ROCHESTER, Mich. --The O'rena on the campus of Oakland University will play host to the 2018 Men Against Breast Cancer Oakland Hoops Challenge. The Horizon League's Golden Grizzlies have invited former Summit League rival Oral Roberts, regional Mid-American Conference opponent Northern Illinois, and the Colonial Athletic Association's James Madison to a mid- major rumble in Rochester, Michigan, starting the Friday after Thanksgiving. Each team will open the event with a game at home, then visit the O'rena for the round-robin challenge with a chance to gain traction early in the season's non-conference standings.

SCHEDULE
November 12th – Bridgewater at James Madison
November 17th – Illinois Tech at Northern Illinois
November 19th – Defiance at Oakland; Ecclesia at Oral Roberts
November 23rd – Northern Illinois vs Oral Roberts; James Madison at Oakland
November 24th – James Madison vs Northern Illinois; Oral Roberts at Oakland
November 25th – Oral Roberts vs James Madison; Northern Illinois at Oakland

Oakland Golden Grizzlies – Greg Kampe (Horizon League)
"Legendary" is not a term to be throw around lightly, but it is accurate when describing Oakland Head Coach Greg Kampe. The 2018-19 season will be Greg's 35th at the helm for the Golden Grizzlies, only trailing Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (42) and Dukes Mike Krzyzewski (38) for the most seasons at their current school. While the longevity has been impressive, Kampe has also brought Oakland immense success racking up 602 career victories, with a .625 conference win percentage. Since beginning the transition to D-I in the 1997-1998 season, Oakland has won or shared its regular season conference title four times, and won its conference tournament three times, earning three NCAA Tournament appearances. Oakland enters its sixth season in the Horizon League, winning 66 total games across the last three seasons.

James Madison Dukes – Louis Rowe (Colonial Athletic Association)
Former JMU student-athlete Louis Rowe enters his third season as head coach for the Dukes. Rowe was mentored by and played at JMU under Hall of Fame coach "Lefty" Driesell. Louis was named Second Team All-CAA for the 1993-94 season, helping JMU to a conference tournament championship and NCAA Tournament bid. In 1994-95, his senior season, Rowe averaged 21.7 ppg, which still ranks fifth-best in single-season program history. After graduation, as a professional player overseas, Louis won two championships while playing in Sweeden and Belgium. After beginning his coaching career back at his alma mater as a graduate assistant, Rowe was eventually elevated to assistant coach with the Dukes, before stops at Rider, Florida International and Bowling Green, now coming full circle back to JMU.

Oral Roberts Golden Eagles – Paul Mills (Summit League)
Oral Roberts Head Coach Paul Mills begins his second season as a D-I HC, and his second season perched atop the nest for the Golden Eagles. Mills comes to ORU after spending 14 seasons helping to build Baylor basketball into a perennial contender in the Big-12. Across his last ten seasons with the program, Baylor made nine postseason appearances including 7 NCAA Tournament bids, with four runs to the Sweet 16, two of those runs ended at the Elite Eight. Baylor also received two NIT bids, both times reaching the finals, with one NIT championship in the 2012-13 season. Before Baylor, the Texas A&M alum began his coaching career in the Texas high school ranks at North Belt Christian Academy in 1996, then Fort Bend Baptist Academy in 1999, before entering the collegiate ranks at Rice during the 2002-03 season.

Northern Illinois Huskies – Mark Montgomery (Mid-American Conference)
NIU Head Coach Mark Montgomery is entering his eighth season with the Huskies and has been involved with collegiate basketball for over 25 years as a decorated player and coach. Montgomery played four seasons at Michigan State, making three NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT Final Four run. Prior to NIU, Montgomery spent 10 seasons on staff at MSU, making the NCAA Tournament in all 10 years, including three trips to the Final Four. As head coach of the Huskies, Montgomery led NIU to just its fourth ever postseason appearance in program history. During that 2015-16 season, the Huskies earned 21 victories, tied for second most in school history, and a bid into the Vegas 16 postseason tournament while Montgomery received mid-season Hugh Durham Award honors as the nation's top mid-major head coach.

About MABC
Men Against Breast Cancer (MABC) is the first and only national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization designed to provide targeted support services that educate and empower men to be effective caregivers when cancer strikes. Since our founding in 1999, MABC has mobilized men across America, including under-served populations, to be active participants in the fight against breast cancer. Our philosophy is to leverage the support of the whole family to help the patient, with special emphasis on the important role of men in caring for the women they love.

Never before has any organization taken such a unique and integrative approach through the implementation of proven programs to educate men on their important responsibilities as caregivers. To develop these tools we continue to work in partnership with a variety of groups such as internationally recognized medical experts who specialize in the psycho-social aspects of coping with cancer, leading medical facilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and local governments, and corporate partners. Learn more at menagainstbreastcancer.org.

About Russ Potts Productions, Inc.
"Men Against Breast Cancer Oakland Hoops Challenge" is organized by Russ Potts Productions, Inc. (RPPI). RPPI has organized over 850 major college and professional sporting events over 35 plus years in the industry. RPPI is led by Founder and President Russ Potts. Russ has been a pioneer in sports marketing since his time at the University of Maryland (his alma mater), then becoming Director of Athletics at Southern Methodist University (SMU). Russ also served as Vice President of the Chicago White Sox before becoming a four-term State Senator in Virginia. RPPI's sports marketing and event organization arm is currently managed by Senior Vice President Zach Franz, and Director of Business Development Adam Syprzak. In addition to sports marketing, promotion, and event organization, RPPI also provides business development, consulting, fundraising, and corporate sponsorship services.

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