DETROIT (1/11/2024) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team will look to end its skid at home as the Titans prepare for NKU on Saturday inside historic Calihan Hall. 

Game time is set for 1:00 p.m., and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and the Watch ESPN App with Jeremy Otto and Earl Cureton '11 on the call. 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.

Detroit Mercy had the mid-week bye this week, while NKU fell at Oakland on Wednesday and comes into the game at 8-9 overall and 3-3 in the Horizon League. It was the second-straight road overtime setback for NKU as they dropped a contest at Cleveland State in the extra session last week.

The Titans are still trying to get back some players from injuries and personal matters as they have used 13 different starting line-ups in 17 games. 

Graduate senior Edoardo Del Cadia is the only Titan to start all 17 games and is averaging 8.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game - ninth in the HL. Meanwhile, sophomore Marcus Tankersley is one of four Titans to play in all 17 games as he is tallying 13.5 points per game. 

Following the game, UDM will be on the road at Robert Morris next Wednesday before a Titan basketball doubleheader next Saturday, Jan. 20, when the women host Milwaukee at 1:00 p.m., and the men entertain Youngstown State at 4:00 p.m.

Tickets start at just $10 and can be purchased here.

ALL-TIME SERIES

• The Titans dropped both games last year to NKU as the Norse lead the all-time series, 13-4.
• Detroit Mercy is also 2-5 all-time at home in the match-up. 

LOOKING TO END THE SLIDE

• The Titans - whose last win came against Purdue Fort Wayne in last year's conference tournament - have lost 18 in a row dating back to last season, a school record surpassing the 15 straight between the end of the 1986-87 season and the 0-14 start of 1987-88. 

TOUGH NON-CONFERENCE SLATE

• Detroit Mercy played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the Horizon League.
• Nine of the 11 contests had the Titans on the road as the red, white and blue face teams from the AAC, ACC, BIG 10, SEC and the WCC, among others.
• The 11 foes were 202-161 (55.6%) last season, with four making postseason trips in NC State (NCAA), Northwestern (NCAA), Toledo (NIT), and Cincinnati (NIT), and are 102-63 (62.2%) this year. 
• KenPom.com rankings have the Titans' non-conference ranked 67th in the nation and the second-best in the Horizon League behind Oakland at 18th. 

EARNING THOSE HOTEL POINTS

• The Titans started the year with four straight away from Calihan Hall for the fourth time in school history and the third time under head coach Mike Davis.
• In 2020-21, Detroit Mercy started the year with nine straight on the road, while in 2019-20, the red, white and blue played seven in a row away from the Motor City.
• It also happened in 2006-07 when the Titans played their first five on the road.
• Overall, 12 of the first 15 games for the Titans were on the road, as they are in a home for a stretch of nine of 14. 

FROM ALL OVER

• Detroit Mercy's roster features student-athletes from five states (Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, Maryland, Indiana) and five countries outside the states (Australia, Canada, Croatia, France, Italy).
• Edoardo Del Cadia is believed to be the first Titan from Italy, while Jayden Stone is the first Titan from Australia and Alex Tchikou the first from France. 

LOOKING FOR THAT OFFENSE

• Everyone knew the Titans' offense might look different without Antoine Davis.
• Detroit Mercy currently ranks 348th in scoring at 60.1 points per game.
• Without the NCAA all-time second-leading scorer and the top 3-pointer shooter in NCAA history, UDM also ranks 333rd with 5.2 triples per game.
• In fact, the Titans have not hit double-digit 3-pointers this season, the longest streak since going 74 straight between the last five games of the 2009-10 season and the end of the 2011-12 campaign.

