DETROIT (11/5/2025) -- Another road trip for the Titans as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team will be at Notre Dame on Friday.

Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. (EST) at Purcell Pavilion and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and the ACC Network Extra.

The Titans and Notre Dame first met way back on Feb. 8, 1912, and played regularly between 1930 and 1960, with Notre Dame leading the all-time series, 43-12, including 21-4, in South Bend. UDM lost the first 24 meetings until Dec. 1, 1955, when Bill Ebben scored 32 points for a 77-71 victory at home.

The Titans are coming off a 91-71 season-opening setback at UIC. Junior Ayden Carter led the way with a team-high 18 points and also had five rebounds. Freshman Keshawn Fisher had 12 points, and senior Orlando Lovejoy had 11.

Notre Dame started the year with an 89-67 home triumph over LIU.

Following the game, the Titans will return home to face Cleary on Tuesday.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES

• This is a battle of two old Catholic rivals, which began in 1912, with Notre Dame leading the all-time series 43-12, including 21-4 at home.
• UND actually won the first 24 meetings in the match-up from 1912 to 1955, when the Titans won 77-71 at home. 
• Notre Dame has won three in a row, with the last meeting a 78-70 victory during the 2020-2021 pandemic season.
• The last Detroit Mercy wins came in back-to-back seasons, with a 72-70 triumph on the road in 1992 and an 83-59 home victory in 1993.

FUN FACTS ABOUT 1912

• Here are some facts about 1912 when the Titans first played Notre Dame.
• New Mexico and Arizona were admitted as the 47th and 48th state
• Fenway Park opened with a game between the Boston Red Sox and New  York Yankees (who were known at that time as the "Highlanders")
• The Titanic sank
• Nabisco introduced Oreo cookies
• It was the first year toy surprises were put into every Cracker Jack box

SHARING A LEGEND

• Detroit Mercy and Notre Dame share a gridiron Hall of Fame icon in Gus Dorais, who is credited as the "Father of the Forward Pass" for being the first QB to make forward passing the central part of an offense. 
• Dorais led the Fighting Irish to a 6-0-2 record in 1911 and back-to-back 7-0 seasons in 1912 and 1913, earning All-American accolades in 1913. 
• After his pro career, he entered coaching and became the AD and head football and basketball coach at the University of Detroit, leading the football team from 1925-1942 and posting a 113-48-7 record, helping U-D to a national championship in 1928. In basketball, he tallied a 36-30 mark from 1925-1929.

AGAINST THE ACC

• Detroit Mercy is 20-79 all-time against current teams in the ACC, although most of that is against Notre Dame (12-43), with the last win versus a current ACC school against the Fighting Irish, 83-59, in the Motor City in 1993.
• In its history, though, the Titans have not defeated an ACC school when they were in the conference. Their other wins have come against Boston College (4-3), Syracuse (1-5), Louisville (1-7), Pitt (1-2), and Georgia Tech (1-1), all before they were officially in the ACC.  

JUST  SPECULATION

• The Titans were picked to finish ninth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, while senior Orlando Lovejoy was named First Team All-HL.
• Other publications have slated UDM anywhere from 6th-9th, while Lance Stone and Keshawn Fisher have earned Freshman Of The Year nods by the Horizone Roundtable and Mid Major Madness, respectively. 

A DAUNTING SLATE

• Detroit Mercy will have a challenging non-conference schedule, visiting four states and playing eight games in the first 26 days of the season.
• The slate includes trips to Michigan State, Notre Dame, and DePaul, as well as UIC, Toledo, and Niagara.
• The game at Michigan State is particularly intriguing as head coach Mark Montgomery will face his college coach and former boss, Tom Izzo.

LOCAL & GLOBAL TITANS

• Detroit Mercy will have a lot of local flair this year, as eight of the 14 Titans hail from Michigan, including six from the Detroit Metro area. 
• Along with those Titans, Detroit Mercy also has three players from Ohio, a student-athlete from Nevada, and two from out of the country in Canada and Australia.

THE HEALTH BUG

• Last season, the Titans saw 10 players miss at least one game due to an injury.
• There were two games when UDM had just eight and nine players to suit up as well, as a game on Jan. 11 at Purdue Fort Wayne, where Detroit Mercy started five freshmen for the first time in over 50 years.
• Due to injuries, the Titans used 17 different starting combinations on the year.
• The Titans are already off to a good start with all 14 players healthy and seeing action in the season opener at UIC. 

