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. 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.
History 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. 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. 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.
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. The original basketball stadium was in the Hollie L. Lepley Sports Center.
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.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.
In 2022, Oakland looks to build upon this game to challenge for its first Horizon League trophy since 2017.
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.
Conference affiliation The Golden Grizzlies first joined a Division I conference in 1998 when they joined the Mid-Continent Conference (now known as the Summit League). Oakland joined the Horizon League July 1, 2013.
Period Conference 1967–68 to 1973–74 Independent Division II 1974–75 to 1996–97 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Division II 1997–98 Independent Division I 1998–99 to 2012–13 Summit League Division I 2013–14 to present Horizon League Division I
Notes
Postseason history 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 The Golden Grizzlies have appeared in four Division I NCAA Tournaments. Their overall record is 2–4.
2005 #16 Opening RoundFirst 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 RoundSecond Round #3 Kentucky #11 NC State W 80–76L 73–79 OT
NCAA Division II Tournament results Oakland appeared in four Division II NCAA Tournaments. Their overall record was 3–5. 1994 First Round Regional SemifinalsRegional Third Place QuincyWayne StateKentucky Wesleyan W 105–98L 97–99 L 91–118 1995 First Round QuincyL 94–116 1996 First RoundNorthern StateL 92–98 1997 First RoundRegional SemifinalsRegional FinalsGrand Valley StateIndianapolisNorthern KentuckyW 79–74W 75–72L 87–101
NIT results The Golden Grizzlies have appeared in one National Invitation Tournament. Their overall record is 1–1. 2017 First RoundSecond Round ClemsonRichmond W 74–69L 83–87
Vegas 16 results The Golden Grizzlies participated in the first and only Vegas 16. Their record was 2–1. 2016 QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinals TowsonEast Tennessee StateOld Dominion W 90–72W 104–81L 67–68
CIT results The Golden Grizzlies have appeared in Four CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournaments (CIT). Their overall record is 4–4.
2009 First RoundQuarterfinals Kent StateBradley W 80–74 L 75–76 2012 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinals Bowling GreenBuffaloRiceUtah State W 86–69W 84–76W 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 Through 2022–23 season
Rivalries Detroit Mercy Titans
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
Media 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. 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 to 2013.
Oakland players who played in the NBA Keith Benson Jamal Cain Kay Felder Rawle Marshall Kendrick Nunn
Footnotes 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. The official Oakland record book lists Marshall's total at 199, but the addition of his individual season's statistics makes the total 198 (80 in 2002–03, 59 in 2003–04, 59 in 2004–05). 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 while ESPN and sports-reference.com list 5.
References
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