Three points
Observations from a head coach familiar with Detroit:
1. ?It?s going to be hard for Detroit to match up with Syracuse?s size, athleticism and depth. The size will be the big problem. Detroit doesn?t have much size on the bench.??
2. ?You've got to beat Detroit. Syracuse won?t just be able to roll over those guys. If Syracuse doesn?t come ready to play, they?ll get beat.??
3. ?You?ve got to make shots to beat Syracuse and Detroit?s got the weapons to do that. (Ray) McCallum can shoot the three. So can the (Jason Calliste). Juwan Howard?s kid can really stroke it. Anton Wilson is a big guard, small forward type who comes off the bench.??
Key Titan
Ray McCallum is a 6-foot-3 junior guard
Coach's take: ?McCallum?s as good as any player Syracuse will see this year. He?s got point guard skills and he can score, too. He?s got good size. He could have played anywhere, a lot of big-time schools wanted him, but he went to Detroit to play for his dad.??
Detroit starters
3-Ray McCallum, Jr., 6-3, 190, 19.4 ppg, 4.9 apg: McCallum, the son of Detroit coach Ray McCallum, led Detroit to the NCAA Tournament last year as he took the MVP award in the Horizon League Tournament. He averaged 23 points in Detroit?s three Horizon tourney wins.
10-Jason Calliste, Jr., 6-2, 173, 13.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg: Calliste isn?t shy about putting up shots from outside the 3-point line. He?s taken 40 3-point shots in Detroit?s last five games.
2-Juwan Howard, Jr., So., 6-6, 210, 9.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg The son of the NBA player and member of Michigan?s Fab Five, Howard sat out last season after transferring from Western Michigan. He?s made 19 out of 40 attempts from 3-point range this season.
23-Doug Anderson, Sr., 6-6, 212, 10.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg: Anderson?s athleticism makes him a threat, but his offense is mostly close to the basket. Of his 119 field goals last season, 58 were dunks.
34-Nick Minnerath, Sr., 6-9, 215, 11.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg: Minnerath missed most of last season due to a knee injury. The Titans? co-MVP back in 2010-11, he?s back this year after taking a medical redshirt.
Detroit bench
Evan Bruinsma is a 6-8 junior who averages 4.8 points and 4.4 rebounds. He is the Titans' glue guy. Anton Wilson, a 6-5 freshman, is making 46.2 percent of his attempts from 3-point range. P.J. Boutte, a 5-10 sophomore, can push the ball up the court to speed up Detroit?s attack.
Who's hot for SU
In his last two games, Michael Carter-Williams has had 30 assists ? 16 against Monmouth a week ago and 14 assists against Canisius on Saturday. That?s the second-highest total for a Syracuse player in back-to-back games. Sherman Douglas had 31 assists in consecutive games in the 1988-89 season when he dished out an NCAA-record 22 against Providence and then had nine in SU?s next game against Villanova.
Observations from a head coach familiar with Detroit:
1. ?It?s going to be hard for Detroit to match up with Syracuse?s size, athleticism and depth. The size will be the big problem. Detroit doesn?t have much size on the bench.??
2. ?You've got to beat Detroit. Syracuse won?t just be able to roll over those guys. If Syracuse doesn?t come ready to play, they?ll get beat.??
3. ?You?ve got to make shots to beat Syracuse and Detroit?s got the weapons to do that. (Ray) McCallum can shoot the three. So can the (Jason Calliste). Juwan Howard?s kid can really stroke it. Anton Wilson is a big guard, small forward type who comes off the bench.??
Key Titan
Ray McCallum is a 6-foot-3 junior guard
Coach's take: ?McCallum?s as good as any player Syracuse will see this year. He?s got point guard skills and he can score, too. He?s got good size. He could have played anywhere, a lot of big-time schools wanted him, but he went to Detroit to play for his dad.??
Detroit starters
3-Ray McCallum, Jr., 6-3, 190, 19.4 ppg, 4.9 apg: McCallum, the son of Detroit coach Ray McCallum, led Detroit to the NCAA Tournament last year as he took the MVP award in the Horizon League Tournament. He averaged 23 points in Detroit?s three Horizon tourney wins.
10-Jason Calliste, Jr., 6-2, 173, 13.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg: Calliste isn?t shy about putting up shots from outside the 3-point line. He?s taken 40 3-point shots in Detroit?s last five games.
2-Juwan Howard, Jr., So., 6-6, 210, 9.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg The son of the NBA player and member of Michigan?s Fab Five, Howard sat out last season after transferring from Western Michigan. He?s made 19 out of 40 attempts from 3-point range this season.
23-Doug Anderson, Sr., 6-6, 212, 10.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg: Anderson?s athleticism makes him a threat, but his offense is mostly close to the basket. Of his 119 field goals last season, 58 were dunks.
34-Nick Minnerath, Sr., 6-9, 215, 11.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg: Minnerath missed most of last season due to a knee injury. The Titans? co-MVP back in 2010-11, he?s back this year after taking a medical redshirt.
Detroit bench
Evan Bruinsma is a 6-8 junior who averages 4.8 points and 4.4 rebounds. He is the Titans' glue guy. Anton Wilson, a 6-5 freshman, is making 46.2 percent of his attempts from 3-point range. P.J. Boutte, a 5-10 sophomore, can push the ball up the court to speed up Detroit?s attack.
Who's hot for SU
In his last two games, Michael Carter-Williams has had 30 assists ? 16 against Monmouth a week ago and 14 assists against Canisius on Saturday. That?s the second-highest total for a Syracuse player in back-to-back games. Sherman Douglas had 31 assists in consecutive games in the 1988-89 season when he dished out an NCAA-record 22 against Providence and then had nine in SU?s next game against Villanova.
