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Post by motorcitysam on Jul 19, 2020 9:21:19 GMT -5
#92. Doug Anderson, 6-6 F, 2012-2013Few Titans have been more fun to watch than Doug Anderson. Anderson’s amazing 53 inch vertical lift, and his ability to stay aloft for a seemingly inhuman interval, led to some of the most spectacular dunks seen in Calihan Hall since Spencer Haywood leaped right over an Aquinas player on his way to backboard shattering smash. Anderson won the 2013 College Slam Dunk Championship, where he garnered perfect scores of 40 from the judges on each of his four dunks. A one-man highlight reel, 46 percent of Anderson’s field goals during his two seasons with the Titans were dunks, and he had the number one dunk on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top Plays on four different occasions. Anderson’s acrobatic dunks are so well remembered that the extent of substantive contributions are sometimes overlooked. His Win Share numbers are really impressive for a guy in his limited role. He was a solid rebounder and, while he had some deficiencies on defense, his athleticism and his eye for where the ball was likely to go gave him good totals on steals (he averaged over a steal a game both seasons) and blocks (he led the team in 2013). Given the percentage of his shots that were dunks, it’s not surprising that he knocked down 53% of his field goal attempts over two years and led the team in shooting percentage in 2013, but he also hit 70% of his free throws with the Titans. For his two seasons, he averaged a combined 10.6 points and 4.6 rebounds. For me, the memory of the announcer proclaiming ‘Duuhhg AANDerson” is really pleasant. Since leaving UD he has delighted fans as a member of the Harlem Globetrotters. When Doug was playing, I would tell guests that I brought to the game, "Doug will do at least one thing tonight that will knock you out of your seat." He never let me down.
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Post by Commissioner on Jul 19, 2020 16:11:10 GMT -5
#97. Woody Payne, 5-10 G, 2007-2010
A four year Titan and three-year starter, in 2010 Woody Payne became the only Titan to date to be named the Horizon Defensive Player of the Year (although the designation has only been around since 2008). Payne was a scrappy, hard-working player whose floor generalship improved each season. Weak outside shooting limited his scoring, but by his senior year he was fifth in the conference with 4.1 assists per game. His steals totals for 2010 and 2009 rank second and third on the Titan all-time single season list (second in the Horizon both years), with his career steals total third behind Josh McFolley and Jerry Davis. Woody was team captain, and a Dean's List member on the academic side. After graduation, Woody joined the Harlem Globetrotters for a season, and since has held a number of jobs in the Detroit area, most recently in production at Fiat-Chrysler.
I never met him, but if I were a coach, I think Woody is the type of player I'd like to coach.
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Post by uofdfan1983 on Jul 19, 2020 18:06:29 GMT -5
If Torvoris made the Top 100, then his running mate Chuck Bailey should be next up on Commish's list. They were Yin and Yang. Torvoris was perhaps more steady (as Commish described) and Chuckie perhaps more spectacular (kind of a poor man's Doug Anderson when it comes to dunking around the rim, but he had more of a complete game/was a better rebounder/defender than Doug).
I might have missed it, but did Kevin McAdoo make the list?
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Post by Commissioner on Jul 19, 2020 19:46:04 GMT -5
If Torvoris made the Top 100, then his running mate Chuck Bailey should be next up on Commish's list. They were Yin and Yang. Torvoris was perhaps more steady (as Commish described) and Chuckie perhaps more spectacular (kind of a poor man's Doug Anderson when it comes to dunking around the rim, but he had more of a complete game/was a better rebounder/defender than Doug). I might have missed it, but did Kevin McAdoo make the list? Kevin McAdoo checked in at a very healthy (and possibly a little too high) #36. Baker played three years in Detroit, vs. 2 for Bailey, and Bailey only started one of those years, with Baker starting ahead of Bailey in '05. I think Baker was a better defensive player, and probably a better rebounder, too. That's why I've put Baker above Bailey. When you're looking at guys like Baker, Bailey, Anderson, Shawn Williams, Leon Derricks, and Thomas Kennedy, there's not much to separate one from another.
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Post by nctitan on Jul 19, 2020 21:11:52 GMT -5
Bailey had the handicap of playing out of position. He was a forward forced to play center when someone (can't recall who) either missed a year to injury or left and Bailey was the best replacement we had.
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Post by Commissioner on Jul 20, 2020 7:01:40 GMT -5
#98. Darius Belin, 6-4 G, 1999-2002
I’ll confess that I probably haven’t given enough props to defensive play. It doesn’t show up in the stat lines (except for the recent calculations of defensive win shares), and tends to get overlooked in press reporting. That makes it very hard to compare players, especially for players that pre-date me so I have no personal basis to judge (although some might say that not many guys played defense in the 50s and 60s anyway).
