Mid-major to watch: The Oakland Golden Grizzlies

The Golden Grizzlies have one of the nation's most brutal non-conference schedules. Expected to win the Summit League, they already have lost to West Virginia and Purdue, and now they face the toughest stretch of their schedule in the next two weeks with road trips to Illinois (Wednesday), Michigan State (Saturday), and Tennessee (Dec. 14). There's also a road game against Ohio State on Dec. 23. Of course, Oakland's NCAA tournaments hopes will depend on the Summit League tournament, but this stretch could be an indicator of how the Golden Grizzlies would fare if they reach the NCAAs. They're led by 6-foot-11 center Keith Benson, who is averaging 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocks.

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