ROCHESTER, Mich. — With another NBA Draft in the books, we continue to remind everyone of Oakland's rich history of producing basketball players who have played at the highest level.
Next up for the Golden Grizzlies is an all-time great point guard in Kay Felder.
The Detroit native proved to be one of the best scorers and passers in Oakland men's basketball history. To date, he holds top-10 career marks in several statistical categories, including assists per game (2nd, 7.8), assists (3rd, 788), free throws (3rd, 514), minutes per game (3rd, 35.9), free throw attempts (4th, 625), steals (5th, 164), steals per game (5th, 1.62), scoring average (6th, 17.47), and points (10th, 1,765).
As just an 18-year old freshman, Felder earned the starting job at point guard and never looked back. During the 2013-14 season, he averaged 9.5 points, 6.4 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game en route to Horizon League Freshman of the Year honors. His assist average ranked seventh in the country, while six double-figure assist games were the highest in the HL. One of the brightest moments of his freshman campaign came against conference rival Detroit Mercy, when he recorded the program's first-ever triple-double with 15 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds.
During the 2014-15 season, Felder took his game to the next level by averaging 18.1 points, 7.6 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game in 33 starts. He was the lone player in the country to average at least 17.0 points and 7.0 assists per game, which led to Mid-Major All-American and Horizon League First Team honors. Felder closed his sophomore campaign with top-10 national marks in assists per game (2nd), total assists (3rd, 252), and minutes per game (3rd, 38:32). In conference action against Valparaiso (1/2/15), the star point guard made history with a school record of 24 free throw attempts. In Oakland's final game of the season versus Eastern Illinois (3/17/15), Felder poured in a career-high 37 points on 13-of-22 shooting to go along with a game-high 11 assists.
Coming into year three with the Golden Grizzlies, Felder's expectations were higher than ever. In response, he not only lived up to the expectations but exceeded them as well. Felder opened the 2015-16 season with five-straight 20-point double-doubles. In OU's 10th game of the year at Washington (12/19/15), the junior scored a career-best 38 points and added nine assists to push the Golden Grizzlies to a 97-83 victory over the Power-5 opponent. Felder followed the career performance with another 30-point showing, as he exploded for 37 points and nine assists against No. 1 ranked Michigan State (12/22/15). While Oakland fell to the Spartans 99-93 in overtime, it was clear that Felder was no longer an afterthought when it came to being drafted. Across Twitter, college basketball analysts and former pros raved about Felder's performance versus MSU. In the words of NBA great Allen Iverson, "Felder is a problem from Oakland." Felder's tear against Power-5 competition continued against No. 5 ranked Virginia when he went off for 30 points.
At the conclusion of the season, Felder led the nation in assists per game (9.3) and ranked fourth nationally in points per game (24.4). His impressive play led to finalist selections for the John R. Wooden Award and Bob Cousy Award, along with Associated Press, Sporting News, and NABC All-American Third Team honors. Furthermore, Felder was an obvious choice for Horizon League Player of the Year and the NABC All-District First Team.
After three historic years sporting the Black & Gold, Felder declared for the 2016 NBA Draft. The Oakland product turned heads with the top max vertical (44 inches) among invitees during the annual draft combine. At the time, it was the second-highest vertical jump in combine history.
Several scouts and NBA analysts spoke out on Felder's ability, comparing him to former Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas.
On Draft Day, Felder became the second Golden Grizzly in school history to be drafted, as the Atlanta Hawks selected him with the 54th overall pick. On the same night, Felder's rights were acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who paid $2.4 million for the selection.
Felder went on to play in 42 games during the 2016-17 season for the Cavs. On the year, he averaged 4.0 points, 1.4 assists, 1.0 rebounds, and .4 steals in 9.2 minutes per game. In 11 games with
the G-League affiliate Canton Charge, Felder lit up the box score by averaging 29.9 points, 6.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.
The following season, Felder suited up for a combined four teams: Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Windy City Bulls, and Grand Rapids Drive. He played in a combined 36 games during the 2017-18 season, including 16 against NBA competition.
Felder has continued his professional career overseas, where he most recently competed for the Zhejiang Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association. During the 2020-21 season, he averaged 13.1 points, 5.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 28.0 minutes per game.