Be all that as it may, Darius Belin represents all the guys who do the hard, dirty work of defense that doesn’t show up in the stat line. Over 4 years as a Titan, Belin’s top line numbers are anything but impressive: 3.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.5 apg, 38.0% FG, 30.3% 3PointFG, 56.8% FT. He never averaged as many as 5 points, 4 rebounds, or 2 assists in a season, despite averaging 25 minutes a game his last two seasons. And these were good Titan teams. How does one get all that playing time from such mediocre numbers? Defense, of course. Of all the great defensive players that came up through Perry Watson’s system, Belin was arguably the best. He didn’t even get an extraordinary number of steals or blocks (though he did lead the Titans in steals in 2000 and 2002). He just covered the other team’s best scorer and shut them down, game after game.
Belin was on the Horizon’s All-Defensive team in 2001 and 2002, but what may tell you the most about Belin’s defense is this: despite those thoroughly mediocre top line stats I quoted above, Belin played in every game of his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons, and when he graduated in 2002 he was second on the Titans all-time list for games played (he has since fallen to 3rd). There was a reason he was on the floor, and it wasn’t because he averaged 3 points or 3 rebounds or knocked down 57% of his free throws in the late minutes of a close game.
With Belin on the floor, the Titans won 88 games in 4 seasons. Only Rashad Phillips, Terry Duerod, and Jeff Whitlow won more. That’ll do.
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Post by Commissioner on Jul 20, 2020 9:52:14 GMT -5
If Torvoris made the Top 100, then his running mate Chuck Bailey should be next up on Commish's list. They were Yin and Yang. Torvoris was perhaps more steady (as Commish described) and Chuckie perhaps more spectacular (kind of a poor man's Doug Anderson when it comes to dunking around the rim, but he had more of a complete game/was a better rebounder/defender than Doug). I might have missed it, but did Kevin McAdoo make the list? BTW, the entire list is at the bottom of this post: udtitanbasketball.freeforums.net/post/20758
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Post by Commissioner on Jul 20, 2020 20:53:09 GMT -5
#99. Riley Dotson, 6-0 G, 1973-1976
Dotson was a quick combo guard who averaged 11.8 points, second best on the club, on Dick Vitale’s first team. He played a key role in several high-profile Titan wins that year, including an overtime homecoming win against Johnny Davis-led Dayton, and the Motor City championship against Fairfield, a game covered by Sports Illustrated. Despite that strong season, Dotson got swamped in the wave of Vitale recruits that joined the team over the next two years. Still, he was an important rotation player for those clubs, and averaged 8.8 points in 1975 (3d on the club behind John Long and Terry Thomas, ahead of Terry Tyler) and 7.8 points in 1976.
Dotson was a good player, but at this point there are a lot of good players--we're up into the big center of the bell curve here. Dotson ends up on the right side of the number 100 as a bit of an "eye test" selection for me--I remember him as a better player than the raw stats show--but at the end I'm still really uncertain about Riley on the list ahead of some I had to leave off.
Dotson retired from Miller-Coors a few years back, where he had been Manufacturing Development Manager.
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Post by Commissioner on Jul 21, 2020 10:27:29 GMT -5
#100. Frank Chickowski, 6-1 G, 1960-1962The Titans had never played in a post-season tournament when Frank Chickowski joined the varsity in the fall of 1959. They proceeded to post-season play in each of Chickowski’s three seasons. Perhaps Dave DeBusschere had something to do with it, too. But Chickowski was an able member of DeBusschere’s supporting cast. He played in every game all three years, and was starter the last two seasons. He averaged 8.9 ppg as a junior. With the expulsion of Charlie North and John Morgan for contacts to gamblers (see entry on Charlie North, #17), he was asked to take on a bigger role in the 1961-62 season and responded by averaging 13.4 ppg, tied with Al Cech for second on the team, behind DeBusschere. Chickowski had one of his best moments in the 1961 Motor City Tournament, which featured a strong field including Syracuse, DePaul, and St. Bonaventure. Chickowski scored 14 second half points as Detroit rallied from a halftime deficit to beat the 19th-ranked Bonnies for the title. He finished with 39 points in the Titans’ wins over Syracuse and St. Bonaventure. Chickowski taught and coached at St. Hedwig HS in Detroit, and coached a Lithuanian-American all-star team that toured Europe in the early 1970s. He played in the 1973 Baltic games, held, interestingly enough, in Australia. He is retired and lives in Texas. Frank Chickowski follows through on his shot against Notre Dame. The Titans won the nationally televised game, 82-71.
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Post by nctitan on Jul 21, 2020 10:43:37 GMT -5
#100. Frank Chickowski, 6-1 G, 1960-1962Frank Chickowski follows through on his shot against Notre Dame. The Titans won the nationally televised game, 82-71. I didn't know there was nationally televised college basketball in the early '60s beyond, maybe, the tournaments.
