DETROIT (11/15/2017) -- The early signing period was highly productive for the Titans as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball program signed two highly-touted prospects in
Cory Hightower Jr. (Norcross, Ga./Meadowcreek) and
Adrian Nelson (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Pickerington Central).
"This week kicks off my second recruiting class cycle and I'm very excited about our new Titans!" said head coach
Bacari Alexander '99. "Both Adrian and Cory are athletic and versatile players with very high ceilings. It's so important for us to continue to attract talent from the Midwest and the national recruiting landscape as well."
Hightower Jr. – who is originally from Flint, Michigan – was selected Second Team All-Region as a junior at Meadowcreek High School after averaging 10.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals. The 6-7, 215-lb forward helped the Mustangs to their first state tournament appearance since 2013.
He played AAU with Stackhouse Elite and was invited to the Hoop Seen Elite camp this past summer. He is also the son of Cory Hightower, who was selected in the second round of the 2000 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs and ended up playing professional basketball for over 10 years.
"Cory has a basketball IQ of a point guard at the forward position, which is very dangerous at the college level," said coach Alexander. "His ability to make smart and athletic plays just compliments his overall skill set of shooting and rebounding. Although he's attending school in Georgia, there's no doubt that he is Flint Tough! We are grateful to the Jerry Stackhouse Elite AAU program, which aligns perfectly with how we want to grow young people and players."
Nelson is a 6-7, 186-lb wing who played for one of the best teams in Ohio in Pickerington Central, helping the school to its second state semifinalist appearance. The Tigers won a 2017 district and regional championship and posted 28 wins a year ago.
He averaged 9.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game and was named to the 270 Hoops Division I Honorable Mention. Nelson was also ranked as the No. 16 prospect in the state of Ohio By Ohio Hoops, including the No. 6 small forward.
"Adrian is an extremely athletic guard who stands at 6-7 and can stretch the defense and attack the rim as well in a variety of ways. He's truly a steal for us from Ohio that could easily play at a higher level and he comes from a winning pedigree at Pickerington Central High under Coach Eric Krueger," added coach Alexander.
The Titans will be back in action this weekend in Nashville, Tennessee, as Detroit Mercy will play in the 2K Sports Classic Belmont Subregional opening up with Seattle on Saturday.
