Grizz Talk is back and with a new host, new Oakland beat writer Paul Kampe. Kampe (no relation to Oakland coach Greg Kampe) sits down with OU coach Greg Kampe, senior forward Derick Nelson and strength and conditioning coach Todd Wohlfeil to discuss offseason and preseason conditioning.

1. Oakland — The Golden Grizzlies look to be in great position to win their first regular season league title since the 1999-2000 season (Oakland’s first in the Summit) and qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. Oakland returns four starters from last year’s team that reached the Summit League championship game and return former leading scorer Derick Nelson, who missed last season with a medical redshirt. Senior point guard Johnathon Jones and junior center Keith Benson are two of the league’s premier players. Will Hudson, Blake Cushingberrry and Drew Maynard all started at times last season and are back. Oakland also adds Larry Wright, who sat out last season after transferring from St. John’s.
2. IUPUI — The Jaguars return seven of their eight rotation players from last season’s squad, which went 16-14, 8-5 Summit. Robert Glenn, the newcomer of the year last season, is IUPUI’s top returning player. Glenn averaged 13.9 points and 5.4 rebounds last year. Sophomore Alex Young is back after a solid freshman season where he averaged 10.8 points. Other key players back include Leroy Nobles (9.9 points, 1.4 3-pointers) Jon Avery (9.2 points, 5.9 rebounds), Billy Pettiford (5.0 points, 5.9 rebounds) and Adrian Moss (4.8 points).
3. Oral Roberts — The Golden Eagles lost two first-team all-league players in Robert Jarvis and Marcus Lewis to graduation, but should reload with a solid core back and a group of highly touted newcomers. Sophomore Dominique Morrison is ORU’s leading returning scorer at 9.6 per game. Kevin Ford (9.4 points and 7.4 rebounds) and Kyron Stokes ( points) should also play key roles. The list of newcomers who could make an immediate impact include SE Missouri State transfer Roderick Pearson, freshman Hunter McClintock, freshman Damen Bell-Holter, freshman Warren Niles, Northern Oklahoma College transfer Javier Nasarre and Independence CC transfer Michael Craion.
4. South Dakota State — The Jacks return seven of their top eight players minute wise last season. Senior Garrett Callahan (15.8 points, 2.4 3-pointers) and Anthony Cordova (12 points, 6.7 rebounds) started all 33 games last season for SDSU. Clint Sargent (14.1 points), Kai Williams (9.8 points, 7.1 rebounds), Dale Moss (6.1 points), Griffan Callahan (5.4 points) and Michael Palarca (3.2 points) are also key returnees. With the conference tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D. the Jacks could be a dangerous team in March, but first have to end their 18-game road losing streak in league play.
5. IPFW — The Mastodons return four starters in sharpshooter Ben Botts (11.3 points), Nick Daniels (8.4 points), Zach Plackemeier (7.7 points) and Trey McCorkle (3.2 points). IPFW also returns Summit League sixth man of the year Deilvez Yearby (9.1 points, 6.3 rebounds). Newcomers include Lamar CC transfer Antwone Snead, Cloud CC transfer Oleg Kovalov and freshman Eli Lee.
6. North Dakota State — The Bison lose four starters from last year’s Summit League championship team. Junior Michael Tveidt, who averaged 9.8 points per game last year, is NDSU’s lone returning starter. The Bison were dealt a blow when Freddy Coleman was likely lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. Dejuan Flowers (3.3 points) should play a key role this season. Head coach Saul Phillips will likely need a few newcomers to step in and fill key roles.
7. Southern Utah — The Thunderbirds will be a young team this season with six freshman and two sophomores. Davis Baker (17.4 points and 4.5 rebounds) and Jake Nielson (5.8 points) are the only returning players, who logged significant minutes last season.
8. Western Illinois — Head coach Jim Molinari is hoping for a better second season after the Leathernecks lost four of their last five and missed the conference tournament last season. WIU lost its two leading scorers (David DuBois and Josh Rivers) to graduation so Molinari will look to players like Ceola Clark (7.7 points), David Nurse (8.4 points), Quenton Kirby (6.0 points) and Tommie Tyler (3.4 points) to carry the load.
9. UMKC — The Kangaroos certainly want to forget last season, which saw them finish dead last in the Summit League. UMKC has a two promising young players in Spencer Johnson (10.7 points and 6.6 rebounds), Latreze Mushatt (9.1 points and 5.5 rebounds). The Kangaroos are also hoping Evansville transfer Jay Couisnard can come in and contribute right away.
10. Centenary — The Gents are likely in for a long season as they prepare to drop down to Division 3 and are not eligible for the conference tournament this season. Promising young players Chase Adams and Gary Redus have transferred away. Key players for the Gents this season will likely be Maxx Nakwaasah, David Perez, Daman Starring and Jerald Bonham.

