Men's Basketball To Start #HLMBB Play At Purdue Fort Wayne On Thursday

Men's Basketball 11.29.22

Men's Basketball To Start #HLMBB Play At Purdue Fort Wayne On Thursday

Graduate senior A.J. Oliver and the Titans will look to start league play with a big road win.

DETROIT (11/30/2022) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team will start its first round of conference play as the Titans are on the road at Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday.

Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum and will be aired live on ESPN+. Fans can also listen to the action on the radio on WLQV 92.7 FM & 1500 AM FaithTalk Detroit with the Voice of Detroit Mercy basketball Dan Hasty.

The Titans are 3-4 so far in the non-conference campaign, while Purdue Fort Wayne is 4-3 on the season. The Mastodons won a share of the conference last season and were picked to finish tied for first in the HL preseason poll.

The game could be another historic one for graduate senior Antoine Davis as he enters the contest with a school-record 2,897 career points, second all-time in Horizon League history and just 17 shy of Loyola Chicago's Alfredrick Hughes' (1981-85) conference record 2,914.

He is second in the nation in scoring at 23.3 points a night and tied for ninth with 3.57, 3-pointers per game.

This is the 44th year of the Horizon League (1979-80) and the 43rd with Detroit Mercy as a member as the Titans are the eldest program in the league. The red, white and blue are 17-25 all-time in Horizon League openers and 13-29 in Horizon League road openers.

Following the game, the Titans will bus to Cleveland State for a Saturday affair with the Vikings.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Despite being just 161 miles apart, this is only the seventh career meeting between the two schools and the third on the road, with the Mastodons taking both on their home court in a 91-82 decision in 2017 and 62-60 last season.

CONGRATS ON WIN #400

Head coach Mike Davis earned his first triumph as a head coach on Nov. 14, 2000, when his Indiana Hoosiers defeated Pepperdine, 80-68, in Bloomington.
The 70-49 victory over Charlotte marked the 400th career win for Davis, tied for 150th in NCAA history.

THE WORLD IN 1952

Detroit Mercy and Purdue Fort Wayne both play in a pair of historic buildings that coincidently both opened up in 1952 in the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum and Calihan Hall (originally called the Memorial Building until the name was changed in 1977).
Here are some facts about the world in 1952:
Elizabeth II became the Queen of England
I Love Lucy was the number one show
Les Paul started selling his classic electric guitar.
Mr. Potato Head toy was first sold
The average cost of gas was 20 cents a gallon
Companies and brands that were founded include the Holiday Inn, Mrs. T's Pierogies and the Timberland Company
KFC opened its first franchise in Salt Lake City, Utah
The Detroit Lions were NFL champions and the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Nothing new for the Titans to have a family connection in the program and this season, Detroit Mercy will once again feature three Davis' in head coach Mike Davis, assistant coach Mike Davis Jr. and graduate senior guard Antoine Davis.
From 2010-13, the Titans had head coach Ray McCallum and star guard Ray McCallum, winning the HL title in 2012 and earning a trip to the NIT in 2013.
Also, the legendary Bob Calihan coached his son, Bob Calihan Jr., for one season as he transferred to U-D from Loyola for his senior season in 1968-69.
The father-son coaching player duo is part of 23 at Division I, while the family coaching connection is part of eight in DI.

TOUGH SLATE

The non-conference foes combined to go 176-152 (.536) last season, with four teams reaching the postseason, including the semifinals of the NIT.
Ohio and Florida Atlantic made the CBI last year. Bryant earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament, while Washington State advanced to the semifinals of the NIT.
This year so far, the non-conference teams are 39-26 (.600).

OFFENSIVE MINDED

Detroit Mercy has already topped 80 points three times this season after doing so just seven times all of last year.
The Titans have twice posted 30 field goals netting exactly 30 against Ohio and Bryant. They have also shot over 50.0% three times, going for 51.7% (30-of-58) against Ohio, 52.6% (30-of-57) versus Bryant and 52.0% (26-of-50) in the win over Charlotte.
The red, white and blue have connected on double-digit triples in five of their seven games and are 37th in the NCAA with 9.7 per contest. They drained a season-high 15 against Bryant, in just 24 attempts for 62.4%, and have made double-digit triples in 22 of 37 games dating back to last season.

