The Oakland men's basketball program heads back on the road for a matchup against No. 14 Alabama on Friday, Nov. 19, inside the Coleman Coliseum. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET and SEC Network Plus will televise the game. "Voice of the Golden Grizzlies"
Neal Ruhl will provide radio coverage on 97.1 The Ticket HD3, The Bet 1270AM (WXYT-AM), and the Audacy app.
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INSIDE THE SERIES
• Overall: Alabama leads 2-0
• At Home: 0-0
• At 'Bama: 0-2
• At Neutral: 0-0
• Current Streak: 'Bama, 2
• Last Meeting: L, 65-45 (1/5/13)
• Series Note: The Crimson Tide have won both meetings by an average margin of 18.5 points
The Golden Grizzlies arrive in Tuscaloosa riding a two-game winning streak. Oakland upset Oklahoma State on the road, 56-55, and followed with an 80-59 home-opening victory against Toledo. The Cowboys came into the matchup receiving votes in the AP Poll and USA Coaches Poll, while UT ranks 17th in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25.
At Oklahoma State, Oakland trailed 55-54 with 33 seconds remaining following a jumper by OSU's Bryce Thompson. In the next possession, junior point guard
Jalen Moore drew a foul on a 3-pointer, converting on two of the three throws to retake a 56-55 advantage with eight seconds to go. The Cowboys got off a 3-point attempt with a second left, but it fell short, clinching a win for the Golden Grizzlies.
The upset was Oakland's 12th career win over a Power 5 program. Kampe and company last defeated a Power 5 school in the opening round of the 2017 National Invitation Tournament (NIT), as OU took down Clemson on the road by a final score of 74-69.
Oakland outscored Toledo 49-27 in the second half en route to an 80-59 victory. The win snapped a four-game losing skid to the Rockets. Graduate senior
Jamal Cain exploded for 29 points, 17 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks, while sophomore guard
Blake Lampman had a career night, scoring 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting from outside the arc. Moore had a double-double with 17 points and 11 assists.
The Golden Grizzlies last defeated a ranked opponent during the 2010-11 season, winning over No. 7 Tennessee, 89-82, inside Thompson-Boling Arena. Keith Benson posted 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead OU.
Alabama is 3-0 with victories over Louisiana Tech, South Dakota State, and South Alabama. The Crimson Tide feature a high-paced offense averaging 90.0 points per game and lead the SEC in 3-pointers with 33. Four different players are scoring in double figures, led by Jaden Shackelford, averaging 19.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Last season, ''Bama knocked off Iona and Maryland at the NCAA Tournament before suffering an overtime loss to UCLA in the Sweet 16.
Nate Oats, the head coach of the Crimson Tide, spent 11 years at nearby Romulus High School in Michigan before accepting an assistant coaching role at Buffalo.
NOTES
MID-MAJOR TOP 25
Oakland checked in at No. 25 in the latest Mid-Major Top 25. The Golden Grizzlies are the lone Horizon League program ranked in the poll.
GETTING STOPS
OU sits second in the Horizon League in scoring defense, limiting the opposition to 58.0 points per game. The Golden Grizzly defense held West Virginia to 60 points, the team's lowest scoring output in 33 games, dating back to the 2019-20 season. Oklahoma State put up a mere 55 points on Oakland, its least amount of points in a 38-game span, also going back to the 2019-20 campaign. Toledo's 59 points were its lowest scoring output since last year's season opener against Bradley.
STIFLING DEFENSE
Teams are shooting 21-percent from 3-point range against the Golden Grizzly defense, the 19th-lowest mark nationally. No Oakland opponent has converted on more than six 3-pointers through three games.
DOMINATING THE BOARDS
Oakland has won the rebound battle every game this season, including two against Big 12 opponents. OU pulled down a season-high 48 boards at West Virginia, limiting the Mountaineers to just 33 rebounds. A season ago, the Golden Grizzlies were outrebounded in all eight games against non-conference opponents.
CRASHING THE OFFENSIVE GLASS
The Golden Grizzlies rank first in the Horizon League and 45th nationally in offensive rebounds per game (14.00). Oakland had 20 offensive rebounds against the Mountaineers, the seventh-highest mark out of 294 Division I teams that played on opening day/night.
THRIVING IN THE BLACK & GOLD
Cain is averaging a double-double with 19.3 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. He posted two-career double-doubles in four seasons at Marquette but has already matched that total in three games sporting the Black and Gold. In Oakland's home-opening win versus Toledo, Cain had career-high marks in points (29), rebounds (17), and field goals (13). On the season, Cain leads the Golden Grizzlies in scoring, rebounding, steals per game (2.7), and blocks per game (1.0).
MR. ENDURANCE
Second-year freshman
Trey Townsend has not left the court for the Golden Grizzlies. He is the lone Division I player in the country to play every minute for their respective team.
CAN'T BE STOPPED
Second-year freshman
Micah Parrish and Townsend rank 40th nationally in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 3.67 per contest. Parrish totaled eight rebounds on the offensive end at West Virginia, good for the third-most by a Division I player on the season. He garnered more offensive rebounds than 68 Division I teams on opening day/night. Townsend grabbed a season-high five offensive boards against Toledo.
BACK TO NORMAL
In his last two outings, Moore has averaged 16.5 points, 8.5 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game. The Cloverdale, Ind., native scored the final seven points on a 3-pointer and four free throws in Oakland's win at OSU. He posted his first double-double of the year with 17 points and 11 assists against Toledo.