SHOWING SOME DEFENSE

• Detroit Mercy has forced double-digit turnovers in eight of its' 17 games on the season. UDM also has at least 10 steals in four games on the year. 
• The Titans' defense forced 33 turnovers last week as Green Bay had 15 and Milwaukee committed 18. They also recorded 11 steals against the Panthers.
• Earlier this year, they had 10 steals and forced Loyola Marymount into 17 turnovers and forced Ball State into a season-high 21 turnovers with a season-best 12 steals. 
• The 12 steals were the most since tallying 13 against IUPUI last season, while the 21 forced turnovers were the most since IUPUI had 21 on the road in 2021.
• Detroit Mercy also posted 11 steals and six blocks against Oakland, the most since recording seven blocks against IUPUI at home last year.

EARNING POINTS AT THE LINE

• The Titans have made double-digit free throws in eight of the last nine games, going 116-of-160 (72.5%) in that span. 
• Detroit Mercy connected on a season-best 20-of-26 at the free throw line at Central Michigan.
• The 20 free throws were the most since making 21 at home against IUPUI last season, while the 26 free-throw attempts were the most since going 22-of-27 at home against Cleveland State last year.

A PRECIOUS STONE

• Senior Jayden Stone - who has missed the last six games - played just three minutes at Loyola Marymount as he injured his ankle early in the game and is considered day-to-day. 
• He has had a great start to the year, topping his career high twice and extending it to a career-best 34 points against Eastern Michigan, hitting 12-of-15 from the field and 4-of-7 from three. He also corralled six rebounds, had four assists and three steals. 
• Stone led the team with 18 points, seven rebounds, six steals and three assists against Ball State, the most steals by a Titan since 2017.
• He had a game-high 26 points, hitting a season-high 5-of-8 from three, along with grabbing a team-best eight boards at Cleveland State. 
• He flirted with a triple-double, posting 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists against Oakland, and that was after 23 points, five rebounds and three assists at Southern Illinois Edwardsville. 
• Earlier in the year, he had a then career-high 25 points at Cincinnati, going 9-of-20 from the field and connecting on four triples, and also led the team with 22 points at Ole Miss.
• Stone is averaging 18.9 points, which would be third in the HL but he does not have enough games to qualify, with his 2.6 triples per game, along with 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists. 
• He has played in 24 career games with the Titans and has netted 20 or more 10 times, been in double figures 18 times, and has grabbed five or more rebounds on 16 occasions, including nine of the 11 games he has seen action in this year. 

SCORE IT MARK

• Sophomore Marcus Tankersley scored just seven points apiece in the first two games at Toledo and Cincinnati on 6-of-13 shooting, but he has picked up the offense since then.
• Dating back to last season, he has now scored in double figures in 15 of the last 19 games and is tallying 13.5 points on the year and shooting 40.9% from the field - 13th in the HL in both categories. 
• He scored a team-high 18 points his last time out against Milwaukee. 
• He netted his second 20-point game of his career with 20 at NC State, tying his career high on 8-of-13 shooting with a career-tying three steals, two rebounds, and an assist.
• He tallied his first career double-double with a career-best 23 points and 11 rebounds at Northwestern. He had 11 points with seven rebounds against Ball State, finished with 10 points, two rebounds, two assists and a career-high three steals against Oakland and posted a then career-high 19 points at Ole Miss on 8-of-13 from the field with four rebounds and a career-high five assists.
• Last year, he came on at the end of the season, scoring 10 points with three steals and five boards against Purdue Fort Wayne in the HL Championship opening round and ended the year with a season-best 14 points, hitting 6-of-9 from the field, with three rebounds and three assists in the HL Quarterfinals at Youngstown State.

DEL CADIA NETS CAREER BEST

• Graduate senior Edoardo Del Cadia had another career performance, racking up his third double-double of the season as he continues to showcase some fine all-around play as a post-player.
• He tied his career high with 16 points and grabbed a career-best 14 rebounds at Purdue Fort Wayne, to go with two steals, a block and an assist. 
• Del Cadia had a double-double with 10 points and 12 boards at NC State in just 22 minutes of action due to foul trouble. 
• Against Ball State, he registered 11 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal, while at Cleveland State, he scored five points, tied for the team lead with eight rebounds and handed out a season-best five assists with a block. 
• He recorded 14 points, six rebounds and four assists, shooting a career-best 6-of-9, at Southern Illinois Edwardsville and tallied a career-best 16 points with 10 boards at Ole Miss, to go with three assists, a block and a steal.  
• He has scored in double figures in seven games and has grabbed at least five rebounds in 12 as he is currently averaging 8.3 points, 6.2 rebounds - ninth in the HL - 1.9 assists and shooting 49.0% (50-of-102) from the field.  

