INDIANAPOLIS — The Oakland men's basketball program was projected to finish sixth in the 2021-22 Horizon League Preseason Poll, the league office announced on Tuesday afternoon. The poll was voted on by the league's 12 head coaches, media members, and men's basketball media contacts throughout the conference. 


Junior point guard Jalen Moore earned preseason accolades, as he was named to the all-league first team. Last season, the Cloverdale, Ind., native averaged 17.9 points, 8.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.7 steals en route to NABC All-District First Team honors and a spot on the Horizon League First Team. Moore led NCAA Division I in assists per game and total assists (252) while also tallying a team-leading 10 double-doubles, the most in the country by a player below 6-foot.

The Golden Grizzlies went 12-18 overall and 10-10 in conference play a year ago. In postseason play, Oakland defeated Youngstown State and Northern Kentucky before falling to Cleveland State in the Horizon League Championship title game. 

OU returns 62-percent of its scoring from a year ago, including three starters in Moore, Trey Townsend, and Micah Parrish. The Golden Grizzlies also bring back sixth man Zion Young, former HL All-Freshman Team recipient Blake Lampman, Chris Conway, and Emmanuel Newsome. To add, Oakland welcomes nine newcomers to the squad, highlighted by Marquette transfer Jamal Cain.

Oakland will commence the 2021-22 regular season at West Virginia on Nov. 9.

2021-22 #HLMBB Preseason Poll Results

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Pl. School (1st-place) – Votes
1. Cleveland State (30) – 502
2. Wright State (9) – 463
3. Northern Kentucky (1) – 406
4. Milwaukee (2) – 396
5. Detroit Mercy (2) – 350
6. Oakland – 340
7. Youngstown State – 214
8. UIC – 204
9. Purdue Fort Wayne – 169
10. Robert Morris – 157
11. Green Bay – 146
12. IUPUI - 85
 
Preseason Player of the Year

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Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy
 
Preseason All-League First Team (alphabetical order by school)

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Torrey Patton, Cleveland State
Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy
Patrick Baldwin Jr., Milwaukee
Jalen Moore, Oakland
Grant Basile, Wright State
 
Preseason All-League Second Team (alphabetical order by school)

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DeAndre Gholston, Milwaukee
Trevon Faulkner, Northern Kentucky
Marques Warrick, Northern Kentucky
Jarred Godfrey, Purdue Fort Wayne
Tanner Holden, Wright State