LOOKING FOR THAT SWEET SHOT

• One of the Titans' offseason emphases was shooting and getting more shots up, which they did in the season opener, hoisting 77 shots, including 40 from behind the arc.
• It was the second-most 3-point attempts in school history.
• Last season, they were seventh in the Horizon League, hitting at 33.0% from three, ranked 11th in the HL and 341st in DI, connecting on 5.6 per game, and 11th in the conference and 347th in the country with just 17.0 attempts per game. 
• In fact, the red, white, and blue had just two games on the year with double-digit 3-pointers (10 at Oakland, 11 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne) and have now reached that mark just four times in the last 65 games.

MAKING THE FREE ONES

• The Titans took advantage of the free throw line last year, ranking fourth in the Horizon League at 73.5%.
• Senior Orlando Lovejoy was second in the league at 86.7% (117-of-135). Senior Legend Geeter made 49-of-61 (80.3%) and sophomore TJ Nadeau hit 86.0% (37-of-43).
• Detroit Mercy tallied double-digit free throws 24 times last year, including a season-high of 22 at Youngstown State.
• They got off to a good start, going 15-of-20 at the line at UIC. 

GIVE ME THAT BALL

• Detroit Mercy had just two games last season with double-digit steals, but tallied 11 in the season opener at UIC. 
• Eight Titans came away with a steal, including two apiece in Orlando Lovejoy, Nate Johnson and Ayden Carter. 

WINNING THE GLASS

• Detroit Mercy outrebounded teams 19 times last season and ranked second in the Horizon League, and 50th in the country with 37.7 rebounds per game, and fifth in the HL, and 63rd in the country with 12.1 offensive boards per game. 

OUR PRIDE AND JOY

• Preseason All-Horizon League guard senior Orlando Lovejoy had his all-around game with 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals at UIC. 
• He started all 30 games he saw action in last year, leading the team at 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, shooting 44.7% overall and 86.7% at the line, ranking in the top 10 in the HL in scoring (4th), assists (7th), steals (2nd), field-goal percentage (8th), free-throw percentage (2nd) and minutes played (2nd - 35:05).
• Lovejoy netted double figures in 24 games, grabbed at least three rebounds in 26 games and six on nine occasions, registered at least three assists in 23 games and five or more in eight, and secured at least one steal in 25 games with 10 multi-steal contests.
• He tallied nine 20-point games on the season, tied for the eighth most in the HL.
• He scored 28 points against Rhode Island, going 10-of-20 from the field, with seven assists, four rebounds, and two steals, and had a career-high 32 points with nine rebounds against Robert Morris, going 13-of-21 from the field, and 20 points with a career-tying 10 rebounds for his second career double-double, along with five assists, versus Milwaukee.
• One of the most impressive stats is that the 6-3 guard is an old-style type of player, making just four total 3-pointers on the season as he looks to penetrate and kick it out. In fact, in six of his 20-point outings, he did not even attempt a three.

AC BRINGING THE FAITH

• Junior Ayden Carter stood out at DII Walsh University and stood out in his DI debut, tallying a team-high 18 points (7-14 FG) with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals at UIC. 
• At Walsh, he played in 50 games and tallied 11.2 points and 4.3 rebounds, shooting 46.2% from the field and 80.4% at the free-throw line. 
• As a sophomore, he led the squad at 19.0 points, was second with 5.7 rebounds, and third with 1.7 assists. Carter scored in double figures in 19 of his 20 games and netted eight 20-point games, including a career-high 34 points and 12 rebounds against Northwood. 
• As a freshman, he helped the team win the G-MAC and make the NCAA Tournament, playing in all 30 games and averaging 6.0 points and 3.4 rebounds. 
• Earlier this year, he was ordained as a minister by his church, Path2Life Ministries. 

THE KEY TO SUCCESS

• Freshman Keshawn Fisher had a good start to his collegiate career, recording 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting, with a pair of 3-pointers. 
• He was a three-star recruit and had an 85 rating on 247Sports.com after prepping at Overtime Elite Academy in Atlanta, an institution that has produced top 10 NBA draft picks Rob Dillingham, Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, and Alex Sarr in the last few years.
• In his lone season at OTE, he posted 11.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks, and was a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year. Fisher recorded double figures in 11 games, with a 20-point performance and a double-double.
• At River Rouge High School, he was named All-State First Team by the Detroit News and the AP as a senior after tallying 25.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 blocks, shooting 50.6% from the field and 35.7% from three.

