Horizon League Basketball: Could Oakland be a favorite to win in 2022-23?

One team in Horizon League Basketball this offseason lost their co-league MVP player to the NBA draft but did very well in convincing key players to transfer to their program for this upcoming season.

There is no debate that the Golden Grizzlies will miss the all around production from Jamal Cain in which he was Oakland’s’leading scorer and rebounder last season. One other player that they will miss as well is Micah Parrish, who was a full time starter and transferred to San Diego State this offseason.

However, the Golden Grizzlies bring back Jalen Moore who lead the team in assists and steals last season as well as being Oakland’s second-leading scorer, and Trey Townsend who was the team’s leading shot block leader and fourth-leading scorer. It is however, what the Golden Grizzlies did in the transfer portal that got the most attention from those in the Horizon League this summer.

The first big addition to head coach Greg Kampe’ s program this season was a transfer from Big Ten country.

Lourne Bowman Jr. was a top 200 nationally ranked recruit from the state of Michigan out of high school who played last season at Wisconsin and who was the Badgers’ sixth-leading scorer and helped Wisconsin capture the Maui Jim Maui Invitational last season. He will be looked to score for the Golden Grizzlies as he will have every opportunity to shine in Kampe’s offense this upcoming season.

The second player to transfer to Oakland this season is a player from the Missouri Valley Conference.

Keaton Hervey will look to replace the production that Parrish produced last season. During the 2020-21 season, he stared all 24 games for Missouri State and had a 18 point performance against Drake in the semifinals of the conference semi-finals. Hervey is 6’6 and having played at Missouri State the past two seasons, he will get more playing time unlike last season when his playing time declined and will have the opportunities to start and play significant minutes for the the Golden Grizzlies this upcoming season.

Oakland picked up a third transfer player this offseason and this player did not come from a division one school.

Chuol Deng II has the most size out of the incoming transfers as he is listed at 6-foot-8  and will more than likely play at the power forward position. He previously played at Colorado Northwestern College and Hill College which is located in Hillsboro, Texas. It is unknown how much playing time is expected from him but Oakland needs size on their front court and he will be looked at to contribute this upcoming season.

The biggest name to transfer to Oakland this offseason comes via Michigan State and Mississippi State.

Rocket Watts started off at Michigan State and during his freshman season scored, 18 or more points in four of his last seven games before the Covid-19 pandemic cancelled post season play. In his sophomore season, he did score 20 or more points three times but also only scored three or less points six times. He transferred to Mississippi State for his third season but injuries limited him to only 19 games and the Bulldogs coach Ben Howland who recruited Watts to Starkville, was fired after seven seasons as the head coach at Mississippi State.

Watts transferred to Oakland for this upcoming season and needs a wavier to come immediately eligible because he has already transferred once. If he is granted eligibility to play this upcoming season, he makes Oakland the favorites to win the Horizon League in many peoples opinions.

Projected Roster

Point Guard: Jalen Moore (starter), Brody Parker, Peyton Mele

Shooting Guard: Lourne Bowman Jr. (Starter) Blake Lampman, Darius Sherman

Small Forward: Keaton Hervey (Starter), Osei Price

Power Forward: Trey Townsend (Starter), Chuol Deng II

Center: Chris Conway (Starter), Will Shepard

*Rocket Watts (Starter) if granted immediate eligibility for the 2022-23 season

It will not be an easy task to win the Horizon League but with Cleveland State’s head coach Dennis Gates going to Missouri and many teams losing key players in the transfer portal, Oakland should be the favorites entering the season to win the Horizon League this upcoming season.