The Oakland men's basketball program will play three games at the Gulf Coast Showcase from Nov. 22-24 at Hertz Arena in Estero, Fla. FloHoops will televise every tournament matchup, while
Neal Ruhl will provide radio coverage on The Bet 1270AM (WXYT-AM) and the Audacy app.
The Golden Grizzlies opened the tournament with a 63-61 win against Vermont. Junior point guard
Jalen Moore hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to secure a win. Oakland then defeated Rice 76-73 in the semifinals to clinch a trip to the Gulf Coast Showcase championship game.
Nov. 22 vs. Vermont | 1:30 p.m. ET |
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Tournament Central
Nov. 23 vs. Rice | 5 p.m. ET |
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Tournament Central
Nov. 24 vs. Delaware | 7:30 p.m. ET |
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Tournament Central
The seven-team field of Akron, Appalachian State, Delaware, Evansville, Fordham, Rice, and Vermont will join OU in the sunshine state. The winner of the tournament has advanced to postseason play in six of its eight years of existence. Reigning champion Abilene Christian defeated No. 3 seed Texas in the opening round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
In addition to the Golden Grizzlies victory over Vermont, first-round pairings included Rice versus Evansville at 11 a.m. (W, Rice 109-104 3OT), Akron versus Fordham at 5 p.m. (W, Akron 63-43), and Appalachian State versus Delaware at 7:30 p.m. (W, Delaware 75-68). Tip-off for Tuesday and Wednesday will be the same as semifinal games on November 23 at 5:00/7:30 p.m. Wednesday's championship game will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Oakland's last MTE was at the inaugural Sunshine Slam in Kissimmee, Fla., during the 2019-20 season. The Golden Grizzlies lost their opener to Delaware but bounced back with wins against Southern Illinois and UTSA.
Wednesday will mark the second career meeting between Oakland and Delaware. Oakland fell 56-53 when the two programs faced off at the 2019 Sunshine Slam. Under sixth-year head coach Martin Ingelsby, Delaware lost its season opener to Davidson but has responded with four-straight wins. A season ago, the Blue Hens went 5-4 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play before falling to Hofstra in the first round of the conference tournament.
NOTES
UPSET IN STILLWATER
The Golden Grizzlies earned a 56-55 victory at Oklahoma State in their second game of the season. Junior point guard
Jalen Moore scored the final seven points for OU in the win. The upset was Oakland's 12th career win over a Power 5 program. Head coach
Greg 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.
THE ONE AND ONLY
Graduate senior
Jamal Cain is the only Division I player in the country averaging more than 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game. Through six games, the Pontiac, Mich., native leads the Golden Grizzlies with 21.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per contest.
TOUGH TESTS
According to kenpom.com, the Golden Grizzlies have played the 25th-toughest schedule in the country based on strength of schedule rating. OU is the second Horizon League program on the list, closely behind Detroit Mercy at 18th.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Cain ranks first nationally with four double-doubles. In Oakland's upset at Oklahoma State, the newcomer had 14 points and 12 rebounds, followed by 29 points and a career-best 17 rebounds against Toledo. At No. 14 Alabama, Cain went off for a career-high 31 points to go along with 10 rebounds and three steals. He opened the Gulf Coast Showcase with 22 points and 16 rebounds versus Vermont. In four seasons at Marquette, he had a total of two double-doubles.
MR. ENDURANCE
Second-year freshman
Trey Townsend has played the full 40 minutes in four out of Oakland's six games. He was the lone Division I player to start the season by playing every minute in three-straight contests. The streak ended against Alabama, as he was substituted out with 3:24 to go in the second half. To date, Townsend sits third nationally in minutes per game (39:07).
CAREER NIGHT FOR TREY
Townsend scored a career-high 25 points on an efficient 12-of-18 shooting and added six rebounds in Oakland's 76-73 win over Rice in the Gulf Coast Showcase semifinals. The Oxford, Mich., native ranks second on the team in points per game (13.0), rebounds per game (7.0), and field goal percentage (.500).
TOP PLAYMAKER
Moore is averaging a team-leading 6.2 assists per game, good for 14th in the country. The junior has totaled two double-doubles on the season, most recently against Rice with 13 points and 11 assists.
GOOD TO BE HOME
Oakland rolled past Toledo, 80-59, in its home opener at the Athletics Center O'rena. OU outscored Toledo 49-27 in the second half, which snapped a four-game losing skid to the Rockets. 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.
MID-MAJOR TOP 25
Oakland checked in at No. 17 in the latest Mid-Major Top 25. The Golden Grizzlies are the lone Horizon League program ranked in the poll.
GETTING STOPS
OU has limited four opposing teams to 61 points or less. 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, while Vermont's 61 points were well below its average of 73.0 points per game last season.
STIFLING DEFENSE
Teams are shooting 26-percent from 3-point range against the Golden Grizzly defense, the 41st-lowest mark nationally. No Oakland opponent has shot better than 32% from deep through six games. OU also leads the Horizon League with 41 total steals.
DOMINATING THE BOARDS
Oakland has won or tied the rebound battle in four out of its six games this season, including two against Big 12 programs. 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 third in the Horizon League in offensive rebounds per game (10.83). Oakland had 20 offensive rebounds against the Mountaineers, the seventh-highest mark out of 294 Division I teams that played on opening day/night.
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 40-percent (11-of-27) from outside the arc.
PROVING HIS WORTH
A true freshman in
Osei Price has played a bench-leading 21.5 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.
BACK FOR ANOTHER RUN
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 648 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.
