Oakland's Jalen Hayes tries driving to the basket during the first half of a NCAA college basketball game in the Horizon League tournament Monday, March 7, 2016, in Detroit.

Oakland's Jalen Hayes tries driving to the basket during the first half of a NCAA college basketball game in the Horizon League tournament Monday, March 7, 2016, in Detroit.

After back-to-back losses to Toledo and Syracuse, the Oakland men’s basketball team will try to keep up with third-ranked Kansas in the Jayhawks’ second game as a part of the HoopHall Miami Invitational on Friday (7 p.m. Jayhawk TV/ESPN3).

The Grizzlies were picked to win the Horizon League, returning four starters and adding Illinois transfer Kendrick Nunn, who ranks 15th in the nation in scoring (24 points per game) despite playing through an ankle injury. But they should receive a boost from Jalen Hayes, last year’s second-leading scorer, who will make his season debut vs. KU after a four-game academic suspension.

Oakland (2-2) was one of 16 teams in the country to return more than 70 percent of its points and rebounds from last year. The school received two votes in the preseason AP Top 25 poll.

“Historically, they’re always good,” KU coach Bill Self said. “They’re going to play fast.”

Fun fact: Sophomore Isaiah Brock didn’t play organized basketball for about five years prior to his time at Oakland. He served four years in the Army with tours in Afghanistan and Kuwait, growing six inches following high school. He met Kampe at a goodwill overseas visit leading to his college basketball career. He ranks second in the Horizon League with 2.2 blocks per game.

Series history: Kansas won the one matchup between the two schools in 2009, 89-59. Marcus Morris and Xavier Henry scored 19 points apiece.

BREAKING DOWN OAKLAND

TOP PLAYER

No. 1 — G Kendrick Nunn | 6-3, 193, r-sr.

Shooting 40 percent from the 3-point line, Nunn leads the Horizon League in scoring with 24 points per game. Nunn, who averages 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists, dropped a career-high 36 points in Oakland debut.

Nunn was dismissed from Illinois, where he was a 1,000-point scorer, following his junior season. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge.

The left-handed Nunn averaged 15.5 points in his final season with the Illini. In high school, he starred at Simeon in Chicago alongside Jabari Parker.

• “I’m a natural scorer but I’ve been really working on my ball handling skills in the gym so I can take over the point position,” Nunn said. “We have a lot of playmakers on this team and we move the ball around well.”

SUPPORTING CAST

No. 35 — G Martez Walker | 6-6, 185, r-sr.

Oakland's Martez Walker (35) has his shot tipped away by Wright State's Joe Thomasson (32) during the second half of a NCAA college basketball game in the Horizon League tournament Monday, March 7, 2016, in Detroit.

Skilled at earning trips to the free-throw line (29 attempts in four games), Walker is averaging 21.8 points on 54 percent shooting. He’s shooting at a 40.7 percent clip from the 3-point line and an 82.8 percent mark at the charity stripe, along with grabbing 5.5 rebounds per game.

A talented slasher, Walker has converted 80 percent of his shots at the rim according to hoop-math.com. Walker, a Detroit native, was dismissed from Texas in 2014 after he was charged with misdemeanor assault and trespassing. Charges were dismissed in March 2015.

No. 4 — F Jalen Hayes | 6-7, 213, r-sr.

Oakland forward Jalen Hayes (4) falls while driving past Old Dominion forward Denzell Taylor during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game for the Vegas 16 championship, Wednesday, March 30, 2016, in Las Vegas.

Hayes was suspended for the first four games of the season by the NCAA for academic reasons. Hayes called his suspension “frustrating” and “ridiculous” in an interview with CBS Sports because he’s still on track to graduate in December.

Last season, Hayes averaged 15.9 points and a team-high 8.0 rebounds. He had nine double-doubles in conference play and was named first-team All-Horizon League.

ONE THING OAKLAND DOES WELL

The Grizzlies have played solid defense on the 3-point line, limiting opponents to 27.8 percent shooting from deep. Oakland hasn’t played any top 3-point shooting teams, at least considered to Kansas, but its shown potential to defend the arc.

ONE AREA OAKLAND STRUGGLES

It was revealed in a 24-point loss against Syracuse, but the Grizzlies had trouble scoring in their half-court offense. They shot 12 for 37 (32 percent) on two-point shots, allowing the Orange to record an astounding 15 blocks. In Oakland’s last two games, both losses, its shot a combined 34.1 percent from the field.

MEET THE COACH

Oakland head coach Greg Kampe reacts after a foul was called on his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Wright State in the Horizon League tournament Monday, March 7, 2016, in Detroit. Wright State defeated Oakland 59-55.

Greg Kampe is in his 34th season with Oakland, the third-most seasons with the same program in the country behind Jim Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski. Kampe is 15th in the active wins list with 581 victories — four slots below Bill Self.

Prior to starting at Oakland in 1984, Kampe was an assistant at Toledo. He was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in September.

VEGAS SAYS…

Kansas by 19.5. The Grizzlies have lots of experience and will have Jalen Hays back for the first time this season. Yet, I don’t think they have the defense capable of slowing down KU’s guards. Can the Jayhawks shoot as well as they did earlier this week?

My prediction: Kansas 95, Oakland 68. Bobby’s record vs. the spread: 1-2.