ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies continue its tough road trip as it heads to Champaign, Ill., tomorrow (Nov. 13) to face off against the University of Illinois Fighting Illini, who's receiving votes in the AP Top-25, followed by a visit to the nationally top-ranked University of Kansas Jayhawks Saturday (Nov. 16).
 
Wednesday's game will tip-off at 9:00 p.m. ET, while Saturday's showdown is slated to start at 6:00 p.m. ET.
 
The Golden Grizzlies (1-1, 0-0 HL) split its pair of games in the first week of play, as the team opened the season up at home with a 75-52 win over Defiance, which was head coach Greg Kampe's 700th career win, followed by an 87-43 loss at Boise State.
 
In the season opening win Monday, Nov. 4, DQ Cole led Oakland with 15 points and three assists, while Buru Naivalurua posted a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds. Cooper Craggs added 14 points and five rebounds, contributing to a dominant team performance.Oakland led, 33-23, at halftime, out-rebounding Defiance 31-18 and holding an edge in shooting and points in the paint. In the second half, Oakland extended its lead, with highlights from Naivalurua, Craggs and a three-point streak by Malcolm Christie. By game's end, the Golden Grizzlies had a 51-28 rebounding advantage and shot .433 from the field, sealing a convincing 75-52 victory to start the season.
 
The Golden Grizzlies opened up its three-game road trip against Boise State (RV) Wednesday, Nov. 6. Naivalurua and Allen Mukeba led the Golden Grizzlies with 10 points each, while Jayson Woodrich grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Boise State jumped to an early lead and extended it to 30 by halftime, as Oakland struggled offensively, shooting just .226 from the field in the first half. The Golden Grizzlies improved slightly in the second half but couldn't close the gap, finishing the game at a .273 clip from the field, compared to Boise State's .532.
 
Naivalurua leads the Golden Grizzlies with his 23 points, good for 11.5 points per game, and nearly averages a double-double with his 9.5 rebounds per game. Along with Naivalurua, Cole and Mukeba average double-digit points, as Woodrich is tied off the boards with Naivalurua with 9.5 per game.
 
As a team, the Golden Grizzlies average 59.0 points per game while it gives up 69.5 per game. At the glass, Oakland leads with 41.0 boards per game with a positive margin of 4.0. From the floor, Oakland shoots at a .353 clip with a .207 clip from range.
 
DATE: Nov. 13
OPPONENT: Illinois (RV)
LOCATION: State Farm Center - Champaign, Ill.
TIME: 9:00 p.m. ET
LIVE STATS
LIVE STREAM: Big Ten Network
LIVE AUDIO
 
The Fighting Illini (2-0, 0-0 B1G) enter the week undefeated after taking care of business against a pair of Illinois schools. Illinois fell in exhibition play, 91-74, on the road against #24 Ole Miss before it opened up its season at home with a 112-67 win over Eastern Illinois, followed by a 90-58 win over SIU Edwardsville, also at home, as the Fighting Illini close out its three-game home stint against the Golden Grizzlies.
 
The Golden Grizzlies look to grab its first win against the Fighting Illini, as its 0-4 all-time, as the team's last two outings have been the closest in the series. Last season, the Golden Grizzlies fell, 64-53, on the road against the Fighting Illini but kept it close throughout. Oakland only trailed by one heading into halftime, as both teams traded points in the second half with several lead changes before Illinois broke free and went ahead by 10+ with 3:16 to play. Cole, Naivalurua and Isaiah Jones are the sole three returners that saw action in last years game, as Naivalurua led the trio with four points (2-of-3), as Jones led off the glass with five rebounds.
 
A handful of players average in the double-digits for points, as Will Riley leads the team with 22.5 points per game as he shoots at a .600 clip from the floor with eight made threes. Tomislav Ivisic leads off the glass as he averages a double-double, with 16.0 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per game.
 
As a team, the Fighting Illini average 101.0 points per game and give up an average of 62.5 per game. From the floor, the team shoots at a .465 clip along with a .388 mark from deep, as it's brought down 52.5 rebounds per game, 18.0 more than its opponents.
 
Tip-off from State Farm Center is slated for 9:00 p.m. ET and will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.
 
DATE: Nov. 16
OPPONENT: #1 Kansas
LOCATION: Allen Fieldhouse - Lawrence, Kan.
TIME: 6:00 p.m. ET
LIVE STATS
LIVE STREAM: ESPN+
LIVE AUDIO
 
The Golden Grizzlies visit Allen Fieldhouse and face Kansas (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) for the third time in program history as it's dropped its previous pair of meetings. Oakland last traveled to No. 3 nationally ranked Kansas during the 2017-18 season as it fell, 102-59, against a Kansas team that earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and made a run to the Final Four where it lost to eventual champion Villanova. In the teams first matchup during the 2009-10 season, the Jayhawks were the No. 1 nationally ranked team in the NCAA as Oakland fell, 89-59.
 
The Jayhawks open the week undefeated after it took care of business against Howard, 87-57, and took No. 9-ranked North Carolina down to the wire and escaped with a win, 92-89. The Jayhawks built a strong 15-point halftime lead against the Tar Heels, but North Carolina clawed back in the second half before the Jayhawks could pull away with the three-point win. Kansas faces off against Michigan State University tonight (Nov. 12) as head coach Bill Self is one win away from setting the record for most wins as a head coach in Kansas basketball history.
 
Senior Zeke Mayo leads the team with 20.0 points per game as he shoots .538 from the floor as four Jayhawks average double-digit points per game. Off the glass, both Hunter Dickinson and Flory Bidunga lead the team with 8.0 rebounds per game, as Dickenson averages 18.0 points per game.
 
As a team, the Jayhawks average 89.5 points per game and allow 73.0 per game. Off the glass, the team holds a 3.5 rebounding advantage with 36.5 per game. As a whole, the team shoots at a .535 clip with a .395 mark from range.
 
Tip-off from Allen Fieldhouse is slated for 6:00 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
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