Travis Bader Signs With OU

Another day, another recruit.  M-Live reports that Oakland has signed 6-4 Travis Bader of Okemos.  Bader, the Lansing State Journal’s player of the year, is another perimeter threat.

Eackles Joins Grizzlies

That rumored additional recruit has landed in Rochester.  Ledrick Eackles, a 6′ 2″ guard from Louisiana, has signed to play for Oakland.  In the official press release, Coach Kampe states that Eackles “plays above the rim”, “can shoot the three” and “he can be a lock down defender”.  Yeah, that sounds good to me.

Eackles also received serious interest from a number of programs including Nebraska, Western Kentucky, Southern Miss, UAB, Tulane, Arkansas-Little Rock and East Carolina.  No, that’s not UNC, Duke and Kansas, but it does give one the impression the young man can play some ball.

Of course, I can remember watching his father, Ledell Eackles, play in the NBA.  I may even be able to recall his college days, as well.  In addition to making me feel old, which I need precious little help with, it also affirms the younger Mr. Eackles has solid basketball bloodlines.

Add it all up and it looks like a coup for Coach Kampe and the OU staff.

Additional Links:

Eackles ESPN Recruiting Page

Scouts.com Page

Another New Face?

Internet rumors, which we always know are correct, continue to circulate that Oakland will announce the signing of another recruit.  The speculation is that this new signee will be announced shortly.  Stay alert, Grizzly Nation.

Baseball Recruiting

Yes, a bit of baseball makes it’s way into GGH.  Per the official press release, Head Coach John Musachio announced the three recruits for next season –  Kyle Bolbots, Todd Dunham and Jacob Richardson.

Coach Musachio indicated that all three should see significant playing time immediately.  This is because all three can play and because OU will lose a number of seniors this summer.

Combine these three with this year’s freshmen class, one I still have expectations for, and, perhaps, we’ll see the program start to make some larger strides forward in the next few seasons.

I’m sure those visiting GGH for basketball-related information will be happy to learn that this baseball post does have a potential hoops tangent.  It was pointed out that Mr. Richardson was named all-league and all-region in basketball as well as baseball.  Hmmm.

Congratulations to Coach Musachio on this year’s class.

A Little Recruiting News

I want to take a moment to catch myself up on some of the names that have been floated out as potential Oakland recruits for 2010.  Feel free to tag along.

However, remember, boys and girls, “recruiting information” is what we call an oxymoron.  It’s a good two steps below speculation, but it does make for entertaining reading and good filler for spring-time basketball posts.  (I can feel the hits going up just typing in the word “recruiting”.)

Deferring to the Scouts.com list, Alex Gauna out of Eaton Rapids has OU on his list of possible schools.  The 6′9″, 200 lb. power forward also has both in-state Big Ten institutions (that would be Michigan and Michigan State) on his list as well as Butler, LSU, Northwestern and Xavier.  A varied list it is.

(Update 5/1: Gauna verbally committed to Michigan State.)

Next up is Bryan Coleman, a 6′5″ shooting guard out of Southfield-Lathrup HS.  Amongst other programs on his list are Central Michigan, Dayton, Providence and that school in Ann Arbor.

6′7″ Cole Darling, a power forward, from Holt lists the Grizzlies, CMU and Butler as his current desired locations.

Finally, 6′9″ Utica Eisenhower center Corey Petros has included Oakland as a possible university destination.  CMU (yes, again), Western Michigan and Detroit-Mercy round out his top four.

For all I know one or all of these young men have already committed to another program, but I am pleased to see Oakland getting some more interest.

Hamilton Arrives

The rumored arrival of Reggie Hamilton is now official.  The Oakland Press’ Dave Pemberton has the story.  The transfer from UMKC will have to sit out the upcoming season, but will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Welcome, Reggie.

Update: I should point out that Matt Samuels has left the Grizzlies program.  One does wonder if Williams arrival played a role in Samuels decision?  Nonetheless, I wish Samuels well wherever he lands.

The Opener

The new season is underway. The Grizzlies and Cleveland State are in action as I type. I’m presuming all have heard that Derick Nelson has broken his foot and will be out for a month or two. That hurts. In addition, frosh Jay Thames has been redshirted. Wil Hudson was going to join JT, but just checked into the game, so I’m guessing Nelson’s injury may have preempted the redshirt plan.

I’m going to do a semi-live blog. I won’t cover every play, but will update this post through the end of the game.

First Timeout: OU has the early lead, 10-3, over CSU. Erik Kangas has drained a couple of long threes. Keith Benson opened the game with an alley-oop dunk and also has four points. Blake Cushingberry took Nelson’s spot in the starting lineup and fellow freshman Drew Maynard is seeing some early minutes off the bench.

7:18pm, Second TO: Maynard just hit a three to up the lead to 15-5.

7:23pm: Hudson got a couple of hoops and some boards. Doesn’t look like he needed a redshirt, after all. OU is up 19-7.

7:24pm: WDTW broadcast must be close to OU’s bench. I can hear Coach Kampe yelling. Apparently, so did somebody else, as it appears they’ve turned down the mic closest to coach. 19-9, OU.

