DETROIT (1/4/2017) -- After opening the Horizon League with a pair of home games, the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team will hit the road for three-straight away from Calihan Hall starting with a contest at UIC on Friday night, Jan. 6.
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. (EST) at the UIC Pavilion.
Fans can catch all the action on ESPN3 with Will Haskett and Dave Kaplan on the call as well as on the radio on 910 AM Superstation with
Cliff Russell providing the action. Live stats will also be provided.
Detroit Mercy dropped its first two games in conference play to Northern Kentucky and Wright State, but had some strong performances in both contests. Junior
Jaleel Hogan tallied a career-high 22 points and eight blocks along with eight rebounds against the Norse, while freshman
Corey Allen netted his third 20-point game of the season with a game-high 23 versus Wright State.
Tickets to the 2017 #MotorCityMadness are now on sale and fans can purchase their tickets at MotorCityMadness.HorizonLeague.com/tickets, the Joe Louis Arena Box Office, or the Joe Louis Arena Ticket Sales and Service Office at 313-471-7575.
The next home game for the Titans is set for Jan. 16 in a basketball doubleheader as the women play NKU at 4:30 p.m., and the men host Youngstown State at 7 p.m.
Tickets to all Titan home games start at just $10, $6 for children and seniors. To purchase tickets online, visit
detroittitans.com/tix. To purchase over the phone or for more information on game tickets, contact Director of Ticket Operations & Sales
Justin Hairston at 313-993-1700 ext. 7301 or at
hairstjj1@udmercy.edu.
VS. UIC
Detroit Mercy has been on the good side of the scoreboard recently against UIC as the Titans have won eight of the last nine and 11 of the last 13 against the Flames to lead the overall series, 31-15.
The Titans have also won four in a row and five of the last six on the road in the series and are 13-9 all-time on the road against UIC.
ABOUT THE FLAMES
UIC is 7-7 on the year after going 5-25 last season, including 3-15 in the Horizon League
The Flames were picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll led by the 2016 HL Newcomer of the Year Dikembe Dixson, but the high-scoring guard - who was averaging 20.3 ppg. - injured his ACL five games ago and will miss the rest of the season.
Tai Odiase is tallying 12.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and a HL-best 2.6 blocks per game. Marcus Ottey is averaging 11.2 points, while Godwin Boahen is recording 9.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and a team-high 3.6 assists per game.
UIC is third in the league in scoring at 79.4 points and is the top shooting team in the conference at 46.6 percent.
LOOKING AHEAD
Detroit Mercy will have a quick turnaround as the Titans visit preseason favorite and 2016 NIT runner-up Valparaiso on Sunday in a 1 p.m. (EST) tip-off.
TOUGH SCHEDULE
The eleven (11) non-conference foes on the Titan men's basketball schedule posted a 197-161 (.550) last season with four teams making the postseason in East Tennessee State (Vegas 16), Florida State (NIT), New Hampshire (CIT) and Fort Wayne (NIT).
The non-conference foes the Titans faced are a combined 103-64 (61.6%) this year, including 45-7 (86.5%) for the seven non-conference match-ups on the road.
In the national polls, Florida State is ranked No. 12 in the AP and No. 13 in the coaches poll. Fort Wayne is ranked No. 9 in the mid-major poll, while ETSU is No. 11 and Eastern Michigan and New Hampshire are receiving votes.
RETURN TO SENDER
Detroit Mercy some showed toughness in the paint against Northern Kentucky doing work on both the offensive and defensive end.
The Titans posted a season-high 10 blocks, the most since recording 10 at Green Bay in 2001, and tied for the most by a HL team.
The red, white and blue also outscored the Norse, 34-22, in the paint.
That offensive and defensive effort was led by junior
Jaleel Hogan, who netted a career-high 22 points and a career-best eight blocks, the most by a Titan since Mike Harmon had eight against Green Bay in 2001.
The eight blocks are also tied for the most this season by a HL player with the eight UIC's Tai Odiase had against Texas-San Antonio.
DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS
The Titans have shown some improvements on defense since the season has started.
After allowing teams to shoot over 50.0 percent in the first five games, the Titans have held seven of their last nine opponents to under that mark, including a season-low 40.4 percent at Toledo and 42.6 percent vs. NKU.
In fact on the road against the Rockets, Detroit Mercy limited the Rockets to just 30.4 percent in the first half, including 1-of-8 from three.