WELCOME NEWBIES

• A pair of freshmen made their collegiate debuts at Loyola Marymount and got right into the thick of things.
• Ryan Hurst - who has been dealing with an undisclosed injury since the start of practice in October - had a season-high 22 points at IUPUI, shooting 8-of-18 from the field, the first 20-point game by a Titan freshman since Antoine Davis in 2018-19.
• He started his career with 13 points, four rebounds and a steal at LMU and came back with a team-high 16 points and nine rebounds at Central Michigan before sitting out at NC State.
• Meanwhile, Michael Oaks - who signed with the Titans out of a prep school in early December, enrolled early and was immediately eligible - had five points and two blocks at LMU, grabbed seven rebounds in just 17 minutes at CMU and had two points, three caroms and a block at NC State.

DAVIS COMING ALIVE

• Sophomore Tyree Davis was scoreless and grabbed just two rebounds in the first four games, but he has come alive since, reaching his season-high of eight points twice and grabbing at least five rebounds three times in the last seven games. In fact, 18 of his 37 total boards have come in the last five contests. 
• He notched four points, five rebounds, and two steals against Milwaukee, and that was after a season-high six boards versus Green Bay. 
• He had five points, two steals, two rebounds, and a block at Loyola Marymount, and that was after eight points and five boards at Northwestern. 
• Davis provided some energy and great minutes against Oakland, making 4-of-5 from the field and ending with eight points, four rebounds, and his first two blocks. 
• Davis' dad, Ricky Davis, played 12 years in the NBA and averaged 13.5 points per game, including a career-high 20.6 with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2002-03.

RETURN OF THE MAK

• Junior Mak Manciel is a local product from Sterling Heights, Michigan, who was a First Team NJCAA All-American as a sophomore at Henry Ford College after posting 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists, shooting 47.6% from the field, 40.8% from three and 83.0% at the line. 
• Last year, he was at Arkansas State, but missed last season due to a knee injury.
• While he is off to a slow start shooting, he just scored five points versus Green Bay and had a season-high five points and tied his season best with six rebounds at IUPUI. He recorded four points, six rebounds and a team-high four assists at NC State.
• He scored his first Division I points on two free throws at Ole Miss, along with a steal. He connected on his first basket, a three, at Ohio and posted four steals and four rebounds against Oakland.

MOTOR CITY PRIDE

• Senior Kyle LeGreair is one of the lone veterans under head coach Mike Davis, who has now played in 74 career games.
• He just had a season-high five points and a season-tying five rebounds with two assists and a steal against Milwaukee. 
• He scored four points with three assists and two rebounds at Purdue Fort Wayne. 
• LeGreair had two points, four rebounds and three assists at NC State. 
• He registered five rebounds and three assists at Ole Miss, two steals at Ohio and three assists against Oakland. 

 MY FAVORITE COLOR IS PINK

• Junior Jamail Pink has been seeing more action this season and set a career-high with 11 points at Central Michigan, going 3-of-7 from the field with a pair of triples.
• He just netted five points and three boards against Milwaukee. 
• He gave the Titans some vital minutes in his first start at Southern Illinois Edwardsville, scoring six points on a pair of 3-pointers and registering two rebounds, two assists, and a steal in a career-high 29 minutes.
• He hit all six of his free throws for six points to go with two steals at LMU and scored five points with three boards and two assists at Northwestern.
• Pink had connected on just two career 3-pointers coming into this season, both last year, but has seven this year. 

