DETROIT — For close to 35 minutes on Saturday night, Oakland went toe-to-toe with a team that played in last season's NCAA Tournament. But turnovers and some timely threes led to a Tennessee State run that ended with an 89–75 Golden Grizzlies defeat. The second of Oakland’s three exhibition games was part of the annual Hoops & Culture event at Wayne State University. The Tigers, coached by Duke alum Nolan Smith, are the reigning Ohio Valley Conference champion. And they’re picked to win their conference again this year. But the best performances of the night may have been by the Chandler Park Academy and Oak Park High School bands that kept the building rocking at every timeout.
First Half – Inside Out
Unlike the first exhibition game where Oakland made 20 three-pointers against Grand Valley State, Oakland came out attacking the paint. Going inside against Tennessee State's bigger frontcourt may have been part of a game plan to work on interior offense, but it came at a cost as Oakland kept losing rebounds and turning the ball over inside. Both teams seemed to be playing their own games throughout the first half instead of attacking weak spots on the offensive end of the court.
Oakland got a lift off the bench from Ryder Bradley. He hit the team's first three and took a charge on a Tennessee State alley-oop. The perimeter game got going late in the half with threes from RJ Taylor, Nassim Mashhour and Warren Marshall IV, putting Oakland ahead 36–35 with under a minute left. Oakland isn't built to win inside yet. Its strength is on the perimeter.
Oakland isn't built to win inside yet. Its strength is on the perimeter.
Second Half – Tennessee State Has Some Dudes
Like most mid-majors, the Tigers have reloaded this year. Led by guard Arterio Morris and 7’1” center Aaron Bradshaw, they continued to attack the basket in the second half. Ryder Bradley countered for Oakland, hitting a pair of back-to-back threes. He finished with a team-high 16 points. With a guard-oriented lineup of Marshall, Bradley and Taylor playing its best basketball of the night, the game was tied near the midpoint of the half.
By then both teams had started playing more like this was a regular-season game. Coach Kampe was shaking his head after several plays and staring down players over missed rebounds and soft defense. Then, as Oakland appeared to be slowing down, Tennessee State sped up and took over. Morris went at Oakland's guards one-on-one for layups and easy baskets. Oakland's turnovers fed the run, and the Tigers mixed in some timely threes. A 62–59 Tigers lead grew to 10 four minutes later.
Game Over
Shots and stops. The Golden Grizzlies couldn’t get either when they needed them down the stretch. The lead climbed to 81–65. Game over.
Tennessee State won with speed and strength going to the rim, and Oakland didn't have an answer when it needed one. Of course, this was an exhibition game. Both teams looked like they were figuring things out at times. Right now, the Golden Grizzlies offense appears ahead of the defense.
Next up, Oakland heads to Cincinnati for one last exhibition game before starting their run through a nonconference schedule that is not for the faint of heart. Those opponents will be bigger, faster and more athletic than Tennessee State. To compete, this new-look roster needs to play to its strengths, take care of the ball, stay composed and play for all 40 minutes.
Words by Mark · October 28, 2026
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