After four years of losing to the Golden Grizzlies, Detroit Mercy got the grizzly off their back and got a win over Oakland. The first night of games three and four, the two teams have played this season started poorly for the Titans. At one point, the Titans were down 29. A strong second half powered by a red hot Antoine Davis assisted by Bul Kuol’s three-point prowess and a strong game from Dwayne Rose Jr. was enough to cut the Oakland lead to 1. But ultimately, the Grizz would prevail in the opening game.
In-game two, the Titans came out with their foot on the gas and did not let up. Davishad 27 points, Noah (aka Malibu’s Most Wanted) had 17 points and 8 rebounds. Rose had 16 points, Kuol had 10 points and 9 rebounds.
Oakland is a strong team. Moore is probably the conference player of the year. Williams has the ability to go off any night he’s on the court. Zion Young also has the ability to get super hot and make teams pay; make no mistake, Oakland is a top 5 team in the league, But so are the Titans.
AD might be back and better than ever; he has four straight games with 20 points or more. He’s shooting like he did his freshman and sophomore year, and his swagger is back. His assist to turnover numbers are getting better, and he is starting to become a scorer that can also facilitate for his teammates.
Waterman is still someone who needs to work on somethings, starting with getting a lot of silly fouls. But Waterman missed a ton of practice due to being in quarantine three times, and he only starting playing basketball in high school. I have had writers, coaches, and scouts tell me he could be a professional player; he has all of the tools and just needs to get more polished. I see him as the “star” for the Titans when AD graduates and takes his talents to the NBA.
I can confirm Mark Montgomery, the former Northern Illinois Head coach and Michigan State assistant, was on the Titan bench this weekend actively coaching players. I have no clue if he was added to the staff full time, but he was 100% there. He would and should be a tremendous addition to the staff.
I can also confirm Taurean Thomson was not present. I have no answer as to why and I know he’s dealt with personal stuff since his time at Seton Hall, and I will leave it at that.
There’s no news on the recruiting front, but I don’t believe coach Mike Davis when he says that he won’t bring in anyone new for next year, and if they do, I fully expect it to be from the transfer portal or JUCO. Remember, JUCO’s are just starting to play now due to COVID-19.
This weekend UDM takes on Youngtown State. The Penguins have lost 4 of 5 and have been without the services of star guard, Darius Quisenberry who has not played since January 2; there is radio silence on why he’s out.
The Guins will rely on three seniors. The first Naz Bohannon is 6-6 and built in the likeness of former Titan Jaleel Hogan. He’s big and strong and will attack the rim from the paint; he’s also not a bad shot from behind the arc; he’s shooting 33%. Bohannon is averaging 17.2 points and 8 rebounds a game. I would expect to see more of Willy Isiani and Buay Koka to preserve Chris Brandon and Waterman’s fouls.
The second senior is Garrett Covington; he is currently averaging 10.5 points per game and 4.7 rebounds. The final senior is Michael Akuchie; he is not a huge scorer, but he is a great rebounder and has shown the ability to score in bunches and hit a three to keep the Guins in a game.
The final Penguin to watch for is Shemar Rathan-Mayes; he’s a freshman that has stepped up in Quisenberry’s absence. He is currently averaging 10 points per game and is a pretty solid three-point shooter. If the Titans can stay out of foul trouble and figure out a way to contain the Penguins inside scoring, I think Detroit Mercy has a great chance to get two wins this weekend.