LONG DISTANCE OFFENSE
The Titans were struggling from the three-point line during a four-game stretch hitting just 13-of-69 (18.8%), but have come alive in the last four connecting on 40-of-87 (45.9%).
The Titans nailed 15-of-30 from three-point range against Fort Wayne, the most since setting a school record with 18 against Milwaukee on Feb. 26, 2000. The 15 triples are also the most in the HL this season.
In the win over Western Kentucky, the Titans were 12-of-20 (54.0%).
The Titans are currently fourth in the Horizon League in three-point field goal percentage (35.1%) and seventh in three-point field goals per game (7.5).
GETTING THE FREE ONES
After struggling at the free throw line for much of the season, the Titans have hit 38-of-50 (76.0%) in the last three games.
In that span,
Josh McFolley is 12-of-15,
Chris Jenkins' 9-of-11 and
Jaleel Hogan is 7-of-7.
CHANGING FIVE
Due to injuries and eligibility, the Titans have used six different starting line-ups in their first 14 games.
Only senior
Chris Jenkins has started all 14 games on the year.
GOOD TEAMMATES
The Titans were credited with a season-high 18 assists against Fort Wayne, the most since posting 18 against Youngstown last season.
PAIR OF 20'S
The Titans had two players net 20 points in a game for the first time this season as junior
Jaleel Hogan had a game-high 22 points and senior
Chris Jenkins tallied 20 against NKU.
UNSTOPPABLE
Junior
Jaleel Hogan has once again been an offensive force down low for the Titans as he is second in the Horizon League and 20th in the nation in field-goal percentage at 61.2 percent (79-of-129).
He is currently second in school history in career field-goal percentage at 59.5 percent trailing only Eli Holman '12 (60.5%).
JALETHAL
Junior
Jaleel Hogan has been in double figures in 12 games this season, including five in a row.
To start conference play, he posted a career-high 22 points on 10-of-15 from the field against NKU and came back with 16 points hitting 6-of-9 field goals against Wright State.
He also had eight rebounds and eight blocks against the Norse, while recording his second career 20-point contest.
Some of his other big scoring games on the year are: 19 points vs. Western Kentucky and Manhattan, 18 points at New Hampshire and 16 points at Bowling Green and Murray State.
Hogan has also just missed a double-double a couple of times corralling back-to-back nine-rebound outings against Manhattan and EMU and eight boards against WKU.
In his last five games, he is averaging 16.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks while shooting 69.2 percent (36-of-52) from the field and 80.0 percent (12-of-15) at the line.
Hogan is now leading the team and 10th in the Horizon League in scoring at 14.1 ppg.
HIGH SCORING MCFOLLEY
Sophomore
Josh McFolley is currently second on the team and 11th in the Horizon League in scoring at 13.7 points per game.
He is also fifth in the HL in three-point field goals per game (2.3) and is 10th in three-point field goal percentage (40.5%).
He started the HL season with 15 points against NKU and also had 18 points against Fort Wayne - where he had four 3-pointers - and 24 points - sinking six triples - in the win over WKU.
It was his second 20-point effort of the year after netting 25 points earlier in the season at ETSU, where he was 7-of-9 from three.
NOT ONLY SCORING
Sophomore
Josh McFolley is known for scoring the basketball, but he has done a great job creating for his teammates in the last four games amassing 21 assists (5.2 apg.).
He had a then career-high of eight against WKU and came back with a career-best nine versus Fort Wayne.
The nine assists were the most by a Titan since Jason Calliste had 10 at UIC in 2013.
DID YOY SAY 33?
Freshman
Corey Allen was on fire against Fort Wayne posting 33 points on a 11-of-17 from the field and 9-of-13 from three, while also handing out a career-high five assists.
The nine triples are the most by a player in the HL this season and the most by a conference player since Oakland's Max Hooper had nine at Green Bay last year.
The 33 points are the fifth-most in the HL this season and the most ever by a "true" freshmen in school history - breaking the 31 Titan Hall-Of-Famer John Long had against Bradley in 1975. It was also the most by a Titan since
Anton Wilson had 34 against Youngstown State at home last year, while his nine 3-pointers were the most since Desmond Ferguson had 10 against Milwaukee in 2000.
With his 23 points his last time out against Wright State, he now has three 20+-point games on the season.
