Oakland University men’s basketball coach Greg Kampe bolstered his team’s 2012 roster this past week, getting National Letters of intent from two seniors.
Lloyd Neely (6’5”, 200 lbs), a power forward from Detroit Crockett High School, is ranked as the 11th-best player in Michigan and was named to the Class B First Team for 2010-2011, averaging 25 points and 14 rebounds per game. The senior, who was given a scout grade of 86 by ESPN, chose Oakland over two Horizon League teams (Cleveland State and Detroit) and two MAC squads (Central Michigan and Western Michigan).
Neely will likely be a small forward/guard in Kampe’s rotation, backing up Drew Valentine and Dante Williams next season, and eventually competing for the starter’s role in later years. Much like Valentine, Neely initiates contact with defenders and can score inside after dribble penetration.
Kampe’s second recruit of 2012 is Michael Lewis, Jr., a 6’10” forward from Slidell, LA. He is the second recruit from the state in the last few years – Ledrick Eackles being the other – and was spotted at the same AAU tournament as Neely.
His game – “He is long, lean, athletic and runs the floor well,” Kampe said in a press release – should translate well to the fast-paced offense that Kampe has installed at Oakland.
Lewis was being recruited heavily by major conference schools before tearing his ACL recently. Despite the injury, Oakland kept their offer on the table and Lewis will now don the Black and Gold in 2012.
Grizzlies fans who might be worried about signing a player after such an injury need look no further than Valentine – who also had an ACL injury reduce his scholarship offers – and see the work that the OU training staff has done to get Valentine’s knee back to prime condition.
With one more post player added to his roster, Kampe appears to be reloading his front-court, which will include Corey Petros, Kyle Sikora, Korab Imami, and now Lewis in 2012 and beyond.
With these two recruits, Oakland took a major step in ensuring continued success in the Summit League, especially with top rival and preseason conference #1 Oral Roberts leaving after this season.
Ref: OUGrizzlies.com, ESPN.com (content and image)
