Michigan State and Michigan practice in front of f...: Both teams prepare to play Thursday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Auburn Hills — Practice was perfect Wednesday for basketball fans who watched the Wolverines, Spartans and other teams work out at The Palace of Auburn Hills ahead of today's NCAA tournament.
Michigan and Michigan State were among the tournament participants taking part in the open practice sessions, much to the delight of hundreds of hometown fans decked out in maize and blue and green and white.
MSU grad Joel Reb of Brighton brought his 4-year-old sons Jack and Connor to check out their favorite team.
Everyone in the family has gone to the school, so it was only natural the boys would be Spartan fans.
"It's a fun way to let them watch basketball," Reb said. "If you go to a full game, they tend to lose concentration, so this is nice and short and free."
Fans took advantage of the open practices to enjoy up-close encounters with their favorite players. Some checked the odds on their smartphones and others unfolded pieces of paper and went over their brackets.
"I've been a huge fan of Michigan my whole life," said 18-year-old Aaron Boening of Clinton Township, who wore a Wolverine-shaped maize-and-blue hat to the practice. "I've never actually seen them play before, so I'm excited for it."
In today's games, No. 3 seed MSU faces No. 14 Valparaiso at 12:15 p.m. and No. 4 seed U-M takes on No. 13 South Dakota State at 7:15 p.m. Winners will play Saturday at The Palace.
Nichole and Justin Hawkins of Waterford wore Memphis Tigers blue for their team, which plays St. Mary's today.
"It's kind of fun because we get to explain just how good they are," Nichole Hawkins said. "Plus all of our friends are Michigan and Michigan State fans and they just happen to be in the same tournament (regional) this year."
The two have tickets to today's game and intend to get tickets to Saturday's action if the Tigers win. "It ended up being completely perfect," said Justin Hawkins, who's originally from Memphis.
The Spartans finished their practice, and the crowd oohed with excitement at every dunk. At the end of their session, the players waved to fans as they walked off the court to a standing ovation.
"It's all basketball. To me this is the best sport event there is, bar none," said Jan Hall, a lifelong Spartan fan from Saginaw. "You can have the Super Bowl, I love the World Series but this for me is just the best."
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