I no longer get a preseason vote for the Summit League all-conference team. That honor goes to The Oakland Press' new Oakland beat writer Paul Kampe. (I am now the paper's Pistons beat writer for those that care). But this is the how I would vote for the all-league team. I will have my predicted order of finish for the league later in the week.

1. Johnathon Jones, (Sr.) Oakland — Jones is everything you want in a point guard. He distributes, he can score, he defends and he’s a leader on the court. Who Oakland’s most talented player is up for debate, but Jones is the Grizzlies most important player. Jones led the nation in assists per game (8.1) and averaged 12.9 points per game last season.
2. Keith Benson, (Jr.) Oakland — Benson improved by leaps and bounds last season, and established himself as the dominant big man in the Summit League. Benson has the potential to garner national attention and will get his chance with Oakland’s brutal non-conference schedule. Benson was second in the league in rebounding (8.3 per game), first in blocks (3.2) and eighth in scoring (16.6) last season.
3. Garrett Callahan, (Sr.) South Dakota State — Callahan was the Jacks most consistent player last season and will likely be the league’s top outside shooter this season. Callahan was ninth in the league in scoring (16.1 per game) and fourth in 3-pointers (42).
4. Derick Nelson, (Sr.) Oakland — Nelson entered last season as a possible Summit League Player of the Year candidate before a broken foot forced him into a medical redshirt. A healthy Nelson will be a huge boost for Oakland. Nelson led the Grizzlies in scoring (17.3 per game) and rebounding (7.4) during the 2007-08 season.
5. Robert Glenn, (Sr.) IUPUI — The Wabash Valley transfer emerged as a star for the Jaguars in his first year with the team last season. He averaged 16.7 points and 6.1 rebounds during league play, and was third in the league in blocks (1.7).
6. Dominique Morrison, (Soph.) Oral Roberts — Morrison often deferred to Robert Jarvis and Marcus Lewis as a freshman last season, but now will have the green light as the Golden Eagles No. 1 option. He averaged 9.6 points and 3.2 rebounds a game as a freshman.
7. Alex Young, (Soph.) IUPUI — Young showed flashes of why IUPUI coach Ron Hunter compared him to former star George Hill, but was inconsistent and came off the bench for part of the season. With a year under his belt, Young should start to realize some of his potential.
8. Davis Baker, (Sr.) Southern Utah — The Thunderbirds will rely heavily on Baker, who was fifth in the league in scoring last season, averaging 17.6 per game. Baker is just one of five players back for Southern Utah this season.
9. Michael Tveidt, (Jr.) North Dakota State — Tveidt was often the fourth option for the Bison last season, behind the big three of Ben Woodside, Brett Winkelman and Mike Nelson. Tveidt still averaged 9.8 points per game and will be a much bigger part of the offense as NDSU’s only returning starter.
10. Anthony Cordova, (Jr.) South Dakota State — Cordova has the potential to be one of the league’s top big men after averaging 11.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game last season. Cordova could be the key to whether or not the Jacks can contend for one of the league’s top three spots.
11. Deilvez Yearby, (Sr.) IPFW — Yearby was the Summit League sixth man of the year last season and provides the Mastodons with a solid inside presence on both ends of the floor. Yearby was eighth in the league in rebounding (6.3 per game) and second in blocks (1.8).

Next five (in no order): Spencer Johnson, UMKC; Clint Sargent, South Dakota State; Ceola Clark, Western Illinois; Kevin Ford, Oral Roberts; Larry Wright, Oakland.

The Oakland men’s basketball schedule is finally out and man is it a tough one with road games at Wisconsin, Kansas, Memphis, Michigan State, Oregon and Syracuse.

