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Kay Felder graduated from Pershing High in Detroit.
When Detroit and Oakland gathered to renew their hoops rivalry Friday night, it generated the biggest crowd recorded at Oakland’s basketball arena.
The stands were packed, the media were out in full force and the arena was buzzing.
But as has been the case so many times this year with Oakland basketball, it was the smallest guy on the floor that stole the show.
Kay Felder, a superhero stuffed into a 5-foot-9 body, dominated the Detroit Titans from start to finish. When he was double or triple-teamed on drives to the hoop, he’d drop pinpoint passes to waiting teammates for easy finishes at the rim. Felder finished with 16 assists; the Titans as a team collected 11.
When he got room to operate on his own, Felder took full advantage for a game-high 26 points. Oakland beat UDM 108-97.
When Oakland had secured it No. 2 position in the conference (which means a double-bye in the Horizon tournament), Greg Kampe was full of praise for his star junior from Detroit's Pershing High.
“You expect greatness from him on every possession. It’s an amazing thing coaching that kid. It’s got to be amazing to play with him, too. Because he’s such a great kid. He is a joy to coach and he is a great teammate.”
Kampe went on to say that he wouldn’t be surprised if heading into next year, Felder is the preseason favorite for National Player of the Year. (Recent reports suggest Felder will stay at Oakland for his senior season.)
As for the Titans, they showed fire at times, but it simply was not enough. They’d cut the deficit to 4 or 6 and the Grizzlies would come right back with a dunk. Or a three. There have been six Oakland-Detroit matchups thus far in Horizon League play, and the kids from Rochester have taken all but one.
Ray McCallum and his Detroit squad will now be faced with the tall task of winning four games in four days to emerge as conference champ. They will have the luxury of playing just a few miles from campus at Joe Louis Arena, but it will take a monumental shift in their defensive effort to sustain such an extended run through the Horizon bracket.
The Titans will play their tournament opener on Saturday night at 7:30. The opponent is yet to be determined. Oakland will be resting up, their first game coming in the semis Monday evening. If things fall a certain way, it could even be a third matchup between these two suddenly bitter rivals.
Overall, it was a night to remember for the Oakland basketball program. The affable Kampe has been at the helm for 32 years and he might very well have his best team yet. He pointed out in the post-game that his club has taken on four big-conference schools this year and led at halftime of each of those games. It would come as no surprise should the Golden Grizzlies claim the Horizon’s automatic bid to the NCAAs, that they’d also snag some additional victories in the big dance itself.
Over 4,000 fans jammed the O’rena on Friday and they got exactly what they came for: spirited action, a ton of scoring and a brilliant game-deciding performance from one of the nation’s most explosive players.
Kay Felder, the junior from Detroit's Pershing High, in action Friday night. (Oakland University photo)