HIGHEST SCORING FRESHMAN IN THE HL
Freshman
Corey Allen is now the highest scoring freshman in the Horizon League at 12.6 points per game - 15th in the HL.
He is also second in the league in three-point field-goal percentage (49.2%) - hitting 31-of-63 on the season - and fourth in in three-point field goals per game (2.4).
COREY GETTING IN A ZONE
Freshman
Corey Allen has notched double figures in scoring seven times this season, including a Titan true freshman record of 33 points against Fort Wayne - where he scored 27 points in the second half - and 23 his last time out against Wright State.
Some of his other big games have included 16 points against WKU, 16 points at Murray State and 20 points versus EMU.
In his last eight games, he is averaging 15.3 points on 42-of-80 shooting (52.5%) and 25-of-46 (54.3%) from three.
In his first five games, Allen averaged 8.2 points on 36.6 percent shooting (15-of-41) and 35.3 percent (6-of-17) from long range.
CJ DOES IT ALL
Senior
Chris Jenkins got off to a slow start from behind the arc, but is eighth in school history in career three-point field goal percentage at 40.5 percent (87-of-215).
He tallied a season-high 20 points against NKU - his eighth 20-point effort of his career - and that was after posting a double-double with 11 points and a career-best 16 rebounds against Fort Wayne.
Jenkins has now scored in double figures in 10 games on the season and has two double-doubles on the year - six in his career - one of nine HL players with multiple double-double outings in 2016-17.
Jenkins tallied his first double-double with 15 points and a then career-best 14 rebounds at Toledo.
Earlier this year, he netted his season-high of 18 at Florida State.
He has also just missed recording a couple of other double-doubles with 13 points and nine boards at Illinois and nine points with eight rebounds against Eastern Michigan.
Jenkins has handed out an assist in 10 games with a season-high five at ETSU.
He is third on the team in scoring (11.9 ppg.) - 19th in the HL - while topping the squad on the boards (6.9 rpg.) - fourth in the HL.
JUST PERFECT
Sophomore
Gerald Blackshear Jr. - who has missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury - has been very active this season including just missing a double-double by tying his career high with 12 points and pulling down a season-best nine rebounds at Bowling Green.
He was 6-of-9 against the Falcons and has connected on 50.0-percent or more from the field eight times this year.
Blackshear Jr. also had 10 points, five boards and a steal at Toledo and eight points, five rebounds and an assist at Murray State.
He had a solid game recording 10 points (4-6 FG) and six boards against Manhattan, and that was after a nine-point, seven-rebound performance at New Hampshire.
On the year, he is 35-of-57 (61.4%) from the field, and would rank second in the Horizon League, but does not have enough field goals to qualify.
Last season, he shot 55.2 percent from the field in limited attempts.
YOU LITTLE THIEF
Sophomore
Josh McFolley has recorded a steal in 11 of the first 14 games, including nine multi-steal contests.
He tied his career high with four steals at Toledo and has 14 steals in the last five games with three against WKU and Fort Wayne and two at Bowling Green and vs. NKU.
McFolley is currently second in the Horizon League with 1.7 steals per game.
LONG BALL
Freshman
Cole Long made his first collegiate start against WKU and played a season-high 34 minutes, posting four points, four rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal.
In his second start against Fort Wayne, he recorded four points, two rebounds and two steals and just registered four points, four rebounds an assist and a steal against Wright State.
GIVE ME A GRANT
Senior
Matthew Grant made his season debut against Fort Wayne and was in the starting line-up against NKU, where he finished with eight points, five rebounds and an assist in 31 minutes of action.
He is coming off a seven-point, six-rebound, two-assist effort against Wright State.
2017 LITTLE CAESARS MOTOR CITY MADNESS UPDATE
The 2017 Little Caesars Horizon League Men's and Women's Basketball Championship will run concurrently from March 3-7, at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
Tickets to the 2017 Motor City Madness went on sale on Dec. 29 at
motorcitymadness.horizonleague.org.
The championship games will be held on Tuesday, March 7, with an automatic bid into the NCAA Men's and Women's Tournaments.
2017 marks the final year the Little Caesars Horizon League Men's and Women's Basketball Championships will be contested at Joe Louis Arena before moving to the state-of-the-art Little Caesars Arena, currently under construction in downtown Detroit.
Over 20,900 fans attended the four-day tournament last year, the first neutral-site HL men's basketball championship since 2003.
