DETROIT (7/18/2017) -- Welcome Back to Calihan Hall with seven home regular season contests, four games in the 2K Classic and match-ups against Michigan and UCLA don the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball non-conference schedule, which was released on social media and at a Titan Luncheon on Tuesday.
"I am excited about this season's non-conference slate!," said head coach
Bacari Alexander '99. "As we take the next steps in our programs resurgence, this schedule will prove to be challenging and helpful in our preparations for conference play."
Season No. 111 starts with a preseason game against Wayne State on Nov. 4, which will once again benefit Detroit Public Schools. More about that event will be released soon as the red, white and blue look for some revenge after dropping last year's exhibition contest.
The 2017-18 season will officially get underway on the road as the Titans visit Virginia Tech in the first game of the 23rd annual 2K Classic benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project on Nov. 10. The 2K Classic will also have the Titans on the road in a subregional round at Belmont playing fellow Jesuit-rival Seattle on Nov. 18 and then a game against either Belmont or Houston Baptist on Nov. 19, before wrapping up the in-season tournament at Saint Louis on Nov. 22.
The 65th anniversary of Calihan Hall will have Marygrove in the building for the home opener on Nov. 13 in a Live6 Alliance showdown with a game against Siena Heights on Dick Vitale Court on Nov. 25.
The final two road games of the non-conference has the red, white and blue traveling to Fort Wayne on Nov. 28 before an epic battle at UCLA on Dec. 3. The last time the Titans met the Bruins was in the 1999 NCAA Tournament with Detroit Mercy – led by current head coach
Bacari Alexander '99 and assistant coach
Jermaine Jackson '99 - knocking off the nationally-ranked squad in the program's only meeting.
The rest of December has the Titans in the Motor City as Detroit Mercy welcomes Toledo (Dec. 6), Western Michigan (Dec. 9), East Tennessee State (Dec. 19) and Murray State (Dec. 22) into Calihan Hall, while facing Michigan in the brand new state-of-the-art Little Caesars Arena on Dec. 16.
"Our current players and recruits have identified that we will play marquee competition on an annual basis and that's the challenge we all seek. We are inviting everyone back to Calihan Hall, the City of Detroit and on the road with the Titans as we attack new goals to grow our storied tradition," added coach Alexander.
Season ticket information is now available by contacting Director of Ticket Operations & Sales
Justin Hairston at 313-993-1700 ext. 7301 or at hairstjj1@udmercy.edu.
Notes:
- The 13 known opponents on the Titan schedule combined to go 240-191 (55.6%) last season
- Four of the non-conference opponents earned bids to the NCAA Tournament (East Tennessee State, Michigan, UCLA, Virginia Tech), one to the CBI (Toledo) and one to the CIT (Fort Wayne)
- Those numbers will just increase when the Titans find out if they are playing Belmont (23-7, NIT) or Houston Baptist (17-14, CIT) in the second game of the 2K Classic subregional
- Detroit Mercy opened up Joe Louis Arena with a game in 1979 and will now play in the first college basketball game at Little Caesars Arena
- Coach Alexander played all 40 minutes and tallied six points, six rebounds and three steals, while coach Jackson scored 17 points with seven rebounds in the 56-53 NCAA Tournament win over UCLA in 1999
- Detroit Mercy and Saint Louis are old MCC foes
- The Titans will play two schools that coach Alexander was an assistant at with Michigan and Western Michigan
