ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Golden Grizzlies men's basketball team kicks off a four-game road trip on the West Coast, taking on Stanford and UC Santa Barbara on Nov. 6-7. Oakland opens against the Cardinal Friday at 10 p.m. ET on ACCNX, with Scott Reiss and Mike Montgomery on the call. The Golden Grizzlies then travel to Santa Barbara for a Saturday afternoon matchup against the Gauchos, tipping off at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with Hunter Shumake and Louis Renaud calling the action.
Oakland opened the 2026-27 season with an 84-68 loss to No. 16 Michigan on Monday at Crisler Center, highlighted by a strong effort on the offensive glass. The Golden Grizzlies pulled down 21 offensive rebounds and held a 44-42 advantage on the boards, converting those extra opportunities into 17 second-chance points. Oakland used a 10-0 first-half run to erase an early deficit and take an 18-13 lead, while knocking down five of its 11 attempts from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes. Michigan responded to take a 47-36 advantage into halftime.
Senior Chris Fields Jr. led Oakland with 18 points and 10 rebounds, recording the program's first double-double of the season. Nassim Mashhour added 16 points, including a pair of three-pointers and a perfect 4-for-4 effort at the free-throw line, while Ryder Bradley finished with 12 points, six rebounds and four steals. The Golden Grizzlies made another push in the second half, using an 8-0 run to trim a 15-point deficit to seven at 62-55. However, Michigan maintained control down the stretch, using a 48-24 advantage in points in the paint and Oakland's 15 turnovers to secure the 84-68 victory.
The Black and Gold 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.
SCOUTING THE CARDINAL
Stanford enters Friday's matchup with a 1-0 record after defeating Eastern Washington 74-65 in its season opener. Led by third-year head coach Kyle Smith, the Cardinal are coming off consecutive 20-win seasons and postseason appearances. Freshman guard Julius Price led five players in double figures with 17 points, while senior Aidan Cammann added 13. Freshman Aziz Olajuwon contributed 12 points and six steals, and graduate transfer Nick Townsend also scored 12 points.
Townsend, the 2026 Ivy League Player of the Year at Yale, headlines Stanford's transfer additions after averaging 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists last season. The Cardinal also added Christian Bliss from Delaware and seven-footer Austin Maurer from Seattle. Defensively, Stanford limited Eastern Washington to 42.6% shooting and just 26.7% from three while recording nine steals.
SCOUTING THE GAUCHOS
UC Santa Barbara enters Saturday's matchup 1-0 after opening the season with an 85-55 win over San Francisco State. The Gauchos were picked to finish third in the Big West preseason poll and return nine players from last season, including All-Big West Preseason selections Miro Little and CJ Shaw, along with Aidan Mahaney, who was recently ruled eligible for 2026-27.
UCSB showcased its depth in the opener, scoring 55 bench points and recording 40 points in the paint, 18 assists and 10 steals. Graduate transfer Antonio Chol led the way with 13 points, while Eric Dibami added 12 and Declan Duru Jr. grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. The Gauchos also added transfers Viljami Vartiainen, RJ Smith and others, giving head coach Joe Pasternack a deep roster with multiple scoring options.
Oakland has never faced either Stanford or UC Santa Barbara in its 60-year program history, making both matchups first-time meetings for the Golden Grizzlies.
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.
