Horizon League Basketball action starts up this weekend between Oakland and Detroit Mercy. Which team has the advantage in this matchup?
TV schedule: Saturday, December 28, 3:00 pm ET. ESPN+
Arena: Athletics Center O’Rena in Rochester, Michigan
Detroit Mercy and Oakland are two Horizon League Basketball teams that have had played a strong non-conference schedule. Even though both teams have not flourished in non-conference play, playing a tough, difficult schedule has its benefits. This season, these local rivals will hope to have some intense battles starting on December 28th as they both look to start conference play on a winning note.
Approximately 26 Miles separates the University of Detroit Mercy and Oakland University campuses. Both teams who reside in the state of Michigan, play in the Horizon conference with Oakland had joined the conference back in 2013, and UDM being an original member of the conference. Oakland and UDM played some strong, tough opponents on the road in non-conference play.
The Golden Grizzlies of Oakland have traveled to play at Syracuse and Maryland and as well as playing Michigan State on a neutral court. In the Sunshine Slam tournament in Florida, Oakland won two out of their three games. The Golden Grizzlies look to get a win in the Metro Series rivalry game versus the Titans on their home court.
We play Detroit in four days. #MetroSeries #NoMercy pic.twitter.com/Am0L78efhR
— Oakland Men's Basketball (@OaklandMBB) December 24, 2019
Detroit Mercy has lost all seven of the road games thus far in non-conference play but they have gained valuable experience in traveling and playing good competition. The Titans of Detroit Mercy’s first three games were road games as the traveled and played North Carolina State, Clemson, and then Wyoming. Out of their 12 non-conference games, eight of them were either on the road or on a neutral court. When both teams open conference play against each other on Dec. 28, whoever wins will start conference play with much need momentum moving forward.
The Horizon conference consists of 10 teams and both UDM and Oakland did not have high expectations entering the season. In the Horizon the preseason poll, neither Oakland or UDM were picked to finish in the top three of the conference. The Golden Grizzlies were picked to finish 4th but just twenty-two points ahead of 5th place Green Bay. The Titans were picked third from last at eight and it appeared that the preseason poll had little to no optimism for UDM.
However, preseason polls are just that, preseason polls, and they are not in any shape or form a valid scientific research poll used to predict the outcome of conference play. Both teams have struggled early in non-conference play, but a win against their in-state/conference rival would go a long way for the victor of each other’s first conference game.
What is evident however is that the Titans and Golden Grizzlies will be competitive in league play with each team being led by two conference superstars. Oakland’s Xavier Hill-Mais is averaging currently 15.6 points per game along with averaging just under 8 rebounds and 2 assists per game. He has scored 16 or more points in 7 games thus far this season. If Oakland has a chance of competing for a conference championship, Hill-Mais needs to play at a 1st team All-Horizon pace.
https://twitter.com/OUGrizzGang/status/1209917081480781824
Antoine Davis has made one thing clear, he not only is guaranteeing a spot on the All-Horizon 1st team but he has a good chance of being named the Horizon League Player of the Year. In his sophomore season, he is averaging 25.3 pts, 3.1 rebs, and 4.2 ast per game. He opened up the season scoring 28 points at North Carolina State and then followed it up by putting up 26 points at Clemson. He scored 30 against Louisiana on a neutral court and had a very impressive game putting up 33 points against Ohio on the road. He recently scored a season-high 35 points against SIU-Edwardsville. If the Titans want to prove all of those who picked them to third from last wrong in the conference, he must continue to be the catalyst for his team to be successful.
Both Oakland and UDM are looking forward to this game and it should be an exciting, high-intensity game. Both teams due to the transfer portal and various player departures consider this season to some extent a “rebuilding” year but it is early in the season and both teams still have aspirations of winning the conference tournament at the end of the season in hopes of earning an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Both teams are counting down the days to this matchup, especially Oakland.
Only time will tell but their first match-up between these two teams should be an exciting game.