DETROIT (11/1/2017) - The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team will hit the hardwood this Saturday, Nov. 4, as the Titans host Wayne State in the Second Annual College City Series. The game will be in Calihan Hall with opening tip at 7 p.m., and tickets can be purchased at Calihan Hall in person or over the phone at 313-993-1700.
Here are a few Titan Tidbits as we enter the 2017-18 season.
- The University of Detroit Mercy Department of Athletics has once again partnered with Michigan First Credit Union for the Second Annual "City College Series", benefiting Detroit Public Schools (DPS), grades K-5. The in-state rivalry and sponsorship formed with Michigan First to raise money for DPS with the aid of a basketball game between local academic institutions in the city. All proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to Detroit Public Schools to provide financial assistance for the district's K-5 classrooms with Michigan First contributing a matching donation for all tickets sold. Last year, nearly 2,555 people came out to
watch the two local teams battle and the game raised nearly $8,000.
- With the game benefiting DPS, the Detroit Mercy-Wayne State match-up will feature a number of Motor City products including 10 total student-athletes from the city of Detroit and four coaches who all have early roots in the city. Four of the student-athletes from Detroit Mercy that grew up in the city or went to school in Detroit are juniors
Gerald Blackshear Jr., (Detroit Western),
Tariiq Jones (Detroit, Mich.),
Josh McFolley (Detroit Western) and sophomore
Ed Carter III (Edison), while head coach Bacari Alexander (Southwestern) and assistant coach Jermaine Jackson (Finney) also hail from Detroit.
- The Titan backcourt returns two of the top three-point shooters in the country in junior
Josh McFolley and sophomore
Corey Allen. Allen was third in the league and 78th in the nation with 2.60 three-point field goals per game, and his 78 triples on the season were third in the conference and eighth in the school record book. McFolley was second on the Titans and fifth in the HL with 2.3, 3-pointers per game as he connected on a career-best 71 triples, 13th in school history. In fact, that tandem posted 149 treys last season, which ranks as the 16th highest total among returning players.
1 – (190) Montana State: Hall (120) and Frey (70)
2 – (185) Campbell: Clemons (118) and Burk (67)
3 – (179) Lipscomb: Moran (90) and Mathews (89)
4 – (175) Murray State: Stark (108) and Miller (67)
5 – (166) Troy: Person (94) and Baker (72)
6 – (165) Wofford: Magee (112) and Hoover (53)
7 – (164) Kansas: Graham (94) and Mykhailiuk (70)
8 – (163) St. Bonaventure: Mobley (86) and Adams (77)
9 – (159) Samford: Denzel-Dyson (86) and Thompson/Chambers (73)
10 – (157) UNCG: Alonso (102) and Smith (55)
11 – (155) Xavier: Bluiett (91) and Macura (64)
12 – (154) Vanderbilt: Fisher-Davis (84) and Lachance (70)
13 – (153) South Dakota State: Daum (79) and Tellinghuisen (77)
153 – (Marquette) Howard: (82) and Rowsey (71)
15 – (151) BYU: Haws (76) and Emery (76)
16 – (149) Detroit Mercy: Allen (78) and McFolley (71)
- Senior
Jaleel Hogan averaged a career-best 15.9 points per game last season, which is the fourth highest total among all returning Horizon League players.
- Junior
Gerald Blackshear Jr., was one of the best rebounders in the league when he was on the court last season tallying 4.0 rebounds in just 17.2 minutes of court time. Blackshear pulled down five or more rebounds in 12 games, including a career-high 11 boards at Cleveland State.
- Graduate senior
Roschon Prince is just the second graduate transfer in Titan history joining Brandan Kearney in 2014-15.
- Detroit Mercy will have a couple of family connections as junior
Kameron Chatman is the son of assistant coach
Canaan Chatman and freshman
Jermaine Jackson Jr., is the son of assistant coach and former Titan and HL Player of the Year Jermaine Jackson.
- The Titans season opener at Virginia Tech is the first season opener on the road since Detroit Mercy played at South Alabama in 2013.
