DETROIT (7/27/2017) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team continued its impressive 2017 signing class as junior college transfer Tariiq Jones (Detroit, Mich./Dakota/Schoolcraft CC) and preferred walk-on Bass Ollie (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Central) announced their intentions to wear the red, white and blue.

"The addition of Tariiq Jones and Bass Ollie are much needed and very important for our program," said head coach Bacari Alexander '99. "Both come from winning programs and were tutored by some outstanding coaches."

Jones is a 6-7, 200-lb forward who played under Titan assistant coach Jermaine Jackson '99 at Mount Clemens High School as well as alongside another Titan signee in Jermaine Jackson Jr., at Macomb Dakota before spending time at Ranger College and Schoolcraft College. 

Last season at Schoolcraft, he was selected to the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) Eastern Conference Second Team after averaging 10.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He shot 49.5-percent from the field and 46.4-percent from behind the arc and scored in double figures in 16 games. Jones helped the program to a 23-6 overall record and national ranking during the season along with an Eastern Conference and MCCAA championship.  

"Tariiq has a tireless work ethic and his elite athleticism gives us another talented, multi-skilled player for our program," said coach Alexander. "His time at Schoolcraft College allowed him to be in yet another winning program under the leadership of Abe Mashhour and staff, and we are eager to add such a relentless worker into our Detroit Mercy Family!"

At Ranger, he tallied 4.3 points and 1.6 rebounds for a squad that went 31-7 and finished fourth at the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament. In high school, he was a part of a Mount Clemens squad that won a district and regional championship before suiting up his senior season at Dakota, where he helped the team win a division and district title.  

Ollie – a 6-3, 175-lb guard – played baseball, basketball and football at Kalamazoo Central, where he earned a number of awards as a senior, including Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan All-State honorable mention, All-Area honorable mention, BCAM Team First Award, Academic All-State and the Dr. Charles Warfield Youth Service Award. 

He helped the team to back-to-back district championships as a junior and senior and a regional title as a senior. In his final high school season, he averaged a double-double on the hardwood and that was after a senior campaign in football that saw him earn All-Conference and Kalamazoo Gazette Dream Team status. 

"Bass comes from a highly respected program at Kalamazoo Central, where he was coached by former Titan standout Ramsey Nichols. He was an All-City and All-State football and basketball talent who has a passion for our University and program, and we are excited about the future with him at Detroit Mercy," added coach Alexander. 

The pair of student-athletes rounds out an impressive 2017 recruiting class for the upcoming season that includes freshmen Jack Ballantyne (Shelby Township, Mich./Dakota) and Jermaine Jackson Jr. (Shelby Township, Mich./Dakota) along with fifth-year graduate transfer Roschon Prince (Long Beach, Calif. / Long Beach Poly / Long Beach State).   
 

Titans' 2017 Signing Class Grows With Additions Of Tariiq Jones and Bass Ollie https://t.co/2ipB8jBE8W #DetroitsCollegeTeam pic.twitter.com/X7818UrYRu

— Detroit Mercy MBB (@DetroitMBB) July 27, 2017