By Brenda June Temple

DETROIT (2/7/2024) — The University of Detroit Mercy men’s basketball team will leave the Motor City and travel south in the Horizon League, starting with a match-up at Wright State on Thursday.

Game time is set for 7:00 p.m., at the Nutter Center and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and the Watch ESPN App. 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.

Due to this year’s non-travel party schedule in the league, this will be the first time the Titans and Raiders meet this season, as the two will play twice in the next five days. Wright State is the only league school UDM has not faced this season.

After netting a game-high 25 points his last time out, senior Jayden Stone has scored 20 points or more in three straight games and five of the last seven as he now leads the Horizon League in scoring at 20.3 points per game, while sophomore Marcus Tankersley is coming off his sixth 20-point performance of the year with 24 versus RMU and is 12th in the HL at 15.1 points per game.

Wright State has won four of the last five and comes into the contest at 13-11 overall and 8-5 in the conference, fourth in the league.

Following the game, the red, white and blue will bus to NKU on Saturday.

ALL-TIME SERIES

• Wright State has dominated the series in recent years, winning 12 of the last 14 and 19 of the last 24, as the Raiders lead the all-time battle, 39-28.
• WSU has also won nine in a row at the Nutter Center as the Raiders are 21-9 all-time at home in the series, with the last Titans triumph back in 2013.

LOOKING TO END THE SLIDE

• The Titans – whose last win came against Purdue Fort Wayne in last year’s conference tournament – have lost 25 in a row dating back to last season, a school record surpassing the 15 straight between the end of 1986-87 and the 0-14 start of 1987-88.

SAD NEWS FROM TITAN TERRITORY

• It is with heavy hearts that Detroit Mercy received word that Titan Hall-Of-Famer, NBA champion and Detroit ambassador Earl “The Twirl” Cureton suddenly passed away on Sunday, Feb. 4, at the age of 66.
• He had served as a color analyst on Titan broadcast for almost 20 years, and the last game he did this past Saturday was Detroit Mercy-Robert Morris, two schools where he is in the Hall of Fame.
• A 12-year NBA veteran and a two-time NBA champion, Cureton suited up for the Titans from 1977-80, playing two seasons after sitting out following his transfer from Robert Morris, a junior college at the time.
• He averaged 11.7 points and a team-high 9.0 rebounds with 1.3 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.0 steals per game in 1978-79 and then topped the team in scoring (20.0) and rebounding (9.1) to go with 1.6 assists, and 1.7 blocks and steals in 1979-80. He is still 12th all-time in school history in career blocks with 79 – second when he graduated – and was inducted into the Titan Hall of Fame in 2007 and had his famed No. 24 jersey retired by UDM on Jan. 23, 2020.
• Drafted by Philadelphia with the 58th pick in the 1979 NBA Draft, Cureton began his professional career in the 1980-1981 season as the 76ers advanced to the NBA Finals during his rookie season. They would later break through to win the 1983 title, and he was also part of the Houston Rockets championship team in 1994.
• In his 12 years in the NBA, he played for seven playoff teams, including three years in the mid-1980s with the hometown Pistons. He scored a career-high 25 points with 14 rebounds off the bench in a 129-113 Pistons win over the Nuggets on Jan. 17, 1986, and posted a career-best 18 boards as a member of the Clippers against the Rockets on Apr. 7, 1987.

STARTING TO SURGE

• The Titans have struggled on offense but have picked it up in the last seven games, averaging 72.3 points after tallying just 60.1 in their first 17 games.
• Detroit Mercy has registered double-digit assists in five of the seven games, with 81 helpers in its 177 field goals.
• They had a season-high 99 points at Robert Morris, along with a season-best 17 assists.
• The 99 points were the most since a 101-83 victory against Green Bay at home in 2019 and the most points on the road since a 115-108 setback at Green Bay in 2016.
• UDM’s 36 field goals at RMU were the most since connecting on 39 versus Green Bay in 2019.
• They have shot 46.3% in each of the last two games against Cleveland State and Robert Morris.

