ROCHESTER, Mich. – The second student-athlete Oakland has added via the transfer portal this offseason, joining former Butler Bulldog guard Madison Royal-Davis, 6-foot-3 Tennessee State Tigers graduate transfer forward Kianni Westbrook announced her commitment to the Golden Grizzlies on Thursday, May 4.

A native of Augusta, Georgia and a 2019 Burke County High School graduate, Westbrook began her collegiate career in Florida at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) level with Daytona State and averaged 13.4 points and 10.2 rebounds over 46 games in her two seasons with the Falcons.

Catching the eye of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I head coaches by consistently putting up double-doubles at Daytona State, she transferred to Tennessee State, a historically black land-grant university in Nashville that competes in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), prior to the 2021-22 campaign.

Starting double-digit contests in both years with the Tigers, Westbrook put up four points and 3.3 rebounds-per-game in her first go-around at the Division I level and raised these numbers to 5.6 points and 4.8 boards in 2022-23.

"Kianni is a tremendous addition to our program," head coach Jeff Tungate said.

"She brings great height, athleticism and rebounding to our team. She can finish around the basket, step out on the perimeter and will be outstanding in our press. She had a lot of interest from other schools and we are very excited she chose Oakland."

Having one year of athletic eligibility left, Kianni is the daughter of Rod Westbrook and Tresa Ruffin and is an aspiring teacher.

Looking ahead to the Golden Grizzlies' 2023-24 campaign, Oakland now has promising size to match up with most other Horizon League schools down low, as sophomore Miriam Ibezim and freshmen Lianna Baxter and Cam Grant are also all at least 6-foot-1.

Outside of post players, point guard and Horizon League Freshman of the Year Brooke Quarles-Daniels returns, as do sophomore Kennedie Montue and junior Linda van Schaik, the team's two best 3-point shooters last season.


Westbrook and head coach Jeff Tungate during her official visit. Photograph courtesy of Ceejay Round, Oakland University Athletics.