THE LEGEND OF GEETER

• Senior Legend Geeter had two points, two assists, a steal, and tied for the team lead with five rebounds in the season opener at UIC. 
• He played in 29 games, starting 16, and tallied 7.9 points - fifth on the team - 4.1 rebounds - third on the squad - and 1.3 assists, shooting 41.2% from the field, 35.6% from three, and 80.3% at the line. His 83 field goals were also fourth on the team as he scored in double figures in 12 games.
• On the glass, he posted at least three rebounds in 22 games and grabbed at least two offensive rebounds in 12 games.
• He recorded a career-high 22 points, going 9-of-12 from the field and 3-of-4 from distance, ringing in the game-winning triple against Purdue Fort Wayne, while corralling nine boards and also had 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists at Oakland.

WHAT NADEAU ABOUT NOTHING

• Sophomore TJ Nadeau scored the first basket of the season and had five points at UIC.  
• He was one of three Titans to appear in all 32 games last year, with 16 starts, and registered 8.9 points - second on the team - 3.5 rebounds - sixth on the squad - while hitting 36.1% from the field, 34.3% from three, and 86.0% at the line, playing in 24.4 minutes a night.
• He led the team with 48, 3-pointers - connecting on a three in 25 of the 32 games - and was second with 100 total field goals.
• He reached double figures 11 times and had at least five caroms in 10 contests.
• He really came on as the season went along, going from 6.5 points and 3.2 rebounds, shooting 28.9% from the field in the non-conference to 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds, shooting 39.7% overall and 36.1% from distance in conference action.
• He scored 13 points with a season-best nine boards at Wake Forest and had a career-high 20 points with eight rebounds and two steals at Purdue Fort Wayne. 
• His mom, Julie, played basketball at Miami of Ohio, and his dad, Todd, at Albion.    

NATE THE GREAT

• Sophomore Nate Johnson - a member of the Horizon League All-Freshmen Team - had seven points, four rebounds, and two steals in the season opener at UIC. 
• He was another part of the freshmen trio who played in all 32 games, making 31 starts, and posted 8.8 points - third on the team - 4.5 rebounds - second on the team - and 1.7 assists, hitting 38.6% from the field and 30.1% from three in 29.8 minutes of court time.
• His 98 field goals were third on the team, while his 31, 3-pointers were second.
• Johnson registered 13 games in double figures, 17 games with five or more rebounds, and nine games with at least two assists. 
• He pulled down a season-high 10 boards and finished with six points and three assists at Youngstown State, and scored a season-high 19 points, hitting 6-of-12 from the field, 3-of-3 from three, and 4-of-4 at the line, with six rebounds at Purdue Fort Wayne. 
• Johnson's cousin is former Titan standout Wilbert McCormick, who played from 1977-80 and is second in school history with 611 assists. Two cousins played college basketball in Xavier Johnson (Colorado State) and Raquan Battle (West Virginia), while another cousin, Morgan Tuck, played at Connecticut and won four NCAA titles before winning a WNBA championship with the Seattle Storm in 2020. 

KALAMBAY'S PLAY

• Sophomore Ryan Kalambay had four points, three rebounds, a block, and a steal in just seven minutes in the season opener at UIC. 
• He was one of three Titans to appear in all 32 games, making 15 starts, and averaging 3.5 points and 3.8 rebounds, while hitting 53.0% from the field in 18.2 minutes a night.
• He also led the team with 25 blocks and was second with 21 steals.
• Just like rookie teammates Nate Johnson and TJ Nadeau, he grew as the season progressed going from just 37 points (1.9), 46 (2.4) rebounds, eight blocks, and 12 steals in just 11.4 minutes of action in his first 19 games to 77 points (5.9), 75 boards (5.7), 16 rejections, and 11 takeaways playing 25.9 minutes in the last 13.
• He posted at least five rebounds on 14 occasions, including 12 times in the last 16 games.
• Kalambay tallied his first career double-double with a season-high 13 points (4-8 FG, 5-6 FT) and 11 rebounds to go with an assist, a block and a steal against Oakland en route to his HL Freshman of the Week honor and came back with a near double-double finishing with 10 points, nine boards and two blocks, shooting 5-of-8, at Cleveland State.

