ROCHESTER - He bounded up and down the court, his Oakland University practice jersey hanging long over his body and a black headband rimming his bald head.

Laval Lucas-Perry continually smiled Thursday during the Grizzlies practice and his game followed, looking smoother than it ever did at Michigan. Lucas-Perry looked happy and content in his new life, at his third school.

This wasn’t how he envisioned his playing days - sitting out two-fifths of his time in college due to transfers. But it is what happened after Michigan coach John Beilein booted Lucas-Perry off the Wolverines in June for “violating team standards.”

Lucas-Perry had transferred from Arizona to Michigan during his freshman year.

“Of course it's not (what I envisioned),” Lucas-Perry said. “That was a one-hit wonder, Arizona and I’m off. It’s been a good ride, though. I’ve learned from each stop, learned from experiences and players, good teams.

“I’ve played in the Big Ten, played in the Pac 10, against those big-time programs, and it has just made me better.”

Lucas-Perry won't be in the rotation when Oakland plays at Crisler Arena Saturday (noon, ESPN3.com). He won’t play at all in 2010-11 due to NCAA transfer rules and will have one year of eligibility next season.

Lucas-Perry, who averaged 5.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in two years in Ann Arbor, declined to go into specifics about his dismissal from Michigan. Earlier this year, Beilein declined comment, saying his team had moved on to this year.

In the meantime, he is enjoying life playing for the first coach who offered him a scholarship out of Flint Powers Catholic, Oakland coach Greg Kampe.

Actually, Kampe offered Lucas-Perry three times. Out of high school, when he left Arizona and when he left Michigan.

Kampe researched Lucas-Perry’s past before taking him in, although he said there was little doubt he wanted him.

“I did my homework, talked to everybody I can talk to,” Kampe said. “Talked to assistant coaches that had been at Michigan and had left, talked to Arizona people.

“I had already made my decision I wanted him, but I wanted to give people a chance to tell me not to take him and not one person told me that.”

Lucas-Perry is in an interesting situation this week. He’ll watch from the bench Saturday when his current team faces his old team. The only way he was able to help was to run the Grizzlies’ scout team this week.

If there’s any question whether Lucas-Perry has moved on, there shouldn’t be. He said he talks to one member of Michigan’s current team, Jordan Dumars, and hasn’t kept up with what the Wolverines have done this year.

“Of course it’s going to be mixed feelings going back to Ann Arbor,” Lucas-Perry said. “There’s still some of me there, but right now, I’m at Oakland and going to face this like it is another game and go in there and come out with a win.”

Michael Rothstein covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.