Game Notes vs. Tennessee State

Gametracker

Horizon League Network 

After opening Horizon League action with a pair of wins over Youngstown and Cleveland State, the Titans will head back into non-conference play for the next five games starting with a BracketBusters rematch from a year ago when Tennessee State visits Calihan Hall tomorrow. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. 

The game can be seen live on the Horizon League Network, while fans can also catch all the action through CSTV's gametracker. Both links are available on top of the page. 

The contest is part of a special night of activities as Detroit's newest group, The Friends of the Titans, team up with The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy for a fundraiser during the “We are Detroit” celebration. The game will help fundraise downtown Detroit as a majority of the ticket sales proceeds will benefit the Conservancy.

More information about the Conservancy and the Friends of the Titans can be found by clicking here. 

Detroit (6-2, 2-0 HL) can match one of its best starts in school history with a victory as well as move to 4-0 at home. Last season, UDM fell to TSU, 78-75, in Nashville on BracketBusters weekend. The Tigers return four players from that team, but have struggled early under first-year head coach John Cooper and come into the contest at 1-8, 0-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference. 

DETROIT OFF TO A FAST START
Detroit is 6-2 and will look for its best seven-game start since the 1998-99 season with a victory over Tennessee State. That squad started 7-2 and ended the year at 25-6, winning the Horizon League and pulling off one of the best upsets in NCAA Tournament history defeating fifth-seeded #15 UCLA, 56-53. 

A triumph over the Tigers would also match the entire win total for UDM in each of the last two seasons.
With a sweep in the first week of Horizon League play, the Titans' 2-0 mark in the league also equaled their victory total from last season.

DETROIT VS TENNESSEE STATE
The Titan-Tiger contest is a rematch of last year's BracketBusters game in Nashville, won by Tennessee State, 78-75, in the schools first ever meeting. 

The Titans shot 58% in the game and made a season-high 31 field goals in the contest. Eulis Stephens is the top Titan returning scorer that played in that game with 13 points, while Donavan Foster netted nine, Eugene Blue eight, and Woody Payne five. TSU was able to hold Thomas Kennedy, last year's leading scorer, to a season-low four points. 

TSU returns Jeremiah Crutcher, who netted 18 markers and handed out eight assists against Detroit. The Tigers shot 53% in the game and made 10 of their 20 3-pointers.

UDM'S SPREAD OFFENSE
It might not be the four wide receiver sets used in college football, but Detroit has its own version of a spread offense. 

UDM has four players averaging double figures in scoring
Keeling-14.8, Holman - 14.5, Kennedy - 14.1, Simon - 11.8 

Five players shooting over 50%
Holman - 58%, Blue - 57%, Payne - 55%, Keeling - 53%, Kennedy 51%
(UDM has three of the top four players in the HL in field-goal percentage in Holman, Keeling and Kennedy. Blue and Payne do not have enough shot attempts to qualify) 

And three Titans averaging more than two assists per game
Payne - 3.3, Simon - 3.1, Keeling - 2.4

DEFENDING CALIHAN HALL
All good teams win at home and UDM has showcased that early winning its first three home games for the second straight season. 

With a win, Detroit will have its best home start since the 2005-06 squad won its first seven in the historic home of Titan basketball.

KENNEDY HEATING UP
Senior forward Thomas Kennedy has been a bit erratic to start the season, but he has really turned it on of late. 

After scoring just seven combined points against Albany and Alcorn State, Kennedy has come back with three straight double-digit scoring efforts. In the last three games, Kennedy is averaging a team-best 18.0 ppg., hitting 23 of his 36 field goals (64%). 

Kennedy is currently third on the team in scoring at 12.1 per game.

WOODY YOU THIEF
Senior guard Woody Payne now has 14 career games with four or more steals, including four this season after getting five against Cleveland State. His career high in steals is six, which he has accomplished twice, and he currently leads the HL with 2.9 spg. 

Last season, Payne moved into sole possession of second place on the UDM single season steals list when he totaled 66 thefts. 

For his career, Payne has 137 steals and is just one away from moving into the top 10 in school history in that category. Kevin McAdoo (1983-86) is 10th right now with 138 steals, while Darius Belin (1999-02) is ninth at 140.