SHOWING SOME DEFENSE

• Detroit Mercy has forced double-digit turnovers in 14 of its’ 24 games on the season. UDM also has at least 10 steals in five games this year, forcing 16 turnovers with a season-tying 12 steals at Milwaukee.
• The Titans’ defense forced Robert Morris into 20. UDM also had 33 turnovers in a weekend series at home as Green Bay had 15 and Milwaukee committed 18. They also recorded 11 steals against the Panthers.
• Earlier this year, they forced Ball State into a season-high 21 turnovers with a season-best 12 steals.
• UDM is fifth in the HL with 6.7 steals per game.

EARNING POINTS AT THE LINE

• The Titans have made double-digit free throws in 15 of the last 18 games, going 220-of-295 (74.5%) in that span.
• UDM made 22-of-27 at Green Bay and connected on a season-high 25-of-26 free throws against NKU, the most since hitting 28-of-31 at Milwaukee in a 90-84 victory in 2020, while the 26 free throw attempts tied a season-high with the 20-of-26 effort at Central Michigan.
• The Titans are fourth in the HL in free-throw percentage at 73.4%.
• They have two of the best in the league as Jayden Stone is fourth at 79.5% and Marcus Tankersley is 11th at 77.0%.

A PRECIOUS STONE

• Senior Jayden Stone returned to action against NKU after missing six games, but he has quickly reestablished himself as one of the top scorers in the Horizon League in the last seven games at 22.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists.
• He is coming off his 10th 20-point contest of the year with a game-high 25 points against Robert Morris with six rebounds, his third-straight game of reaching 20 following 28 points against Cleveland State and 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists at Green Bay.
• He recorded his second double-double of the year with 15 points and a career-high 10 assists, along with six boards and two steals at Milwaukee.
• He had a monster game with a career-high 36 points and grabbing a season-high 10 rebounds, playing 49 of a possible 50 minutes at Robert Morris, while adding four assists, two steals, and a block.
• He had a then career-best 34 points against Eastern Michigan, hitting 12-of-15 from the field and 4-of-7 from three with six rebounds, 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 now has two 30-point efforts – tied for second in the HL – and 10 20-point performances – tied for fourth in the league – in just 18 games played this season.
• Stone is averaging a league-best 20.3 points along with 2.3 triples, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
• He has played in 31 career games with the Titans and has netted 20 or more 15 times, been in double figures 24 times, and has grabbed five or more rebounds on 22 occasions, including 15 of the 18 games he has seen action in this year, and has recorded three double-doubles.

SCORE IT MARK

• Sophomore Marcus Tankersley has turned into one of the best scorers in the Horizon League and has now scored 20 or more six times on the year after 24 points against Robert Morris.
• He had 17 points at Green Bay and tallied a game-high 23 points against Youngstown State on 7-of-15 shooting. That was after a career-high 29 points on 10-of-22 shooting and 9-of-9 at the line, with three boards and three assists, at Robert Morris and 22 points on 6-of-12 shooting and 9-of-10 at the line versus NKU.
• Dating back to last season, he has now scored in double figures in 21 of the last 26 games and is tallying 15.1 points on the year – 12th in the HL – shooting 42.4% from the field – 13th in the conference.
• He had 20 at NC State with a career-tying three steals, two rebounds, and an assist and recorded his first career double-double with a then-career-best 23 points and 11 rebounds at Northwestern back in December. He had 19 points at Ole Miss with a career-high five assists.

DEL CADIA NETS CAREER BEST

• Graduate senior Edoardo Del Cadia has three double-doubles – tied for seventh in the HL – as he continues to showcase some fine all-around play as a post-player.
• He almost had another double-double, ending with 11 points, nine rebounds and two steals against Cleveland State.
• He registered a career-best 17 points on 8-of-15 from the field with three steals and three rebounds against Youngstown State.
• He had a then career-high 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 posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 boards at NC State in just 22 minutes.
• He tallied a career-best 16 points with 10 boards at Ole Miss, to go with three assists, a block and a steal.
• He has now scored in double figures in 10 games and has grabbed at least five rebounds in 14 as he is currently averaging 8.7 points, 5.9 rebounds – 12th in the HL – 1.7 assists and shooting 51.4% (73-of-142) from the field, which would be fifth in the league but he doesn’t have enough attempts to qualify.

