| |
| School Name: | University of Detroit Mercy |
| Location: | Detroit, Michigan |
| Arena: | Calihan Hall |
| Capacity: | 8,295 |
| Conference: | Horizon League |
| Head coach: | Mike Davis |
The Detroit Mercy Titans represent the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) in Detroit, Michigan in NCAA Division I sports. Almost all UDM sports compete in the Horizon League, with the only exceptions being three sports not sponsored by that conference—fencing (a coeducational sport, with separate men's and women's squads) and men's and women's lacrosse.
The Titans men's basketball team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2012. The Titans' current head coach is Mike Davis.
Nicknames and branding[]
The Titans program was originally sponsored by the University of Detroit, a Roman Catholic institution founded in 1887 as Detroit College (the UD name was adopted in 1911). The original nickname was Tigers, but the Titans nickname was adopted in either 1919 or 1924, depending on the source.
In 1990, UD merged with Mercy College, a nearby Catholic school that had historically been all-female but had become coeducational by the time of the merger. The merged school immediately adopted the "Detroit Mercy" name. However, the athletic program did not add "Mercy" to its branding until 2017.
Season by Season Records[]
- NOTE: The Titans did not field a basketball team in 1907-08 and 1908-09.
| Season | Team | Overall Record | Pct. | Conf. Record | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | |||||
| 1905-06 | Detroit Mercy | 3-1 | .750 | ||
| 1906-07 | Detroit Mercy | 1-3 | .250 | ||
| 1909-10 | Detroit Mercy | 2-3 | .400 | ||
| 1910-11 | Detroit Mercy | 6-0 | 1.000 | ||
| 1911-12 | Detroit Mercy | 6-5 | .545 | ||
| 1912-13 | Detroit Mercy | 13-0 | 1.000 | ||
| 1913-14 | Detroit Mercy | 6-3 | .667 | ||
| 1914-15 | Detroit Mercy | 3-5 | .375 | ||
| 1915-16 | Detroit Mercy | 7-3 | .700 | ||
| 1916-17 | Detroit Mercy | 5-4 | .556 | ||
| 1917-18 | Detroit Mercy | 13-5 | .722 | ||
| 1918-19 | Detroit Mercy | 4-5 | .444 | ||
| 1919-20 | Detroit Mercy | 12-7 | .632 | ||
| 1920-21 | Detroit Mercy | 10-8 | .556 | ||
| 1921-22 | Detroit Mercy | 2-13 | .133 | ||
| 1922-23 | Detroit Mercy | 9-7 | .563 | ||
| 1923-24 | Detroit Mercy | 9-8 | .529 | ||
| 1924-25 | Detroit Mercy | 6-6 | .500 | ||
| 1925-26 | Detroit Mercy | 13-6 | .684 | ||
| 1926-27 | Detroit Mercy | 8-9 | .471 | ||
| 1927-28 | Detroit Mercy | 11-4 | .733 | ||
| 1928-29 | Detroit Mercy | 4-11 | .267 | ||
| 1929-30 | Detroit Mercy | 10-9 | .526 | ||
| 1930-31 | Detroit Mercy | 10-9 | .526 | ||
| 1931-32 | Detroit Mercy | 8-8 | .500 | ||
| 1932-33 | Detroit Mercy | 12-5 | .706 | ||
| 1933-34 | Detroit Mercy | 7-8 | .467 | ||
| 1934-35 | Detroit Mercy | 4-10 | .286 | ||
| 1935-36 | Detroit Mercy | 12-5 | .706 | ||
