Post by Commissioner on Feb 23, 2022 9:24:41 GMT -5
Cleveland State
When: Thursday, February 24, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Masked Hall, Detroit Mercy campus
TV: ESPN Plus
Radio: WLQV 1500 AM & 92.7 FM
Well, Thursday promises to be a big day. The game is part of the University's Winter Blast, and it's also Red T-Shirt give away, with the first 500 fans getting a T-Shirt. I don't expect incoming University President Don Taylor to be in attendance, but it's sort of his first big Titan athletic event.
More importantly, from a game team standpoint, the Titans will try to reach .500 for the first time this year, protect a 14-game home court winning streak (12th longest in the nation), and keep alive flickering hopes for a top four seed and first round bye in the Horizon League Tournament. On an individual level, Antoine Davis remains in a dog fight for honors as the nation's leading scorer:
1. Peter Kiss, Bryant 24.8
2. Darius McGhee, Liberty 23.8
3. Antoine Davis, Detroit 23.5
4. Keegan Murray, Iowa 23.4
5. Max Abmas, Oral Roberts 22.6
I'll take 10 points and the win, but c'mon, admit it, it would be fun to have a Titan lead the nation.
It will be interesting to see how both teams come out. The Titans have been inconsistent this year--they've played two strong games in a row, but that has sort of been the team's max: road wins at IUPUI and UIC, followed by a bland performance at Kent State; double digit wins over Western, Central, and Milwaukee (hey that's 3!), only to lose three straight, including at Green Bay; solid wins over Milwaukee and UIC (plus UM-Dearborn, but that doesn't really count), followed by a horrific blow-out loss at Wright State; looked real sharp at Northern Kentucky and Robert Morris, followed by an upset loss to YSU and a blowout second half at Oakland. Now we're sitting on back-to-back wins over NKU--we're the only team to beat the Norse since mid-January--and Wright State, arguably our most impressive back-to-back wins in several years (sad but true). So, will the team come out ready to play?
As for CSU, they clinched the top seed in the HL tournament and at least a tie for the regular season title last weekend. It's possible that they will have a bit of a let-down, or that Coach Dennis Gates will rest his best players a bit more than usual. That said, Gates' teams haven't exactly been the type to go into let-down mode--indeed, probably what has distinguished them from the Titans the last two years, at least in terms of ultimate success, is their consistency. And Gates generally plays a deep rotation anyway--none of his starters average 30 minutes, and he's got 8 players averaging double-figure minutes, plus a few others he's not afraid to play even in crunch time. So while CSU could be excused for having a bit of a let down on Thursday, I wouldn't count on it--the Titans need to be ready for 40 minutes of scrappy, harassing, hard-nosed basketball.
On the Titan side, after averaging 15.5 points and 8.3 rebounds over a 6-game stretch, DJ Harvey has been 2-14 for a total of 4 points over the last two games. Noah Waterman, OTOH, finally seems mentally and physically 100%, and has averaged 15.3 points and 5.3 rebounds over the last 3 games, while shooting 11-22 from three point range, including more than a couple big baskets. Madut Akec probably remains out for Thursday, so the Titans need someone to step up as a third scoring threat. Against Wright State and Northern Kentucky, that was McAdoo, who hit 5 of 7 from behind the arc in the two games, and finished with 19 points and 7 assists (against just 2 turnovers) in the two games. A return to form by Harvey would be beneficial, of course. Matt Johnson played a very strong game against Wright State, playing a major role in holding the Titans together during Wright State's late rally.
In the first matchup with CSU, the Titans fell behind early; outscored the Vikings 28-5 in an 8 minute stretch surrounding halftime to lead by 9, and held a narrowed lead until the final minute, when the Vikings caught us. The winning basket came on a layup by D'Moi Hodge with 6 seconds to play. Antoine Davis had one of his better games, with 35 points on 12-19 shooting, but the Vikings balance and tenacity won out. One of those guys Coach Gates "is not afraid to play even in crunch time" was Nathaniel Jack, who came off the bench to make 4 of 8 three point attempts, keeping the Vikings in the game early in the second half.
