Michigan
Oakland
Wolverines to Take on Golden Grizzlies for First Time in Nearly a Decade
11/28/2020 5:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» Michigan will host Oakland University for the first time since Dec. 10, 2011.
» The Wolverines opened the season with a 96-82 victory over Bowling Green on Wednesday.
» After transferring from Wake Forest, Chaundee Brown Jr. led U-M in scoring (19 points) in the opener.
Up Next
Sunday, Nov. 29 -- vs. Oakland (Crisler Center), 6 p.m.
• TV: Big Ten Network | Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio
• Satellite Radio: Sirius: 103 | XM: 195 | Internet: 957
• Complete Game Notes (PDF)
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The 25th-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team closes its season-opening week when it hosts Oakland for the first time in nearly a decade at Crisler Center on Sunday (Nov. 29). The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. tipoff on Big Ten Network with Dave Revsine (p-by-p) and Robbie Hummel (analyst) as the broadcast crew.
Hail From Home
Game days may look different this season, but the tradition of cheering on Michigan men's basketball continues. Hail From Home is our way to virtually bring the excitement of game day to fans. Throughout the season, fans can look forward to a variety of digital engagements including a game day check-in with monthly prizes, fan cutouts at Crisler Center, game day playlists, Crisler scoreboard messages, special theme games, and more. » Hail From Home
Who Are the Oakland Grizzlies?
• Oakland (0-3) returns to Michigan after a three-game series of games at the Xavier Invitational in Cincinnati over Thanksgiving. The Golden Grizzlies dropped all three with setbacks against Xavier (L, 101-49), Toledo (L, 80-53) and Bradley (L, 74-60).
• Oakland starts the 2020-21 campaign with a seven-game, compressed non-conference schedule -- all on the road. Following the Xavier Invite, the Golden Grizzlies will play four straight Power 5 schools -- at Michigan (Nov. 29), at Purdue (Dec. 1), at Oklahoma State (Dec. 5) and at Michigan State (Dec. 13).
• Greg Kampe enters his 37th season at the helm of the Golden Grizzlies and is the third most tenured active coach at one school behind Duke's Mike Krzyzewksi (41 seasons) and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (45 seasons).
• Like U-M, Oakland added seven newcomers to the 2020-21 squad, including two transfers in Zion Young (Western Illinois) and Jalen Moore (Olney Central College).
• The Golden Grizzlies are led by Moore and his 13.7 points per game. He finished the Xavier Invitational with back-to-back double-figure games with 16 (Toledo) and 17 (Bradley) points, respectively. His 12 total assists (4.0 apg) are more than the remaining team combined (10).
• Micah Parrish leads Oakland with 7.0 rebounds per game with 21 total (13 offensive, eight defensive) and adds 4.7 points per game.
• Oakland has shot just 27.5 percent to start the season and is averaging 54.0 points per game. The Golden Grizzlies have averaged 10.3 steals per game.
The Series with Oakland
• U-M faces Oakland for the first time in nearly a decade and leads the all-time series 7-1.
• The last time Michigan met Oakland was on Dec. 10, 2011, with the Wolverines earning a 90-80 victory in a matchup played at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
• The last meeting in Ann Arbor was on Dec. 18, 2010, which ended with a 69-51 U-M victory. The Wolverines are 5-0 in games played at Crisler Center.
• Michigan has averaged 86.0 points per game against the Golden Grizzlies, 13 points better than Oakland (73.0).
The Student Meets the Mentor
• Before Saddi Washington came to Ann Arbor five years ago, he spent a decade as a member of Oakland's coaching staff (2006-16) -- seven years as an assistant before being promoted to the associate head coach under Greg Kampe in the final three seasons.
• Washington helped the Golden Grizzlies to 198 total wins during that decade, with five 20-plus win seasons. Oakland made back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament (2010, '11) after winning two straight Summit League regular-season and conference tournament titles.
What You Need to Know for the Game
• In the season opener, U-M was led by a trio of newcomers. Replacing Zavier Simpson at the point, Mike Smith (graduate transfer, Columbia) had 16 points, eight assists and went 7-for-8 from the free-throw line while drawing a team-best seven fouls. Freshman 7-foot-1 center Hunter Dickinson came off the bench for 11 points, eight rebounds and a block. However, the story of the night was Chaundee Brown Jr. (Wake Forest transfer), who scored 18 of his team-best 19 points in the second half, as he drained five three-pointers.
Wolverines Quick Hitters
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wolverines are playing a reduced schedule of 25 regular-season games -- five non-conference and 20 Big Ten games. All five non-conference games will be played in Ann Arbor.
• The Wolverines will make their first road trip of the season for a Christmas Day game at Nebraska. U-M also will help usher in 2021 with a New Year's Eve game at Maryland.
• On March 4, 2020, U-M coach Juwan Howard approached Austin Davis before practice and let him know that if he wanted he had a spot for him for his fifth year. Davis was so excited he bear-hugged Howard. This preseason, Davis was named one of two captains, along with Isaiah Livers.
• Davis started his first career game against Bowling Green (Nov. 25) in the 2020-21 opener. He had played 65 games prior off the bench.
• Davis continues to love the outdoors and is an avid hunter and fisherman. Each year he makes his own jerky and took all the U-M big men on a fishing trip on his grandfather's land in Onsted, Mich.
• Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner explored the NBA Draft, however, they both elected to return.
• Wagner is the younger brother of former All-Big Ten Wolverine Moritz Wagner, who was a first-round NBA Draft pick (L.A. Lakers) and is currently with the Washington Wizards.
• Mike Smith continues to be mentored with fellow-Chicago native Jimmy Butler (NBA, Miami Heat).
• Jace Howard is the son of head coach Juwan Howard.
• Two of Michigan's four freshman are lefties -- Hunter Dickinson and Zeb Jackson. In all, U-M has three lefty shooters on the roster with Luke Wilson.
