The Golden Grizzlies will be dancing on Friday as the Oakland University men’s basketball team learned who, when and where it would be playing its opening round game of the NCAA Tournament, alternatively known as “The Big Dance.”

Oakland was awarded a 14 seed by the selection committee and will square off against third-seeded Pittsburgh at 2:45 p.m. ET Friday in Milwaukee, Wis.

With about 1,000 OU supporters gathered at the Athletics Center O’Rena on Sunday night, players and coaches watched with great anticipation as the tournament bracket was unveiled live on CBS.

Much to the delight and surprise of everyone in attendance, the Grizzlies avoided having to travel to the farthest opening round host cities, drawing a game in Milwaukee.

“It’s a mixed emotion,” head coach Greg Kampe said. “I’m really happy that we’re not going to Spokane or San Jose or New Orleans. All of our kids (and fans) can get there.”

Despite this convenient location, Kampe felt his team should have received a higher seed in the tournament.

“I’m really disappointed in the seed though — I don’t understand how you can have a 51 RPI and be a fourteenth seed,” Kampe said. “To see teams that are 90 to 100 in RPI in the 12 and 13 slots, I guess that’s just the matter of that we’re new to this and maybe there’s not a respect level toward us.”

The matchup against Pittsburgh will prove very difficult for Oakland, though a 14-seed has defeated a third-seeded team 15 times in tournament history (15 percent).

“I know that Pitt is coached by one of the best in the country,” Kampe said. “They’re a great defensive team … they defend and they rebound. It’ll probably be a low scoring game and it’ll be hard for us to score would be my guess.”

The Panthers limited their opponents to just 61.4 points per game, which was good for 32nd in the nation out of over 300 Division I schools this season.

OU will, however, be aided by an additional day with which to craft a game plan, as the team will play on the second day of the first round.

Seniors Derick Nelson and Johnathon Jones were members of the Oakland team that lost to Pittsburgh three years ago, but that game will have no bearing on Friday’s tournament game.

“They have great guards, but we have a lot of depth at the guard position too,” Jones said.

Pittsburgh, which currently ranks 18th in the Associated Press Top 25, suffered a surprise defeat in the opening round of the Big East Tournament last Thursday against Notre Dame.

The Grizzlies’ treacherous non-conference schedule this season, which included games against two of the tournament’s four No. 1 seeds, will prove beneficial to the team since it will not be uncomfortable playing in front of a crowd of 18,000 people or unprepared for the top competition.

“We won’t be in awe in anybody, so that’s good. But at the same time, we know how good they are,” Kampe said.

While the team’s stated goal is to advance to the Sweet 16, the mere inclusion in the field of 65 teams is a huge sign of progress for a mid-major program trying to gain credibility.

“This could be the start of Oakland as a program rising even more,” Nelson said. “We’ve come so far just since I’ve been here … good things are happening to the school and to the program.”