Transitions

Before getting to the topic at hand, I want to begin by thanking everyone who purchased a copy of our unofficial guide to the 2011-12 Oakland basketball season, the Black and Gold Preview. For those who ordered last week, it should have arrived to your mailbox on Friday or Saturday. If you ordered over this weekend, expect it to arrive early this week. If you experience any trouble, please contact us.

I had very modest expectations for this project considering it is geared toward a very niche audience, but those expectations have largely been met. In fact, we're just one order shy of the sales mark we set as a goal. With that said, if you haven't ordered one yet or know someone who might be interested, please do know that you can still purchase one. Full details are available by clicking here. Even at the present mark, I couldn't be happier with the level of support. Thanks again!

Next order of business: what is happening with the blog? Well, in short, Golden Grizzlies Gameplan will cease to exist this year. However, in its place I will be launching a new website this season called Summit Madness. Thanks in part to those who purchased a Black and Gold Preview, we've got a real domain name this time, which is currently live at this moment: SummitMadness.com. If you click through, you'll only see a banner and some sidebar content. It will officially "launch" on Monday, October 24. So while I'll still be analyzing Oakland hoops this year, it will be alongside analysis of the other nine teams in the Summit League as well. This is a great conference that looks as if it will be extremely competitive in 2011-12. There are tons of interesting players and teams, and with any luck, some folks might stop by Summit Madness to read our take on all things Summit League basketball.

That being said, there will no longer be any posts at this outlet. If you enjoyed the analysis offered here last season and in the Black and Gold Preview, I hope you migrate over to Summit Madness.

Thanks again for reading along over the last year!

Announcing The Black And Gold Preview!

Today marks the official beginning of the college basketball season as teams begin to practice at Midnight Madness, and with this big day comes some exciting news from this blog. Starting today you can purchase the Black and Gold Preview, an "unofficial" publication we have put together that offers a comprehensive preview of the 2011-12 Oakland men's basketball season. We are self-publishing this document as an independent, do-it-yourself initiative featuring articles with the kind of analysis you read here at Golden Grizzlies Gameplan throughout the last year.

The Black and Gold Preview features 22 pages packed full of analysis and information all about Oakland basketball. It has a slick design and was printed on high-quality paper at a print shop and features a full-color cover and black and white interior pages. To get a feel for what you will be able to hold in your hands, check out the photo below.

You can order yours at this moment for the low price of $8.99. The first shipments will go out on Tuesday, October 18. The reason for that is because if you are one of the first 20 people to order before Monday, October 17 by 11:59pm, then you will be entered in a random drawing to receive a full-color copy of the Black and Gold Preview. All other orders will feature a full-color cover, but black and white pages on the inside. In short, you have a chance to win the only full-color copy that will be made.

To help you get a further feel for what the publication is all about, check out the following content for free in PDF form:

• Cover
• About
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• An NBA Future?
• Summit League Team Preview: UMKC Kangaroos

You can order now through PayPal, the leading standard for safe and secure transactions through the web. You can use any major credit or debit card to purchase. Or you can use a PayPal account, but you DO NOT need to have a PayPal account to order. Please click the "Buy Now" button to order and follow the instructions.

NO LONGER FOR SALE. 

Please note that we can only ship inside the United States for this flat rate. If you live outside of the U.S. and would still like to buy, please send an e-mail.

So what is inside the inaugural copy of the Black and Gold Preview?

• Feature articles include an essay on mid-major fandom, an analytical piece on Reggie Hamilton's possible professional future, a look at the impact OU's trip to Canada could have on freshmen playing time, and more
• Detailed look at the best games on the home schedule
• Unique takes on all of the returning scholarship players
• Breakdowns of every non-conference opponent
• Complete previews of every Summit League opponent
• Sidebar content featuring graphs and tables with data you won't find anywhere else, including playmaking ability metrics, clutch performance statistics, and raw possession data
• And much more!

Again, all of this can be in your hands for the value price of $8.99. In an effort to be transparent, here's how we came to that price. The cost for printing, binding, shipping, packaging, and order processing makes up about 70% of the price. The remaining 30% will be used in part to reimburse the contributors who offered some of their time to make this happen. After that, any leftover amount will be used to help support a new online project for the 2011-12 season. What is that new project? Well, we've had enough new developments for one day. Come back here next Friday to find out more.

Thank you for stopping by and reading about this new endeavor. We sincerely hope you consider purchasing the Black and Gold Preview so we can make something like this happen again.