In the world of sports, there is perhaps no better way to honor the importance of a player or person than by enshrining them in statue form for everyone to see.
Whether it’s Tennessee’s Pat Summit crossed armed near Thompson-Boling Arena, the NCAA’s all-time leading rebounder, Tom Gola, preserved in bronze at La Salle, or Michigan State commemorating Magic Johnson’s numerous championships, college basketball has become known for some of the most inspiring examples.
More recently, Loyola University
Chicago unveiled a statue of legendary men’s basketball team chaplain Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, to honor her commitment to the school and its athletics department.
With the announcement of Sister Jean’s embronzing just outside Loyola Chicago’s Damen Student Center, fans of Mid-Major Madness voted on which mid-major icon should be next to receive a statue.
In a split decision, 2-time NCAA national champion Bill Russell and current Oakland head coach and 2026 Gene Bartow Award winner Greg Kampe tied for first with 33% of the vote. Davidson great Steph Curry and Princeton offense mastermind Pete Carril each received 17% of the vote.
Russell arrived on campus at San Francisco in 1952 and after averaging more than 20 points per game for the Dons freshman team, was quickly promoted to varsity as a sophomore. He continued much of that success once he finally debuted in December 1953 and went on to lead the California Basketball Association in both points (19.9/G) and rebounds (19.2/G).
Russell led San Francisco to its first ever NCAA Championship during the 1954-55 season by downing Gola and La Salle and made it back-to-back the following year with another win over Iowa. He was twice selected as the Helms Foundation Player of the Year, a two-time Consensus All-American, a three-time All-CBA First Team selection, and shortly thereafter, had his No. 6 officially retired by the program.
Selected second overall in the 1956 NBA Draft, Russell went on to win 11 NBA Championships and five MVP’s during his illustrious 13 year pro career and remains synonymous with Dons basketball.
Kampe took his first coaching job at Toledo after a playing career at Bowling Green State where he made 64 career appearances from 1974-1978. Under longtime Rockets head coach Bob Nichols, Kampe helped Toledo to its first NCAA Tournament in over 11 years and readily made back-to-back appearances by winning the MAC again in 1980.
Kampe finally left Toledo in 1984 and took the head coach position at then-Division-II Oakland where he remains to this day, now 42 years and more than 700 wins later. That’s included overseeing the program’s transition to DI, more than a dozen postseason appearances, five different Coach of the Year awards, 11 conference championships, and so much more.
In 2024, as Oakland won its first Horizon League Tournament title, Kampe helped mastermind an 80-76 upset over third-seeded Kentucky at the NCAA Tournament behind 32 points from three by Jack Gohlke. Though there’s evidently still plenty left in the tank for Kampe heading into his 43rd season at the helm of this program, it’s easy to see why he’s beloved amongst fans, alumni, Oakland and the college basketball community.
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