INDIANAPOLIS -- Pushing Detroit to an unbeaten week, sophomore guard Ray McCallum (Beverly Hills, Mich./Detroit Country Day) has been named the Horizon League Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, for the week of Jan. 23-29. The honor is the second of McCallum’s young career and first of this season.
Averaging 19.5 points per game on the weekend, McCallum led Detroit (12-11, 6-5 Horizon) to two victories, helping the Titans to their first three-game winning streak of the year and wins in five of their last six games. In Wednesday’s 67-52 victory over Loyola, McCallum tallied 13 points, five rebounds and six assists.
The sophomore saved his best effort of the year for Friday, when he tallied a season-high 26 points, six boards and four assists as the Titans held off UIC, 70-66. The performance was McCallum’s sixth-such effort of 20-plus points this season, while giving him 805 career points, most among the Horizon League’s sophomore class.
In the last three weeks, Detroit has won five of its last six Horizon League games to climb into a tie for fifth place in the conference with Butler (12-11, 6-5 Horizon) and Wright State (11-12, 6-5 Horizon). On Jan. 4, McCallum was also recognized as one of 20 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation’s top point guard.
Detroit will have a chance to further climb the League ladder this week, beginning with a meeting with second-place Valparaiso (15-7, 7-3 Horizon) on Thursday, Feb. 2. The contest will tip at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the Horizon League Network carrying the game. On Saturday, Feb. 4, ESPN2 will bring Detroit’s trip to Butler to a nationwide audience, with the game airing at 12 p.m. ET.
Top Performers for the Week:
-- Ronald Nored, Butler (Sr., G) - Nored had six steals on Butler’s trip to Wisconsin and moved into second place on the Bulldogs’ all-time list for steals with 188 career thefts. The senior had a career-high nine rebounds at Milwaukee and scored 13 points in Butler’s 80-68 setback at Green Bay.
-- Anton Grady, Cleveland State (Fr., F) - Going 7-for-11 from the floor, Grady notched his second double-double of season with 14 points and 11 boards in Cleveland State’s 67-47 win at Youngstown State. Both figures were game highs, despite playing just 21 minutes off the bench.
-- Alec Brown, Green Bay (So., C) - In just his 51st career game, Brown matched the Green Bay career blocks record with 132 after two in the Phoenix’s 75-60 victory over Valpo, adding 16 points and eight boards. The sophomore led Green Bay to a 2-0 week after a 19-point, eight-rebound effort in an 80-68 win over Butler.
-- Jordan Hicks, Loyola (Sr., G/F) - In a pair of road games last week, Hicks put up 11.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.0 apg and 1.0 spg, while going 9-for-14 from the floor. The senior has scored in double digits in three of Loyola’s last four outings.
-- Gary Talton, UIC (Jr., G) - Talton tallied his eighth and ninth double-digit scoring outputs during Horizon League play, scoring 14 points at Wright State last Wednesday, and a team-high 17 points at Detroit. Talton’s 15.5 points per game in the road swing were bolstered by a 10-for-10 effort from the free throw line.
-- Ben Boggs, Valparaiso (Jr., G) - Going a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range, Boggs led Valpo with 17 points at Green Bay before an eight-point effort versus Milwaukee helped the Crusaders to a 55-52 win.
-- Julius Mays, Wright State (Jr., G) - Returning from injury, Mays carried Wright State into a tie for fifth in the Horizon League, scoring a League-high 33 points in the Raiders’ 69-63 win over UIC. His 19 free throws in the game tied the Horizon League record and set a new school mark. The junior added 16 points in Wright State’s 47-41 victory against Loyola.
Men’s Basketball Players of the Week:
November 14: D’Aundray Brown, Cleveland State
November 21: Kevin Van Wijk, Valparaiso
November 28: James Haarsma, Milwaukee
December 5: DuShawn Brooks, Youngstown State
December 12: Trey Harmon, Cleveland State
December 19: Andrew Smith, Butler
December 26: Brennan Cougill, Green Bay
Julius Mays, Wright State
January 2: Damian Eargle, Youngstown State
January 9: Julius Mays, Wright State
Ashen Ward, Youngstown State
January 16: Kevin Van Wijk, Valparaiso
January 23: Blake Allen, Youngstown State
January 30: Ray McCallum, Detroit
Tags: Detroit Mercy - Men's Basketball
