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Kentucky vs. Oakland, NCAA Tournament: TV/Streaming Info, Keys to the Game, and Predictions

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The Kentucky Wildcats will take on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

One of the best events in all of sports is upon us, March Madness, and the Kentucky Wildcats will look to make it to the second weekend for the first since 2019. That said, the first opponent in their way will be the 14-seeded Oakland Golden Grizzlies from Auburn Hills, Michigan, making their first NCAA Tournament appearance in over a decade.

Two years ago, the Wildcats and Big Blue Nation learned not to overlook anybody after losing to a 15-seeded Saint Peter’s team ranked 260th in offensive efficiency. The Golden Grizzlies are entering the game with confidence.

“For me, this was the best matchup I think we could get as we were trying to figure it all out,” head coach Greg Kampe, who has been at Oakland for 40 years, said on local radio station 97.1 The Ticket.

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Ryan Kay of Busting Brackets, who has covered Oakland this season, has been kind enough to offer a brief scouting report to learn more about the Golden Grizzlies ahead of Thursday’s matchup.

Let’s take a look.

Scouting Report

Their non-conference performances this season may not seem impressive in terms of wins and losses but Oakland was competitive against good teams in non-conference play. In their season opener on the road against Ohio State, Oakland led the Buckeyes 52-47 in the second half before falling to Ohio State by only five points.

In the Golden Grizzlies’ second game of the season, they went on the road to face off against Illinois and once again led a Big Ten team in the second half. Oakland was leading Illinois in the second half 45-42 before losing the game by a final score of 64-53.

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In their fourth game of the season in the Cayman Islands Classic against eventual Missouri Vallery conference tournament Drake, Oakland was leading early in the second half once again 48-45 before falling to the Bulldogs by eight.

The point that is being made is that Oakland a mid-major program was gaining confidence early in the season but was unable to close out games and get early season wins against quality opponents away from their home court at the O’Rena.

After winning their last two games in the Cayman Islands Classic, their confidence continued to grow and their game at Xavier in which they held on to their second-half lead to get a signature win against a team from the Big East.

After that, yes Oakland lost a string of games but once they found their rotations that worked best and were fully healthy, they went on a run winning nine of their next ten games. Then after a road loss at Northern Kentucky, they won eight of their last nine games heading into the NCAA tournament.

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Why Oakland is a potential Cinderella team is their ability to catch teams off guard with their 1-3-1 zone defense, their ability to make threes, and a motivated, experienced head coach who has led his team to 17 wins since New Year’s Eve.

The 1-3-1 defense the Golden Grizzlies deploy is not very unique but not a defense a ton of teams have faced and endured this season. Oakland’s defense doesn’t shut opposing teams’ offenses down but it keeps their key players primarily out of foul trouble, allows them to use more of their energy on offense, and has kept teams from scoring more than 76 points in 19 games this season.

Oakland can make three-pointers as they made 24 threes in the Horizon League tournament. Jack Gohlke is the Golden Grizzlies’ main three-point specialist shooting 37% from beyond the arc but Blake Lampman is shooting 36.9% and DQ Cole at 35.2%. Even Horizon League player of the year Trey Townsend shoots it at 34.6% from three-point land. Many Golden Grizzlies can shoot from beyond the arc but they are not dependent on their three-point shooting like how some other teams are.

Finally, Oakland’s long-tenure coach has defeated Power Five teams in the past. As already mentioned, in their win against Oklahoma State, Kampe and his Golden Grizzlies also have wins since 2010 against Clemson, Georgia, Washington, Houston, and Tennessee (twice). Kampe has figured out how to utilize the transfer portal as well as developing players as freshmen to seniors like Townsend, Lampman, and Chris Conway.

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Players to Watch

F Trey Townsend 6-6, 228 lbs

  • 16.9 PPG (7th in Horizon)
  • 7.8 RPG (4th in Horizon)
  • 3.1 APG
  • Horizon League Player of the Year

G Blake Lampman 6-3, 184 lbs

  • 13.2 PPG
  • 3.0 APG
  • Horizon League Second Team Selection

G Jack Gohlke 6-3, 215 lbs

  • 12.2 PPG
  • 37% 3P
  • 121 3PM (2nd in NCAA)
  • 327 of 335 shots have been three-point attempts

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball vs. Oakland Golden Grizzlies

Men's Basketball

The 2025-26 Cats Consensus: It’s Time for Banner Number Nine

Every new and returning Wildcat shares the same dream: bringing a championship trophy to Lexington once more.

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Mark Pope in a crowd of fans at Big Blue Madness
Tyler Ruth | UK Athletics

“We are here to win banners.”

While just about everything Mark Pope said at his introductory press conference went viral in one way or another, that aforementioned declaration stood out amongst his crowd of quotes like no other to a fanbase more than a decade removed from a national championship.

To the big blue nation, Coach Pope’s words last spring were a much needed battle cry. Now, as he’s set to enter his second year at the helm, Pope has made sure the team he assembled for the 2025-26 season shares the same hunger.

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It begins on a basic level, with players across the board throwing the number “9” around on social media in posts, replies, and commitments. Much like the Kentucky faithful, the newest roster to roll through Lexington isn’t afraid to make reference to the top task at hand.

For (likely) starting point guard Jaland Lowe, it’s an opportunity he “can’t miss.” “See y’all soon #BBN,” he said in a post on X, announcing his return to the collegiate level. Lowe chose a junior season at Kentucky over a chance to be chosen in the NBA Draft. Otega Oweh, the now-projected SEC player of the year, would follow suit shortly thereafter.