HIGHEST PRESEASON HONOR

Antoine Davis was named the Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year.
He was the Co-HL Player of the Year last season, the fifth Titan to be selected the HL Player of the Year, and the first player in conference history to make All-League four times - with every one of those a first-team selection.
He led the HL in scoring at 23.9 ppg., shooting 42.9% from the field, 37.9% from three and 88.2% at the free-throw line to go with 3.6 rebounds per game and 28 steals last year. He led the league and was second in the nation in three-point field goals per game (3.90) and the HL leader in free-throw percentage (88.2%), three-point field-goal percentage (37.9%) and third in the league with 4.4 assists.

NATIONAL NOTICE

Antoine Davis has garnered some national attention on preseason watch lists.
He was named a Preseason Third Team All-American by Dick Vitale.
Davis is one of the 20 candidates for the 2023 Bob Cousy Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
He was also named one of the 50 candidates for the Wooden Award for the nation's Most Outstanding Player, a top 50 candidate for the Naismith Trophy National Player of the Year and a top 50 candidate for the Lou Henson Award for the top mid-major player.
Last season he earned the Lou Henson Award All-American, First Team USBWA All-District V and NABC First Team All-District 12 selection.

AMONG THE BESTS

Antoine Davis owned the scoring crown in the Horizon League last year at 23.9 points per game, third in the nation, as he became the first player in HL history to top the league in scoring four times, passing Loyola Chicago's Alfredrick Hughes, who did it in three-straight seasons (1983, 1984, 1985).
He also finished top-four nationally for the fourth-straight year (26.1 for third in 2019, 24.3 for fourth in 2020 and 24.0 for third in 2021).
Davis is currently second in the nation in scoring at 23.3 points per game as well as ninth with 3.57, 3-pointers per contest.

ANOTHER NCAA RECORD FOR DAVIS

Antoine Davis scored 29 points against Bryant, but it was his 3-pointer in the first half that got him to 11 points and secured the NCAA record for the most consecutive games in double figures with 116-straight and he has now extended that mark to 118 after his 15 points at Washington State.
He broke the mark held by Chris Clemons (Campbell, 2015-2019) and Lionel Simmons (La Salle, 1987-90).
As a freshman, Davis broke the NCAA record for 3-pointers in a season by a rookie with 132, passing Stephen Curry's 122 he had at Davidson in 2007-08.

RACKING UP THE POINTS

Antoine Davis now has 82 career 20-point games, 26 career 30-point outings and four 40-point contests in 118 games - reaching 17 points in 104 of them.
Last year, he posted 20 or more points 18 times, second most in the league, with a conference-best six 30-point outings, including a season-high 39 points at home against Milwaukee and on the road at Hofstra, the highest scoring mark in the HL.
As a junior, he recorded a HL-best 15, 20-point games, five 30-point outings and a conference high-tying 46 points, just two off his career-high and a HL Tournament record with his 46 coming against Robert Morris in the first round of the playoffs.

ABOUT 2,800 POINTS

Antoine Davis is the highest active scorer in the country in total points with 2,897, 14th in NCAA history.
At the moment, only 20 players have reached 2,800 at the DI level.
It was his 18th point at Robert Morris last season on a three that put him at 2,500 career points, which was just the fourth time that a student-athlete has posted 2,500 with his dad as head coach following Pete Maravich (Press Maravich), Doug McDermott (Greg McDermott) and Allan Houston (Wade Houston).
Only 12 players have reached 2,000 career points in the Horizon League as he is second in conference history in that category, 17 shy of the all-time record.
Imagine that record with the idea that Davis and the Titans have seen 13 games canceled and not made up in the last two seasons due to the pandemic, at least one game missed due to the Titans not being eligible for the postseason in 2019-20, one game canceled at California in his freshman year due to smoke from wildfires, one contest he sat out against a non-DI as a senior and a game missed as a freshman and sophomore due to an injury.

ONE LETHAL SHOT

Antoine Davis comes into the game fifth all-time in NCAA history with 3.85, three-point field goals per game.
He posted back-to-back season-highs of six against Bryant and Charlotte and had five in the win over Ohio, as he is ninth in the NCAA with 3.57, 3-pointers per contest.
Davis has made a three in 113 of his 118 collegiate games with 64 career games with four or more triples, 23 with six or more, 10 games with seven or more, and has thrice connected on 10 in his career, tying a school record as well as breaking a conference tournament record.
He was the conference leader and fifth in the country in total 3-pointers (113) last season, third in school history to join his 132 for second in 2019, 101 for fifth in 2020 and 83 for eighth in 2021.
Davis is already the school and career 3-point record holder at 454 career triples as he passed former Titan All-American Rashad Phillips (348) for both records.
He is currently fifth in NCAA history in total 3-pointers at 454, three shy of moving into the top three and 55 behind Fletcher Magee's NCAA record of 509.

