2023-24 Titan Prediction Contest

It was a small field this year for the 9th Almost Annual Commissioner's Cup, but a hearty competition as Calihan Mole looked to defend his title and join Livernois Magic and HS Scout--neither of whom is still on the board--as a two-time champion.

Generally, I assigned 3 points for getting the right or best answer, 2 points for the next closest, and 1 for "third." This year was the first with the new, "slimmed down" format, dropping from 25 to 15 questions.

1. What will be the Titans' regular season record (31 games)? We've learned over the years that the trick here is to be negative--the most negative person always wins.
Correct Answer: 1--30
3 points to PTC (0-31)
2 points to Rogobob (5-26)
1 point each to Commish and Mole (6-25)

2. Where will the Titans finish in the Horizon League regular season standings?
Correct Answer: 11
3 points to PTC and Mole (11)
2 points to Commish, Rogobob, JDetroit Titan, and Titan4Life (10)
1 point to Motor City Sam (9)

3. How far will the Titans advance in the Horizon League tournament?
Correct Answer: 1st round
3 points to Commish, Mole, Rogobob, JDetroit Titan, Titan4Life, Motor City Sam, and Terry Tyler Fan (1st)
2 points to UDM Perry (quarters)
1 point to PTC, Larry Titan, AK Horey (semis)

4. Which 5 Titans will start the most games?
Here you got 1 point for each correct guess. Everyone got Del Cadia and Stone; Most got Manciel; few got Tank or Kuac, and no one got them all.
4 points to UDM Perry, Larry Titan, AK Horey, Terry Tyler Fan
3 points to Commish, PTC, Mole, Rogobob, JDetroitTitan, Titan4Life, Motor City Sam

(Questions 5-12 require a player to appear in at least 75% of Titan games)

5. Who will lead the Titans in points per game?
Corect Answer: Stone, 20.8, followed by Tankersley and Del Cadia

Everybody picked Stone for 3 points.

6. Who will lead the Titans in rebounds per game?
Correct Answer: Del Cadia 5.7, followed by Stone and Tankersley

3 points for UDM Perry and Terry Tyler Fan
2 points for everyone else.

7. Who will lead the Titans in assists per game?
Correct Answer: Stone, followed by Tankersley and Del Cadia. Only 1 person got Stone correct, and none went with Tankersley. Toatley was a popular pick.
3 point to UDM Perry
1 point to PTC, Mole, Larry Titan, AK Horey, JDetroitTitan, and Titan4Life

8. Who will lead the Titans in blocks per game?
Correct Answer: Del Cadia, followed by Stone and Tyree Davis. Jankovic was a popular if unproductive choice.

3 points to UDM Perry, Mole, and Titan4Life
2 points to AK Horey and JDetroit titan
1 point to Motor City Sam


9. Who will lead the Titans in steals per game?
Correct Answer: Del Cadia, followed by Stone and Tank. Nobody picked Edoardo.

2 points to Commish, PTC, Mole, Larry Titan, Rogobob, AK Horey, JDetroitTitan, Motor City Sam
1 point to UDM Perry


10. Who will lead the Titans in field goal percentage? (minimum 5 attempts per game played)
Correct Answer: Edoardo Del Cadia, followed by Tank and Stone. No one picked the Tank.

3 points to JDetroitTitan and Motor City Sam
1 point to Commish, PTC, Larry Titan, Rogobob, AKHorey


11. Who will lead the Titans in three-point field goal percentage? (minimum 2 attempts per game played)
Correct Answer: Stone, followed by Manciel and Tankersley

3 points to Commish, PTC, UDM Perry, Mole, Larry Titan, Rogobob, AKHorey, and Titan4Life
2 points to JDetroitTitan, Motor City Sam, and Terry Tyler Fan

12. Who will lead the Titans in free throw percentage? (minimum 2 attempts per game played)
Correct Answer: Tank, followed by Stone and Del Cadia.

3 points to PTC, Mole, Rogobob
2 points to Commish, UDM Perry, Larry Titan, AK Horey, Titan4Life, Motor City Sam

13. Who will play the most minutes:
a. Jonathan Ammori
b. Trenton Johnson
c. Abdullah Olajuwon
d. Tobin Schwannecke

Correct Answer: Olajuwon, followed by Johnson and Tobin.

3 points to PTC, UDM Perry, Mole, Larry Titan, Rogobob, AKHorey, JDetroit Titan, Titan4Life, and Terry Tyler Fan
2 points to Commish, Motor City Sam


14. Who will play the most minutes:
a. Tyree Davis
b. Ryan Hurst
c. Mak Manciel
d. Marcus Tankersley
Correct answer was Tank, of course, followed by Manciel and Davis.

3 points to UDM Perry, Larry Titan, Rogobob, AKHorey, Titan4Life
2 points to Commish, PTC, Mole, JDetroit Titan, Motor City Sam, Terry Tyler Fan

15. What Titans will win recognition on the All-Conference (1st/2nd or third) teams; All-Defense team; or All-Freshman team?
There was tremendous confidence that Stone would be at least 3rd team, but no...
3 points to PTC for saying none
2 point to everyone who only said Stone (cause he shoulda been selected)
1 to AKHorey, who thought 2 Titans would gain honors.
UDM Perry failed to score after picking 3 Titans

Tie-Breaker: Who will win Detroit at Oakland (March 2)?
Correct: Oakland

Second Tie-Breaker: How many total points will be scored in OU/Detroit game on March 2?
Give some kudos to the Commish, who didn't do well this year in the categories, but nailed the 75-70 score and 145 total points.

Adding it All Up
1. Calihan Mole 34
2. PTC 33
3. Rogobob 31
4. JDetroit Titan 30
5. Titan4Life 30
6. UDM Perry 30
7. Commissioner 28
8. Motor City Sam 28
9. AK Horey 28
10. Larry Titan 27
11. Terry Tyler Fan 22

And the Mole barely hangs on, becoming the first repeat winner since Livernois Magic in the contest's first two years, and the third two-time winner of the Cup. His name will be scribbled for a second time, in indelible marker, on the styrofoam cup that is kept in the bottom drawer of the Commissioner's desk.

Congratulations, Mole.

List of Winners
2015: Livernois Magic
2016: Livernois Magic
2017: Commissioner
2018: UD Baller
2019: HS Scout
2020: ShagsDC
2021: No Contest due to Covid 19
2022: HS Scout
2023: Calihan Mole
2024: Calihan Mole

Note that PTC Titan would have won had he not--after brilliantly predicting an 0-31 regular season--picked the Titans to reach the HL tournament semi-finals.