ROCHESTER, Mich. — The Oakland men's basketball team starts a four-game homestand against Youngstown State on Jan. 15-16 at 7 p.m. (Friday) and 3 p.m. (Saturday) at the Athletics Center O'rena. Fans can watch the action on ESPN3 on Friday, and TV20 and ESPN3 on Saturday. Neal Ruhl (play-by-play) and Dan Waterstradt (analyst) will call both games.
The Golden Grizzlies split their series to the Penguins last season. Oakland lost 61-60 to YSU on the road in early January 2020 but bounced back with a 72-64 victory inside the O'rena. Current guards Rashad Williams (17 points) and Kevin Kangu (14 points) scored in double-figures in the home win.
Oakland leads 17-9 in the overall series. Coach Greg Kampe and company have excelled at home with a record of 11-2, which includes a win in four of its last five matchups versus YSU inside the O'rena.
The Penguins were projected to finish second and received three first-place votes in the Horizon League Preseason Poll. Senior forward Naz Bohannon has paced YSU by averaging 17.9 points per game on 55-percent shooting and 8.2 rebounds per game. Two-time All-HL selection Darius Quisenberry has added 13.7 points per game and a team-leading 3.3 assists per game.
Oakland started its season 0-9 overall. The Golden Grizzlies non-conference schedule featured four-straight Power-5 schools in Michigan (11/29), Purdue (12/1), Oklahoma State (12/5), and Michigan State (12/13) and five schools top-50 in the current NCAA NET rankings. Seven of Oakland's 15 games have been against teams top-100 in the NET rankings.
Thirteen out of Oakland's 15 games have been on the road. The Golden Grizzlies were 11 games into the 2020-21 season before their first home contest, which came against Wright State (1/1/21). Oakland was scheduled to host Northern Kentucky on Dec. 26-27, but the series canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test and subsequent quarantining within the NKU program.
Both teams are tied for seventh in the HL standings with a conference record of 3-5. Oakland dropped two tightly-contested games at Green Bay last weekend while YSU split its road series to Wright State last time out.
Cleveland State is the lone school undefeated in conference play at 8-0. Oakland is one of six schools in the League to play eight conference games to date. The remaining six schools have logged between three-to-six games due to cancellation or postponement.
INSIDE THE SERIES
• Oakland leads 17-9
• At Home: 11-2
• At YSU: 6-6
• At Neutral: 0-1
• Current Streak: Oakland, 1
• Last Meeting: W, 72-64 (at the O'rena, 2/15/20)
• Series Note: Oakland has won four of its last five home games vs. YSU
PLAYER NOTES
SHOW US MOORE
Jalen Moore has put on a show in his first year sporting a Golden Grizzly uniform. The junior transfer leads the team in points per game (17.8), assists per game (6.9), steals per game (1.9), free throw attempts (110), free throws made (79), and minutes per game (36:02). The Cloverdale, Ind. native has started 14-straight games and finds himself atop NCAA Division I rankings in several individual categories such as total assists (104), free throw makes, and total minutes (541:09). To add, Moore is fifth nationally in total points (267), ninth nationally in total steals (29), and 10th nationally in assists per game.
BREAKOUT YEAR FOR THE BIG MAN
Daniel Oladapo has scored in double-figures six times in his last eight games, including a season-high 20 points at Green Bay (1/8). His numbers at the free throw line have drastically improved, as he is shooting 79% (15-of-19) in his last three games compared to 40% (12-of-30) in his first 12 games. The Bladensburg, Md. native holds four double-doubles on the season thanks to his improved play on offense, which is 22nd-most in the NCAA.
BUSY ON THE BOARDS
Oladapo has totaled 105 total rebounds, which is fifth in the country and first in the Horizon. He has been active on the offensive end, averaging 4.0 offensive boards per game, good for 11th nationally and second in the HL. Oladapo has grabbed a career-high 18 boards three times this season and is averaging 12.3 rebounds per game through eight conference matchups.
FRESHMAN TOWERS
Forward's Trey Townsend and Micah Parrish have earned Nike Horizon League Freshman of the Week honors this season. Townsend scored a career-best 17 points and added eight rebounds, three blocks, and two steals against UIC (12/19). He posted his first career double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) the next day against the same opponent. Parrish posted a career-high 18 points, which included the game-winning bucket at Detroit (12/26). The native of nearby Ypsilanti averaged 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in the Metro Series sweep. Both freshmen scored in double-figures in their last outing at Green Bay (1/9).
DON'T LET RASHAD GET HOT
Rashad Williams is averaging 17.6 points per game on 40% shooting (13-of-31) from outside the arc in his last three games. He has also made a 3-pointer in three-straight games, which is a team-best. On the season, Williams leads the nation in 3-point makes with 47 and attempts with 141.
TEAM NOTES
ATTENDANCE POLICY UPDATED
Last Friday, the Horizon League Board of Directors announced that all men's and women's basketball League games will be played without fans for the remainder of the regular season. Team pass lists and complimentary tickets will also be prohibited. Click here to for the full release from the HL.
INCREASED SCORING
Oakland has scored 70-plus points in nine of its last 10 games with an average of 75.8 per game. The Golden Grizzlies reached the 70-point plateau just once in the first five games, averaging 56.6 per game.
SHOOTING FROM DEEP
The Golden Grizzlies have launched 413 3-pointers through 15 games, which is the third-highest total in Division I. Oakland has converted on 30% (124-for-413) of its attempts. Williams is pacing the team with an NCAA-high 141 three-point attempts. Four Golden Grizzlies have shot 50-plus 3-pointers.
TAKING WHAT'S OURS
Oakland ranks first in the Horizon League with 9.0 steals per game (17th nationally) and 135 total steals (second nationally). The Grizzlies have tallied 10-plus steals in five games and at least five in all 15 games.
Leaders in total steals:
Moore: 29 steals — ninth in the country — first in the HL
Townsend: 22 steals — 40th in the country — third in the HL
Parrish: 21 steals — 52nd in the country — fourth in the HL
Oladapo: 17 steals — 131st in the country — seventh in the HL
FINDING A GROOVE
Oakland has started with Moore, Oladapo, Parrish, Townsend, and Williams for 10 of its last 11 games. The lineup started together for eight-straight games but the streak concluded when Parrish sat out the opener of the Green Bay series due to injury. The starting five have accounted for over 70% offense in nine of their 10 games together. The group has combined for over 90% offense in their last two games, including a season-high 76 points (97% offense) against the Phoenix (1/9). In total, the Golden Grizzlies have started five different lineups this season.