Hodge, who led CSU with 16 points in that first matchup, has been playing a stepped up role since. He's currently working on a string of 10 consecutive games in double figures, averaging 16.9 ppg. He's actually been a bit subdued lately, with just 34 points in CSU's last three games, but he's capable of going off for that many on any given night. Generally, CSU's personnel remains the same as it was in January, with no major injuries or changes to the starting lineup.
Again, it's going to be 40 minutes of scrappy, harassing, hard-nosed basketball. With the home court advantage and a lot to play for, let's look for the Titans to come out on top this time.
Probable Cleveland State Starters
PG - #22 DeShon Parker, 6-4 Sr. (4.6 ppg, 3.2 apg.)
SG - #24 Torey Patton, 6-5 Gr. (13.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, 29.6% 3Pt).
SG - #55 D'Moi Hodge, 6-5 Sr. (15.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 34.8% 3Pt).
G - #5 Tre Gomillion, 6-4 Sr. (10.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, 44.4% 3Pt).
PF - #35 Deante Johnson, 6-9 Sr. (7.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.1 apg, 61.4% FG).
On the Bench
G - #2 Yahel Hill, 6-0 Sr. (7.7 ppg, 34.8% 3Pt).
SG - #23 Broc Finstuen, 6-4 Sr. (7.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 27.0% 3Pt).
G - #0 Nathaniel Jack, 6-5 Sr. (2.5 ppg, 30.8% 3Pt)
F - #11 Jayson Woodrich, 6-7 Soph. (4.6 ppg, 36.8% 3Pt).
F - #13 Chris Greene, 6-8 Sr. (3.0 ppg, 38.9% 3Pt)
PF - #15 Anderson Mirambeaux, 6-8, 305 lb. Jr. (1.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg)
C - #50 Mabor Majok, 7-2 Soph (0.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg)
When: Thursday, February 24, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Masked Hall, Detroit Mercy campus
TV: ESPN Plus
Radio: WLQV 1500 AM & 92.7 FM
Well, Thursday promises to be a big day. The game is part of the University's Winter Blast, and it's also Red T-Shirt give away, with the first 500 fans getting a T-Shirt. I don't expect incoming University President Don Taylor to be in attendance, but it's sort of his first big Titan athletic event.
More importantly, from a game team standpoint, the Titans will try to reach .500 for the first time this year, protect a 14-game home court winning streak (12th longest in the nation), and keep alive flickering hopes for a top four seed and first round bye in the Horizon League Tournament. On an individual level, Antoine Davis remains in a dog fight for honors as the nation's leading scorer:
1. Peter Kiss, Bryant 24.8
2. Darius McGhee, Liberty 23.8
3. Antoine Davis, Detroit 23.5
4. Keegan Murray, Iowa 23.4
5. Max Abmas, Oral Roberts 22.6
I'll take 10 points and the win, but c'mon, admit it, it would be fun to have a Titan lead the nation.
It will be interesting to see how both teams come out. The Titans have been inconsistent this year--they've played two strong games in a row, but that has sort of been the team's max: road wins at IUPUI and UIC, followed by a bland performance at Kent State; double digit wins over Western, Central, and Milwaukee (hey that's 3!), only to lose three straight, including at Green Bay; solid wins over Milwaukee and UIC (plus UM-Dearborn, but that doesn't really count), followed by a horrific blow-out loss at Wright State; looked real sharp at Northern Kentucky and Robert Morris, followed by an upset loss to YSU and a blowout second half at Oakland. Now we're sitting on back-to-back wins over NKU--we're the only team to beat the Norse since mid-January--and Wright State, arguably our most impressive back-to-back wins in several years (sad but true). So, will the team come out ready to play?