The home non-conference schedule is sort of weak with Hope College, Eastern Michigan, Rochester College, Central Arkansas, Green Bay and Alma, but I know Oakland’s expectations for this season are out and likely made an already difficult task of finding home games even more difficult.

Here is my early prediction of how things pan out for the Golden Grizzlies this season. I may be a little optimistic, but again expectations are high this season.

W — Nov. 10 Hope College — The return of former OU player Peter Bunn won’t go well, as Oakland wins this one easily
W — Nov. 14 Eastern Michigan — The Eagles will be better with Carlos Medlock back, but the Grizzlies should still get the win.
L — Nov. 18 at Wisconsin — Part of me wants to pick an upset here and while the Badgers lost Marcus Landry, they do return Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon.
W — Nov. 21 Rochester College — It’s admiral what OU does for Rochester College coach Garth Pleasant and his program, but I don’t see them even keeping it close.
W — Nov. 23 at Tennessee Tech —The Golden Eagles went 12-18 and 6-12 in the Ohio Valley last year, will be a tough win on the road, but OU is capable.
L — Nov. 25 at Kansas — OU’s Keith Benson will go against his roomate at the Amare Stoudemire camp Cole Aldrich, but the Jayhawks will likely prove too much.
W — Nov. 28 Central Arkansas — The Bears finished dead last in the Southland last year and I don’t see them coming into the O’Rena and getting a win.
L — Nov. 30 at Memphis — The Tigers should once again be one of the top teams in the nation despite the loss of coach John Calipari.
W — Dec. 5 at IPFW — The Grizzlies have just one conference game in the middle of the non-conference schedule this year, which is a positive after losing to Southern Utah in early December the last two years.
L — Dec. 10 at Michigan State — OU has never beat the Spartans and this could be one of the best MSU teams the Grizzlies have faced.
W — Dec. 13 Green Bay — This is Oakland’s most difficult non-conference home game. The series has been entertaining thus far, so this should be a good one.
W — Dec. 17 at Seattle University — Will likley be a tough road game for OU. Seattle went 21-8 last season, including 13-8 against Division I opponents, but lost team MVP Austen Powers to graduation. Seattle will play its first full Division I schedule this season.
L — Dec. 19 at Oregon — Oakland is 2-0 against Oregon the last two years, but the Ducks likely have this one circled on their calendar and will come out fired up to win this game.
W — Dec. 22 at Syracuse — I got a feeling Oakland is going to knock off one of these big-time opponents, it might not be the Orange, but I’m going out on a limb and saying Oakland springs the upset.
W — Dec. 28 Alma — OU concludes the non-conference schedule with an easy win over the non-Division I opponent.
W — Dec. 31 Western Illinois — The Leathernecks will be improved, but Oakland absolutely dominated them twice last year.
W — Jan. 2 IUPUI — The Jaguars will be a dangerous team with Alex Young, Robert Glenn and a solid group back, but OU is tough at home.
L — Jan. 7 Oral Roberts — Oakland fell in overtime at Oral Roberts last season. The Golden Eagles did lose Robert Jarvis and Marcus Lewis, but have a strong group of newcomers. OU will likely lose two or three on the road during league play so here’s one of them.
W — Jan. 9 at Centenary — The Grizzlies got embarrassed at the Gold Dome last year, but this Gents team isn’t the same and will likely struggle all season as the school prepares for the transition to Division III.
W — Jan. 14 UMKC — The Kangaroos will likely be another team that struggles this year after finishing dead last in the Summit League last season.
W — Jan. 16 Southern Utah — Davis Baker and Jake Nielson are back, but the Thunderbirds don’t return much after that.
W — Jan. 21 at North Dakota State — Not sure what to expect from the Bison this year. Michael Tveidt could be a star in the league, but the rest of the team could experience some growing pains.
L — Jan. 23 at South Dakota State — Frost Arena is a tough place to play and the Jacks have nearly everyone back from last year. Like I said previously OU will likely lost two-three conference games so this is the second one I’m predicting.
W — Jan. 28 at IUPUI — The third of four straight on the road for Oakland. This could be a trap game, but the Grizzlies should be able escape the Jungle with the win.
W — Jan. 30 at Western Illinois — Oakland should conclude the road trip with a win over the Leathernecks.
W — Feb. 4 Centenary — Oakland can’t overlook the Gents, but should be able to win this one easily.
W — Feb. 6 Oral Roberts — The Golden Eagles always find a way to finish near the top of the conference, but I don’t see them sweeping Oakland.
W — Feb. 11 at Southern Utah — The dreaded trip to Cedar City, where Oakland hasn’t won since 2006. The Grizzlies end the losing streak this season.
W — Feb. 13 at UMKC — Municipal Auditorium is normally a tough place to play, but the Kangaroos will likely struggle this year so the crowd could be thin.
W — Feb. 18 South Dakota St. — Oakland avenges the loss in Brookings and clinches the league title against the Jacks, who I predict will finish in the top three of the league this year.
W — Feb. 20 North Dakota St. — The Grizzlies continue their home winning streak with a win over the Bison.
W — Feb. 27 IPFW — This could be a trap game, especially if the conference race is over. But if Oakland is undefeated at home at this point in the season then they won’t let it slip away against the Mastodons.

Predicted finish: 25-7 overall, 16-2 Summit (League champions)

Lake Orion defeats West Bloomfiled, 49-23.

Former Oakland star Erik Kangas has signed with Rosalia of Santiago, Spain according to OU Athletics. Rosalia plays in the LEB Silver League.

"This is a once in a lifetime experience, not many people can say they've done this," Kangas told OU Athletics. "I get to go to a great country, where there are a lot of neat cities to visit and I'm getting paid to play basketball. You can't really get much better."

Kangas ended his career as arguably the best outside shooter in Oakland history. He owns the school record for career 3-pointers and 3-pointers in a season, as well as the Summit League single-season recored for 3-pointers. He averaged 3.9 3-pointers per game last season, which was third in the nation.

The sharpshooter also had a knack for hitting big shots, nailing several game-winners during his time at Oakland.

"Since I got to play a lot and showcase myself at OU, that really helped out," Kangas told OU Athletics. "The coach over there watched my games from OU and really liked me. Going through, learning all our offenses and the toughness our coaches taught here have prepared me to go over there."

Kangas is the second member of the 2009 senior class to sign a professional contract. Earlier this month, Dan Waterstradt signed with CSU Pitesti in Romania.

"I'm really happy to sign with Pitesti," Waterstradt told OU Athletics. "I am chasing my dream of playing basketball professionally. I want to thank all the OU fans and alumni that helped and encouraged me to keep working hard. Also I want to thank the OU coaching staff for helping me get to where I am as a player and person."

North Farmington’s Jenna Bachrouche knew exactly who to turn to when she needed advice on the recruiting process, her sister Katya, who is a swimmer at Virginia.

With the help of Katya, Jenna Bachrouche decided Oakland was the best place to continue her basketball career and verbally committed to the Golden Grizzlies.

“She went on the official visit with me,” Jenna Bachrouche said of her sister. “She told me it’s a good program and growing. (Coach Beckie Francis) really cared. Some coaches just recruit, Oakland really wanted me and that played a part. They really cared about my family, me and everything.”

The 6-foot Bachrouche picked Oakland over offers from Vermont, Cincinnati, UMKC and IUPUI among others. Oakland’s campus being so close to home also helped Bachrouche make her decision.

“My grandma really loves watching me play and it’s close enough for her to watch me, which is good,” Bachrouche. “My parents and friends can all watch me too.”

Bachrouche’s family played an important role in her decision and posed the perfect question to help her make up her mind.

“I had been talking to my family about it and they asked, ‘Why you wouldn’t go there?’ and I couldn’t really come up with a reason,” Bachrouche said. “I think basically it seemed like the right time, it wasn’t too late and it wasn’t too early. It just felt right.”

Bachrouche has had plenty of battles over the years against Oakland’s incoming freshman and former Lake Orion star Bethany Watterworth, who also helped her decide on Oakland.

“I’ve been playing against her for a long time in AAU and high school,” Bachrouche said. “I met her when I went to an open gym at Oakland and she was really nice. I look forward to playing with her.”

Bachrouche averaged 15 points and eight rebounds last year for the Raiders and helped North Farmington reach the Class A semifinals as a sophomore. Bachrouche hopes to have a memorable senior season and is glad the recruiting process is over so she can concentrate on high school.

“I just want to mentor the younger kids, get them to get better,” Bachrouche said of her goals for her senior year. “Just help lead the team as much as I can. Hopefully we will make it far this year and just have fun.”