After what was arguably the worst year in the program’s history – managing only one win from 32 games – Detroit Mercy’s men’s basketball is gearing up for rejuvenation in the upcoming season.
With new leadership at the helm in head coach Mark Montgomery and a roster filled with young, hungry talent, the Titans aim to shake off the previous year’s setbacks and set a new standard of competitiveness.
Truthfully, the 2023-24 campaign exposed glaring weaknesses across the court on a team level. The Titans were 10th in the Horizon League in average points-per-game (66.0), in total three-pointers scored (187), and in average assists (10.8), and were last in total field goals scored (761) and in average rebounds (tied at 29.5). The Titans also had the lowest average attendance.
Montgomery has inherited a team that is effectively starting from scratch, with over half the team being in its first full season of competitive collegiate play, six of whom are true freshmen and the other two redshirt. The challenge ahead is to blend these fresh faces with a few returning veterans to create a cohesive unit. And despite the daunting nature of this rebuild, Montgomery is optimistic even for the prettiest of prizes.
“You have to always dream big,” he said when questioned if a Horizon League title within the next three years is in reach. “You [also] have to be realistic. I can’t put a timetable on it. We have a lot of new players. But I think if our guys buy in and compete every day, we’re going to give ourselves some unbelievable chance when it comes February and March that I think we’re going to be right there with other teams in this conference.”
Montgomery has a flawless record of 13 NCAA Tournament appearances in his 13-year tenure with the Michigan State Spartans, including three deep runs into the Final Four. During his time at Central Michigan University as an assistant coach in 2000, he helped the team successfully complete a last-to-first turnaround in the span of a season. He certainly has the experience and brains to get this Titans team back to winning ways; as a matter of fact, he has done it before.
During the final few months of the 2020-21 season, Montgomery served under head coach Mike Davis’ coaching staff for three months, when the Titans managed to pull back an impressive second half of the season, going 11-3 after starting 1-7 to finish with a record of 12-10, the Titans’ only winning record in the past eight seasons.
The focus now turns toward the players. These new recruits bring a good mix of energy and talent. Freshman guard TJ Nadeau, a local star from Detroit Catholic Central, is one of those fresh faces. Nadeau is known for his shooting abilities and averaged 18 points per game in high school and is also endorsed by Montgomery for his incredible defensive flexibility. He is now looking forward to stepping onto a larger stage and playing against bigger and better teams, age and size difference not being of any concern.
“I know what it’s like to be younger, to be four years younger than somebody,” Nadeau said. “I have five stars, four stars, three stars that I’ve played against my entire career. I’ve already dabbled a little bit in some of those things, so I think it will be a transition I can make. I’m used to playing against them, I’ve experienced it, so coming into it, I’m more used to it rather than [it] just being a shock.”
More than anything, Nadeau, who turned down offers from the likes of Bowling Green State University to come to Detroit, loves the culture, the city he’s (continuing in) representing, and his new teammates and coaching staff.
“Everyone’s great,” he said. “It’s very much a family bond here and all the players, we all get along. I think it’s something that I enjoy a lot.”
With so many freshmen on the team, the question of leadership is a critical one. Senior guard Mak Manciel, one of the only seniors on the roster, knows this more than anyone. Manciel will shoulder the responsibility of guiding these younger players, both on and off the court.
“Regardless if I’m captain or not, I just try to lead,” Manciel said. “I just try to be vocal, bring high energy, just be someone that they can say ‘Mak is trying to do the right thing every time and I’m just trying to follow behind him and keep everything going.’”
Just like Montgomery, Manciel, too, is optimistic about the prospect of his team. After the conclusion of the team’s first open scrimmage day, he also shared small details of the training taking place behind closed doors.
“We did a lot of drills, punching it in, repetitive actions,” he said. “We are finally starting to get it a little bit. It was a big learning curve at first, but now everything is coming together. They [the freshmen] are starting to pick up on things and we are starting to look like a team now. It’s exciting!”
Manciel’s leadership along with his senior-standing teammates will be crucial in keeping the group unified as they navigate a competitive Horizon League. And despite an array of optimism, both players and coaching staff are realistic about the challenges ahead. The inexperience of the roster is a potential vulnerability, and even Montgomery recognizes that patience will be necessary.
“I’m a new coach, [and] you got 10 new players,” he said. “It’s just going to take time to learn a new system. But it’s not a concern, that’s what you practice for.”
It is no secret that the Titans’ recent history has been plagued by underperformance, and while a Horizon League title may be a long-term goal, the immediate focus will be on turning the program around and slowly getting up to speed.
Montgomery emphasized that the goal for this year is improvement – that it’s about “making sure we practice and compete and get better every day.”
Although the Titans have a steep hill to climb, the early signs point to a team committed to improvement and poised for success.
With the 2024-25 season on the horizon, everyone will be eager to see if this tidied-up Titans team can indeed take the first steps toward a long-lost era of success for Detroit basketball.
