WSU VERSUS DETROIT PREDICTIONS AND PREGAME DISCUSSIONS

[forevershockerfan]

Here's the deal. Coach Marshall even said we will have to play better than we did as a team versus Detroit on the road than we did against Seton Hall to win. In the past 5 Seasons or so, we have been road warriors and one of the best road teams in the Country. We all understand that crazy things not only could happen on the road, they will . We have to defend without fouling too much, rebound like rock stars, and make shots. We have the crew to do it. Don't worry, our National Coach Of the Year will not allow our beloved Shocks to look ahead to Alabama until after this game is over. I really hope we establish a nice lead early on and maintain it for 40 minutes.

WSU-------------- 77

Detroit Rock City-- 65

[kcshocker11]

WSU 75
DU 66

[Play Angry]

Fun fact- Dick Vitale coached Detroit to a #12 ranking in the AP Poll in his last season as a college coach.


Wheat City 86,
Motor City 68

[ShockerFever]

Fun fact- Dick Vitale coached Detroit to a #12 ranking in the AP Poll in his last season as a college coach.


Wheat City 86,
Motor City 68

Definitely a cool segue way into the next game...

Shox need to focus on this one though and not look ahead. It's a road game against a team that likes to push the ball. Could fall right into our hands though.

Let's get that first road win of the year now.

#11 WSU 82
Detroit 67

[capnkirk]

We can't consider ourselves road warriors if we go 0-2 right off the bat.

And Alabama is no Kentucky. There's no reason to overlook Detroit.

Any game you play on the road is tough and there is a chance of failure. But no way our guards let that happen.

Shocks win in a scoring battle 84-72..

[Commish]

Hey Shocker fans. Next to you, we Titan fans were probably most disappointed by the Utah game - we were hoping to welcome unbeaten, top 10 Wichita State to Detroit. But we're pretty happy with 11th ranked, once beaten Wichita State.

If you have the ability to get to the game, note that the UD campus and vicinity, in the far northwest corner of the city, is perfectly safe. Parking is easy, seats in the 8500 seat Calihan Hall are plentiful and inexpensive (last year we topped 5000 attendance just once - my guess is 4K to 5K on Saturday). "Historic Calihan Hall," as it's always called, was opened in 1952 when the Titans were members of the Valley, and doesn't have much in the way of bells and whistles of modern arenas - no luxury boxes, cramped halls, sparse concessions - but it is a great place to watch a game and Detroit fans love the old building. Come on out if you can make the road trip or live in the area.

There are two Titan fan boards, if you want to see what we're saying. Most discussion takes place at http://detroittitanhoops.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=2. There is a second board at http://udtitanbasketball.freeforums.net/ (long story as to why there are two boards, which are totally friendly and basically populated by the same fan communities - you don't need to know). I do game previews for all our games, with the Wichita State preview here: http://udtitanbasketball.freeforums.net/post/3544.

Since my previews mainly are to cover opposing teams for Titan fans, here are a few quick notes for you:
- Detroit's best player is Juwan Howard, Jr., son of the Univ. of Michigan Fab 5 member 20+ years ago. Howard was All Horizon Conference a year ago and is averaging about 19 points a game this year. Unless your guys do a totally lockdown job on him, he'll top 1000 points in his Titan career early in the game (the 39th Titan to do so) which may draw some attention. He currently has 996.
- Other key players:
--Anton Wilson averages 12.7 ppg, is a 3 point shooter (54.3% on the year).
--Paris Bass is a RS freshman averaging 12.3 ppg. He's also the team's leading rebounder. Bass was being recruited by schools such as UConn and Arkansas, but it was assumed he would spend a year in prep school for academic reasons. The Titans signed him out from under the big guys and redshirted him last year as he got his academics in order. He's a 6-8 G/F/C - he can play all 5 positions. Whether he's ready for the likes of the Shockers, we'll see. But he's fun to watch, and quite a talent.
--The Titans have 9 players averaging 15 or more minutes. Guards Brandan Kearney and Carlton Brundidge are transfers from Michigan State and Michigan, respectively. 6-10 Pat Ackerman, a Penn State transfer, is tall but soft. Sophomore guards Matthew Grant and Jarod Williams were pushed into unexpected starting roles last year as true freshman after Ray McCallum, Jr. turned pro and Jason Calliste transferred to Oregon. Jaleel Hogan, a freshman forward, was first team all-state in Michigan last year. He'll be good, but now he's a freshman and will make freshman mistakes.
-- Chris Jenkins, a transfer from Colorado, becomes eligible on Saturday. Like fellow transfers Kearney and Brundidge, he's a Detroit native originally recruited by Detroit while in high school. 6-9 Yousoupha Kane, a juco transfer, also becomes eligible on Saturday. We'll see how much they play.

