What lies ahead for Oakland is not for the weak. Road trips to Alabama, Houston, Purdue, Arkansas, Michigan State, Arizona State, Boise State, Stanford and UC Santa Barbara await, all before Christmas. Not to mention where it starts, at defending national champion Michigan.
There may not be many wins. There will be tired legs. But the potential payoff? Peaking at the right time.
Last season, the Golden Grizzlies played well early in the year. That extended into conference play, with Oakland getting out to a 10-3 start in Horizon League play. What followed was a 2-6 finish that ended with no conference tournament wins.
“We’ve got one of the roughest schedules a mid-major’s ever played, and so there’s a lot of pitfalls out there,” Greg Kampe said. “There’s a lot of potholes out there, and no matter what my excitement level is for our team isn’t an issue right now. What I’ve got to do is get us through that road, and I am excited about the fact that we have a couple of guys in Warren and Nassim that have been in the program for three years. It’s been a while since we’ve had that.”
Nassim Mashhour was part of the reason that Oakland could not withstand the rigors of the full season after he went down with an injury, and Warren Marshall IV was a reason why the late slide did not go worse. They return as guys who will be on the floor a ton.
Mashhour will need a new backcourt mate after Brody Robinson moved on, and RJ Taylor is hoping to fill that role. The local product transfers in from Northern Iowa ready to make an immediate impact.
“I’m really thrilled to have RJ,” Greg Kampe said. “We tried to get him two years ago out of high school. He’s an Oakland player. He’s a point guard that Greg Kampe has had a lot of success with over Greg Kampe’s career.”
While the perimeter has excitement, the emphasis on this roster was elsewhere. Kampe’s staff made it a point to attack a weakness of last season in an attempt to make it a strength.
“We’ve got to rebound,” Kampe said. “We thought we were a good defensive team last year, but we couldn’t get the miss. It doesn’t matter how well you play defense, if you can’t get their misses, they’re going to lay it back in. And so we really put an emphasis on trying to create a roster that can rebound both ends, has length and can play our defense.”
Chris Fields and Belal El Shakery are two figures who enter via the transfer portal. Fields was a force for Campbell while El Shakery was an all league performer at New Hampshire.
One other figure that could be a factor is Josh Hill, who steps in from Robert Morris. At the time of publishing he had not yet joined the team, but is enrolled in school. His September commitment is something to watch in future seasons.
“With roster limitations and the transfer portal and people moving, you’re going to see more of that,” Kampe said on adding late commits. “You’re seeing it all over the country right now, and you know we’re always going to hold a roster spot open for an opportunity of maybe grabbing somebody.”
Overall, there are questions about the ceiling of this roster. However, there is talent in this locker room that has had success at the mid major level. If the group can gel the right way and get a star or two to rise, this is a team that can be in the mix down the stretch of the Horizon League season.
Returning Players
Nassim Mashhour, 6-6, G, Dearborn, MI, Dearborn High School
Nassim Mashhour was well on his way to a breakout second season as a Golden Grizzly last year, but a torn MCL ended his season in early December. Mashhour has shot over 40% from three in his Oakland career so far and was just under 10 points per game last year. He is a sneaky all league threat this upcoming season.
Warren Marshall IV, 6-6, Wing, Auburn Hills, MI, Brother Rice High School
Marshall made a difference on the court in his first season of real playing time. He averaged 3.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game while being a swiss army knife defensively. In the final few weeks of the season he averaged over 8 points per game. He will be a factor in the wing rotation.
Will Kassi, 6-10, Wing, Pontoise, France, Indian Hills CC
After being unable to join the team before last season due to a visa issue, Kassi spent the second semester with Oakland in practice. He is an athletic freak who can get downhill at an elite level. He led Oakland in scoring in two of three games played this summer in Canada.
