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Oakland Golden Grizzlies men's basketball

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Oakland Golden Grizzlies
2024–25 Oakland Golden Grizzlies men's basketball team
UniversityOakland University
Head coachGreg Kampe (41st season)
ConferenceHorizon League
LocationAuburn Hills, Michigan
ArenaAthletics Center O'rena
(capacity: 4,005)
NicknameGolden Grizzlies
ColorsBlack and gold[1]
   
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away


NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1997*
NCAA tournament round of 32
1994*, 1997*, 2024
NCAA tournament appearances
1994*, 1995*, 1996*, 1997*, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2024
*at Division II level
Conference tournament champions
Summit League: 2005, 2010, 2011
Horizon League: 2024
Conference regular season champions
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
1996, 1997

Summit League
2000, 2010, 2011


Horizon League
2017, 2024

The Oakland Golden Grizzlies men's basketball team represents Oakland University in Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States. The school's team competes in the Horizon League and plays their home games at the Athletics Center O'rena. The Golden Grizzlies are coached by Greg Kampe. Kampe is the longest-tenured active Division I head coach.[2] Oakland last played in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2024.

Through the 2022–23 season, Oakland has made a three-point field goal in 1,093 consecutive games, the fourth-longest active NCAA Division I streak. They last finished a game without a three-pointer on January 30, 1988.[3]

History

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The Oakland men's basketball program began competing in the 1967 season, 10 years after the university opened. Originally nicknamed the Pioneers, they won their first NCAA game 109–106 in overtime against Albion. The Pioneers were without a conference until 1974 when they joined the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).

The first year as members of the GLIAC, Oakland hired Greg Kampe, who is still the head coach at the university. Kampe had the fifth-longest tenure of all active Division I coaches, as of 2012.[4] Oakland won two regular season GLIAC championships, in 1995–96 and 1996–97, their final two seasons in the league. In a 1993 game against Madonna, Oakland scored 91 points in the first half, on their way to a 189–107 victory.[5] That game set school records for most points in a half (98) and largest margin of victory (82). The next three seasons, OU scored more than 100 points 30 times, winning 29 of those games.[5]

Oakland played at the Division II level until 1997 when they changed their nickname to the Golden Grizzlies and began the transition to Division I. OU opened the Athletics Center O'rena in 1998 against Michigan State. When the O'rena was being built, home basketball games were played in the Sports Dome, an inflatable "bubble" used for practice by Oakland's athletic teams during the winter.[6] The original basketball stadium was in the Hollie L. Lepley Sports Center.[7]

The Golden Grizzlies completed the transition to Division I in 1999 and joined the Mid-Continent Conference (now known as The Summit League).

The Golden Grizzlies joined the Horizon League starting in the 2013–14 season.

In 2021, The Golden Grizzlies lose their 1,000 day streak of winning against Detroit Mercy.[8]

In 2022, Oakland looks to build upon this game to challenge for its first Horizon League trophy since 2017.[9]

In the 2023-24 season, the Golden Grizzlies won the Horizon League Tournament for the first time, securing an automatic bid to that season's NCAA Tournament. In the Round of 64, the 14th seeded Golden Grizzlies upset #3 Kentucky, 80-76, shocking the country and sending shockwaves throughout the tournament. Senior transfer Jack Gohlke caught the nation's eye with 10 three-pointers in the game, ending with 32 points. Kampe labelled it the "biggest win of (his) career" in post-game interviews.

Postseason history

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Oakland competed in NCAA Division II since the inception of the basketball program in 1967 until they moved to NCAA Division I in 1997. The Golden Grizzlies reached the Division II postseason four times in their final four seasons at that level.

NCAA Division I Tournament results

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The Golden Grizzlies have appeared in four Division I NCAA Tournaments. Their overall record is 2–4.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
2005 #16 Opening Round
First Round
#16 Alabama A&M
#1 North Carolina
W 79–69
L 68–96
2010 #14 First Round #3 Pittsburgh L 66–89
2011 #13 First Round #4 Texas L 81–85
2024 #14 First Round
Second Round
#3 Kentucky
#11 NC State
W 80–76
L 73–79 OT

NCAA Division II Tournament results

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Oakland appeared in four Division II NCAA Tournaments. Their overall record was 3–5.

