Kahlil Felder, Oakland University’s starting point guard, was named to the 2014 Kyle Macy Freshman All-America team and was one of 30 finalists for Wayman Tisdale Award for the nation’s top freshman player.

OU assistant coach Saddi Washington was extremely proud when he found out Felder was named one of the top freshman in the country. With the team facing some tough competition early in the year, he felt Felder was groomed to be a top point guard in the Horizon League this season.

“There couldn’t have been many other first-year freshman who had to endure the kind of schedule he played,” Washington said. “When you look at some of the teams and players he faced in the non-conference schedule, it shows how resilient of a kid he is.”

Felder remained humble when discussing the honor. When he first heard the news, Felder was beaming with excitement and was absolutely shocked.

“The first thing I did was call my parents,” he said.

He averaged just over 12 points and seven assists per game in the Horizon League and was a critical component in Oakland’s lineup this season. Washington reaffirmed that the team got it right in recruiting Felder out of Detroit Pershing High School.

“He was thrown into the frying pan early in his career and was expected to lead this team from day one,” he said. “He has a chance to be a very special player at Oakland University.”

The Grizzlies’ campaign was full of memorable moments, whether it was traveling out west to take on some of the nation’s premier teams in the country or making history with Travis Bader’s 3-point record. Felder, however, recalled another memory when looking back on the season.

“Sweeping Detroit is what stuck out to me,” Felder said. “I’m looking forward to playing them every year, it will be a pretty fun rivalry.”

Felder, who recorded a triple-double during Oakland’s second meeting with the University of Detroit, will be expected to take the reins with the departures of key seniors Duke Mondy and Travis Bader.

“Obviously Kay will be the guy commanding the ship,” Washington said. “But the core of our team is back and ready to get back to our winning ways.”