Right after former head coach Matthew Driscoll resigned to become the assistant coach at Kansas State University, former assistant coach Bobby Kennen was announced as the interim head coach for the 2025-26 season.

Immediately following the resignation, Kennen held a Zoom meeting with the team, asking for a chance to coach them this upcoming season. The first player to join the Zoom meeting was senior guard Kamrin Oriol, who played mostly a reserve role under Driscoll last season. 

This year, however, Oriol has taken on a leadership role, averaging 15 points in his first three games. On Saturday afternoon, during the UNF men’s basketball home opener, Oriol posted a career-high 30 points on an efficient 12-16 from the floor, while also adding nine rebounds, four assists, and four steals. 

What Ospreys fans saw from Oriol in North Florida’s 122-67 homecoming win over New College of Florida, according to Kennen, who secured his first win as UNF’s interim head coach, is his leadership and character abilities. 

“What you saw today on the court is more a reflection of who he is and his growth as a leader for our team and our voice is going to drive us,” Kennen said. 

The Ospreys, sitting at 1-2 on the young season, lost over 80% percent of their production over the offseason. Oriol is one of the only major pieces coach Kennen was able to retain, a reason why the longtime assistant thinks fondly of him.

“We have so many new guys,” Kennen said. “And I’m just glad that [Oriol] believed in me, that he stuck with us.”

Additionally, redshirt sophomore Mason Lee scored a career-high 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Overall, six Ospreys scored double-figure points. Looking from a bigger picture, UNF tallied a Division-One program record in points, making this first win for Kennen no fluke. 

First Half

The first five minutes were a game of runs, leading to a 13-10 Ospreys lead. It started with Lee and sophomore guard Kent Jackson knocking down treys, giving North Florida a 6-2 advantage. 

Then, the Mighty Banyans responded, producing an 8-0 run thanks to a pair of threes from Diego Eslava. A back-and-forth affair ensued for most of the first half. Both teams were making tough shots and defense seemed optional. 

With four minutes remaining until halftime and the game tied at 39 apiece, the Ospreys stepped up its defense, blitzing the Baynon’s ball screens. The Ospreys stole the ball from New College of Florida twice, forcing two coast-to-coast layups off turnovers. 

To close out half one, UNF went on a 16-4 run, allowing its defensive pressure to create more offensive possessions and fast-break opportunities. At halftime, the Ospreys led 55-43, a more expected score than it was earlier. 

Second Half

Similar to how the first half ended, the Ospreys’ scoring barrage continued in the final frame. Extending its 16-4 run, UNF scored the first 14 points out of the break. Most of these points came in the paint, notching four straight layups to open the half. 

“We were going to trap them and we were able to close out the first half and go [14-0] to begin the second half,” Kennen said. “And I think that was the adjustment. Once you get a turnover, it kind of feeds off. It’s contagious.”

Specifically, Oriol sped up the game, attacking the Baynons and forcing multiple steals. In the first four minutes of the second half, he had eight points and three steals, contributing to the Ospreys’ offensive onslaught. 

For the Baynon’s, they couldn’t sustain any offensive consistency, committing three turnovers in the first 79 seconds. Throughout half two, the Ospreys methodically increased their lead, passing 30, 40, and 50-point advantages. 

Once the Ospreys reached a 30-point lead, specifically an 80-50 advantage, the Banyons called its third timeout. UNF continued to rain buckets, and if the shots didn’t go in, there always seemed to be an Osprey there to clean up the mess. 

Notably, the Ospreys recorded 30 second-chance points, 36 points off turnovers, and 70 points in the paint. Unlike past UNF teams, this group relied more on steals and offensive rebounds, resulting in more paint shots. 

After playing two of the tallest teams and best front courts in the nation, the Ospreys’ forwards finally got their chance to prove themselves. Graduate student Nestor Dyachok posted 10 points, mostly coming late in the second half. 

On the defensive side, freshman guard BJ Plummer recorded three steals as well as 14 points. As a team, UNF shot an efficient 53.8% from the field, relying on more high-percentage shots courtesy of fast breaks and defensive plays. 

When the game started, it wasn’t like that. Both teams were taking tough, contested shots, contributing to less ball distribution. Once UNF started attacking the passing lanes, however, the Ospreys couldn’t be stopped. 

Postgame Reaction

After the game, UNF players doused coach Kennen with squeezable Gatorade bottles, celebrating his first win as head coach. And no one seemed happier than Oriol. 

“The first win, you only get that one time,” Oriol said. “So for us to celebrate with him was just truly amazing to see how excited he was and how we all were.”

Even the coach at New College of Florida, whom Kennen has known “for a long time”, congratulated the first-year head coach.

“He kind of pulled me close,” Kennen said. “He said, never forget who your first win is. Never forget who it’s against.”

Hopefully, for UNF, this is the first of many wins for Kennen. The Ospreys will look to get back to .500 when they travel to Wofford University as part of the ASUN versus Southern conference challenge. Tip-off is Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Spartanburg, South Carolina. 

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