Given Oakland's experienced roster, a 17-14 finish isn't anywhere near the hopes coach Greg Kampe likely had for his squad. And while there's a bright promise for next season in the form of a very strong recruiting class, the Golden Grizzlies must figure out how to improve with who they have right now.

The team's near-.500 bid, along with a Summit League tournament exit, wasn't enough to garner any additional postseason bid. With all but two players returning, the Golden Grizzlies have a strong core back. However, Oakland will have to become better on the road, where it was just 5-9 this season. And while it's also always good to try and bring up an RPI and prepare for conference games by scheduling a strong nonconference slate, the Golden Grizzlies perhaps bit off more than they could chew, going through a tough stretch that included Oregon, Michigan, Michigan State and Xavier, three of which were ranked. Oakland was able to top the Ducks, however, for the program's first-ever win over a ranked opponent.

Kampe also needs to decide on a solidified starting five earlier in the year. Too often, he was tinkering with his lineup during the season (using more than 10 different ones), and while it's unclear whether that had a big role in the Golden Grizzlies' inconsistencies for much of the year, it's hard to imagine it not having some kind of effect.

The Golden Grizzlies will return arguably the Summit's best inside-out combo in point guard Johnathon Jones and forward Derick Nelson. The two players combined for just over 35 points per contest, which was close to half of Oakland's 76.7 points per game, which ranked second overall in the Summit League. Nelson was named to the All-Summit first team, while Jones was a second-team selection.

Next year's X-factor will revolve around the aforementioned three-man recruiting class in guard Blake Cushingberry and forwards Drew Maynard and Jay Thames. All three are local products and considered three of the top 10 recruits out of the state of Michigan for next year. Kampe will have to find playing time for each of them, but the trio could be what kicks the Golden Grizzlies to the next level.

There's a strong chance Oakland will once again be labeled as one of the teams to beat in the Summit League. The Golden Grizzlies will have the personnel to validate that claim. However, they'll need to find that extra gear late in the season if they are to get back to the NCAA Tournament. The Summit League hasn't reached the status of a strong mid-major conference yet, so Oakland needs to show it has staying power of being the best of the 10 teams.

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