Nov. 10, 2015 ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Oakland men's basketball team closes its exhibition season against Heidelberg on Wednesday at 7 p.m. inside the Athletics Center O'rena. Admission to the game is free and will be the final tune-up before the season opener on Nov. 18 against Eastern Michigan.
PRESEASON RANKINGS
After finishing their second season in the Horizon League with a 11-5 league record and a third-place finish in the standings, the Golden Grizzlies were selected second in this season's Horizon League Preseason Poll. Oakland was also selected No. 14 in the CollegeInsider.com Preseason Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.
SPECIAL KAY
Junior Kahlil Felder returns for the Golden Grizzlies and was named the Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year after posting 18.1 points and 7.6 assists per game. Felder was the only player in the country to surpass 17.0 points and 7.0 assists per game, and was a finalist for the Lou Henson Award, given to the country's top mid-major player. The 5-foot-9 point guard was to the 2015 Lute Olson Award Preseason Watch List, given to the nation's top Division I player who has played at least two seasons.
SOPHOMORE SENSATIONS
Redshirt Sophomores Jalen Hayes and Nick Daniels return for the Golden Grizzlies after being named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team last season. Hayes averaged 11.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in league play. He was named Horizon League Freshman of the Week a league-best seven times last season. Daniels led the league with a .486 field goal percentage from beyond the arc.
NEW FACES
The Golden Grizzlies welcome six new players this season with three transfers and three freshman making their debuts with Oakland. Redshirt senior Percy Gibson sat out last season after transferring from Iowa State. Fellow ISU transfer Sherron Dorsey-Walker will be eligible right away due to an NCAA waiver, while Texas transfer Martez Walker will be eligible after the fall semester. Freshmen Brad Brechting, Jaevin Cumberland and Xavier Hill-Mais all played significant minutes during Oakland's international trip to Spain. Brechting made the game-winning basket against CB TARRAGONA in the final seconds, while all three played double-digit minutes per game.
NEXT UP
Oakland will officially open the 2015-16 season at home against Eastern Michigan on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. inside the O'rena.
#WEARtheBEAR
