Get to know the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, Kentucky's first-round NCAA opponent

Selection Sunday was a quick fix for the Big Blue Nation’s woes from the weekend. The Wildcats drew a favorable draw in the NCAA Tournament’s South Region, landing in nearby Pittsburgh for the first weekend of games. The NCAA selection committee named Kentucky the South’s No. 3 seed, playing a Thursday game against Oakland University, the No. 14 seed. Before you put your pen to bracket, let’s take a quick look at Oakland, a first-time opponent for UK in the Wildcats’ 61st trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Where is Oakland?

Oakland University is nestled in the heart of Rochester, Michigan, part of Oakland County, in the bottom of the thumb in the Michigan glove, about a thirty-minute drive north of Detroit. Originally known as Michigan State University-Oakland, today, Oakland is one of eight research universities in Michigan and a member of the Horizon League athletic conference.  

Mascot: The Golden Grizzlies

Oakland competes as the Golden Grizzlies in the Horizon League, a nickname adopted in 1997 for Oakland’s athletics teams when the school moved from Division II to Division I. The golden represents the school colors, black and gold. Before the Grizzlies, Oakland went by the Pioneers for several decades. Oakland goes by “The Grizz,” for short.

Head Coach: Greg Kampe

Oakland is coached by one of college basketball’s all-time leaders in wins, Greg Kampe, the second-longest tenured coach at one school. He’s in his 40th season in Oakland. In that 40th season, Kampe has his Grizz in the tournament for only the fourth time in history, joining Kampe’s 2005, 2010, and 2011 teams on the short list of Big Dancers.

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MOST ACTIVE WINS BY DIVISION I HEAD COACHES (entering the 2023-24 season)

1. Cliff Ellis, Coastal Carolina 828
2. John Calipari, Kentucky 790
3. Rick Barnes, Tennesse 780
4. Bill Self, Kansas 772
5. Kelvin Sampson, Houston 732
6. Dana Altman, Oregon 732
7. Jim Larranaga, Miami (Fla.) 725
8. Rick Pitino, St. John’s 711
9. Mark Few, Gonzaga 688
10. Tom Izzo, Michigan State 687
11. Greg Kampe, Oakland 675
12. Steve Alford, Nevada 657
13. Bruce Pearl, Auburn 635
14. Leonard Hamilton, Florida State 604
15. Lennie Acuff, Lipscomb 598

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Oakland’s 2023-24 Record: 23-11 (15-5)

Oakland finished the 2023-24 season with a 20-11 regular-season record and an 11-5 record in Horizon League play. In the Horizon League Tournament, the Grizzlies beat Purdue Fort Wayne (76-65), Cleveland State (74-71), and Milwaukee (83-76) to win the school’s first Horizon League Tournament championship. Oakland was picked sixth in the conference’s preseason poll.

Rankings: 

KenPom: 137
NET: 126
RPI: 80

Horizon League Player of the Year: Trey Townsend

Trey Townsend – Forward – 6’6 – Senior – Horizon League Player of the Year – 16.9 ppg

• Scored 38 points in the Horizon League Championship
• Three 28-point games in the regular season
• Both parents played basketball at Oakland

Best Win: at Xavier

On Monday, November 27, Oakland went into Xavier and beat the Musketeers as a 15.5-point underdog.

Oakland also gave Ohio State a fight in the season opener, losing by six in Columbus after leading in the second half.

Strong Finish

Oakland has won eight of nine games entering the NCAA Tournament, including the last four in a row from Senior Day until that Horizon League trophy. The Golden Grizzlies have only lost three games since dropping three in a row around Christmas in a gauntlet against Michigan State, Dayton, and Cleveland State, all on the road.

Team Stats

We are still awaiting a start time for the game…