Update: Oakland University squeaked past the University of Detroit Mercy by 83-82 in front of a record 4,000-plus fans on the Rochester campus, The Oakland Post student paper reports.
To some in the Detroit area, it might seem like a quiet sports weekend.
The NBA is on its All-Star break, meaning we all get a well-deserved break from tracking the Pistons in their far-from-thrilling quest to secure the Eastern Conference’s last playoff berth. The Olympics continue on in Russia, so it’ll be another couple weeks before the Red Wings can resume their pattern of losing every other game via the shootout. It’s officially a professional sports hiatus in the state of Michigan.
That leaves center stage wide open for the hottest new rivalry in college sports. Two hungry teams with a healthy distaste for one another, battling not only for league supremacy but ultimate local bragging rights. The Detroit Titans visit the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in Rochester, and whole world will be watching at 7 p.m. -- or at least a few hundred fans. (The "Rivalry Week" game is on ESPNU, after all.)
This is not some marquee matchup between two of college hoops’ elite programs. The Titans are 5-6 in the Horizon League and haven’t finished first in the conference since 1999. The Grizzlies are just 9-17 overall and have been made to feel quite unwelcome during their first season as HL members.
But a great rivalry isn’t always defined by great teams. Sometimes it’s just about two schools, two fan bases, two parts of the state, that want nothing else but to stomp on the other’s throat and make them stare at the final scoreboard.
Avoiding Confrontation
Despite this being Oakland’s maiden season in the Horizon, Detroit’s longtime home, there is still some recent history in play. For years, it’s been rumored that Greg Kampe, OU’s ageless coach, has been trying to secure a game with U of D Mercy. He offered to host the game, he offered to go play at Calihan. Knowing Kampe and his hot-blooded personality, he probably would have played the game on someone’s driveway.
But the Titans weren’t interested. They were in the better conference with tougher competition. They landed the higher-ranked recruits. They figured, “Why go play this inferior squad and possibly get beat?” It was viewed as a lose-lose proposition, similar to the refusal of programs like Michigan or Michigan State to give the Titans a game during their heyday.
Prior to this season, however, Oakland jumped ship from the Summit, settling cozily in the Horizon League. Kampe’s sweater vest was on the prowl, and there was no longer a place for the Titans to hide.
Tonight’s meeting will be the second clash of the year, the first coming a month ago in Detroit. The Titans were firmly in control of that contest, holding a double digit lead with under seven minutes to go. But then came a slew of turnovers sandwiched around a technical. Oakland jumped at the opportunity, put up ten straight points in just 52 seconds, and cruised out of Calihan toasting a program-boosting in-state road victory.
Revenge on UDM’s Mind
The Titans hope to return the favor tonight. They will need a big effort out of Juwan Howard, Jr., the Fab Five offspring averaging over 18 a game. At six-foot-six, Little Juwan has to do things a little different than dad, gunning from downtown as opposed to Pops’ more traditional arsenal in the post. But no matter how many treys he tosses in tonight, it will almost assuredly not match the output of Oakland’s Travis Bader.
The senior from Okemos recently broke college basketball’s all-time mark for 3-pointers made. That’s nothing to sneeze at. There have been countless long-range snipers in the NCAA over the last 30 years, from Steve Alford to Ray Allen to Ben Gordon (yes, he did used to be good). Bader bested ‘em all.
In a game last week against Cleveland State, he banged home an eye-popping ten triples on his way to 35 points. Amazingly, it wasn’t good enough as the Grizz still lost by seven. With a sparkling 93% mark from the foul line to go with the three-point marksmanship, Bader is worth the price of admission for anyone that appreciates the pure beauty of a swish.
The Detroit-Oakland game tonight will not decide a conference champion. It won’t have any bearing on who does or does not advance to March Madness next month. It’s merely a matchup between two bottom-of-the-pack teams on a sleepy Friday night.
But for those walking the streets today sporting their Titan red or OU black-and-gold, it’s the game of the year.
For one night, they have the state all to themselves.
