The Oakland University men’s basketball team took part in a team trip overseas to Spain, grabbing an early start on what looks to be a strong upcoming season for the Golden Grizzlies.

Oakland is one of three teams from the Horizon League and one of over 60 Division I schools to take an overseas trip prior to the 2015-16 season.

The team left for Spain on Monday, Aug. 24 and returned to Michigan on Wednesday, Sept. 2. The trip involved more than just basketball and provided an opportunity to learn more about a different part of the world.

“One of the purposes and main reasons for the trip [was] the educational experience,” head coach Greg Kampe said.

“The opportunity to take a trip like this only comes about every four years and though we usually head to Canada, we decided to head elsewhere in order to play more competitive basketball, conduct better business and take in the entire Spain culture.”

A huge advantage of the trip was not only the opportunity for excellent team bonding, but also the opportunity for Kampe’s squad to learn a new culture together while competing at a high level.

“It is always an advantage for teams to plan international trips because it allows extra practice time and additional preseason games. With several transfers and newcomers, the trip to Spain will allow the team to build on team chemistry,” Senior Assistant Athletic Director of Public Relations Scott MacDonald said.

The team kicked the trip off in Valencia, where they roamed around, viewed different landmarks and enjoyed the sightseeing. They visited museums and markets as well as the Cathedral and Basilica monuments.

They played their first game on Thursday, defeating the Valencia Basket basketball team 91-59 in the first of three games throughout the trip.

Junior guard Kahlil Felder led the way with 23 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals. Iowa State transfer Sherron Dorsey-Walker chipped in 11 points, nine boards and 5 assists for the Grizzlies.

The team departed Valencia by ferry to Ibiza, an island located in the Mediterranean Sea, on Aug. 28, where they visited Old Town, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage site.

In addition, the team spent time at a luxurious water park in Ibiza and took a trip on a glass-bottom boat along the western coast of Ibiza to the island of Es Vedrá.

After their stay in Ibiza, the team caught a flight to their final stop ─ Barcelona. They played their final two games of the trip before returning to Michigan.

The team won their second game, taking down USA Toulouge 105-68 and improving to 2-0 on the trip. Once again, Felder led the way with 19 points and 11 assists. Sophomore Jalen Hayes added 18 points, and Dorsey-Walker had 14 points of his own.

“I’m really pleased with the way we played. “We’ve got a lot of really good players, and we can really wear a team down,” Kampe said on GrizzVision after the game, pleased with his team’s effort.

“This team that we just beat 105-68 has played two Big Ten teams, and both of those games were close. Their coach was very impressed with our team; that makes me feel good, and I really like how hard we played.”

In their third and final game on Tuesday, the team capped off a great trip with a gut-wrenching 101-99 victory over CB Tarragona. Felder shined again with 25 points and eight assists, while senior center Percy Gibson added 22 points and eight boards.

The Grizzlies won the game in the final seconds off a Felder alley-oop pass to freshman teammate Brad Brechting, awarding them a close two-point victory on the buzzer beater.

The team and coaching staff have high hopes that this extended overseas trip allowed for some crucial team bonding as well as translate into more success heading into the season.

Another benefit of the trip was how it prepared players on the team for what life could be like after college if they were to choose to play basketball overseas.

Though the Golden Grizzlies will have to wait until mid-November to see how their team will start the year, the trip helped them prepare to meet the high expectations for success placed on them heading into the season.