7:32pm: CSU is mounting a comeback. 20-16, OU, but the Vikes are about to shoot some free throws.

7:34pm: Three OU freshmen on the floor — Matt Samuels, Cushingberry and Maynard.

7:35pm: Yet another media TO. Oakland leads 22-18.

7:45pm: 27-19, Oakland still leads and we’re in another timeout.

7:52pm: 31-24, OU. Only twenty-five seconds left. Yeah, it’s another TO.

7:54pm: It’s the half in Cleveland. Oakland leads 31-24. Overall, I think OU has been aggressive. Benson’s probably my first half star. Kangas has been strong and the freshmen have generally been solid. Hudson’s also given Kampe strong minutes off the bench.

8:10pm: Another Benson dunk to start the half. Didn’t OU start last year with that play, as well? In fact, didn’t they start a number of games with attempted alley-oop dunks?

8:12pm: Benson gets another hoop, 35-30, OU.

8:16pm: 41-34, OU after another Maynard trey.

8:18pm: Kangas hits a 3 coming out of the TO, 44-34.

8:19pm: Benson’s heading to the foul line after the latest media time out. It’s no wonder non-basketball people only watch the last two minutes. There are just way too many breaks in the action. On a happier note, the Grizzlies still lead, 44-36.

8:21pm: Benson hits the pair. He’s also getting close to a double-double tonight.

8:27pm: 46-40, Oakland’s holding on. Jonathon Jones has been a bit too aggressive this half, in my opinion.

8:29pm: Another media timeout, but the score remains the same, 46-40. This is the point where the Grizzlies need somebody to take control. JJ? Kangas? Benson? One of the freshmen?

8:36pm: 9:07 left and Maynard fouls out.

8:37pm: 48-44 Oakland continues to lead.

8:41pm: Here come the Vikings. 48-46, OU.

8:43pm: 50-49, OU. The Grizzlies have the ball and called a timeout. That 12 point lead was a long, long time ago.

8:54pm: 58-55, CSU, yes, CSU, leads with just over a minute left. If the Vikings hold on, this is a bad loss.

8:57pm: 37 seconds left. CSU is still leading 58-55.

8:59pm: Now, sixteen ticks left on the clock. OU has the ball, but CSU leads 58-55. Could use Maynard as Plan B, but he’s fouled out. Got to think Kangas is going to shoot.

9:00pm: It’s over. Cleveland State prevails, 58-55. Nobody in black and gold could make big plays down the stretch, so they lose the opener.

Oakland begins the new season 0-1.  CSU is the Horizon League favorite, so a loss, especially in their barn, is hardly surprising.  Toss in the loss of Nelson and you couldn’t blame anyone for penciling in a “L” on the schedule next to this one.  Yet, in hindsight, I can’t help but feel this is a game OU should have won.

Now, it’s onto Eugene, Oregon where the Ducks are looking to avenge last year’s loss to the Grizzlies.  It’s going to be a very hostile environment and a motivated squad on the other side.  It’s a 10:00pm tip Monday night.  I’ll warn you now, I won’t be live blogging along with that one.  I won’t be registering my thoughts any earlier than Tuesday evening.

Good night everybody and go Grizzlies!

Reviewing The OU Previews

As part of what’s become an annual public service, I’m going to review some college basketball preview magazine predictions for Oakland University.  This way, you don’t have to thumb through every single one on the store shelves.

Of course, I would encourage everyone to pick-up at least one preseason magazine.  They are fun.  They will give you insight into the rest of the nation and, perhaps, more importantly, OU’s competition.  Writers need to get paid.  (Hey, if I got paid to crank out GGH, it would be quite a bit better.  Alright, it would still stink, but it would have more posts.)  And your local bookseller, especially here in the Mitten, could use your business.  I’ll let you decide which one to fork over your cash for.

I’ve only flipped through three magazines thus far and stumbled upon an internet link to a fourth.  In the interest of full disclosure, I should point out that I read the Lindy’s and Athlon’s previews weeks ago.  That means I could very well have their predictions reversed.

I apologize in advance, if that’s the case.  I’ll also alter this post if I’ve erred.  All that said, it’s time to get to the previews.

Athlon’s has Oakland finishing in third place in The Summit League.  Something tells me that third place might not sit well with many of us.  I’d be amongst that disheartened group.

At first, I was miffed at this suggestion.  Seriously, third place?  With all those starters back plus that highly regarded recruiting class and still not in the top two in a low level mid-major conference?  Then, I recalled last year.

I may not embrace a third place prediction, but I have to admit that what’s on paper doesn’t guarantee W’s.  The men will need to win games to garner more respect.  Let that begin this season.

Lindy’s predicts that the Grizzlies will finish in first in The Summit and has OU dancing again come March.  One magazine thinks OU can’t make the top two, the next thinks the Grizzlies can pull off a conference double.  Lofty?  Sure.  But is it unrealistic?  I don’t think so, but let’s be honest.  This is the Golden Grizzlies Hoops blog, after all.  Bias is inherent.

