#HLMBB Preview: Oakland
Joey Yashinsky
Oakland Golden Grizzlies
Last year: 25-9 overall, 14-4 Horizon League
Coach: Greg Kampe (34th year)
Team Preview
By Joey Yashinsky, Horizon League Contributor
“Motor City Madness.”
For Greg Kampe and the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, that title has been all too appropriate. Coming in as heavy favorites to either win or reach the tournament final the last two years, Oakland has been bitten by the upset bug both times right out of the gate.
In 2016, Kampe’s crew received a double-bye, but Kay Felder and Co. couldn’t overcome plucky Wright State and a slew of clutch J.T. Yoho baskets down the stretch. This past March, the Golden Grizzlies strode into Joe Louis Arena as the top overall seed but were heartbroken at the buzzer by Cam Morse and Youngstown State.
This is a program that has accumulated 48 victories in the last two years. They’ve racked up a sparkling 27-9 record in Horizon League play over that time.
And believe it or not, the 2017-18 Oakland Golden Grizzlies could be the most talented version of all.
They’ll be led by a trio of outstanding fifth-year seniors in Jalen Hayes, Martez Walker, and newcomer Kendrick Nunn. Oakland is the only school to have three players recognized in the preseason all-conference voting: Hayes and Walker were named first team All-Horizon, and Nunn earned second-team status.
Jalen Hayes is a 6-foot-7 forward with supreme athleticism and a deft touch around the hoop. He averaged 16 points and eight rebounds per contest, numbers that only got better in Horizon League play. When Hayes is fully engaged and slicing his way to the rim at every opportunity, there are few in the league harder to contain.
Martez Walker is a tremendously gifted offensive player with a long frame (6’6”) that makes him a very difficult cover. He has unlimited range outside the arc and is also adept at driving to create contact. Walker led the team with 172 free throw attempts and converted at a scorching 83% rate. The only time you’ll see Kampe upset with Walker on the court is when his senior guard isn’t shooting the ball enough.
Rounding out that dynamic triumvirate will be Kendrick Nunn, a transfer from Illinois and one of the most intriguing players in the Horizon League entering this season. Nunn poured in over 15 points per game in his last year for the Fighting Illini and it’ll be interesting to see how he adapts playing in a brand new conference. So far, so good: he dropped 40 on Central Michigan in an exhibition game while coming up just two assists short of a triple-double. Kampe was effusive in his praise of Nunn at the Horizon League’s media day.
“I’ve coached for 40 years,” Kampe said. “I’ve coached six guys, three at Oakland and three before Oakland, that have played in the NBA. I think Nunn could be the most talented player I have ever coached out of all those players. He is Kay Felder, but five inches taller. He’s not gonna lead the nation in assists like Felder, but from a scoring standpoint, Nunn’s every bit as good.”
The Golden Grizzlies received a major boost on the doorstep of this season when Isaiah Brock decided to return for his sophomore season. (Earlier in the summer, he announced that he’d be leaving the hoops team to focus on academics and other endeavors.) Brock, a decorated Army veteran, came out of nowhere as a freshman, anchoring the Oakland defense and swatting shots like a skinnier version of Dikembe Mutombo. He was named to both the Horizon League All-Freshman Team and the conference All-Defensive Team. His intimidating paint presence allows Oakland to play, as Kampe loves to say, “Not good defense...but great defense.”
Oakland will depend on the continued maturation of point guard Brailen Neely, now a sophomore. The 5-foot-9 Neely started about half the games and saw his role increase as the season progressed. His excellent ratio of 103 assists compared to just 37 turnovers allows Kampe to rest easily at night. Fifth-year senior Nick Daniels will share in the point guard duties. Daniels can be downright lethal from the perimeter and could be primed for a breakout campaign in his final go-around at OU.
This is a high-powered, experienced team that has the capability of competing with any school in the country. They’ll get that chance, taking on the likes of Syracuse, Kansas, and Michigan State in non-conference play. But Kampe knows the spotlight will shine brightest at Little Caesars Arena when the Golden Grizzlies will try once again to slay their conference tournament dragon.
“The harsh reality for this group of seniors is, they’ve done everything except win here (in Detroit),” Kampe said. “I think they’ll wind up being judged on those three days in March. Is that unfortunate? Yes. But we have to accept it. We have to prepare for it. And when we do come here, we have to handle the pressure of that moment.”
Remarkably, this will be Greg Kampe’s 34th year as head basketball coach at Oakland University.
It just might wind up being his best one yet.
Motor City Madness
Support the Golden Grizzlies at the 2018 Little Caesars Horizon League Basketball Championships March 2-6 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Tickets can be purchased at campus box offices now and online starting December 15. For more information, click here.
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