By MICHAEL MARTINEZ
Special to FOX Sports Detroit
Jan. 27, 2011
DETROIT -- The Detroit Titans are halfway through the Horizon League regular season.
But they're still a long way from where they ought to be, according to head coach Ray McCallum.
"Defensively covering for each other, with rotations and communicating, we're behind," he said. "We've got a lot of growing to do."
With only three returning players who saw significant court time last year, the team is definitely young and inexperienced, which is something new for McCallum.
In his first season at Detroit, a cast of Perry Watson holdovers helped provided a strong nucleus for the underclassmen.
Last year, UDM had the veteran presence of Woody Payne, Thomas Kennedy and others to rely on. They also had the added bonus of taking a preseason trip to Spain.
The bonding and chemistry forged on that trip was a big factor in the team's 20-win 2009-10 season, McCallum said.
But this year, seven players have pulled on a Titans uniform for the first time. The starting lineup consists of two freshmen and a first-year junior college transfer.
That's made for more than a few growing pains, but McCallum feels his team still has a fighting chance to make this season a success.
Any significant run the Titans might go on will depend on how well they stop their opponents.
