Coming off a tremendous 20-win season, Detroit Titans basketball coach Ray McCallum opened the spring signing period today by adding a pair of junior college stalwarts – forward Nick Minnerath and guard Chris Blake – to his team's roster for 2010-11.

The 6-8, 230-pound Minnerath comes to UDM from nearby Jackson (MI) Community College, while Blake (6-5, 200) played his J.C. basketball in Texas at Trinity Valley Community College. Both players will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Titans.

Minnerath capped off an impressive two-year career at Jackson by being named All-Region and Michigan Junior College Western Conference Player of the Year after being runner-up for that honor as a freshman. He averaged 21.0 points per game in 2010 to rank 21st on the NJCAA Division II scoring list. The versatile forward also averaged 8.3 rebounds to lead his team while shooting 55.6 percent from the field.

He is a native of Truro, MA, and played for Nauset High School before breaking his leg and missing his senior season.

“Nick is a 6-8 athlete who can not only score around the basket, but he has a good perimeter jump shot, too,” noted coach McCallum, who guided an improvement of 13 wins in his second season at UDM. “He can step out and shoot it with range.”

Blake is an off guard who averaged 18.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 2.2 assists this season at Trinity Valley. He shot 48% from the floor while helping TVCC to a 23-9 record and an appearance in the NJCAA Region IV tournament semi-finals.

Blake is a native of Mobile, AL, where he led LeFlore High School to the Class 6A state championship and earned First-Team All-State honors during his senior season. A four-year starter, Blake averaged 21 points and six assists as a senior in earning All-State and Player of the Year honors in the City of Mobile. He was the runner-up for Alabama Mr. Basketball honors.

“Chris comes to us out of one of the best junior college conferences in the country,” McCallum said. “His numbers speak for themselves. He comes to us from a great team and he has a winner's attitude.”

The newest Titans will join a pair of incoming freshmen – Jordan Manuel (Indianapolis, IN/Howe) and Frank Williams (Raytown, MO/South) – who signed with UDM in November as well as a cast of veteran players led by returning starters Eli Holman and Chase Simon, a second-team All-Horizon League guard in 2010. Coach McCallum has also announced that four players – Curtis Eatmon, Jordan Fee, Xavier Keeling and Lamar Lee – will not be returning to the Titan roster next season as they pursue other playing opportunities.