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Post by Commissioner on Jul 21, 2020 11:08:01 GMT -5
#100. Frank Chickowski, 6-1 G, 1960-1962Frank Chickowski follows through on his shot against Notre Dame. The Titans won the nationally televised game, 82-71. I didn't know there was nationally televised college basketball in the early '60s beyond, maybe, the tournaments. I think there was probably like one game a week--so this was a big deal. That's why I mentioned it.
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Post by Commissioner on Jul 21, 2020 11:57:14 GMT -5
First 5 Out
In alphabetical order:
1. Leon Derricks (1996-97) 2. Dan Halling (1954-56) 3. Thomas Kennedy (2009-2010) 4. Iapo Montgomery (1992-96) 5. Ralph Uchison (1957-59)
Next 5 out: 1. Michael Aaron (1990-92) 2. Turono Anderson (1975-78) 3. Ed Bartz (1946-47, '49) 4. John Morgan (1961) 5. John Watson (1963-65)
When I started this, I drew up a list of "candidates" that automatically included every Titan in the following categories: - All America recognition - All Conference recognition (including all-freshman/newcomer and all-defense teams) - 1000 point career scorers - In top 10 Titans for career leaders in any positive stat category - Titan Hall of Fame
Alphabetically, that list included, in addition to the 100 (+10) ranked above: Bacari Alexander (1998-99) Chris Brandon (2019-20) Bryan Doss (1984-85) George Fefles (1953-55) Greg Grant (1991-94) Michael Hamilton (1992-93) Jermaine Jackson, Jr. (2018) Stacey Johnson (1988-89) Xavier Keeling (2008-09) Lamarcus Lowe (2011-12) John McIntyre (1986) Clarence McNatt (1980-83) Alan Renner-Thomas (1993-95) Jared Williams (2013-16)
Then there were a bunch of guys I just thought to consider. Some of them got very little consideration, but if it occurred to me to look at their stats, I've listed them here: Chuck Bailey (2005-06) John Belohlavek (1956-59) Ron Bostick (1974-77) Evan Bruinsma (2010-13) Bob Decker (1952-55) Vern DeSilva (1969-70) Dwight Dunlop (1968-69) George Heger (1958-60) Kevin Kaseta (1975-78) Mark Moore (1981-83) Harrison Munson (1961-63) Al Peake (1969-70, ’72) Lavall Perry (1973-76) Erik Rucker (1970-71) Walter Smith (1974-76) Chester Wilson (1972-74) Calvin Winfield (1989)
So, who did I mess up on--leave off the top 100, rate too high or too low? UP really didn't like the selection of Kam Chatman at #84 (I'm not surprised he'd be somewhat a controversial pick, and ranking the one-year guys was really tough, anyway).
Other comments? Questions on why I put people where I did? Let 'er rip.
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Post by udmperry on Jul 22, 2020 7:16:37 GMT -5
Thx for the bubble team list. Some pretty good players in the second tier. Appreciate the memories.
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Post by uofdfan1983 on Jul 22, 2020 8:39:49 GMT -5
I realize how hard it is to compare stats, especially with guys from the past whom none of us saw play.
From those "left out" I like these guys as replacements for some of those who made it: 1) Thomas Kennedy. HIs only mistake was not having the grades to come to U-D straight out of high school. A player. Did everything out there that was needed to be done, and a scoring machine. 2) Michael Aaron. Although I will never forget what he did, he was an undersized warrior who made us better during key transitional years as Byrdsong was turning the Program around. Here's what he did, though: he transferred to Wayne State (the real WSU) for his senior season (no sitout year required because he went Div II). It was Perry's first year, and his first game coaching the Titans at Cobo was against WSU, not an Exhibition Game, but our actual Season Opening Game. Aaron dominated and they beat us. The Titans clearly had not yet bought into Watson's system. After the game, Aaron jumped on the Scorer's Table and started celebrating big-time. 3) Greg Grant. 5 years of improvement. Came in skinny and unprepared for this level. Dealt with a health issue but persevered. Closed out his career that same year we lost to Wayne by celebrating a League Championship (we couldn't go to the NCAAs but I think you all know why). Lemme know if you need to hear that story again. 4) Allan Renner-Thomas. Teamed with Grant to create the dynamic double tower team that anchored the back line in that first Watson season.
The Grant/Renner-Thomas duo reminds me of the Eli/Lemarcus duo. There's something to be said about Twin Towers. Bring on Datcher!
As you can see, I will take a Winner/Championship History as a tie-breaker every time. Winning is what matters after all the numbers are in the Books.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2020 16:36:49 GMT -5
I realize how hard it is to compare stats, especially with guys from the past whom none of us saw play.
From those "left out" I like these guys as replacements for some of those who made it: 1) Thomas Kennedy. HIs only mistake was not having the grades to come to U-D straight out of high school. A player. Did everything out there that was needed to be done, and a scoring machine. Amen.
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