Men's Basketball 12.26.25

Back From Christmas And Off To Youngstown State For Men's Basketball

Men's Basketball 12.26.25

Back From Christmas And Off To Youngstown State For Men's Basketball

Sophomore Ryan Kalambay and the Titans will look to end 2025 with a win.

DETROIT (12/26/2025) -- The rest of the schedule will feature just Horizon League action as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team returned from Christmas break and will head right back to the road with a trip to Youngstown State on Monday.

Opening tip is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Zidian Family Arena at the Beeghly Center, and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

The Titans have won four of the last five and enter the game at 2-1 in the Horizon League. A win would give the Titans a 3-1 mark in HL play, their best start in conference play since a 3-1 start in 2021-22.

Sophomore TJ Nadeau led the way with 20 points in UDM's last game, a 91-60 victory over Siena Heights, tallying his third 20-point game of the season and fourth of his career as he leads the team at 13.4 points per game.

Senior Legend Geeter is averaging 7.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, making 11-of-24 shots and 4-of-8 from three, in his last five games, while freshman Keshawn Fisher is averaging 13.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in his last two games, connecting on 10-of-17 from the field (58.8%).

Youngstown State - who was picked to finish fourth in the league's preseason poll - is 8-5 on the year and 2-1 in the Horizon League, with conference victories over Wright State (69-68) and IU Indy (78-55) and an overtime loss at Robert Morris (80-77).

Following the game, the Titans will return home for three straight games to begin 2026 as Robert Morris (Jan. 2), Wright State (Jan. 9), and Cleveland State (Jan. 11) all visit Dick Vitale Court.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES

Detroit Mercy has dominated the all-time series, 40-20, but Youngstown State has won eight in a row and 11 of the last 13 meetings.
The Titans are 17-12 all-time on the road, but have dropped five in a row and six of the last eight games at the Beeghly Center.
In fact, the last time the red, white and blue defeated the Penguins was in the 2020-21 pandemic season as the Titans swept a pair of games on the road.

FACTS ABOUT 1953

Detroit Mercy and Youngstown State first met on Dec. 12, 1953, as the Titans took the game, 101-65, the first-ever 100-point game in school history. Here are some other facts about 1953.

* Dwight D. Eisenhower became the 34th President of the United States
* WKBN became Youngstown's first TV station
* The first Corvette came off the production line in Flint, Michigan
* Swanson made its first TV dinner, a Thanksgiving meal of turkey, cornbread dressing, peas, and sweet potatoes
* TV Guide publishes its first issue
* Eggs cost 70 cents a dozen, while a gallon of milk was 94 cents

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 had slated UDM anywhere from 6th-9th.

A DAUNTING SLATE

Detroit Mercy had a challenging non-conference schedule, visiting four states and playing eight games in 26 days.
The slate includes trips to Michigan State, Notre Dame, and DePaul, as well as UIC, Toledo, and Niagara.
The game at MSU was intriguing as head coach Mark Montgomery faced his college coach and former boss, Tom Izzo.
So far this season, the DI non-conference opponents have amassed a 47-39 record.

LOCAL & GLOBAL TITANS

Detroit Mercy will have a lot of local flair, 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.

WE HAVE OPTIONS

The Titans are currently second in the Horizon League and 40th in the nation, tallying 33.6 points from the bench per game.
UDM had 59 points off the bench in the win over IU Indy.

CLEANING THE GLASS

UDM has hit the glass all season long and leads the conference, recording 39.7 rebounds per game - 68th in DI - as well as first in the league in defensive rebounding (25.8) and third in the HL and 35th in the country with 13.9 offensive rebounds per game.
The Titans are coming off a 51-18 advantage against Siena Heights, their biggest rebounding margin in nearly 10 years, with 17 of those rebounds coming on the offensive end.
The week before, UDM posted a 44-34 margin at Purdue Fort Wayne, where the Titans collected 15 offensive rebounds.
At Niagara, Detroit Mercy dominated the boards, 43-27, including 14 offensive rebounds that led to 14 second-chance points. The +16 margin was the most against a DI team since outrebounding Wake Forest by 17 last year.
Earlier in the season, the Titans had 21 offensive caroms 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, at UIC. It was the second-most 3-point attempts in school history.
Last season, UDM ranked 11th in the HL and 341st in DI, connecting on 5.6 per game.
While the Titans have hit a season-high nine 3-pointers three times this season (at Notre Dame, vs. IU Indy, at Purdue Fort Wayne) they have not fared that much better overall, ranking 344th in three-point shooting (28.6%) and 320th in triples per game (6.2), both last in the HL.
In fact, the Titans have reached double-digit 3-pointers just four times in the last 76 games - twice last year with 10 at Oakland and 11 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne.

