Hard-nosed Titans pose serious threat

FLAMES IN FOR A BATTLE THURSDAY

(1/18/05)

When asked last week about how tough it is to play Detroit, UIC coach Jimmy Collins said, “Those guys from the other side of the lake always play harder against us than anybody.”

Imagine what thoughts raced through his mind when he watched tape of the first half of Detroit’s victory Monday afternoon over Loyola as the Flames prepare for Thursday’s pivotal game at the UIC Pavilion.

UIC stands at 8-7 overall and 3-2 in the Horizon League, but lost the first matchup to the Titans 67-57 on Dec. 30.

The Titans (7-8, 4-1) showed off all their trademark skills in a 70-53 win over the Ramblers – crashing the boards, playing unselfishly and dominating with defense.

Detroit’s new superstar talent, sophomore guard Brandon Cotton (pictured), scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the first half, which saw the Titans grab more offensive rebounds than Loyola had total rebounds (10-9), shoot 56 percent from the field, limit the Ramblers to 33 percent from the field, and record five blocked shots en route to a 45-20 halftime lead.

Monday was an example of how scary the Titans can be in the Horizon League race.

“Detroit did everything it wanted to,” said an admiring Loyola coach Jim Whitesell. “Two things they do really well are rebound and dribble-drive.”

The Titans out-rebounded Loyola 45-30 for the game and outscored the Ramblers 30-12 in the paint, scoring mostly on stick-backs.

”We’re really stressing rebounding,” Detroit coach Perry Watson said. “It’s really a mentality of wanting the ball. Some guys are hungry to shoot the ball, but you’ve got to have a hunger to rebound the ball.”

Watson also likes the way the Titans are playing team defense.

“The best way a team shows unselfishness is on the defensive end,” Watson said. “you’re not only willing to guard your man, but you’re willing to help a teammate when he needs it. We’ve gotten the guys to buy into it.”

Detroit will need all the help defense it can get to slow down UIC senior guard Cedrick Banks, whom the Titans have mixed success in defending.

Banks scored 34 points at Detroit in the team’s earlier meeting, but the Titans took the victory.

”Cedrick Banks is a nightmare,” said Watson immediately after Monday’s game at Loyola. “I don’t want to think about him tonight. He’s probably the most energetic player in the league.”

Watson and his staff did a masterful job of harassing Banks last year at the Pavilion, holding him to just four points in Detroit’s 56-48 win.

Since Cotton became eligible to play in mid-December, Detroit is 6-2.

Cotton, a former McDonald’s All-American who transferred from Michigan State, can play both guard positions with the ability to drive all to the basket and shoot from the perimeter. And, when he drives the lane and the defense collapses on him, he is smart enough to settle for the 10-to-12-foot pull-up jumper, which he converted on at least three occasions against Loyola.

“He’s a talented young man,” Watson said. “But besides that, I think he’s helped us improve our confidence. When things aren’t going so well, Brandon’s a guy that can make something out of nothing.”

Even before reviewing film for Thursday’s game, Collins knows the impact that Cotton has made.

“He’s a scorer; he passes the ball well,” Collins said. “He’s getting other people involved. He’s a lot like Armond [Williams] in that he spearheads their defense.”

Cotton leads Detroit, scoring 17.7 points per game on 53 percent shooting and has helped senior James Thues get better looks from the perimeter. Thues averages 10.9 points, 12.6 in conference games.

The Titans also possess toughness inside with junior center Rvyon Covile and junior forwards Chuck Bailey, Torvoris Baker and Ethan Shaw.

Covile, who likes to bang, averages 8.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Armond Williams and Elliott Poole will likely have the task of trying to contain Covile.

“Covile has great energy, he hits the boards hard,” Williams said. “He’s a hard-nosed kid. Every time I go up against Detroit, I know I’m up for a big fight.”

Bailey is a scrapper as evidenced by his double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds against Loyola. Baker is a versatile forward that can score in the post and hit a mid-range jumper. Shaw is a solid defender with shot-blocking ability and scores off offensive rebounds.

UIC did not have Williams (pictured) in the team’s first meeting, because he was sitting out a one-game suspension for fighting with Saginaw Valley State’s Ron McGrew on Dec. 23.

”It makes a great difference to have Armond, because when he goes to war, he draws guys with him,” Collins said. “If you don’t have the guy out there to spearhead the war, then a lot of time the other guys won’t put forth the tough effort. Perry gets his guys to play hard.”

The Flames have won four straight and five out of six games, but things haven’t clicked on all cylinders just yet. Williams knows a half-hearted effort won’t get it done against Detroit.

“We need to stay focused and play a full 40 minutes of basketball, instead of half and half,” Williams said.