Like Wichita, the Titans have been a guard oriented team. That's not entirely what was expected, but the team's best returning inside player, forward Patrick Onwenu, was injured 5 minutes into the season opener; the 6-9 juco Kane has been sitting out waiting for NCAA clearance, which finally came this week; and the Titans have been forced to redshirt our prize freshman recruit, Aaron Foster-Smith, who was the other first team All-State forward (along with Hogan) in Michigan last year. The Titans are more athletic than your typical mid-major, and Coach Ray McCallum Sr. likes to let 'em play.

The Titans are 6-3, having won 5 of 6. They played both Oregon and Michigan even for a half on the road, but faded late against each. They also lost a one point decision at home to Bowling Green, excellently coached by Chris Jans. The general consensus, even among BG fans and writers, seems to be that Detroit got jobbed by a series of bad calls by the refs in the final 3 seconds of that game, but whether that is true or not, credit BG with a great play, and a better team -say Wichita - wouldn't have let BG be in a position to win on their home court. The Titans' best wins are a 10 point victory last Saturday over South Florida, and a road win over preseason Mid-America Conference favorite Toledo. That snapped an 18 game home winning streak for Toledo.

As an aside, Detroit will do its Hall of Fame inductions for the year at halftime, including Perry Watson, Coach of Titan teams that won 95 games in 4 years in the late 1990s, including NCAA wins over UCLA and St. John's, and Lee Knorek, an early NBA player who starred for the 1943 Titans, which led the nation in defense.

For you guys this game is just about seeding for the post-season. For the Titans, this is an important game in Coach McCallum's effort to return the Titans to national relevance. The Titans reached the NCAA in 2012 and appeared in the NIT in 2013, but slumped to 13-19 last year after the early departures of McCallum Jr. and Calliste. This year's team was picked for third in the Horizon and is probably a year away from being really good. You'll deservedly be double digit favorites but you'll have to come ready to play.

See you Saturday.

[Play Angry]

What a gracious and well-written preview. Thanks and visit often please.

We'll be rooting for you to crush everyone after Saturday.

[RoyalShock]

Fun fact- Dick Vitale coached Detroit to a #12 ranking in the AP Poll in his last season as a college coach.


Wheat City 86,
Motor City 68

We are in the middle of three consecutive games with a Vitale connection:

Seton Hall - Vitale's alma mater (if I recall correctly)
Detroit - His former employer
Alabama - Dickie's calling the game

[GOSHOX1]

Its a trifecta baby with a capitol T

[KC Shox]

All I remember about Detroit a few years back was that stud who could jump out of the gym and could give TC a run for his money in a slam dunk contest. Probably win it. What's his name and is he still with them?

By the way, we win by 11 after calling off the dogs.

[60Shock]

Sounds like this could be a good tough battle.

Shocks 75

Titans 62

[Dave Stalwart]

If this Detroit team is anything like the one we face last time at CKA for bracketbusters, I would expect this to be a somewhat high scoring game. That game was 94-79 and I remember having a great time. Detroit played very up-tempo and was a good scoring team. They weren't a good defensive team, though.

I doubt we score 94 by any means, but I could see maybe breaking 80.

WSU - 82
Detroit - 69

[ShockerPhi]

All I remember about Detroit a few years back was that stud who could jump out of the gym and could give TC a run for his money in a slam dunk contest. Probably win it. What's his name and is he still with them?

By the way, we win by 11 after calling off the dogs.

I don't remember his name, but didn't he win the dunk contest at the end of that year?

[Shock Top]

All I remember about Detroit a few years back was that stud who could jump out of the gym and could give TC a run for his money in a slam dunk contest. Probably win it. What's his name and is he still with them?

You are probably think of McCallum, Jr.

He currently plays for the Sacramento Kings.

A Top 50 recruit (McDonald's AA, I believe), but went to Detroit to play for his father.

[SHOXAAC]

I don't remember his name, but didn't he win the dunk contest at the end of that year?

"Dunkin" Doug Anderson, about 6-6 jumping jack. I think he finished his career in 2012 maybe.