In sports, there are some places that feel more special than others.
The lights feel brighter at Madison Square Garden, the grass looks greener at the Rose Bowl and the history comes alive at Augusta National.
There’s the Green Monster at Fenway Park, Touchdown Jesus overlooking Notre Dame Stadium, and the Ivy wall at Wrigley Field.
To get this feeling in college basketball, you go to Phog Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansas ranks first in the country in winning seasons (101), most conference championships (63) and most First-Team All Americans (24). They have the longest active streak of NCAA Tournament appearances at 28, and the longest active streak for most consecutive winning seasons (41).
Their coach Bill Self, has won two national championships at Kansas, tying him for the lead amongst active coaches. Following a win over North Carolina last week, he is now 316-18 at the Phog, good for .947 win percentage. His record in non-conference home games is 155-6 (.962).
Oh, and their court is named after James Naismith, who was the school’s first basketball coach.
Good luck, Oakland.
On Saturday night, the Golden Grizzlies will face off with the #1 ranked Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kansas.
After Oakland hung within striking distance for the full 40 minutes against a very good Illinois team in a 66-54 loss, there may be a renewed confidence around the group after tough showings at Boise State, and in the exhibition opener against Michigan. Oakland was not overwhelmed on Wednesday, showing progress early in the year.
Saturday will be the toughest test yet however.
Kansas has the number one by their name for a reason. The roster features a boatload of high-end talent, including preseason first-team All American Hunter Dickinson, who is a handful at the center spot. Zeke Mayo, the reigning Summit League player of the year at South Dakota State is the Jayhawks second leading scorer on the young season.
Dajaun Harris and KJ Adams are left over from the 2022 team that won a national championship. Harris was the starting point guard on that team, and has won Big 12 defensive player of the year in the past, while Adams is an uber athletic player who won the Big 12’s most improved award.
Five Star Flory Bidunga, Alabama transfer Rylen Griffin, and All Big Ten transfer AJ Storr round out the main scoring punch provided by the Jayhawks.
Much like the Illinois game, Oakland will need to control the pace. In games that got away from them early this fall they were unable, but at Illinois the Golden Grizzlies controlled what was happening with the tempo. Kansas will also have a size and athleticism advantage (just like almost every game they play) so Oakland will need to focus on the defensive glass.
The Illini dominated the offensive glass in the early going, and that’s how they built their lead. When Oakland controlled the defensive rebound battle, the score was even the rest of the way.
Of course, the main key to the game is making baskets. And in the modern age, you have to make shots. Oakland has proven shooters throughout the roster, yet the Golden Grizzlies rank dead last in Division 1 basketball in three point percentage at the moment. It may be unfair to expect Oakland to suddenly make shots for the first time inside maybe the most hostile environment in the country, but eventually something will fall. Could it be this weekend?
One of those shooters is Jayson Woodrich, who’s status will need to be watched for this game. He left the Illinois game with what looked like an arm injury and did not return. DQ Cole, who is leading the team in scoring despite shooting 20% from three, and Malcolm Christie are two that need to make shots if Woodrich has to miss. If Woodrich does not miss much time, his 14% from three will need to improve as well.
This will be the fourth time Oakland has played the number one team in the country, with the last one coming during the 2015-2016 season against Michigan State. That game went into overtime. Maybe Oakland can provide some sort of a scare this weekend.
The game is scheduled to tip at 6pm Eastern Time on ESPN+.
