Johnathon Jones and Derick Nelson took the Oakland University basketball program to new heights during their record-breaking careers with the Golden Grizzlies. It was their team. Oakland was their home. And the team’s 20-1 record in the Summit League paired with the school’s second NCAA tournament appearance last season is their legacy.

“I think you have to give both of those guys a lot of credit for where our program is today,” Oakland head coach Greg Kampe said. “Those were two kids who accepted their roles, and we’re in a better place because of them being here. They played in championship games and left a legacy we need to continue.”

While Jones and Nelson will no longer be playing together, their basketball careers are continuing with the shared dream of playing professionally.

The next challenge

Jones recently signed a professional contract with MBK Rieker Komarno in Slovakia. As he was in his first season with the Grizzlies, he will be the starting point guard on his new team.

Nelson signed a deal to play with Kouvot, a pro team in Finland. Both players have already departed for their new jobs.

Although several other teams showed interest, Jones said he ultimately chose to play in Slovakia because he was offered an opportunity to come in and contribute as a starter right away. It was the same opportunity he was presented with at Oakland when Kampe recruited him out of Okemos High School.

“I was able to come in and play right away at Oakland and coming out of high school that is what you want to do and I was allowed that,” said Jones, who added that Kampe’s stability as the head coach was also a major factor in his decision to join the Grizzlies. “I knew Kampe had been here like 20 years, which I liked. His mindset of playing anyone anywhere prepared me and our team for a level of competition other schools in our league couldn’t get.”

That competition inspired Jones to strive for higher achievement. He leaves Oakland with multiple records and a conference championship in his name.

“I got everything and more from my experience (at Oakland),” Jones said. “Seeing the program grow from my freshman year to now is a great feeling. To be a part of one of the two teams to make it to the NCAA tournament is a great feeling. Going out how I did my senior year is what everyone dreams about. I went out a winner and that’s all you can ask for.”

In fact, Jones not only went out a winner but went out with more wins under his belt than any player in school history.

Nelson shared in many of those victories. A season-ending foot injury in the 2008-2009 season gave Nelson an injury redshirt and aligned his senior season with Jones’ the following year. Together, they cashed in on the opportunity.

A year to remember

“No question my greatest accomplishment in basketball is winning the conference title last year and going to the NCAA tournament,” Nelson said. “That was always a dream of mine and the rest of the team, so to accomplish that goal finally on my way out was the best.”

Nelson said he realized his potential to play professionally after his junior year at Oakland. Kampe shared that opinion, saying he thought Nelson could, and still does, have a chance to play in the NBA.

Yet, Nelson’s previously mentioned foot injury stalled his momentum among NBA team scouts.When he returned to Oakland the following year, he was a different player.

“When Nelson came back we needed him to take on a different and more defensiveminded role,” Kampe said. “He can guard anybody at the highest level and that’s what we needed him to do, which took away from his scoring stats a little bit. But he came up big when we needed him the most and got us a championship.”

In the Summit League championship game last season, Nelson poured in a career-high 36 points. As Oakland struggled early in that game, Nelson kept his team close. Late in the game, he ensured the win.

The next major challenge for Nelson won’t be scoring points or guarding the star on the other team, it will be adjusting to a different lifestyle and living away from his family.

“I love to play basketball and it was important for me to keep my career going but if it didn’t happen it wasn’t the end of my life,” Nelson said. “The toughest part for me will be being away from my daughter and not seeing my family. Just being away from them and in a different country with a different culture is going to be tough to get used to.”

“Basketball is my passion and I’d like to play for as long as possible but you can’t play forever and I graduated from college so I’m going to rely on that to help me in the long run,” added Nelson.

For Jones, basketball has been his life and he plans on keeping it that way.

“Playing basketball is what I love to do and as long as god gives me the ability to play at the highest level I’m going to continue to play,” Jones said. “But when I’m all done I want to get into coaching. Hopefully at the college level.”