CASHING IN ON THE FREE ONES

Graduate senior Antoine Davis led the HL and was 23rd in the nation in free-throw percentage (88.2%) last year, good for sixth in school history as he is also first with 91.7% in 2021, 90.1% for fourth in 2020 and 85.7% for ninth in 2019.
He owns the school record at 88.4% (503-of-569), eighth among active players and tied for 31st all-time in NCAA history.
He has had numerous streaks of 10 or more free throws in his career with a career-best of 57-straight between the end of his junior and the start of his senior year.

AD THE QUICKEST TO 1,000 & 2,000 & OWNS THE SCHOOL RECORD

With his 39 points at home against Milwaukee as a senior last season, Antoine Davis became the Titans' all-time leading scorer passing Rashad Phillips (2,319) with his 36th point and now has 2,897, second in HL history, 17 shy of that record.
Davis scored 27 points at Notre Dame in the 2019-20 season, but it was his free throw for 26 that made history giving him 1,000 career points in just 39 games, passing the great Dave DeBusschere as the fastest Titan to reach 1,000.
DeBusschere accomplished the feat in his 43rd collegiate game.
Davis became the 43rd player in school history to eclipse 1,000 career points and just the third second-year player joining DeBusschere (who did it as a junior as freshmen could not play) and sophomore Ray McCallum in 2010-11.
Last year, he passed DeBusschere again (1,978) for third in Titan history as he crossed the 2,000-point plateau in his 81st game, quicker than the other two 2,000-point scorers in John Long (2,167 total - 2,000 in game 102) and Rashad Phillips (2,319 total - 2,000 in game 116).

DAVIS DISHING IT OUT

Antoine Davis can not only score, but he can get his teammates involved as he is sixth in school history with 500 assists.
The all-time record is 615 by Kevin McAdoo as he is now 115 shy of that mark.
He has 49 games with five or more assists - including nine last season - and posted a nine-assist performance in the season opener.
His career-best is 10 at IUPUI and against Western Michigan last season.
If he were to reach 3,000 career points, he would be just the second player in NCAA history to amass 3,000 points and 500 assists, joining St. Peter's Keydren Clark (2002-06), who recorded 3,058 points with 501 career helpers.

A.J. LOOKING FOR ONE FINAL RUN

A.J. Oliver posted 12 points and five rebounds in the season opener and had 10 points against Bryant and five points and five rebounds versus Charlotte.
He played in 95 games with 54 starts at Clemson and at Old Dominion from 2017-22 and averaged 6.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, shooting 35.0 % from the field, 37.1% from three and 79.1% at the free-throw line.
Last season at ODU, he saw action in all 32 games with 11 starts and tallied 2.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.
In 2020-21, he started all 21 contests he appeared in and ranked third on the team with 9.7 points and led the squad with an 88.6 free-throw percentage and 33 triples.
In his first year at ODU, he played in 22 games with 21 starts and was third on the team with 11.3 points per game, led the team with 51, 3-pointers while also pulling down 4.9 rebounds per game, pouring in a career-high 21 points against FAU and grabbing a career-high 12 boards versus UTSA.
Oliver joined Clemson mid-season in 2016-17 and did not play, but then got in 19 games for the Tigers in 2017-18, posting 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.

FROM THE LAND DOWN UNDER

Junior Jayden Stone had a massive game in the season opener, posting his first double-double with a career-high 15 points and 12 rebounds. Since then, he has twice passed his career high with a game-high 22 points with six rebounds, two assists and two steals at Boston College and 24 points with six assists against Bryant. At Washington State, he netted a team-high 20 with five boards.
On the season, he is averaging 14.4 points - tied for fifth in the HL - shooting 51.6% overall (33-of-64), 54.2% from three (13-of-24) and 91.7% (22-of-24) at the free throw line to go with 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
The Perth, Australia, native transferred to Detroit Mercy after playing his first two years at Grand Canyon, where he played in 30 games the past two seasons and averaged 3.4 points and 1.4 rebounds to go with 25 assists to just 16 turnovers. He shot 39.3% from the field and 30.2% from behind the arc, along with 82.1% at the free-throw line, scoring a career-high 14 points against Abilene Christian, hitting 5-of-7 from the field.
He was one of the top prospects in the state of Alabama, earning the 2019 Alabama 2A Player of the Year.

