GAME 19: OAKLAND MEN’S BASKETBALL TO BATTLE PHOENIX IN GREEN BAY

Oakland University men’s basketball kicks off a two-game trip to Wisconsin with Green Bay on Thursday night.

ROCHESTER, Michigan – Oakland University men’s basketball kicks off a two-game tour to Wisconsin with Green Bay on Thursday, January 16. Tipoff from the Resch Center is slated for 8 pm ET on ESPN3/+.

The Golden Grizzlies enter the matchup fresh off a 68-55 victory at Cleveland State on Saturday, January 11. For the first time this season, coach Greg Kampe started two freshmen – Zach Goodline and Madison Monroe. It was Goodline’s first start and Monroe’s second-straight.

Off the bench at CSU, junior guard Kevin Kengu responded with double figures against the Vikings for the first time since Nov. 18 against Hartford where he finished with 11. Kangu started the season averaging 10.7 ppg through the first six games of the year. Kangu knocked down two triples in the effort, marking the first time he has hit multiple three-pointers since the season opener against Goshen on Nov. 5.

Xavier Hill-Mais’ 15.7 points per game ranks fifth in the league, and he is one of four players in the conference with at least 100 made field goals. Hill-Mais has scored in double figures in 17 of 18 games this season and 51 times in his career. His 53.3-percent from the floor is good to co-lead the conference in the category.

Green Bay enters the week with an identical record as the Golden Grizzlies at 7-11, 2-3 HL. After starting 1-2 in conference play, the Phoenix have dropped their last two outings – falling to UIC and IUPUI. Green Bay is on game three of a four-game homestand. The Phoenix are 4-4 at the Resch Center this season.

Amari Davis leads the team with 16.2 points per game. Green Bay has four scorers averaging double figures this season – three averaging in double digits during league play. JayQuan McCloud has been averaging 13.8 points per game in conference games while dishing out 5.6 assists per game – which ranks second in the Horizon League. Manny Patterson is the top rebounder for the Phoenix with 5.4 boards per outing.

Green Bay’s offense is one of two in the league to put up more than 80 points per game in conference play – Wright State leads with 82.33 ppg. Despite scoring 80.0 ppg, the Phoenix defense has surrendered 80.0 ppg since the start of conference competition.

Following Thursday’s contest, Oakland travels to Milwaukee to take on the Panthers on Saturday, January 18, at 8 pm ET.

Inside the Series
Overall: Green Bay, 10-8
At Home: 5-4
At GB: 3-6
At Neutral: 0-0
Current Streak: Green Bay, 1
Last Meeting: L, 66-54 (2/14/19 at Resch Center)

Notes

For the second time since the start of league play on Dec. 28, freshman guard Blake Lampman has been named the Nike #HLMBB Freshman of the Week. Lampman finished Oakland’s road trip through Ohio as the Golden Grizzlies’ second-leading scorer with 24 total points. He knocked down 58-percent of his attempts from beyond the arc, hitting seven of 12 triples. Lampman has recorded three or more triples in eight games this season and in three-consecutive games.
Since the start of the Freshman of the Week award in 2013-14, Oakland has had four players earn the award at least three times in their rookie campaigns: Kay Felder (7), Jaylen Hayes (6), Isaiah Brock (3) and Braden Norris (3).
Oakland’s defense sits second in the league at 66.56 points surrendered per game. The Golden Grizzlies held opponents to under 60 points four times this season. Opponents have hit just 40.6 percent of their field goals against Oakland, making the Golden Grizzlies’ defense tops in the Horizon League in the category.
Last week, it took Youngstown State 8:11 to record its first points of the game. At Cleveland State, the Golden Grizzly defense held the Vikings under double digits as a team until 13:22 had come off the clock.
Coach Greg Kampe has been going deep on his bench this season, most recently playing 11 Golden Grizzlies against Cleveland State. Kampe went 13-deep on the roster for the first time this season against Wright State and has gone 12 deep on six occasions this season and at least 10 in 15 games this season.
The Golden Grizzlies come into this week the third-highest ranked Horizon team in the most updated NET rankings. The NET relies on game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses. Wright State (129) and Northern Kentucky (154) are the league foes in front of Oakland (204). Green Bay (246) is the fifth-highest ranked in the conference, behind Youngstown State at 236.
With the victory at Cleveland State last time out, Oakland avoided its worst start in Horizon League play in program history. The last time Oakland started 1-3 in the Horizon League was 2017-18. The Golden Grizzlies went on to win five straight after dropping three of the year’s first four in conference action and finished the season 10-8 and earned the No. 4 seed in the Horizon League Tournament.
For the first time this season, coach Greg Kampe started two freshmen – Zach Goodline and Madison Monroe. It was Goodline’s first start. He has played in every game since the start of league play on Dec. 28. Monroe made his second-straight start and fourth of the year. Joining the frosh were Tray Maddox Jr., Brad Brechting and Xavier Hill-Mais. The combination tallied 50-percent of Oakland’s total points at Cleveland State – which is the lowest output by a starting unit for the Golden Grizzlies this season.
Eighteen of Oakland’s 30 first half points at Cleveland State came from the free throw line. The Golden Grizzlies finished the game 26-of-37 from the charity stripe. It was the most free throw attempts and makes on the season. The outing prior, at Youngstown State, Oakland went 3-of-6 for the outing from the foul line.
After missing the starting rotation for just the third game this season, Kevin Kangu hit double figures against the Vikings for the first time since Nov. 18 against Hartford where he finished with 11. Kangu started the season averaging 10.7 ppg through the first six games of the year. Kangu knocked down two triples marking the first time he has hit multiple three-pointers since the season opener against Goshen on Nov. 5.
Oakland added 10 newcomers to the 2019-20 squad, including three transfers in Kevin Kangu (Vincennes University), Daniel Oladapo (Chipola College) and Rashad Williams (Cleveland State).

-jph-