Year Round Opponent Result
1994 First Round
Regional Semifinals
Regional Third Place
Quincy
Wayne State
Kentucky Wesleyan
W 105–98
L 97–99
L 91–118
1995 First Round Quincy L 94–116
1996 First Round Northern State L 92–98
1997 First Round
Regional Semifinals
Regional Finals
Grand Valley State
Indianapolis
Northern Kentucky
W 79–74
W 75–72
L 87–101

NIT results

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The Golden Grizzlies have appeared in one National Invitation Tournament. Their overall record is 1–1.

Year Round Opponent Result
2017 First Round
Second Round
Clemson
Richmond
W 74–69
L 83–87

Vegas 16 results

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The Golden Grizzlies participated in the first and only Vegas 16. Their record was 2–1.

Year Round Opponent Result
2016 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals
Towson
East Tennessee State
Old Dominion
W 90–72
W 104–81
L 67–68

CIT results

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The Golden Grizzlies have appeared in Four CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournaments (CIT). Their overall record is 4–4.

Year Round Opponent Result
2009 First Round
Quarterfinals
Kent State
Bradley
W 80–74
L 75–76
2012 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Bowling Green
Buffalo
Rice
Utah State
W 86–69
W 84–76
W 77–70
L 81–105
2013 First Round Youngstown State L 87–99
2015 First Round Eastern Illinois L 91–97

All-time win–loss record

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Through 2022–23 season

Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Dick Robinson (1967–1968)
1967–68 Robinson 6–15
Dick Robinson: 6–15
Gene Bolden (1968–1976)
1968–69 Bolden 11–10
1969–70 Bolden 9–14
1970–71 Bolden 14–12
1971–72 Bolden 14–12
1972–73 Bolden 15–11
1973–74 Bolden 17–11
1974–75 Bolden 4–22 2–9
1975–76 Bolden 5–22 3–13
Gene Bolden: 89–114 5–22
Jim Mitchell (1976–1979)
1976–77 Mitchell 9–19 5–11
1977–78 Mitchell 6–22 3–11
1978–79 Mitchell, Frederick 12–15 5–9
Jim Mitchell: 27–56 13–31
Lee Frederick (1979–1984)
1979–80 Frederick 13–14 3–11
1980–81 Frederick 8–19 3–13
1981–82 Frederick 18–9 8–8
1982–83 Frederick 11–16 4–12
1983–84 Frederick 13–14 7–9
Lee Frederick: 63–72 25–53
Greg Kampe (1984–present)
1984–85 Kampe 13–15 5–11 T-7th
1985–86 Kampe 13–15 5–11 8th
1986–87 Kampe 20–8 10–6 4th
1987–88 Kampe 19–9 11–5 3rd
1988–89 Kampe 20–8 10–6 3rd
1989–90 Kampe 19–9 10–6 4th
1990–91 Kampe 16–13 10–6 3rd
1991–92 Kampe 16–13 8–8 T-4th
1992–93 Kampe 15–11 9–7 T-3rd
1993–94 Kampe 21–10 11–7 4th NCAA Regional Semi-Final
1994–95 Kampe 20–9 12–6 2nd NCAA First Round
1995–96 Kampe 21–8 13–5 T-1st NCAA First Round
1996–97 Kampe 24–7 14–3 1st (South) NCAA Regional Final
1997–98 Kampe 15–12
1998–99 Kampe 12–15 8–8 N/A
1999–00 Kampe 13–17 11–5 1st
2000–01 Kampe 12–16 8–8 5th
2001–02 Kampe 17–13 10–4 T-2nd
2002–03 Kampe 17–11 10–4 T-2nd
2003–04 Kampe 13–17 6–10 T-7th
2004–05 Kampe 13–19 7–9 T-5th NCAA First Round
2005–06 Kampe 11–18 6–10 7th
2006–07 Kampe 19–14 10–4 2nd
2007–08 Kampe 17–14 11–7 3rd
2008–09 Kampe 23–13 13–5 3rd CIT quarterfinals
2009–10 Kampe 26–9 17–1 1st NCAA first round
2010–11 Kampe 25–10 17–1 1st NCAA first round
2011–12 Kampe 20–16 11–7 3rd CIT semifinals
2012–13 Kampe 16–17 10–6 4th CIT first round
2013–14 Kampe 13–20 7–9 T-5th
2014–15 Kampe 16–17 11–5 T-3rd CIT first round
2015–16 Kampe 23–12 13–5 T-2nd Vegas 16 finals
2016–17 Kampe 25–9 14–4 T-1st NIT second round
2017–18 Kampe 19–14 10–8 4th
2018–19 Kampe 16–17 11–7 3rd
2019–20 Kampe 14–19 8–10 6th
2020–21 Kampe 12–18 10–10 5th
2021–22 Kampe 20–12 12–7 5th
2022–23 Kampe 13–19 11–9 5th
Greg Kampe: 670–514 361–223
Total: 810–726

