Evan Solomon has always been motivated by his dreams, and now, they are starting to come true as Oakland makes school history in the NCAA March Madness men’s basketball tournament.
Evan Solomon, a 20-year-old sophomore at Oakland University, grew up in the small, northern Michigan town of Charlevoix. After finding success in high school as a basketball player, Solomon left his hometown to walk on to Oakland’s basketball team as a redshirt for the 2022-23 season.
It was in the quiet atmosphere of Charlevoix where Solomon found his love for basketball.
“I’ve always played basketball. My dad is how I really got into it,” Solomon said. “He coached basketball, so I always had keys to the gym growing up.”
Solomon took advantage of this opportunity, putting in hours of hard work on the court whenever he could.
Oakland student Caleb Ziebarth, who regularly competed against Solomon in multiple high school sports was impressed with Solomon’s athletic finesse.
“Evan had the work ethic of a stallion. That turned into excellence which was proven in performance,” Ziebarth said.
Solomon’s hard work indeed showed off in many ways as he dominated his high school competition, producing nearly 20 points per game and earning three consecutive All-State selections.
After his storied high school career, Solomon chose to take on the challenge of playing Division-I college basketball at Oakland, where the competition would become significantly more difficult than the class-C high school competition he was used to.
“I’m really blessed that coach Kampe gave me an opportunity,” Solomon said in regard to choosing Oakland. “I knew it was going to be hard and that the competition would be much better than what I was used to, but I knew it would make me better.”
The transition was even more difficult than Solomon expected.
“The first summer I was here, I was getting my pocket picked by Jalen Moore every single day in practice,” Solomon said.
However, Solomon did not let the early struggles keep him down. Solomon acknowledged his dreams as what keeps him fighting to be better.
“Growing up you always think about what you wanna accomplish – dreams, you have that thing and you obsess over it and push to get to where you wanna be,” Solomon said.
Now in his second year, Solomon feels a lot more comfortable playing with the high level of skill and athleticism that he never experienced with his competition in Charlevoix.
Solomon also attributes a lot of this gained comfortability to his teammates, who have served as mentors over the last two years.
“Jalen was great, getting to go against him every day helped me grow a bunch,” Solomon said of last year’s point guard, Jalen Moore. “This year, working out with Jack Gohlke a lot has really helped me. He’s been a bit of a mentor to me, showing me how hard you’ve got to work and what it takes to get better.”
Gohlke is one of seven players who transferred to Oakland this year. Solomon credits these transfers for a huge amount of the team’s spike in success this year, not only for their basketball skills but also for their contribution to the team’s cohesiveness.
“The biggest change from last year to this year is the family atmosphere we have. All 15 dudes hang out and have fun together, and it really feels like a family,” Solomon said. “Everyone wants to see everyone else succeed, and I think that shows on the court.”
Few would argue over the team’s improvements this year, as they dominated the Horizon League in the regular season and proceeded to win the Horizon League tournament. This win crowned the Golden Grizzlies as league champions for the first time since joining the Horizon League in 2014.
“My favorite moment this year was cutting down the nets – winning the conference tournament,” Solomon said. “Our goal was to win a championship, but Coach [Kampe] has had us take it one step at a time, one game at a time, so we don’t lose sight of what’s in front of us.”
What’s in front of them now is the NCAA Tournament, where the team, a 14-seed, caused a tournament upset, defeating three-seeded Kentucky 80-76 in the first round.
“We’re focused and we know we gotta work hard, but we also know that we can win any close game,” Solomon said. “Knowing you’re going to March Madness, it’s a feeling like no other. Growing up, everyone watches it. Now knowing that we get to go is amazing.”
There is a sense of confidence throughout the locker room as the Golden Grizzlies gear up to face North Carolina State in the second round of the tournament on March 23.
“We’re not done yet. We’re looking to make something happen,” Solomon said. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t picking us all the way.”