The Ultimate Goal

Andrija Jelavic, a primary member of the incoming unit, as well as the team’s lone international player, dubbed the title chase as “the ultimate goal” in his interview with KY Insider. “We all [the team] agree that the ultimate goal is the same and that is to bring a championship to Kentucky, to the state and the fans,” he said.

To Jelavic, it goes further than hunger. It’s a responsibility.

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And that responsibility is what sets Kentucky apart from other programs. As awkward as the conversation around John Calipari can get, when push comes to shove, much of the dissatisfaction growing within the fanbase as his tenure came to a close was rooted in the coach’s apparent disinterest in winning another championship.

Year after year went by; top-ranked roster after top ranked roster. After a while, it seemed that Kentucky was more often mentioned in the first round of the NBA Draft than it was in the NCAA Tournament. The problem persisted, the tension festered and, ultimately, the two sides split… and it all goes back to that elusive ninth title.

Name on the Front of the Jersey

Mark Pope has said before that he wants to bring in guys who are playing for the name on the front of their jersey. It just so happens that there are enough of those like-minded athletes across the nation to build one of the consensus best teams in college basketball, all of whom are in full pursuit of a new blue banner in the rafters of Rupp.

With a mindset like that shared across the board and talent like the 2025-26 team has at hand, it’s only a matter of time before that dream becomes a reality once more. For the first time in more than a decade, the entire Big Blue Nation is on the same page – and that includes the guys who can actually make it happen.

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Men's Basketball

Koby Brea Talks With Andrija Jelavic About His Legendary Chapter Awaiting At Kentucky

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ABA League (Left) | Imagn (Right)


Andrija Jelavic, in a recent Q&A with Kentucky Insider, revealed that he exchanged messages with former Wildcat Koby Brea, who will be handing down his No. 4 jersey to Jelavic.

The big man was asked if he had spoken with any former Wildcats after comparing his play style to Karl-Anthony Towns, and what he knew about Kentucky growing up.

“I exchanged some messages with Koby Brea because I’m gonna be wearing his number four,” Jelavic said. “About Kentucky, I always knew that they are the biggest franchise in college basketball history, and just everything about them is legendary.”

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Jelavic added on what exactly Brea said in those messages.

“He just told me to go be great and that he can’t wait to see me play,” Jelavic said. “Also, that he likes my number decision.”

Alone, the fact that Brea reached out speaks volume to the culture that is established at Kentucky. The lethal sharpshooter from Mark Pope’s first team at Kentucky played only one season in the blue and white, yet, seems interested in the future of the program despite chasing his own big league dreams.

To end our exclusive interview, Jelavic talked about the goals he has now as a Wildcat and how he wants to be a legendary piece to this year’s roster.

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“Definitely to bring many wins and hopefully a championship to Kentucky, Jelavic said. “To be a player that Kentucky will always remember.”

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Men's Basketball

The Bluegrass Call: Otega Oweh Returns To Kentucky For The 2025-26 Season

The wait is over. Otega Oweh is returning to Kentucky.

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Otega Oweh and Mark Pope
Chet White | UK Athletics

Big Blue Nation has been waiting weeks for Otega Oweh’s decision, and the moment is finally here.

After participating in the 2025 NBA Draft Combine and testing his luck against the best young talent in the world, Oweh has officially decided to withdraw his name from the draft and return to Kentucky for his senior season.

Jonathan Givony was the first to report Oweh’s decision on May 28, sending Wildcat fans into a flurry of emotion that their leading scorer from last year’s team is officially back.

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Before last season began, fans knew that Oweh was a highly regarded prospect with loads of potential, but until he proved it night in and night out, it remained uncertain who the star was going to be on the 2024-25 roster.

Many expected it to be Jaxson Robinson, who played under Mark Pope at BYU and held four years of experience under his belt at the collegiate level. Next in line was Lamont Butler, who also opted into his fifth-year option and brought Pope’s squad a level of confidence and dependability with the ball, having played deep into the season with San Diego State multiple times.

However, when the Wildcats were riddled with injuries, Oweh emerged as “the guy” in the blue and white. There’s countless moments you can reflect on from his junior session: locking up the nations’ best with Cooper Flagg, dropping 20 or more points on a nightly basis, embarrassing his former team, the Oklahoma Sooners, not only once but twice with his clutch performances, and ultimately walking off of the court as a leader, a mentor and a legend in every associated Kentucky fan’s eyes.

Oweh gave the season hope, taking on a role that was unexpected.

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When the final buzzer of the season sounded, many of the Kentucky faithful wondered what was next for double-zero, and if he wanted to “run it back” with Pope and company.

On April 15, Oweh declared for the NBA Draft, calling Kentucky fans the “best fans in the world.” At the time, the decision seemed quite scary for those keeping tabs on Pope’s second-year roster, but the last line in Oweh’s announcement remained crucial: “…while maintaining my NCAA eligibility.”

Looking back, maybe awaiting the decision was probably stressful for the best fans in college basketball, seeing the “former” Wildcat bully defenders in the combine and have his way offensively. Oweh waited until the day of the withdrawal deadline, and even had another workout the same day. Reports came out that he was receiving great feedback from the NBA programs, and that sentence sounds scary.

When he originally entered the draft process, he was presumed to be just be trying his luck, which did a complete 180 when he stated that he’s wasn’t doing anything “one foot in, one foot out” and that he wanted to achieve his dreams.

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Well, look at it now. The decision has been made and Oweh is going to put on the blue and white once again. He followed his heart, and soon his own form of the bluegrass call, “Oweh, Oweh, Oweh”, will be chanted throughout Rupp Arena after every captivating play and bring a fire to his soul.

The ninth championship in Kentucky basketball history is long overdue, but now, the odds are ever in their favor. Pope has his superstar back, and he’s prepared to lead his team its former glory.

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