Hamoudy Mashhour, 6-4, G, Dearborn, MI, Dearborn High School
A redshirt last season, the younger Mashhour can shoot the ball. He has gotten a year stronger and has grown into a Division 1 body. His shooting ability will be given a chance to show how it translates in the rotation this season.
Camden Thompson, 6-7, F, Whitehall, MI, Western Michigan
Thompson also joined the program halfway through the season last year after spending the fall with the Western Michigan football team. The former wide receiver defends, rebounds and plays hard at a high level. Don’t be surprised if he sees the floor.
Incoming Players
(Name, Height, Position, Home City, Home State, Last School)
Chris Fields Jr. 6-8, Big, Petersburg, VA, Campbell
In less than 20 minutes per game, Fields averaged 9.7 points and 6.9 rebounds a night at Campbell. He produced in his non-con games that took place before an injury limited that production. Highlights included 10 points and 15 rebounds at West Virginia, 12 points and nine rebounds at Wake Forest, 11 points and eight rebounds at Penn State, nine points and 10 rebounds at Gonzaga and 13 points at Wisconsin. He scored 14 points against national champion Florida in the NCAA Tournament at Norfolk State in 2025.
RJ Taylor, 6-0, G, Grand Blanc, MI, Northern Iowa
Taylor can be penciled in as the point guard to start the year. He was mainly Northern Iowa’s backup point guard last year after tearing his Achilles as the starter the year before. He put together 7.5 points and over two assists per game pre-injury at UNI. Taylor’s three best games of the season came during UNI’s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship run.
Belal El Shakery, 6-8, Big, Alexandria, Egypt, New Hampshire
An all-league selection in the America East last year at New Hampshire, El Shakery comes over after averaging 11.4 points per game, and he led the conference with 8.2 rebounds per game as well. He is expected to be a large presence inside after having the 6th best defensive rebound percentage in the country last season.
Josh Hill, 6-11, Big, Laurel, MD, Robert Morris
Hill committed to the program in mid September, so it remains to be seen what his role with the team will be. He is a proven productive player in the Horizon League, though. He put together 7.7 points and 4.4 rebounds a game at Robert Morris last season. At this point, Hill remains a wildcard, but he is certainly a name to watch and know.
Brady Swartz, 6-8, Wing, Grand Rapids, MI, Western Michigan
Swartz started 17 games for Western Michigan last season, scoring 7.7 points and grabbing 4.6 rebounds per game. Swartz hit the 20 point mark twice as a freshman, once against Ohio State and once against Purdue Fort Wayne. He can play on the wing or as a 4. He could raise the ceiling of the group with a good year.
Ryder Bradley, 6-3, G, Leander, TX, St. Edward’s
In his freshman season at D2 St. Edward’s, Ryder Bradley put up 14 points, four assists and four rebounds on average. He was freshman of the year in his conference. He could see minutes in a shooter role, or as a steady ball handler.
Nate Ahner, 6-8, Wing, Copenhagen, Denmark, College of Southern Idaho
Ahner comes to Oakland after scoring over 11 points per game on the NJCAA runner-up. He also grabbed six boards a night. Ahner is someone with size that can also shoot the rock and space the court.
Isaiah Theodile, 6-8, Big, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kalamazoo Central High School
Although it may take time, Theodile is a skilled big with talent and athleticism inside. His role this year might be undefined, but his future is one to look out for.
Deuce Hamilton, 6-6, G, North Hollywood, CA, Oakwood High School
The son of Rip Hamilton, Deuce can spread the floor. Like Theodile, this season may not be where he shines, but he requires attention to see how his development progesses.
Ivan Stojanovski, 6-6, G, Bloomfield Hills, MI, Brother Rice High School
Warren Marshall IV is no longer the only Brother Rice alum on the roster. Stojanovski is not a throwaway walk-on; he has great athleticism and a high motor.
Projected Starting Lineup
RJ Taylor
Nassim Mashhour
Will Kassi
Chris Fields Jr.
Belal El Shakery
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