MAKING THE FREE ONES

The Titans are currently first in the HL and 78th in the nation at 75.1%, while their 15.8 makes per game is fourth in the league.
The Titans have reached double-digit made free throws in 10 games this year and four games in the 20's, going 24-of-33 against Siena Heights, 21-of-24 against IU Indy, 23-of-30 at Niagara, and 25-of-41 versus Cleary.
UDM has a pair of guys in the top five in the HL as senior Orlando Lovejoy leads the conference and is eighth in the NCAA at 94.1% (32-of-43), while sophomore TJ Nadeau is fourth in the HL at 85.7% (30-of-35).
Other Titans shooting well include Lance Stone at 81.8% (27-of-33), Ayden Carter at 76.9% (20-of-26), and London Maiden at 70.8% (17-of-24), while Keshawn Fisher has made 8-of-9.

PROTECT THE BALL

Detroit Mercy had just two games last season with double-digit steals, but tallied 11 in the season opener at UIC.
On the flip side, the Titans committed a season-low six miscues at Cleveland State.
UDM has committed less than 10 turnovers in four of its last five games and in five total games on the year.

WHAT NADEAU ABOUT NOTHING

Sophomore TJ Nadeau has netted double figures in eight of the 12 games, including a career-best 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting and 4-of-5 from three at Cleveland State.
Earlier this season, he had 24 points on a 9-of-14 effort from the field and six triples at Notre Dame, and just scored 20 points against Siena Heights.
Nadeau also has hit the boards, grabbing a season-tying six at Niagara and five at CSU, and has tallied 3.6 per game.
He leads the squad with 13.4 points and 27 made 3-pointers as he is on pace to break his triple mark of 48 from last season.
Nadeau was one of three Titans to appear in all 32 games last year, with 16 starts, and registered 8.9 points and 3.5 rebounds.
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.

OUR PRIDE AND JOY

Preseason All-Horizon League guard senior Orlando Lovejoy leads the team with 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals - both top 10 in the HL - and is third with 11.3 points per game.
He has a 2.3-1 assists-to-turnover ratio with 40 assists against just 17 turnovers on the season, and just scored his 1,000 collegiate point in his last game.
He also has at least two steals in seven of his 11 games played.
He had 17 points, a team-high six assists, three rebounds, and two steals at Cleveland State, and that was coming off a rare game where he didn't score against IU Indy, just the seventh time in his 94 collegiate games and the first as a Titan.
He posted 18 points, five assists, and two steals at Toledo, 20 points - his 10th career 20-point game - and six rebounds against Eastern Michigan, and 14 points with four assists and three steals at Michigan State.
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 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 - who has missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury - stood out at DII Walsh University and has made an impact on offense, netting double figures in six games and grabbing at least five rebounds in four.
He had a great all-around game with a season-high 21 points - his ninth career 20-point game - six rebounds, a career-tying four assists, and a career-high three steals against IU Indy.
In his DI debut at UIC, he tallied a team-high 18 points (7-14 FG) with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. He had 15 points and eight boards over Cleary, 12 points and six rebounds at Toledo, and 10 points at DePaul.
He is second on the team with 12.2 points and 4.3 rebounds, and is hitting 43-of-78 (55.1%) from the field and 20-of-26 (76.9%) at the line.
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.
Earlier this year, he was ordained as a minister by his church, Path2Life Ministries.

GREAT STONE TO BUILD UPON

Detroit Mercy freshman Lance Stone has had a good start to his career and tied his season high for the fourth time, netting 11 points with three assists against IU Indy, making 3-of-6 from three.
He also had 11 at Niagara, hitting 9-of-11 at the line, and dished out a season-high seven assists at DePaul, the most helpers by a freshman since Anotine Davis at the end of the 2018-19 season.
He posted 11 points with five rebounds, six assists, and three steals in his first start against Cleary and 11 points on 3-of-6 from three at Toledo.
The son of assistant coach LaMonta Stone, he posted 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 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.

THE BIG MAN

The Titans reeled in a big man in 6-8, 250-lb London Maiden, and he started to show dominance in the paint with back-to-back season highs, before an illness slowed his playing time down against Purdue Fort Wayne and Siena Heights to two and 12 minutes, respectively.
He had 16 points and eight rebounds at Niagara, hitting 5-of-7 from the field and 6-of-8 at the line, and then had a season-high 18 points and nine rebounds, shooting 6-of-7 from the field and 6-of-8 at the line versus IU Indy.
After starting the year 12-of-31 (38.7%) and tallying 4.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in his first seven games, Maiden has made 16-of-24 (66.7%) from the floor in his last five, averaging 9.0 points and 5.0 rebounds.
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.

THE LEGEND OF GEETER

Senior Legend Geeter has been a consistent presence in the middle for the Titans, especially over the last five games, where he is averaging 7.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, making 11-of-24 shots and 4-of-8 from three.
He has seven games on the year with at least five rebounds and 33 in his career.
Geeter had eight points, six rebounds, and three assists at Purdue Fort Wayne. Before that, he tallied seven points, nine rebounds, and five assists at Cleveland State, eight points and five rebounds against IU Indy, and pulled down a team-high six rebounds at Michigan State.
Last season, he played in 29 games and tallied 7.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, shooting 41.2% from the field, 35.6% from three, and 80.3% at the line. He was also fourth on the team with 12 games in double figures.

