2018-19 #HLMBB Preview: Oakland
Oakland
Last season: 19-14 overall, 10-8 Horizon League
Head coach: Greg Kampe (35th year)
By Joey Yashinsky, Horizon League Contributor. Follow on Twitter @OneSeatOver
Ladies and gentlemen. Pick up your pencil and scorecard, and get your program ready.
It’ll be a whole new look for Greg Kampe and the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in 2018-19.
Last year’s squad was guided by players like Jalen Hayes, Kendrick Nunn, Martez Walker, Isaiah Brock and Nick Daniels. Those lockers are empty now. Well, not empty; but replaced with either completely new faces or guys that are about to play a whole lot more than they did in years past.
The strength of this year’s revamped Oakland roster will be found on the inside, where redshirt juniors Xavier Hill-Mais (6-7, 248) and Brad Brechting (6-11, 217) reside. Both players logged solid court time two years ago but were spectators last season, Hill-Mais taking his redshirt year and Brechting sidelined with a broken toe that required surgery.
“I think Xavier has potential to be the best 4 (PF) in the league, and I think Brad has the potential to be the best 5 (C) in the league,” Kampe said.” “The ability is there. They are very motivated."
“There is nobody in the league like Brad Brechting: 6-foot-11, offensive rebounder, can really run, can shoot the 3. In Xavier’s case, he is a beast with the ball on the block. I think he will be in contention to be one of the top six or seven players in the league.”
With all the moving pieces within the Golden Grizzlies’ roster, they can feel good knowing point guard Brailen Neely is back in the fold. Neely was enjoying a terrific sophomore season before it was cut short due to a knee injury with a month still to play. His 2.6 assist/turnover ratio was by far tops in the league (133 assists to just 51 turnovers).
“Even though this is a young team, we have a point guard in his third year that has played a bunch of games,” Kampe said. “That is a good feeling. There is a lot of work for us to do, but not at the point guard position.”
The position will be further stabilized by the arrival of freshman Braden Norris, a player Kampe says will push for playing time right away.
“Norris is a very heady player,” Kampe said. “His AAU team won the national championship his junior year, so you know that he’s got to be pretty good to play at that level.”
It’s an intriguing freshman class overall for Oakland. Joining Norris is Tray Maddox Jr., a two-sport star in high school that could have gone to the ACC and played big-time college football as a wideout if he so preferred. Kampe describes the 6-foot-5 guard as “an unbelievable athlete that can really shoot it and get to the rim and finish. And he could be an elite defender with his length.”
Returning as sophomores are Stan Scott and James Beck, both players that showed flashes in their debut Horizon League campaigns. Due to all of Oakland’s injuries, Scott and Beck were pressed into action earlier than expected. Golden Grizzlies’ fans are hoping the duo can blossom in year two.
The seasoned Kampe now entering his 35th season will have a challenge this year maybe unlike any he has before. Such a large chunk of Oakland’s points and minutes must be replaced. Remarkably, just 222 points of the 2,580 scored last season are returning to the roster.
But the additions of Hill-Mais and Brechting coming off their redshirt years cannot be overlooked. They could potentially give Kampe one of the best inside tandems in the Horizon League. And Neely is an experienced point guard that knows how to run a team and make sure quality shots are taken each time down the floor. The freshmen class could come in and make major waves from the opening tip.
The Golden Grizzlies might be wearing more of an underdog cape this year as opposed to the league favorite status they have achieved in years past.
But by the time March rolls around, it would come as no surprise to see Kampe’s crew right there again as a legitimate factor at Motor City Madness.