The Oakland University men’s basketball season may be over, but senior guard Travis Bader will be representing OU in uniform one more time this week.

The Golden Grizzly star will compete in the State Farm 3-Point Championship at SMU’s Moody Coliseum Thursday, April 3 at 9 p.m. Bader is also up for the Lou Henson award given to the nation’s best mid-major player. This is the second year in a row Bader has been nominated for the award.

“Everything I put into this game, I’m just proud that I can represent Oakland University and put the Oakland name out there even more,” Bader said.

Keith Benson, former Grizzly forward, won the first-ever Lou Henson award in 2000.

Bader has kept Oakland basketball on the radar with his production on the floor. OU has experienced a higher media following and more national coverage during Bader’s career with the Grizzlies.

“You cannot pay for the type of publicity that Travis has gotten Oakland University,” Grizzly head coach Greg Kampe said. “It’s just been unbelievable. It’s phenomenal for our basketball program, but it’s also great for the university.”

Bader is looking forward to pitting himself against the nation’s other elite 3-point shooters.

“It’s really cool, it’s something you watch on T.V. every year,” Bader said. “It’s fun. I mean, you get to go out there and compete against the country’s best shooters, and I’m excited to put on the Oakland uniform one more time.”

Bader, the all-time leading 3-point shooter in NCAA history with 504 3-point field goals made, believes that the record will not weigh on him going into the event. 

“This is nothing to feel pressure about,” he said. “It’s not the National Championship or the Final Four. This is an event put on to go out and have fun and compete.”

Former Oakland player Erik Kangas competed in the event in 2009, and Rawle Marshall competed in the dunk contest in 2005. 

“You’d be hard pressed to find another program within 10 years that had three players in this event,” Kampe said. “It puts the program in a great light, and we use that in recruiting.”

The State Farm College 3-Point Championship will air on Thursday, April 3 on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET. The Lou Henson award winner will be announced at the CollegeInsider.com Awards Banquet Friday, April 4 in Dallas, the home of this year’s Final Four.