GREAT STONE TO BUILD UPON

• Detroit Mercy freshman Lance Stone had six points, three rebounds, an assist, a block, and a steal at UIC in his collegiate debut. 
• The son of assistant coach LaMonta Stone, he was a three-star and a top-five recruit in Michigan by 247 Sports and ESPN, as well as a top 55 point guard by ESPN, after tallying over 1,500 career points and breaking the Michigan high school record in assists, with more than 850 helpers in his career.
• Stone was a four-time All-State selection, who was named Third Team as a freshman and First Team by the Detroit News and Associated Press as a sophomore and senior. He was tabbed Detroit Mr. Basketball as a junior, the first time a junior ever received the honor, and a Mr. Basketball finalist as a senior after tallying 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 11.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game.
• He was also a two-time All-City selection and the PSL Male Athlete of the Year as a junior.

SPRATT IS COMING HOME

• Detroit Mercy brought back a hometown kid when redshirt freshman Tyler Spratt transferred to UDM.
• He spent his freshman campaign at Cleveland State but did not appear in a game for the Vikings. 
• In high school, he was All-League as a sophomore, junior, and senior, and All-State as a junior and senior. He posted 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 steals, and 3.0 assists as a senior and was a McDonald's All-American nominee. 
• He is very familiar with the Horizon League, not only as a player on a 20-win CSU squad, but also because his cousin, Kay Felder, played for Oakland and was the Horizon League Player of the Year in 2016, and would go on to play in the NBA. 

THE BIG MAN

• The Titans reeled in a big man in 6-8, 250-lb London Maiden, and he tied for the team lead with five rebounds at UIC. 
• Before the Titans, he played at Blinn College, where he averaged 11.4 points and 6.2 rebounds, shooting 59.2% from the field and 71.0% from the line as a sophomore, earning NJCAA All-Region XIV Honors. He posted 19 games in double figures and collected three double-doubles.
• He was also at Mars Hill College as a freshman, after redshirting at Kent State. 
• In high school, he averaged 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds, helping his team to a regional championship and the first state title as a senior.

FROM THE LAND DOWN UNDER

• Detroit Mercy landed a recruit from Australia in a big way as 7-1, 2350-lb Xavier Istomin-Monroe joined the Titans.
• He is only the second Australia-born Titan following Jayden Stone (2022-24).
• As a prep, he won U-18 titles in both Canada and Australia. 
• Last season, he was at the Royal Crown Academic School in Toronto, helping the team win a NPA title, after averaging 12.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. He earned finals MVP after posting a season-high 22 points and eight rebounds in the championship game, and also helped the school to back-to-back CIS crowns in 2023 and 2024.
•  In his homeland, he suited up for the City of Sydney basketball association, leading the team to a Melbourne Classic U-18 national title in 2023. 

THE PRIZE FROM OHIO

• The Titans landed one of Ohio's top recruits in 6-6 freshman Je'Kel Cotton.
• In his collegiate debut, he had two points and four rebounds in just eight minutes of action at UIC. 
• In high school, he was All-State as a senior after averaging 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds, netting a career-high 40 points.
• He also topped his team in scoring as a junior at 17.3 points per game to go with 7.0 rebounds until an injury ended his season. 
• Cotton was ranked a three-star and a top-10 recruit in Ohio by 247 Sports and was a Toledo top-64 player. 

THE RETURN OF LARY

• Senior Jared Lary had just started to find his role at Detroit Mercy, but suffered a knee injury at Eastern Michigan and missed the last 21 games of the season.
• He started six of the nine games he saw action in, recording 9.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, shooting 42.7% from the field and 40.0% from behind the arc.
• He had 11 points, six rebounds, two steals, an assist, and a block against Niagara and netted a season-high 15 points - all in the second half - shooting 6-of-9 overall and 3-of-4 from three, with four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block at Ball State.

• Freshman Zak Abdalla has had sports in his bloodline from an early age. 
• He played his senior year at Trinity Prep in Las Vegas and tallied 15.0 points in the PRO16/NXTPRO league, an Official Grassroots Partners of PUMA. As a senior, he recorded 27.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and that was after being named All-State First Team at Foothill High School. 
• His dad played soccer at UNLV - leaving the Rebels as the program leader for most saves in a season (101) and a career (321) - and also coached women's soccer at UNLV and TCU before moving into college athletic administration. His uncle played soccer at UCLA, and his grandfather, Tim Grgurich, played baseball and basketball at Pittsburgh, later coached at Pitt, and served as an NBA assistant coach.