Grizz look to capitalize on NCAA Tourney success
For more than a decade in the Horizon League, the preseason rhetoric out of the Oakland men’s basketball program was about getting to the mountaintop in March. Going into last season, Greg Kampe and the Golden Grizzlies had accomplished everything they could have, without ever achieving their main goal.
Then, it happened.
It’s a common thought in sports, that once you reach the championship you longed for, there could be a drop-off or change in motivation following the achievement. So, with that in mind, what is the message within the Oakland locker room heading into this year?
Doing it again.
“The whole focus is to get there, like it is every year,” said Kampe. “You can’t go further if you don’t get there, and you can’t get there without the conference tournament in March. Our whole focus, everything we do is for that.”
If advancing in the NCAA Tournament was easy, it would not be celebrated as much as it is. Kampe understands that it’s hard, and he has tried to make sure his players understand their focus needs to be the same as it always has been.
“What I have told them is there were 68 teams in the tournament last year, and 67 of them lost,” Kampe said. “All 67 of them sat in their locker room after saying ‘we’re coming back here, we’re going to go further.’ Whether it was Purdue or whoever, every team did that. The fact of the matter is, at least half those teams won’t get back. You can’t worry about getting back and doing better because you can’t do better unless you get there.”
To get there, Oakland had to get to work this offseason. Replacing your top four scorers is never easy, especially when they included the Horizon League player of the year, and two more league recognized players. But Oakland has brought in talent. Enough to completely replace what they lost? We will see, but it is enough to be able to have a reasonable goal of cutting the nets down in Indy once again.
However, the talent brought in is not where the story starts. In this new era of college basketball, the saying, ‘the best get is the one you already have’ has made its way around the country. For Oakland, that could prove to be true.
DQ Cole is the leading returning scorer from last year, and he projects to have a massive role. The do everything guard made a name for himself nationally as his dagger three sent Kentucky home, and he looks to expand his role this year.
“He’s a leader,” Kampe said. “We need an alpha. We need a guy that is going to get the big basket. It was Trey last year, it was Jamal Cain a couple years ago, it was Jalen Moore. We always have that all league guy. If it is him or not is up to him. We are hoping it is him.”
On the court, Cole will look to become the guy everyone looks to, like many Golden Grizzlies in the past, but off the court, he and a teammate have taken that role.
Cole and fellow returning starter Isaiah Jones were named captains and have become the voices of the program from the player’s side. Jones may not have the impact Cole does in the scoring column, but, like last year, he will once again have an influence on many important aspects of the game.
Jones figures to be back at the top of the zone, a place he saw success last year. Oakland’s defense became a strength last season, and Kampe hopes it will be again. However, with 11 new players in the program, it may be a work in progress at the start.
“Our biggest strength is going to be our defense, but it may start out a weakness with all the new players learning it,” Kampe said. “We have great athleticism and great size. We are long. We should be as good of a defensive team as I have ever had, when you factor in we can rebound.”
A revamped frontcourt is where the length and athleticism start. Buru Naivalurua returns as a focal point, where his outstanding strength and leaping ability makes him one of the best athletes in the league. Grad transfer Allen David Mukeba and 6-9 junior Deng Majak are newcomers inside. Mukeba is a physical force with a nice scoring touch, and Majak provides a change of pace with length and rim protection potential.
“I really like our frontcourt,” Kampe said. “We have to prove we can finish, but we have great size.”
Kampe continued, singling out Majak.
“Deng has been a big surprise to me. He was a guy I thought would come in and hopefully play 5 minutes a game, but if we had a game tonight he would start. I’m hoping he can play 20-30.”
The length continues on the wing. Cleveland State grad transfer Jayson Woodrich is listed at 6-7, while Canadian grad transfer Malcolm Christie is 6-5. Both figures are expected to be part of the crew replacing the shooting lost from last season. Christie was a high-volume shooter in Canada, where he led the nation in scoring, while shooting better than 40% from three, while Woodrich, a veteran of the league who has won a Horizon League title, made 35.7% of his threes on over 5 attempts per game last season.
West Virginia transfer Jeremiah Bembry will also have a say in the wing rotation at some point. His role is undefined at this point due to his last commitment and a minor injury, but he is another name to follow.
Last season, the point guard position became a spot that had its duties handled by committee. This year, while Cole could be leaned on as someone with experience at that spot in Kampe’s system, Tennessee State transfer Jaylen Jones is hoping to get his chance at that spot. The brother of Isaiah, Jones has three more years left of eligibility, so he could be brought along as needed this year.
Being brought along slowly might be the case with many players who fill out the roster, due to some funny circumstances. The freshman class includes potentially two three-year players in Bembry, and returner Cooper Craggs. Zavier Banks is a freshman with experience in the program as well, while promising three-star true freshman Warren Marshall and walk-ons Nassim Masshour and Luke Gelow could be real players. Juco transfers Jack and Chang Hoth also have potential to see the floor but may need some time acclimating to the speed and strength of the D1 game.
Overall, the roster filled out as one that can be one of the best in the Horizon League. The Golden Grizzlies returned just enough to be able to tread water nicely early, and added older pieces around them that can adjust quickly. Not to mention having a full complement of youth behind. This should be another year of being in contention for Oakland.
Projected Starters
DQ Cole
Jayson Woodrich
Isaiah Jones
Buru Naivalurua
Allen David Mukeba
This starting five should by no means be taken as something that is set in stone. As mentioned, some players have been and will continue to be brought along slowly. Jaylen Jones could eventually find himself blossoming into the full time point guard, while shifting Cole over to his more natural off-ball spot.
Mukeba and Majak are locked into a battle at the Center spot in preseason. As of the first official practice Majak would most likely be plugged in, but with more time for Mukeba to grow after injury and visa problems this summer, he gets the nod here.
Malcolm Christie seems to have a bench role in preseason, but as seen with Jack Gohlke last season, he could be in for a big year as well.
Key Reserves
Jaylen Jones
Malcolm Christie
Jeremiah Bembry
Deng Majak
Rotation?
Chang Hoth
Jack Hoth
Nassim Masshour
Warren Marshall
Luke Gelow
Cooper Craggs
Zavier Banks
