Detroit Titans
Horizon League (22-13, 11-7)
Detroit finally makes a run into the tournament! The Titans haven’t been in the NCAA tournament since 1999. Ray McCallum has really coached this team well, especially at the end of the season when they needed a tournament run to solidify a tournament bid. His son, Ray, leads the team in scoring at 15.6 points per game. They have five players that average double figures. They are the quintessential mid-major team. They have to play for each other if they want to make a run. They’ve done it once this postseason. They have an opportunity to try and do it again.
Big Wins: 12/5 St. John’s (69-63), 2/4 at Butler (65-61), 3/6 at Valparaiso (70-50)
Bad Losses: 11/21 George Washington (73-86), 12/1 Youngstown State (61-64), 12/29 Illinois-Chicago (59-63)
Coach: Ray McCallum (4 seasons at Detroit)
Why They Can Surprise:
Detroit made a great run through the Horizon tournament so they certainly have momentum on their side. They have ripped off five straight wins, including beating conference leader in the regular season, Valparaiso. The Titans should not be overlooked as a mid-major. They actually score the ball well at nearly 73 points per game. That average keeps them in games against some stiffer competition. Also, surprisingly for an incredibly short team, they are adept at blocking shots. They are top 50 in the nation at 4.6 blocks per game. They are a strong free throw shooting team as well. That may come in handy if they can drive to the basket and draw fouls.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Detroit is one of the worst long-range shooting teams in the entire country. They only make less than five a game, which is not good enough as the teams in the tournament get stronger each round. They also don’t defend the three point line well. They allow their opponents to shoot 37.5% from the arc. That leaves them in the bottom 30 in the country in three point defense. If they face a hot shooting team, the Titans could be in serious trouble. Also, because they are so short, they will have a tough time gathering rebounds. Defending field goals against talented big men will prove difficult.
Probable Starters:
Chase Simon, Senior, Guard, 13.5 ppg, 2.4 apg, 4.4 rpg
Jason Calliste, Junior, Guard, 10.4 ppg, 1.7 apg
Ray McCallum, Sophomore, Guard, 15.6 ppg, 3.9 apg, 4.5 rpg
Doug Anderson, Junior, Forward, 9.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg
LaMarcus Lowe, Senior, Forward-Center, 6.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.2 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Eli Holman, Senior, Forward-Center, 10.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.4 bpg
Donavan Foster, Senior, Guard, 3.5 ppg, 1.7 apg
Evan Bruinsma, Sophomore, Forward, 4.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 72.9 (62nd in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 68.1 (208, 10)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.5 (89, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 44.1 (222, 7)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 4.6 (306, 9)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: N/A
Free-Throw Percentage: 73.7 (42, 1)
Rebound Margin: 2.2 (113, 2)
Assists Per Game: 13.0 (159, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.6 (92, 2)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
Detroit 2002 NIT Opening Round loss to Dayton
Detroit 2001 NIT First Round win over Bradley
Detroit 2001 NIT Second Round win over Connecticut
Detroit 2001 NIT Quarterfinal win over Dayton
Detroit 2001 NIT Semifinal loss to Alabama
Detroit 1999 NCAA Round of 64 win over UCLA
Detroit 1999 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Ohio State
Detroit 1998 NCAA Round of 64 win over St. Johns
Detroit 1998 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Purdue
*all team stats through 3/4
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