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Rivalries

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Detroit Mercy Titans

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The rivalry between the Detroit Mercy Titans and Oakland is known as the Metro Series. Oakland has historically dominated the series since its inception, with Detroit Mercy having only won three games against them since the Golden Grizzlies first joined the Horizon League and winning ten straight matchups from 2017 to 2021. Oakland leads the series against Detroit Mercy 20-10. Both schools first played against each other in 1985 with Detroit Mercy winning the first matchup against Oakland 77-62. Oakland won the last matchup in 2023 65-50.

Records

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Media

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OU men's basketball games are broadcast on WDFN (1130 AM). The play-by-play commentator is Neal Ruhl, with former Oakland and professional player, Dan Waterstradt.[10] Oakland home games are simulcast on ESPN3, WMYD and WDFN.

Mario Impemba, also the play-by-play commentator for the Detroit Tigers on Fox Sports Detroit, broadcast Oakland games from 2006–2013.[11]

Oakland players who played in the NBA

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Footnotes

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a The official Oakland record book lists Reggie Hamilton in third place with 548 career assists from 2010–2012. That includes the assists he accumulated while at UMKC from 2007–2009, which is inconsistent with how the rest of the record book handles transfer player statistics.
b The official Oakland record book lists Marshall's total at 199,[5] but the addition of his individual season's statistics makes the total 198 (80 in 2002–03,[12] 59 in 2003–04,[13] 59 in 2004–05[14]).
c There is a discrepancy between sources for Brock's 2016–17 season block total. The official Oakland record book lists 72, while other sources list the total as 69. This is due to a difference in total blocks for the December 10, 2016, game against Robert Morris. Both school box scores list 7 blocks[15] while ESPN and sports-reference.com list 5.[16][17]

References

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  1. ^ "Oakland University Athletics Branding Guidelines". March 14, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  2. ^ "It's Gordon's night for Hoosiers in victory". Associated Press. December 10, 2013. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  3. ^ "11:14 Game Notes BGSU (PDF)" (PDF). Oakland University Athletics. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Player Bio: Greg Kampe". Ougrizzlies.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c "2011–12 Men's Basketball Record Book" (PDF). Oakland University. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  6. ^ "Campus timeline". 1996 entry on timeline. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  7. ^ "Campus timeline". 1998 entry on timeline. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  8. ^ Willard, Maggie, et al. Basketball Teams Win the Weekend, The Oakland Post, Oakland University's Independent Student Newspaper, Volume 46 Issue 19. January 27, 2021.
  9. ^ "The Oakland Post 2022-02-02". Oakland Sail, Inc. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  10. ^ Paul, Tony (October 13, 2016). "Matt Dery joins Oakland as basketball analyst". Detroit News. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  11. ^ Kampe, Paul (October 30, 2013). "Oakland announces 2013-14 radio broadcasts, Mario Impemba's departure". Oakland Press. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  12. ^ "Oakland 2002–03 Season Statistics". Oakland University. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  13. ^ "Oakland 2003–04 Season Statistics". Oakland University. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  14. ^ "Oakland 2004–05 Season Statistics". Oakland University. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  15. ^ "Men's Basketball vs Oakland on 12/10/2016 - Box Score". Robert Morris University Athletics. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Oakland vs. Robert Morris - Box Score - December 10, 2016 - ESPN".
  17. ^ "Isaiah Brock 2016-17 Game Log". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
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