Horizon League Release
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CHICAGO (10/16/13) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team was picked to finish eighth in the Horizon League preseason poll - voted on by the league's coaches, sports information directors and media members – which was unveiled on Wednesday at the Horizon League Media Day at the InterContinental Hotel in Chicago. Both head coach Ray McCallum and senior forward Evan Bruinsma attended media day in the Windy City.
Green Bay was selected as the favorite to win the league with 21 first place votes and 390 points overall, while Wright State was picked to finish second with 389 points, including 22 first place votes. Cleveland State was slated to place third with 338 points and two first-place votes.
Oakland is projected to finish fourth totaling 258 points, ahead of fifth-place Youngstown State's 219 points, as both teams received one first place vote apiece. Defending Horizon League champion Valparaiso was picked sixth (205), followed by UIC (151), Detroit (141) and Milwaukee (69).
The last time Detroit was picked in the bottom half of the Horizon League in the preseason poll was the 2009-10 season when the Titans finished with a 20-14 overall record.
The Titans welcome an impressive recruiting class of five talented student-athletes in Patrick Ackerman, Paris Bass, Matthew Grant, Patrick Onwenu and Jarod Williams to the roster this year, along with sophomore guard Carlton Brundidge, who was ineligible last season after transferring from U-M. Brundidge was a four-star recruit in both Rivals.com and Scout.com and was ranked 75th in the 2011 ESPN 100 coming out of Southfield High School.
Detroit also has a core of student-athletes returning who either started or participated in more than 30 games last year including forwards Bruinsma and Juwan Howard, Jr. Bruinsma played in 32 games last year averaging 5.6 points and 4.3 rebounds, while Howard started the first 27 games of the 2012-13 season tallying 7.6 points and 3.2 rebounds.
The Titans are coming off a season in which they made the NIT for the seventh time in school history after finishing second in the Horizon League. Detroit ended the year 20-13 overall, its third 20-win season in the past four years.
The Titans open with a pair of exhibition games on Oct. 26 and Nov. 2 against Lawrence Tech and Concordia, respectively, before they tip-off their regular season on Friday, Nov. 8 at South Alabama. Detroit's home opener is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 11 against U-M Dearborn at Calihan Hall.
Season tickets for the 2013-14 men's basketball team are now on sale. Don't miss a chance to have guaranteed priority seating to watch the Titans at historic Calihan Hall. For more information on season and general ticket information, click here or call the Detroit Ticket Office at (313) 993-1700.
The Titans will host their own media day next Wednesday, October 23, at Noon in Calihan Hall. Media members are asked to RSVP with Jeremiah Hergott (jeremiah.hergott@udmercy.edu).
