MEDIA CENTER

ROCHESTER, Mich. - Oakland will host Grand Valley State in a men's basketball exhibition contest on Monday night on the Blacktop at the O'rena at 7p.m. The game can be heard on WDFN-AM (1130) with Neal Ruhl (pxp) and Matt Dery (analyst) on the call.

The Golden Grizzlies and Lakers were longtime GLIAC foes before Oakland transitioned to Division I in 1997-99. Oakland beat GVSU, 88-66, the last time the two teams met on Jan. 14, 1998 in Rochester.

Oakland will open the regular season with a four-game homestand, beginning with Bowling Green on Friday night at 7 p.m. The Golden Grizzlies will recognize all military veterans in attendance, and will also highlight the first-ever men's basketball team at halftime as Oakland begins its 50th year of basketball.

NOTES
> Head coach Greg Kampe enters his 33rd season at Oakland University, the third-longest tenured active D1 coach behind Jim Boeheim (Syracuse/41st season) and Mike Krzyzewski (Duke/37th season).

> The Golden Grizzlies were the number one scoring offense in the country a season ago at 86.4 points per game including six games scoring more than 100 points and 11 games of 90 or more points.

> The Horizon League released the 2016-17 Men's Basketball Preseason Poll picking Valparaiso as the league favorite with 35 of 39 first-place votes. The Golden Grizzlies were picked second with two first-place votes, while defending tournament champion Green Bay was selected third with two first-place votes. The preseason poll was voted on by the league's 10 head coaches, media members, and men's basketball contacts throughout the league.

> Jalen Hayes was picked to the preseason all-league first team. Hayes, a 6-foot-7 forward from Lansing, Mich., led the Horizon League a season ago by grabbing 8.6 rebounds per game. He finished second in the league with 15 double-doubles (No. 29 in NCAA). Hayes earned all-league second team honors a season ago.

> Hayes ranked first during #HLMBB play in rebounding at 9.4 per game, eighth in points with 15.7 and sixth in field-goal percentage at 53.4. He was also second during league play in double-doubles with 10, behind teammate Kay Felder.

> Isaiah Brock and Oakland University were informed in October that the NCAA has granted the decorated army veteran immediate eligibility. Brock is a 6-foot-8 freshman forward from Baltimore, Md.

> Brock was a non-qualifier out of high school and Oakland submitted a waiver to the NCAA seeking immediate eligibility (athletic aid, practice and competition). The NCAA initially granted two of the three requests, and upon Oakland submitting additional information, the NCAA declared Isaiah eligible on all accounts.

> The Golden Grizzlies will play a Horizon League-best five games on ESPN Networks; two contests on ESPN2 (at Valpo on 1/6 and vs. Valpo on 2/17) and three on ESPNU (vs. UDM on 1/13, vs. Green Bay on 1/27 and at Green Bay on 2/24).

> The Golden Grizzlies had the sixth-highest attendance increase at 94 percent last season. Oakland set O'rena records with 4,110 fans vs. Valpo (1/8) and 4,114 fans vs. Detroit Mercy (2/26). The Oakland-Michigan State game at the Palace featured over 20,000 fans and was the most watched game on ESPNU (3rd all-time).

> Oakland won 11 true road games last season, the most since 2010-11 when the Golden Grizzlies made the NCAA tournament.

DID YOU KNOW?
> WXYZ-TV weather man Dave Rexroth's son, John, is a redshirt freshman at GVSU. The 6-foot-10 Farmington Hills native averaged a double-double as a senior at Harrison High School, 16.5 points and 13.1 rebounds per game.

Oakland's top-30 rankings in the NCAA for 2015-16:
1st in scoring - 86.4
2nd in free throws made - 703
6th in free-throw percentage - .770
11th in 3-point field goal percentage - .398
23rd in total 3-pointers made - 316
28th in defensive rebounds per game - 27.9
29th in total assists - 545

#WEARtheBEAR