Detroit Mercy Basketball: 2017-2018 season preview

Projected Starters:

Jaleel Hogan- Senior

Hogan is a big kid at 6’7” and 260 pounds and a skilled scorer around the rim. Hogan was the go-to player on the offensive side of the ball for coach Alexander last season. Hogan averaged 15 points a game last year. All of his points came around the rim as he did not attempt a single three-point shot last year. Hogan could take his game to the next level if he improves drastically at the free throw line. Hogan attempted 200 foul shots last year and made 109 of them. With the ability to get fouled already part of the game for Hogan, he needs to make his foul shots when he gets there. If he could even make 65% of his foul shots, Detroit already becomes that much better.

Corey Allen- Sophomore

Allen is the reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year. Allen showed last year that he has a penchant for scoring and is a good shooter. Allen shot three-pointers at 44% last year, and the sample size to show that he was a good shooter is large. Allen took 174 threes last year and made 78 of them. Allen also led the Titans in minutes last year and gained valuable experience a season ago. Going into the year, Allen is going to be looked upon to shoot many threes as the off guard. Count on Detroit Mercy to run a few sets to get Allen open for three, knowing if he is open he will knock it down.

Josh McFolley- Junior

McFolley is the point guard for the Titans and had 92 assists last year to go along with 14 points a game. McFolley is the best offensive player for the Titans as McFolley can score in many ways. McFolley took 194 threes last year and made 71 of them which is good for 37%. McFolley also shows a penchant for getting fouled. He attempted 107 free-throws last year and made 87 of them. McFolley is the player on this team who can hurt an opposing defense the most. He is hard to guard and often draws the team’s best defensive player. With McFolley’s ability to make shots from the foul line, he should be the number one option for Detroit Mercy when they are looking to close out a game.

Gerald Blackshear Jr.- Junior

Blackshear was a starter last year for the Titans but played the fewest number of minutes of any of the starters. Blackshear is the other part of the frontcourt with Hogan, and when given the ball and the opportunity to score he didn’t miss. He shot 61% overall from the field, which was good for six points per game. Coach Alexander likes to go with a small lineup and run a lot of guys who can spread the floor and shoot threes. Blackshear is not a shooter from deep and is not as skilled as Hogan on the offensive end. He usually is the one to lose minutes due to the style of play by the coach.

Kameron Chatman- Junior

Chatman is entering his second year in the Detroit Mercy program. He was forced to sit out the year last year after his transfer from Michigan. The former Wolverine was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and could not crack the floor for the Wolverines. Chatman has a lot of talent and is going to help the Titans on offense. Chatman is a program-defining player for a team like Detroit Mercy; he has so many things to like in his game. Chatman can shoot from deep, play defense, and can score from anywhere on the floor. He will be the go-to guy for Detroit this year, and he is going to be a force to be reckoned with. He is the second former Big Ten player who is playing in the Horizon League this year, as Oakland has former Illinois great Kendrick Nunn. Chatman is looking to stake his claim on the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year.