| 1936-37 | Detroit Mercy | 11-5 | .688 | ||
| 1937-38 | Detroit Mercy | 16-4 | .800 | ||
| 1938-39 | Detroit Mercy | 15-5 | .750 | ||
| 1939-40 | Detroit Mercy | 14-9 | .609 | ||
| 1940-41 | Detroit Mercy | 11-10 | .524 | ||
| 1941-42 | Detroit Mercy | 13-8 | .619 | ||
| 1942-43 | Detroit Mercy | 15-5 | .750 | ||
| 1943-44 | Detroit Mercy | 13-7 | .650 | ||
| 1944-45 | Detroit Mercy | 8-12 | .400 | ||
| 1945-46 | Detroit Mercy | 15-8 | .652 | ||
| 1946-47 | Detroit Mercy | 12-13 | .480 | ||
| 1947-48 | Detroit Mercy | 7-15 | .318 | ||
| 1948-49 | Detroit Mercy | 12-10 | .545 | ||
| Missouri Valley Conference | |||||
| 1949-50 | Detroit Mercy | 20-6 | .769 | 7-5 | |
| 1950-51 | Detroit Mercy | 17-14 | .548 | 7-7 | |
| 1951-52 | Detroit Mercy | 14-12 | .538 | 4-6 | |
| 1952-53 | Detroit Mercy | 12-14 | .462 | 4-6 | |
| 1953-54 | Detroit Mercy | 11-17 | .393 | 1-9 | |
| 1954-55 | Detroit Mercy | 15-11 | .577 | 2-8 | |
| 1955-56 | Detroit Mercy | 13-12 | .520 | 3-9 | |
| 1956-57 | Detroit Mercy | 11-15 | .423 | 5-9 | |
| Independent | |||||
| 1957-58 | Detroit Mercy | 13-12 | .520 | ||
| 1958-59 | Detroit Mercy | 11-14 | .440 | ||
| 1959-60 | Detroit Mercy | 20-7 | .741 | NIT 1st Round | |
| 1960-61 | Detroit Mercy | 18-9 | .667 | NIT 1st Round | |
| 1961-62 | Detroit Mercy | 15-12 | .556 | NCAA 1st Round | |
| 1962-63 | Detroit Mercy | 14-12 | .538 | ||
| 1963-64 | Detroit Mercy | 14-11 | .560 | ||
| 1964-65 | Detroit Mercy | 20-8 | .714 | NIT Quarterfinals | |
| 1965-66 | Detroit Mercy | 17-8 | .680 | ||
| 1966-67 | Detroit Mercy | 10-15 | .400 | ||
| 1967-68 | Detroit Mercy | 13-12 | .520 | ||
| 1968-69 | Detroit Mercy | 16-10 | .615 | ||
| 1969-70 | Detroit Mercy | 7-18 | .280 | ||
| 1970-71 | Detroit Mercy | 14-12 | .538 | ||
| 1971-72 | Detroit Mercy | 18-6 | .750 | ||
| 1972-73 | Detroit Mercy | 16-9 | .640 | ||
| 1973-74 | Detroit Mercy | 17-9 | .654 | ||
| 1974-75 | Detroit Mercy | 17-9 | .654 | ||
| 1975-76 | Detroit Mercy | 19-8 | .704 | ||
| 1976-77 | Detroit Mercy | 26-3 | .897 | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | |
| 1977-78 | Detroit Mercy | 25-4 | .862 | NIT Quarterfinals | |
| 1978-79 | Detroit Mercy | 22-6 | .786 | NCAA 1st Round | |
| 1979-80 | Detroit Mercy | 14-13 | .519 | ||
| Horizon League | |||||
| 1980-81 | Detroit Mercy | 9-18 | .333 | 1-5 | |
| 1981-82 | Detroit Mercy | 10-17 | .370 | 6-6 | |
| 1982-83 | Detroit Mercy | 12-17 | .414 | 6-8 | |
| 1983-84 | Detroit Mercy | 8-20 | .286 | 4-10 | |
| 1984-85 | Detroit Mercy | 16-12 | .571 | 8-6 | |
| 1985-86 | Detroit Mercy | 14-15 | .483 | 7-5 | |
| 1986-87 | Detroit Mercy | 7-21 | .250 | 2-10 | |
| 1987-88 | Detroit Mercy | 7-23 | .233 | 2-8 | |
| 1988-89 | Detroit Mercy | 7-21 | .250 | 4-8 | |
| 1989-90 | Detroit Mercy | 10-18 | .357 | 3-11 | |
| 1990-91 | Detroit Mercy | 9-19 | .321 | 2-12 | |
| 1991-92 | Detroit Mercy | 12-17 | .414 | 1-9 | |