FINALLY ON THE COURT

• Graduate senior Emmanuel Kuac made his season debut at NC State, grabbing three rebounds in five minutes of action.
• He just recorded three points, four rebounds, a career-tying three blocks, two assists and a steal in a career-best 27 minutes against Green Bay and that was after a block and a steal in 19 minutes at Purdue Fort Wayne, his first Titan start. 
• He missed the first 12 games, recovering from an injury sustained before his arrival at UDM. Kuac saw action in 47 games with six starts in his four years at New Mexico - averaging 2.7 points and 3.6 rebounds - but played in just six games as a junior and one as a senior due to injuries.

COACH WILLIAMS MAKES HISTORY

• Detroit Mercy hired its first female assistant men's basketball coach in school history in former high school coach Jerica Williams.
• She is one of 31 women on DI MBB staffs in positions of leadership directly working with the players, although she is the only current coach in Division I who has on-the-court instruction and recruiting duties.
• She was the girls' basketball head coach at Detroit Country Day from 2020-2022, where she was named back-to-back Coach of the Year in her first two years as a head coach while leading her team to back-to-back MSHAA Final Fours.
• Prior to the home opener on Nov. 21, Detroit Council Member Angela Calloway presented the prestigious Spirit of Detroit Award to her for her outstanding achievement.
• The Spirit of Detroit Award is issued by the Detroit City Council to a person, event, or organization deemed to have performed an outstanding achievement or service to the citizens of Detroit.

TOATLEY IN DOUBLES AGAIN

• Graduate senior Donovann Toatley was in double figures for the eighth time this year after scoring 16 against Milwaukee and that was after 14 points versus Green Bay.
• He notched a career-high 21 points on a career-tying 9-of-16 shooting with four rebounds, an assist and a steal at NC State. 
• He had a big day in the season opener at Toledo, going for a career-high 20 points, tying his career-best with three steals and assisting on six baskets. He scored 13 points with five rebounds and two assists at Cleveland State, added 10 points versus Ball State and 12 at Central Michigan. 
• He has missed a few games this season due to injury and the coach's decision.
• Toatley played in 45 collegiate games with eight starts in his previous stops at Bethune-Cookman, Monmouth and Tennessee-Chattanooga, although he did not play in any games at Bethune-Cookman. 
• His previous high was 19 points, accomplished four times, with the last against Western Carolina as a member of Tennessee Chattanooga in 2018-19.
• He suited up for 17 games at Monmouth in 2020-21, averaging 7.3 points, and scoring a career-high 17 points at Niagara. 
• As a freshman at Chattanooga in 2018-19, he played in 28 contests, starting eight, and scored 11.4 points, second on the team, while shooting 42.1%. His 82 assists led the team, good for an average of just shy of three per contest, and he netted 17 double-figure scoring nights and also had five points and a career-best 10 assists at Mississippi.

O NO

• Graduate senior Oton Jankovic played in 21 games in three years at Tulane and started his collegiate career at Vanderbilt, playing in 21 games as a rookie.
• He had a career-high nine points and four rebounds in the opener at Toledo and just added six points and four boards at Southern Illinois Edwardsville.  
• He has missed the last 11 games due to an undisclosed injury. 

OLAJUWON IN THE BOOKS

• Redshirt freshman Abdullah Olajuwon - who missed a couple of games with an undisclosed injury - had a career day at Purdue Fort Wayne, scoring a career-best 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting with five rebounds. He also just tied his season-high with eight rebounds against Milwaukee. 
• He grabbed four rebounds at IUPUI in just 11 minutes of action. 
• Against Oakland, he registered two points, four rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists.  
• He had four points with a steal against Eastern Michigan and four points, a team-high eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals at Ohio.
• Olajuwon scored his first basket in the season opener at Toledo and added two more points with six boards at Cincinnati.
• He is now 1,301 points behind his dad, Hakeem Olajuwon, who netted 1,332 in three years at Houston from 1981-84.