HEATING UP
Lampman matched a career-high in points (18) and 3-point makes (5) against Toledo. He previously set career-highs in both categories as a freshman against the Rockets. On the season, Lampman is shooting a team-high 47-percent (8-of-17) from outside the arc.
PROVING HIS WORTH
A true freshman in
Osei Price has played a bench-leading 25.0 minutes per game. In his collegiate debut at West Virginia, he posted four points on 2-of-3 shooting and added a bench-leading five rebounds. Three of his five boards came on the offensive end, which tied for the second-most on the team. Price contributed with five assists, four rebounds, and three points versus Toledo at home.
GET YOUR TICKETS
Season tickets can be purchased through the Athletics Ticket Office by calling (248) 370-4000 or emailing outickets@oakland.edu. Single-game tickets and mini-plans are also available for the 2021-22 basketball season. Click here for more information.
NEW HOME FOR OAKLAND BASKETBALL
Oakland recently announced a partnership with Audacy that made 97.1 The Ticket HD3 and The Bet 1270AM (WXYT-AM) the official radio providers for the department. With this new partnership, 97.1 The Ticket HD3 and The Bet 1270AM (WXTY-AM) will provide coverage for all Oakland men's basketball games as well as the
Greg Kampe Radio Show.
PRESEASON POLL
Oakland was projected to finish sixth in the 2021-22 Horizon League Preseason Poll, which was voted by the league's 12 head coaches, media members, and men's basketball media contacts throughout the conference.
THE MOORE YOU KNOW
Moore put on a show in his first year sporting a Golden Grizzly uniform. The fourth-year junior led the team in points per game, assists per game, steals per game, free throw makes (170), free throw attempts (219), and minutes per game (37.8). In addition to leading the nation in assists, he ranked second nationally in free throw makes (170), fourth nationally in triple-doubles (1), fifth nationally in minutes per game (37:50), and 23rd nationally in double-doubles.
KEY RETURNEES
The Golden Grizzlies return 62-percent of their scoring from a year ago, including three starters in Moore,
Trey Townsend, and
Micah Parrish. OU also brings back sixth man
Zion Young, Lampman,
Chris Conway, and
Emmanuel Newsome.
I'M COMING HOME
Jamal Cain transferred to Oakland after four years with the Marquette basketball program. The nearby Pontiac, Mich., native played in 119 career games, including 29 starts with the Golden Eagles. Last season, Cain averaged 9.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in 25 starts. He posted a career-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting in Marquette's 64-60 victory at Georgetown (1/2/21) and added double-doubles against Oklahoma State (12/1/20) and Butler (2/17/21).
BACK FOR ANOTHER RUN
Head coach
Greg Kampe enters his 38th season at the helm of the Oakland men's basketball program. He is the third-longest tenured active coach in Division I, only behind Jim Boeheim (Syracuse, 45 seasons) and Mike Krzyzewski (Duke, 41 seasons). Kampe's 646 career wins rank 12th among active Division I coaches.
PUTTING OAKLAND ON THE MAP
Kampe joined Oakland in 1984 after six seasons as an assistant coach at Toledo (1978-1984). Formerly known as the Pioneers, OU had only six winning seasons in 16 years of competition before his arrival.
EARLY TESTS
Oakland's non-conference schedule features four NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago and a multi-team exempt event (MTE).
LCA AWAITS
The Golden Grizzlies and Michigan State Spartans will meet on Dec. 21 at Little Caesars Arena. The two programs faced off at Little Caesars Arena in 2017 and 2019. Over 18,000 spectators have been in attendance for both games. In 2017, the matchup drew the largest crowd in the history of Little Caesars Arena at the time, with 20,695 in attendance.
HL SLATE
Each HL team will play a 22-game double round-robin schedule. Oakland's conference schedule gets underway on Dec. 2 at UIC. The Golden Grizzlies conclude their conference slate with a five-game home stand.
OVERTIME MADNESS
Last year, the Golden Grizzlies reached overtime six times, the most in a single season in program history. OU recorded a 2-4 record in overtime games, including two losses in double overtime. Parrish hit a game-winning bucket to seal a 77-75 win over Detroit Mercy In Oakland's first overtime triumph of the season. OU collected its second overtime victory in the 2021 Horizon League Quarterfinals against Youngstown State.
ALL-LEAGUE NODS
Parrish and Townsend earned Horizon League honors last season. Moore was selected to the All-League team, while Parrish and Townsend earned a spot on the All-Freshman team. All-League voting was done by the 12 head coaches in the conference.
8-FOR-8
OU has garnered an All-Horizon League First Team selection eight seasons in a row (2014-2021). The streak is the longest among current HL programs and tied for the second-longest in conference history behind Xavier (1986-95). An OU player has earned First Team honors 15-straight seasons dating back to its time in the Summit League.
RACKING THE ACCOLADES
A pair of second-year players in Townsend and Parrish won Horizon League Freshman of the Week twice during the 2020-21 season. Only three players in the conference managed to win the award two or more times. NKU's Marques Warrick led the League by earning the award on eight occasions en route to winning conference Freshman of the Year.
EXCELLING IN THE CLASSROOM
Lampman was one of six players named to the Horizon League's 2020-21 All-Academic Team voted on by the League's faculty athletics representatives. It marked the second-straight season Lampman received an HL accolade, as he was named to the All-Freshman Team in 2020. Lampman, a Pre-Business Administration major, has been named to the Dean's List twice in his two-year career with the men's basketball program. Last spring, he earned a team-best 3.81 GPA.