SPRATT IS COMING HOME

Detroit Mercy redshirt freshman Tyler Spratt earned the Horizon League Freshman of the Week accolades after his best performance of the season at Purdue Fort Wayne.
After coming into that game scoring just 43 points and making six 3-pointers in his first 10 games, Spratt netted a season-high 15 points, going 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-9 from three with five rebounds.
He had eight points against IU Indy, adding a season-best three blocks, eight points and eight boards at Toledo, and eight points at DePaul.
He spent his freshman campaign at Cleveland State but did not play.
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.

THE KEY TO SUCCESS

Freshman Keshawn Fisher had a good start to his collegiate career with 12 points at UIC and 14 points versus Cleary, but he has really come on in his last two games.
He had his best game with a season-tying 14 points with a season-best nine rebounds at Purdue Fort Wayne, and just scored 12 points with six rebounds, two steals, and a block against Siena Heights.
After posting just 4.8 points and 1.8 rebounds, making 20-of-54 shots, he is averaging 13.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in his last two, hitting 10-of-17 from the field (58.8%).
He netted seven points and tied for the team lead with seven rebounds at Notre Dame.
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.
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.

NATE THE GREAT

Sophomore Nate Johnson - a member of the HL All-Freshmen Team - has scored at least six points in six games and pulled down at least four boards five times.
He just had a season-best 12 points and six rebounds against Siena Heights.
He had seven points and four boards at MSU and six points and four rebounds against Eastern Michigan. He started the year with seven points, four rebounds, and two steals at UIC and added seven more points at Notre Dame and nine against Cleary.
He was one of the freshmen trio who played in all 32 games, making 31 starts, and posted 8.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, hitting 38.6% from the field and 30.1% from three.
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 at Youngstown State and scored a season-high 19 points, on 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.

THE RETURN OF LARY

Senior Jared Lary had just started to find his role last season at Detroit Mercy, but suffered a knee injury at Eastern Michigan.
He is now starting to get back into the rotation, scoring seven points at Purdue Fort Wayne, pulling down six rebounds at Niagara, and tallying seven points, a rebound, and an assist at DePaul.
He started six of the nine games he saw action in last season, 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.

THE PRIZE FROM OHIO

The Titans landed one of Ohio's top recruits in 6-6 freshman Je'kel Cotton.
He was a part off the bench, scoring seven points in just five minutes of court time against IU Indy.
In his collegiate debut, he had two points and four rebounds in just eight minutes of action at UIC and pulled down seven caroms at Notre Dame. He also came up with a near double-double of nine points and 10 rebounds in the win over Cleary.
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.

KALAMBAY'S PLAY

Sophomore Ryan Kalambay has started to see more time recently and has made a mark in the paint.
He just grabbed a season-high seven rebounds against Siena Heights, and that was after five points and six rebounds at Purdue Fort Wayne. He played in a season-high 21 minutes, pulling down four rebounds, blocking two shots, and scoring two points at Cleveland State, and posted three points and three rebounds against IU Indy.
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 boards on 14 occasions, including 12 of the last 16.
Kalambay tallied his first career double-double with a season-high 13 points and 11 rebounds to go with an assist, a block, and a steal against Oakland.

FROM THE LAND DOWN UNDER

Detroit Mercy landed a recruit from Australia in a big way as 7-1, 235-lb Xavier Istomin-Monroe joined the Titans.
He just grabbed a season-high five rebounds with three points against Siena Heights.
At Niagara, he had six points and two boards, and that was after his best offensive game with eight points, two rebounds, two assists, and a steal at DePaul.
He had three rebounds at UIC, at Notre Dame, and at Michigan State, and has a blocked shot in four of the eight games.
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.
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.

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Players Mentioned

#23 Legend Geeter: F; 6' 8"; Senior

#10 Nate Johnson: G; 6' 7"; Sophomore

#30 Ryan Kalambay: F; 6' 9"; Sophomore

#13 Jared Lary: G; 6' 6"; Senior

#5 Orlando Lovejoy: G; 6' 3"; Senior

#33 TJ Nadeau: G; 6' 5"; Sophomore

#1 Tyler Spratt: G; 6' 5"; Redshirt Freshman

#4 Keshawn Fisher: G/F; 6' 7"; Freshman

#6 Xavier Istomin-Monroe: C; 7' 1"; Freshman

#7 Ayden Carter: G/F; 6' 5"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#23 Legend Geeter
: 6' 8"; Senior
: F

#10 Nate Johnson
: 6' 7"; Sophomore
: G

#30 Ryan Kalambay
: 6' 9"; Sophomore
: F

#13 Jared Lary
: 6' 6"; Senior
: G

#5 Orlando Lovejoy
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

#33 TJ Nadeau
: 6' 5"; Sophomore
: G

#1 Tyler Spratt
: 6' 5"; Redshirt Freshman
: G

#4 Keshawn Fisher
: 6' 7"; Freshman
: G/F

#6 Xavier Istomin-Monroe
: 7' 1"; Freshman
: C

#7 Ayden Carter
: 6' 5"; Junior
: G/F