Again? Another one? And again? That was the feeling through the first five minutes of the 2026–27 Oakland basketball season Thursday at the O'Rena. In a 103–74 exhibition win over Grand Valley State, the Golden Grizzlies came out firing threes from all over the court—and without hesitation. William Kassi. RJ Taylor. Nassim Mashhour, back from last season's knee injury with no apparent ill effects. Warren Marshall hit one. Then Hamoudy Mashhour joined in. Oakland built a 21–13 lead with its first seven baskets all coming from beyond the arc, some from well beyond. But if they're going in, keep firing. The Golden Grizzlies finished the night shooting nearly 50 percent from 3-point range.
First Half – Shots, Shots, Shots
Hamoudy. Hamoudy. Hamoudy. That was a three-possession sequence around the six-minute mark, with all three baskets coming from deep. He was looking for his shot. The next time down the floor, the Lakers took notice and swarmed him near the 3-point line, forcing a pass instead of another long attempt. The younger Mashhour brother was expected to play a larger role this season, but few outside the Oakland program anticipated such an aggressive start. If he has the green light to fire from any reasonable distance, Oakland's perimeter offense may help offset the work still needed under the basket and on the defensive end.
After the first-half barrage from beyond the arc, Oakland led 45–33 at halftime.
Second Half – Stay Under Control
Midway through the second half, it appeared that RJ Taylor had seen enough. He took control, setting the pace, moving the ball and delivering at both ends of the floor. He knocked down a smooth fadeaway from the free-throw line, buried an open 3-pointer and set the tone defensively. Taylor finished with a team-high 25 points, and a Lakers team that had remained within striking distance suddenly faced a 15-point deficit. It proved too much to overcome. Taylor looked every bit like the experienced senior capable of guiding this team all season.
There was no shortage of athleticism on the court from Kassi, Thompson, Bradley, Marshall and others. At times, however, the Golden Grizzlies played too fast and too out of control, leading to sloppy possessions, turnovers and some pointed reactions from Kampe. He made the message clear: Value the basketball. Taylor took it to heart and showed he has Kampe's trust to steer the team this season.
Game Over
Taylor's takeover gave Oakland a comfortable lead late in the second half. His final 3-pointer pushed the score to 84–63. Game over.
Deuce Hamilton for one, two, three.
Not to be outdone, Deuce Hamilton entered with just under seven minutes remaining and quickly announced that he could shoot, too. On three straight possessions, he connected from deep—Deuce Hamilton for one, two, three. (Thank you, Kevin Beers.)
Looking ahead, the competition will get much tougher, and quickly. The team is a work in progress and must become stronger in the paint at both ends of the floor. But if the shooting travels, the Golden Grizzlies may be ready to run with anyone this season.
Words by Mark · October 15, 2026
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