| 1992-93 | Detroit Mercy | 15-12 | .556 | 7-7 | |
| 1993-94 | Detroit Mercy | 16-13 | .552 | 5-5 | |
| 1994-95 | Detroit Mercy | 13-15 | .464 | 9-5 | |
| 1995-96 | Detroit Mercy | 18-11 | .621 | 8-8 | |
| 1996-97 | Detroit Mercy | 16-13 | .552 | 11-5 | |
| 1997-98 | Detroit Mercy | 25-6 | .802 | 12-2 | NCAA 2nd Round |
| 1998-99 | Detroit Mercy | 25-6 | .802 | 12-2 | NCAA 2nd Round |
| 1999-2000 | Detroit Mercy | 20-12 | .625 | 8-6 | |
| 2000-01 | Detroit Mercy | 25-12 | .676 | 10-4 | NIT Final Four |
| 2001-02 | Detroit Mercy | 18-13 | .581 | 11-5 | NIT Opening Round |
| 2002-03 | Detroit Mercy | 18-12 | .600 | 9-7 | |
| 2003-04 | Detroit Mercy | 19-11 | .633 | 10-6 | |
| 2004-05 | Detroit Mercy | 14-16 | .467 | 9-7 | |
| 2005-06 | Detroit Mercy | 16-16 | .500 | 8-8 | |
| 2006-07 | Detroit Mercy | 11-19 | .367 | 6-10 | |
| 2007-08 | Detroit Mercy | 7-23 | .233 | 3-15 | |
| 2008-09 | Detroit Mercy | 7-23 | .233 | 2-16 | |
| 2009-10 | Detroit Mercy | 20-14 | .588 | 9-9 | |
| 2010-11 | Detroit Mercy | 17-16 | .515 | 10-8 | |
| Totals | 1,308-1,090 | .545 | |||
NCAA Tournament results[]
The Titans have appeared in five NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 3–5.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result/Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | First Round | Western Kentucky | L 90–81 |
| 1977 | First Round Sweet Sixteen |
Middle Tennessee State Michigan |
W 93–76 L 86–81 |
| 1979 | First Round | Lamar | L 95–87 |
| 1998 | First Round Second Round |
St. John's Purdue |
W 66–64 L 80–65 |
| 1999 | First Round Second Round |
UCLA Ohio State |
W 56–53 L 75–44 |
NIT Results[]
The Titans have appeared in six National Invitation Tournaments. Their combined record is 5–7.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result/Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | First Round | Villanova | L 88–86 |
| 1961 | First Round | Holy Cross | L 86–82 |
| 1965 | First Round Quarterfinals |
La Salle NYU |
W 93–86 L 87–76 |
| 1978 | First Round Quarterfinals |
VCU North Carolina State |
W 94–86 L 84–77 |
| 2001 | First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Third Place Game |
Bradley Connecticut Dayton Alabama Memphis |
W 68–49 W 67–61 W 59–42 L 74–63 L 86–71 |
| 2002 | Opening Round | Dayton | L 80–69 |
Titans in the National Basketball Association[]
21 Detroit alumni have gone on to play in the NBA. They include:
- Willie Green
- Jermaine Jackson
- Desmond Ferguson
- John Long
- Terry Tyler
- Terry Duerod
- Spencer Haywood
- Dave Debusschere
- Earl Cureton
- Dorie Murrey
- Guy Sparrow
- Joe Kopicki
In the late seventies, Coach Dick Vitale led the Titans to two NCAA tournament appearances before heading the Detroit Pistons and later embarking on a broadcasting career that would put him in the Basketball Hall of Fame.