USA Today’s Sports Weekly’s preview edition splits the difference.  Stat geek Jerry Palm foresees OU coming in second place, but making The Dance by capturing the conference tournament title.  I’m willing to wager most of us would find that a satisfactory result.

Finally, the mother of all hoops preview mags, Blue Ribbon gives Coach Kampe’s side straight A’s.  Now, three of the four (bench, frontcourt & intangibles) are A minuses, but let’s not get too caught up in that.  (For the record, the backcourt landed a solid A.)

Via the ESPN Insider free preview, BR suggests that

“… [Kampe] also doesn’t duck the fact the Golden Grizzlies have an opportunity to make a great deal of noise not just in the Summit, but across the country.”

Yeah, that’s raising the bar a bit.  While not all the previews have such high praise for the Grizzlies, it’s impossible to deny that expectations have been elevated heading into the 2008-09 campaign.

If I read anymore previews for Oakland, I’ll pass them along.  Hey, if you’ve already read one I’ve missed, drop it in the comments.

Valentine Verbally Commits To OU

Dave Pemberton of the Oakland Press reports that Drew Valentine of Lansing Sexton has made a verbal commitment to Oakland University.  For all the insights on Valentine’s decision, go check out Dave’s blog at the link provided.

The Downside Of The Off-Season

The proverbial “other shoe” has dropped on Oakland basketball. An off-season that began with a series of signings that resulted in the most ballyhooed recruiting class in OU history has been tarnished some by a sequence of less anticipated events.

First, there was Tim Williams’s dismissal. I’ve heard next to nothing on that front, but the bottom line hasn’t changed — Williams remains an ex-Grizzly. Now, comes news that the basketball side will have no home games before December. That’s right, boys and girls, after landing the most-anticipated recruiting class ever, OU will spend the first month of the 2008-09 season on the road. This change of plans comes about as Oakland is hosting the men’s Summit League soccer championships.

I’m slightly confused (admittedly a normal state for me) and more than a bit disappointed by this revision. I wonder why OU can’t host both the soccer event and a basketball game on the same day? If soccer’s post-season is anything like most conference tournament championships, it will go on over several days. The basketball game(s) would only happen once or twice within a week. Soccer, most likely, would occur during the day, hoops at night.

What exactly impedes OU from having a home basketball game during the conference soccer tournament? A lack of funds? A lack of personnel? Do they need some volunteers to pull off the soccer event?

We also have to face the fact that this month away from the O’rena is a public relations boo-boo. OU’s fanbase is pretty excited about all the new faces wearing black and gold. To not have a home game for the first thirty days of the season only provides them with the opportunity to lose interest. The Grizzlies schedule, per usual, is daunting. By the time the lads return, their record might not inspire ticket sales. Oh, they might play their collective guts out and even pull off an upset along the way, but that doesn’t guarantee a winning record.

If the Grizzlies spend a month out of sight and show up in December with more L’s than W’s, how many casual fans are going to run out and buy tickets? Which brings us to our next piece of bad news — ticket prices.

On top of what is now a tepid home schedule, OU’s administration has raised ticket prices for this year. Alums are asked to cough up $55 more than last year and the general public, the ones OU really need to fill the place consistently, are required to shovel out an additional $100. Alumni are now paying $180 for season tickets and non-alumni are at $250. This is nothing short of brilliant.

I realize Oakland County is affluent. Yet, jobs are drying up at all levels of Michigan’s economy. Disposable income is being spent far more cautiously these days. We don’t need to look far for examples, either. The Red Wings, Detroit’s Stanley Cup winning hockey team, have trouble selling tickets. You could argue that hockey is a fringe sport, but what in the world is Grizzlies’ basketball?

The Lions, Detroit’s NFL franchise, have, for the first time in my memory, offered up partial season ticket plans as their waiting list for season’s tickets has completely dried up. If an NFL franchise, even an historically bad one like the Lions, are looking for new ways to lure ticket buyers, I don’t think the Golden Grizzlies should be doing anything to alienate potential ticket buyers.

And, yes, the OU women’s games are included in the season ticket plan. I get that. The problem is, of course, that the majority of folks either: A) Don’t care about women’s basketball or B) Simply aren’t going to spend their entire winter haning out in the O’rena.

Of course, there are the two games at The Palace on OU’s schedule, as well. Both the Michigan and Michigan State contests will be played in Auburn Hills. However, in reality, those are road games for OU. To pay a premium to sit further from the action, in a hostile environment doesn’t give one the warm fuzzies.

I also understand that OU’s basketball program is “the” program on campus. With apologies to soccer and swimming, OU is probably considered a basketball school first and foremost. So, the best chance OU has at creating revenue, and possible profit, must come from the hoops program. Yet, now does not seem to be the most opportune time to launch a price increase.

By the way, where are the marketing gurus from The Palace, anyway? Did they approve of this idea? Is this the price we have to pay to get professional marketing input? Regardless, a quick review of the Oakland message board reveals the rank-and-file aren’t all that pleased with either the ticket price increase or the month-long road trip. It would appear that Oakland basketball has wasted a potential opportunity to increase interest as even OU’s once enthused fanbase is wondering whether their time and money are better invested elsewhere.