ROCHESTER, Mich. — The Oakland men's basketball program will face No. 11/10 Michigan State on Tuesday, Dec. 21, at Little Caesars Arena. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. with "Voice of the Golden Grizzlies" Neal Ruhl (play-by-play) and former NBA player and collegiate head coach Rex Walters (analyst) calling the action on ESPN+ and TV20 Detroit. Jake Riepma will provide radio coverage on The Bet 1270AM (WXYT-AM) and the Audacy app. 

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The matchup will mark the 20th overall meeting and the 10th-straight season playing each other. Oakland and MSU 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.

Oakland has dropped all 19 games in the all-time series. Four of the last 13 meetings have been decided by eight points or fewer, including a one-point loss in 2010 and an overtime defeat in 2015. A season ago, the Golden Grizzlies fell to Michigan State on the road by a final score of 109-91. Junior point guard Jalen Moore scored a previous career-high of 26 points and added five assists and two steals.

Head coaches Greg Kampe (Oakland) and Tom Izzo (MSU) have combined for 65 seasons at their respective institutions. Izzo's 652 career wins rank 12th among active Division I head coaches, while Kampe is right behind him with 651 victories.

Michigan State is 9-2 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play. The Spartans come into Tuesday's game riding a four-game win streak. Both of MSU's losses have transpired in neutral-site contests against Kansas and defending national champion Baylor. Senior forward Marcus Bingham Jr. has averaged 10.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks in 11 starts. Another senior forward in Gabe Brown leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game on 45-percent shooting.

The Golden Grizzlies are atop the Horizon League standings at 7-3 overall and 2-0 in conference play. The record marks Oakland's best start in six seasons. The Golden Grizzlies opened the 2016-17 campaign 9-1 overall and finished with a 26-9 record. The team defeated Clemson on the road in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) before falling to Richmond in the second round. 

OU snapped its five-game winning streak at Bowling Green on Dec. 7. The non-conference contest was a back-and-forth battle, featuring 12 lead changes and nine ties. Graduate senior Jamal Cain led Oakland with a team-leading 21 points to go along with nine rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. 

Oakland opened League action with wins at UIC and IUPUI. Five players scored in double-figures, and two had double-doubles en route to an 81-77 win over the Flames. OU led by as much as 20 points, but the Flames rallied to make it a one-possession game with just 53 seconds remaining. 

The Golden Grizzlies dominated from start to finish at IUPUI, resulting in a one-sided 78-45 win. The 33-point win over the Jaguars was Oakland's largest margin of victory over a Horizon League program since joining the conference in 2013. The previous best was a 101-72 win over Youngstown State in 2017.  

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DEFENSE ON POINT
IUPUI's 45 points were the lowest scoring output by an Oakland opponent since the conclusion of the 2017-18 season against Cleveland State in the Horizon League tournament.

RPI RANKINGS
Oakland took the top spot in the Division I RPI rankings on Friday, Nov. 26. To date, OU sits 63rd on the list out of 358 programs. The ranking system is based upon a team's wins, losses, and strength of schedule.

MID-MAJOR SUCCESS
OU checked in at No. 13 in the latest Mid-Major Top 25. The Golden Grizzlies are the lone Horizon League program ranked in the poll.

AMONG THE GREATS
Junior point guard Jalen Moore is tied for ninth in school history with 321 career assists. He dished out a team-leading 10 assists at UIC, which moved him past Scott Bittinger (1984-88) into the top-10. 

FUN IN THE SUN
Oakland secured the Gulf Coast Showcase title with wins over Vermont, Rice, and Delaware. All three of OU's victories were decided by eight points or less. The tournament took place at Hertz Arena in Estero, Fla. and featured eight mid-major teams. The winner of the MTE has advanced to postseason play in six of its eight years of existence.

UPSET IN STILLWATER
The Golden Grizzlies earned a 56-55 victory at Oklahoma State in their second game of the season. Moore scored the final seven points for OU in the win. The upset was Oakland's 12th career win over a Power 5 program.

BACK-TO-BACK
Cain earned Horizon League Player of the Week honors back-to-back times. Through 10 games, the Pontiac, Mich., native leads the Golden Grizzlies with 21.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per contest. To add, he has totaled a team-high five double-doubles and is shooting 51.5% (84-of-163) from the floor.

NATIONAL TALENT
To date, Cain possesses top-25 national marks in seven different categories. The graduate senior has finished with 14-plus points, seven-plus rebounds, and at least one steal in every game. He posted a career-high 31 points against No. 14 Alabama and grabbed a career-best 17 rebounds in Oakland's home-opening win versus Toledo. Cain had a double-double in four-straight games, starting at nationally-ranked Alabama and finishing against Vermont.  

National Rank - Category - Value
8th - Points per game - 21.2
9th - Rebounds per game - 10.5
12th - FG made - 84
13th - Defensive rebounds per game - 7.10
17th - Double-double - 5
18th - Offensive rebounds per game - 3.40
21st - Minutes per game - 36:12
23rd - Steals per game - 2.30
23rd - Total rebounds - 105

TOP PLAYMAKER
Moore is averaging a team-leading 6.9 assists per game, good for fifth in the country. He also sits seventh nationally in minutes per game (37:41) and 12th in total assists (69). The junior has totaled three double-doubles on the season, most recently against UIC with 14 points and 10 assists. In Oakland's seven wins, Moore is averaging 16.0 points, 8.0 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game.

REACHING THE STRIPE
Moore ranks third in the HL in free throw attempts (56) and free throw makes (44). Over the last four games, the Cloverdale, Ind., native has gone a combined 28-of-33 (84.8%) at the charity stripe, highlighted by a 10-of-10 clip at IUPUI. 

MR. ENDURANCE
On the season, second-year freshman Trey Townsend ranks third nationally in minutes per game (38:20). Townsend has played the full 40 minutes in five out of Oakland's 10 games, and 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.

REMEMBER THE NAME
Townsend leads Oakland in blocks (14) and ranks third in points per game (13.3), rebounds per game (6.4), and field goal percentage (48.6%). The Oxford, Mich., native 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. He posted team-high marks in points (22) and blocks (3) in the Golden Grizzlies 81-77 conference-opening victory at UIC. 

CATCHING HEAT
Second-year freshman Micah Parrish is averaging 14.0 points on 65% shooting (13-of-20) to go along with 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in his last three games. To add, he is a perfect 13-for-14 at the free throw line. 

Z FROM 3
Junior Zion Young missed five games due to injury but has scored in double-figures twice since his return to the court. He is shooting 34.8% from deep (8-of-23) on the season, including a season-high three triples on four tries against UIC.  
 
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. 

GETTING STOPS
OU has limited five 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. IUPUI could only muster 45 points against Oakland, tying its second-lowest amount this season.

CONTROLLING THE BOARDS
Oakland has won or tied the rebound battle in five out of its 10 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. 

STIFLING DEFENSE
Teams are shooting 27% from 3-point range against the Golden Grizzly defense, the 24th-lowest mark nationally. No Oakland opponent has shot better than 32% from deep through 10 games.

CRASHING THE GLASS
The Golden Grizzlies rank second in offensive rebounds per game (10.4) and third in total rebounds (356). 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-leading 37.8% (14-of-37) from outside the arc.  

PROVING HIS WORTH
A true freshman in Osei Price has played a bench-leading 18.6 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 and scored a season-high seven points against Delaware in the Gulf Coast Showcase title game.

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 651 career wins rank 13th 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.