Less than a week after Oakland saw their season end in overtime of the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Golden Grizzlies had already begun to realize how special of a season they just put together.
The team was made available for media questions Thursday morning, and the mood was already tons better than the postgame aftermath. Players were joking around and happy, seemingly understanding the full scope of this past season.
Not only was the mood joyful, but there was plenty of gratitude going around. Gratitude towards each other, yes, but the players and coaches wanted it known how thankful they were for the fans, alumni and former players of Grizz nation for how big they showed up this month, and this year.
“I want to say thank you,” said Greg Kampe. “I know our fanbase and I know how great we are on gameday, but the whole world found out about it now. People couldn’t believe in Pittsburgh, how well represented we were and how loud our fans were. And then all the rumors that got back to me about the bars, the watch parties and all that kind of stuff. It means so much to our players, and it is motivation for everyone to keep this thing going.”
“What an unbelievable experience it was for Oakland to be in the limelight, when we have a history of Michigan/Michigan State always out there and we are an afterthought in people’s minds. For us to be on top of that for a week was just an unbelievable experience. The whole world knows about us now and how rabid our fanbase is.”
“Having a fanbase travel like that meant so much to us,” said Trey Townsend. “Basketball is a game of momentum and runs and when you have a crowd like we did in Indy and Pittsburgh, every point we scored felt like a 10 point run. I can’t stress how much that meant to us and our team, and I am so happy we got them a win in the tournament because that just made it more special.”
That win, of course, was over the 3rd seeded Kentucky Wildcats. It was the second NCAA Tournament win for Kampe and Oakland, and the first round of 64 win for a Horizon League team since Butler made the National Championship game in 2011.
“It is an incredible accomplishment for our university,” said Blake Lampman, who played his final college games during this run. “I am very thankful. It means so much because I respect everyone here, and everyone that came before me so much.” Lampman also added it’s very cool to carry the flag of the league for this accomplisment.
“I’m looking forward to seeing where Oakland University goes from here.”
As a team, the focus will slowly shift to next season. At the time of publication, Oakland saw walk on Guard Evan Solomon and seldom used Guard Mike Rogers enter the transfer portal. There will almost certainly be more portal additions, so the staff is already working on bringing in pieces for next season’s roster.
However next year’s roster will have at least one major mainstay, as Center Chris Conway said he planned to use his COVID year of eligibility at Oakland. Conway broke out this year and averaged 10 points a game. He could be primed for an even bigger breakout next year, with a more featured role.
Conway says he will always continue to work on his post work, but continuing to improve out on the wing and extending his shooting range will be added to his emphasis this summer. As well as continuing to get stronger.
His impact on the court will almost certainly be major, but with the departures of three Seniors, as well as potentially Trey Townsend, his impact as a leader could be equally important.
“I look at Blake as a vocal leader and Trey always leading by his example. I think I can take things from both of them to really help me next year. I’m not someone that is super vocal, but I know I will need to do that next year to help us be successful,” Conway said.
Of course, it remains to be seen where Trey Townsend will be playing next year. He says he will enter the NBA Draft, and is continuing to weigh his options on whether to cash in on a power conference transfer, stay at Oakland, or remain in the draft. He hasn’t set a timetable for his decision and will continue to think through all of his options.
Someone that also has plenty of options being thrown his way is Jack Gohlke. Gohlke said he has participated in 50-60 interviews in the last week. He is also preparing to make his way to the Final Four to partake in the college basketball three-point contest. He may also appear in the All Star game at the event.
This special group will always be remembered, but the point of the offseason is being reached where it is time to look ahead. The next few weeks will be huge in determining the roster makeup next year, and the work has begun. We will see what lies ahead.