As for CSU, they clinched the top seed in the HL tournament and at least a tie for the regular season title last weekend. It's possible that they will have a bit of a let-down, or that Coach Dennis Gates will rest his best players a bit more than usual. That said, Gates' teams haven't exactly been the type to go into let-down mode--indeed, probably what has distinguished them from the Titans the last two years, at least in terms of ultimate success, is their consistency. And Gates generally plays a deep rotation anyway--none of his starters average 30 minutes, and he's got 8 players averaging double-figure minutes, plus a few others he's not afraid to play even in crunch time. So while CSU could be excused for having a bit of a let down on Thursday, I wouldn't count on it--the Titans need to be ready for 40 minutes of scrappy, harassing, hard-nosed basketball.
On the Titan side, after averaging 15.5 points and 8.3 rebounds over a 6-game stretch, DJ Harvey has been 2-14 for a total of 4 points over the last two games. Noah Waterman, OTOH, finally seems mentally and physically 100%, and has averaged 15.3 points and 5.3 rebounds over the last 3 games, while shooting 11-22 from three point range, including more than a couple big baskets. Madut Akec probably remains out for Thursday, so the Titans need someone to step up as a third scoring threat. Against Wright State and Northern Kentucky, that was McAdoo, who hit 5 of 7 from behind the arc in the two games, and finished with 19 points and 7 assists (against just 2 turnovers) in the two games. A return to form by Harvey would be beneficial, of course. Matt Johnson played a very strong game against Wright State, playing a major role in holding the Titans together during Wright State's late rally.
In the first matchup with CSU, the Titans fell behind early; outscored the Vikings 28-5 in an 8 minute stretch surrounding halftime to lead by 9, and held a narrowed lead until the final minute, when the Vikings caught us. The winning basket came on a layup by D'Moi Hodge with 6 seconds to play. Antoine Davis had one of his better games, with 35 points on 12-19 shooting, but the Vikings balance and tenacity won out. One of those guys Coach Gates "is not afraid to play even in crunch time" was Nathaniel Jack, who came off the bench to make 4 of 8 three point attempts, keeping the Vikings in the game early in the second half.
Hodge, who led CSU with 16 points in that first matchup, has been playing a stepped up role since. He's currently working on a string of 10 consecutive games in double figures, averaging 16.9 ppg. He's actually been a bit subdued lately, with just 34 points in CSU's last three games, but he's capable of going off for that many on any given night. Generally, CSU's personnel remains the same as it was in January, with no major injuries or changes to the starting lineup.
Again, it's going to be 40 minutes of scrappy, harassing, hard-nosed basketball. With the home court advantage and a lot to play for, let's look for the Titans to come out on top this time.
Probable Cleveland State Starters
PG - #22 DeShon Parker, 6-4 Sr. (4.6 ppg, 3.2 apg.)
SG - #24 Torey Patton, 6-5 Gr. (13.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, 29.6% 3Pt).
SG - #55 D'Moi Hodge, 6-5 Sr. (15.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 34.8% 3Pt).
G - #5 Tre Gomillion, 6-4 Sr. (10.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, 44.4% 3Pt).
PF - #35 Deante Johnson, 6-9 Sr. (7.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.1 apg, 61.4% FG).
On the Bench
G - #2 Yahel Hill, 6-0 Sr. (7.7 ppg, 34.8% 3Pt).
SG - #23 Broc Finstuen, 6-4 Sr. (7.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 27.0% 3Pt).
G - #0 Nathaniel Jack, 6-5 Sr. (2.5 ppg, 30.8% 3Pt)
F - #11 Jayson Woodrich, 6-7 Soph. (4.6 ppg, 36.8% 3Pt).
F - #13 Chris Greene, 6-8 Sr. (3.0 ppg, 38.9% 3Pt)
PF - #15 Anderson Mirambeaux, 6-8, 305 lb. Jr. (1.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg)
C - #50 Mabor Majok, 7-2 Soph (0.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg)