press conference outside of the almost finished Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on April 25, 2017 to announce a doubleheader between his school, Michigan State, Michigan and Oakland University on Dec. 16, 2017.

The press conference took place outside the building, which is scheduled to open in 129 days, which meant hardhats, eye goggles and safety vests for the media and a makeshift podium for the coaches as construction continued behind them.

"This is an exciting time in our city where we can kick off such a great event," Alexander said.

Olympia, which gave a financial guarantee to both schools, has not yet announced a ticket plan.

"Hopefully you've got four good programs, you've got our state covered, you've got a lot of living alums," MSU coach Tom Izzo said. "The excitement of playing, the job Tom Wilson has done here. To be involved in the city, bring our kids down here and what's going on, Michigan State, Tom Izzo, proud to be a part of it. Honored to be with these prestigious (coaches) and maybe what will end up as the greatest basketball facility in the entire country."