HOOSIER IN THE MOTOR CITY

Graduate senior Damezi Anderson had a great start to his Titan career with a career-high 17 points, nine rebounds and three assists, going 6-of-13 from the field and 5-of-12 from behind the arc.
He followed that with 11 points and four boards at Boston College before fouling out with more than 10 minutes left in the game and 15 points and four rebounds versus Ohio.
On the season, he is tallying 8.4 points and 3.4 rebounds, shooting 21-of-46 (45.7%) from the field and 14-of-36 (38.9%) from three.
He started his career at Indiana before ending up at Loyola.
He did not play in 2021-22 at Loyola and saw action in four games the year before. Prior to that, he played for Indiana for two seasons, appearing in 39 games and averaged 2.1 points and 1.6 rebounds, including 2.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 18 games as a sophomore.
Coming out of high school, he was ranked #92 in the country by 247Sports and No. 114 in the nation by Rivals and was the No. 2 player in the state of Indiana.

LONE STAR PHILLIPS IS BACK

Senior Jordan Phillips saw injuries limit him to just three games last year, but he started this season with a bang recording his second career double-double by tying his career high with 18 points and 10 rebounds to go with two steals against Rochester.
Since then, he has been a consistent player for the Titans, scoring in double figures in five games, grabbing at least four rebounds in four games, and handing out a pair of assists in three contests.
He netted six points with seven rebounds at Boston College, 13 points, three caroms and two assists versus Ohio, 16 points with four rebounds at Florida Atlantic, 11 points with three boards and two assists against Bryant and 11 points with eight rebounds in the win over Charlotte.
He is currently posting 12.0 points and 5.4 rebounds, shooting 42.4% from the field (28-of-66) and 45.0% from three (9-of-20).
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, he transferred to the Titans after appearing in 64 games in his three seasons at Arkansas and UT Arlington.
He spent the last two years with the Mavericks and averaged 6.8 points and 3.1 rebounds in 47 games, shooting 34.0% from the floor, 33.0% from behind the arc and 76.0% at the free-throw line.
As a sophomore, he tallied 7.4 points and scored in double figures in nine of his 26 games, posting his first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds against Little Rock and had a season-high 17 points versus Louisiana, a game in which he earned #5 on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays on Jan. 15 for an and-one dunk.
In 2019-20, he played in all 32 games with 21 starts and recorded 6.3 points and 3.5 rebounds. He netted a career-high 18 points at eventual Sun Belt champion Little Rock, connecting on a career-best four 3-pointers and had 14 points hitting three 3-pointers at #14 Oregon and also had 14 points with a career-best seven boards versus UC Santa Barbara.
As a freshman, he saw limited minutes in seven games at Arkansas.

MEET MR. MOSS

TJ Moss joined the Titans after a successful prep career in high school and playing at South Carolina and McNeese State.
He scored a season-high nine points with five rebounds, three assists and two steals versus Charlotte.
Moss had four points, four assists, two rebounds, a block and a steal versus Bryant after five points and a team-high four assists against Ohio.
He played in 64 games with eight starts prior to transferring to Detroit Mercy.
Last year, he suited up in nine games at McNeese State and averaged 7.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, while collecting eight steals. He scored a career-high 17 points at TCU, where he was 5-of-12 from behind the arc, and had five assists and three steals.
He spent his first three seasons at South Carolina in the SEC, where he played in 55 games for the Gamecocks, posting 3.3 points, 1.8 assists and 1.3 boards with 30 steals in his time. After playing in just seven games as a freshman before an injury ended his season, he saw action in 30 games and tallied 6.9 points, 5.0 assists and 2.9 rebounds as a sophomore, scoring a season-high 10 points against Kentucky.
He came back the next year to play in 18 games and dropped a season-best 15 points at Tennessee and also had seven assists against Arkansas and six assists in the SEC tournament against Mississippi.
As a prep, he was a four-star prospect on ESPN.com and was once hailed as the 26th-best prospect nationally in the Class of 2018 by 247Sports.