ROCHESTER, Mich. – Head coach Greg Kampe and the Oakland Men's Basketball team is set to open its 60th season as they take on the reigning National Champion No. 16 Michigan at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Monday, November 2. Action starts at 6 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network with Jason Ross Jr. and Nik Stauskas on the call.
Oakland wrapped up exhibition play with a 1-2 record, using three games to gain experience against a diverse preseason slate. The Golden Grizzlies opened with a 103-74 win over Grand Valley State at home, knocking down 20 three-pointers and showcasing their depth and offensive firepower. Oakland then dropped an 89-75 decision to Tennessee State before closing exhibition play with a 97-58 setback at Cincinnati.
Through three exhibitions, senior Chris Fields Jr. emerged as one of Oakland's most consistent contributors, combining for 48 points and 29 rebounds, highlighted by a 22-point, nine-rebound performance at Cincinnati. Senior RJ Taylor totaled 25 points against Grand Valley State while connecting on six three-pointers, while sophomore Ryder Bradley added 31 points across the slate, including 15 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting performance against Grand Valley State and 16 against Tennessee State. Junior Warren Marshall IV contributed across the stat sheet with 7 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in the opener, while junior Nassim Mashhour provided an early offensive spark with nine straight points against Grand Valley State.
The Golden Grizzlies brought in a plethora of talent through both the transfer portal and freshman, as the 10 new faces consist of three freshmen, two sophomores, two juniors, and three seniors.
Notable additions for the Black and Gold include seniors Belal El Shakery from New Hampshire (averaged 11.4 points/game, 8.2 rebounds/game, leading program and America East Conference, America East All-Conference Third Team), Chris Fields Jr. from Campbell (averaged 9.7 points/game, 6.9 rebounds/game, ranked ninth in the CAA in rebounds, recorded first triple-double in program history), RJ Taylor from Northern Iowa (shot 46.2% from the floor, 37.5% from three, totaled 78 points last season), and sophomore Brady Swartz from Western Michigan (averaged 7.7 points/game, 4.6 rebounds/game, shot 40.8% from the floor).
Three players from the 2025-26 roster who did not see the court also return for the Black and Gold. Sophomore Hamoudy Mashhour "redshirted" last season, while sophomore Camden Thompson and senior William Kassi were mid-year transfers.
Coach Kampe, the longest-tenured head coach at one school in Division I, will lead the Golden Grizzlies for his 43rd season. Kampe, who currently sits at 731 wins, ranks in the top-10 for most wins by active Division I head coaches.
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES
The defending national champion Michigan Wolverines open the 2026-27 season ranked No. 16 in the AP Top 25 and No. 20 in the coaches poll after a program-record 37-3 campaign that included the program's second NCAA championship and 16th Big Ten regular-season title. Monday marks the beginning of a new era under head coach Mike Boynton Jr., who takes over after helping Michigan to a 64-13 record over the past two seasons as an assistant. The Wolverines return seven players from last year's championship team, including senior guard and 2026 Final Four Most Outstanding Player Elliot Cadeau, sophomore Trey McKenney and fifth-year guard Roddy Gayle Jr.
Cadeau led the Wolverines with 234 assists last season, while McKenney averaged 9.9 points and was named preseason All-Big Ten. Michigan's 2026-27 roster replaces three NBA lottery picks in Morez Johnson Jr., Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara.
The Wolverines lead the all-time series with Oakland, 9-1, and have won eight straight, including a 121-78 victory in last year's season opener.
How to Follow Oakland Men's Basketball: For complete information on Oakland Men's Basketball, follow the team on X at @OaklandMBB and head coach Greg Kampe at @KampeOU. The team is also on Instagram and Facebook.