RETURN OF THE MAK

• Junior Mak Manciel is a local product from Sterling Heights, Michigan, who finally got his game going against NKU, recording a season-high 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting with four rebounds. He came back with 16 points on 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-7 from three with a season-high five assists at Robert Morris and added 10 points at Green Bay and Cleveland State the last two times out.
• He started the year 6-of-42 (14.2%) from the field, but is shooting just over 35.0% since, going in double figures in four of them.
• He just had eight points against Robert Morris and scored 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.
• Last year, he was at Arkansas State, but missed last season due to a knee injury.
• He 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.

DAVIS COMING ALIVE

• Sophomore Tyree Davis has had some good moments in his first year with the Titans.
• He scored six points with three boards at Robert Morris. 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 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., 40.8% from three and 83.0% at the line.

KUAC FINALLY BREAKING IN

• Graduate senior Emmanuel Kuac started the season recovering from a past injury and had a slow start, but he showed what he could do when healthy at Milwaukee.
• He drained 7-of-13 from deep en route to a career-high 27 points on 9-of-19 shooting overall to go with a season-high eight rebounds, a career-tying three steals and a block at Milwaukee.
• Kuac had scored just 14 total points and was 3-of-22 from three entering the game and his career-high was 11 against Norfolk State as a member of New Mexico in 2021.
• The last Titan to make seven triples in a game was Antoine Davis last year at Oakland.
• He had a team-high five rebounds with a career-tying three blocks against NKU. He recorded three points, four rebounds, three blocks, two assists and a steal against Green Bay.
• He missed the first 12 games, recovering from an injury sustained before his arrival at UDM. Kuac saw action in 47 games 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.

MOTOR CITY PRIDE

• Senior Kyle LeGreair has 10 multi-assist games this year after having three helpers and a steal at Milwaukee. He now has a steal in eight of the last 11 games and 14 on the season, with multi-steal games on three occasions.
• He 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 and posted 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 – who missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury – has been seeing more action this season. He had seven points at Milwaukee, and that was after eight points against Youngstown State, connecting on three field goals and a 3-pointer in both games.
• He set a career-high with 11 points at Central Michigan, going 3-of-7 from the field with a pair of triples and had 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.

OLAJUWON IN THE BOOKS

• Redshirt freshman Abdullah Olajuwon has done a lot of the small things in his playing time.
• He has three games this season with at least two blocks, 11 games with a steal – including six straight – and five games with at least five rebounds.
• He had a career day at Purdue Fort Wayne, scoring a career-best 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting with five rebounds. He pulled down five boards with a steal at Green Bay, and that was after four points, three rebounds, and two steals at Milwaukee.
• In the first meeting with the Panthers, he tied his season-high with eight rebounds.
• Against Oakland, he registered two points, four rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists and added 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 1,295 points behind his dad, Hakeem Olajuwon, who netted 1,332 in three years at Houston from 1981-84.

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.
• He had a season-high six points, two rebounds and two blocks against Cleveland State.
• He grabbed seven rebounds at CMU and had two points, three caroms and a block at NC State and four points, two rebounds and a steal at Milwaukee.

ON THE MEND

• The Titans have seen their share of injuries this season that have seen Ryan Hurst (19), Emmanuel Kuac (13), Trenton Johnson (14),Oton Jankovic (12), Jamail Pink (6), Jayden Stone (6), Donovann Toatley (3), Abdullah Olajuwon (3) and Mak Manciel (1) all miss games due to injuries or illness, adding up to 77 missed contests. The coaching staff has already announced that Hurst and Johnson will miss the rest of the year, while Jankovic and Toatley are no longer with the team.
• In addition, senior Alex Tchikou has not played for personal reasons, and junior Jonathan Ammori will miss the rest of the season due to eligibility requirements.

COACH WILLIAMS MAKES HISTORY

• Detroit Mercy hired its first female assistant 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, leading her team to back-to-back MSHAA Final Fours.
• Prior to the home opener on Nov. 21, Council Member Angela Calloway presented the 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.

COURTESY DETROIT MERCY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS