With Oakland University off to its fourth-ever NCAA Tournament, it’s important to look back at how the Golden Grizzlies have fared in each of their three previous appearances. Although Greg Kampe has been at Oakland for 40 years now, his program has only been eligible for the Division I NCAA Tournament for 26 seasons — ever since the program completed the transition from Division II to Division I in 1999.
Kampe has now led Oakland to four Division I NCAA Tournament appearances in 26 eligible seasons, which averages out to about one national tournament appearance every six or seven seasons.
The Golden Grizzlies’ first appearance came, ironically, in 2005, six years after the transition to Division I was complete.
2005 NCAA Tournament
In 2005, Oakland not only appeared in its first Division I NCAA Tournament in program history, but Kampe led the Golden Grizzlies to an NCAA Tournament victory. Led by seniors Rawle Marshall and Cortney Scott, the Golden Grizzlies, which earned a No. 16 seed in the Big Dance, defeated Alabama A&M in an opening-round play-in game.
Marshall, who came off the bench in the victory, led all scorers with 29 points. Scott added 21 points of his own to help the Golden Grizzlies to the 79-69 win.
Unfortunately for Oakland, North Carolina, the No. 1 overall seed and eventual national champion, awaited and the Tar Heels disposed of the Golden Grizzlies in the Round of 64, 96-68.
2010 NCAA Tournament
Five years later, junior center Keith Benson carried Oakland to a 17-1 record in the Summit League as the Golden Grizzlies punched a ticket to their second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Oakland entered the Big Dance as a No. 14 seed, and it drew a tough matchup against third-seeded Pittsburgh.
Benson scored 28 in the opening-round contest, but a balanced scoring attack by the Panthers — six players had 10 or more points — eliminated Benson and Oakland rather easily, 89-66.
Pittsburgh went on to lose in the Round of 32 to No. 6 seed Xavier.
2011 NCAA Tournament
Benson came back for his senior season, and he was joined by a much more balanced scoring attack alongside junior guard Reggie Hamilton, senior forward Will Hudson, freshman guard Travis Bader and senior guard Larry Wright.
Oakland posted a 17-1 record in the Summit League for the second consecutive year, and it won the conference tournament for the second straight year as well.
The Golden Grizzlies earned a favorable No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament and drew a Texas squad that had future NBA players Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph.
Oakland outscored Texas by four points in the second half, but it ultimately came up just five points shy of an upset and the program’s first appearance in the Round of 32. The Longhorns lost to No. 5 seed Arizona in the next round.
To this day, Oakland still has yet to make it past the Round of 64 and appear in the Round of 32. Its 85-81 loss to Texas was by far its best chance.
Kampe and the Golden Grizzlies still await their NCAA Tournament seed and matchup, which is set to come out during Sunday night’s Selection Show, which airs on CBS. Most projections have Oakland as a No. 14 seed, just like it was in 2010. The Selection Show is set to begin at 6 p.m. ET.