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The Golden Grizzlies’ legendary coach Greg Kampe and the team’s mascot, Grizz, were morphed into bobblehead form after Oakland University’s unforgettable basketball season. Pictured are mockups of what the bobbleheads are expected to look like.
Photo provided by Phil Sklar
ROCHESTER — Oakland University fans are still on cloud nine after a thrilling 80-76 win over the University of Kentucky that left Golden Grizzlies fans ecstatic and most March Madness bracket competitors furious, and the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum is acknowledging the hype.
Spearheaded by an unforgettable performance by Oakland guard Jack Gohlke, who scored 32 points on 10 three-pointers, No. 14 seed Oakland held a lead against No. 3 seed Kentucky throughout the majority of the first round matchup March 21 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Alongside Gohlke, Oakland forward Trey Townsend added 17 points and 12 rebounds, while guard DQ Cole added 12 points in the win.
While Oakland’s March Madness journey ended in an overtime loss to NC State University in the round of 32, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Milwaukee, is commemorating Oakland’s incredible season, which included their first Horizon League regular season title since 2017, with a bobblehead of Oakland head coach Greg Kampe and the team’s mascot, Grizz.
“We’re excited to be teaming up with Oakland and Coach Kampe to release these bobbleheads featuring one of the winningest coaches in college basketball,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said in a press release. “The Golden Grizzlies made their fans very proud during March Madness and gained a lot of new fans across the country. These bobbleheads are the perfect way for alumni, students, faculty, staff, and fans to show off their support for Coach Kampe and the Golden Grizzlies.”
Kampe’s bobbleheads, which are $30 each, feature the legendary coach, who’s led Oakland for 40 seasons to the tune of a 699-537 record, in either a black or white Oakland pullover, while Grizz’s bobblehead, $35 each, sports an Oakland jersey. Each bobblehead will be numbered to 2,024, commemorating the year of Oakland’s success in the tournament.
The bobbleheads are available now for preorder at store.bobbleheadhall.com and are expected to ship in September.
