# 1998–99 Detroit Titans men's basketball team

The 1998–99 Detroit Titans men's basketball team represented the University of Detroit Mercy in the 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by coach Perry Watson, the Titans played their home games at Calihan Hall as members of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference. They finished the season 25–6 overall, 12–2 in Horizon League play to win the regular season league title.
Playing in the MCC tournament as the No. 1 seed, they defeated UIC, Cleveland State, and Butler to win the conference tournament title and received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as No. 12 seed in the South region. The Titans beat No. 5 seed UCLA in the opening round before losing to No. 4 seed Ohio State in the second round.
This 1998–99 team, which tied the school record with 25 wins, reached the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first, and only, time in school history.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site city, state |
| Regular season ||||||
| Nov 17, 1998* | | Bethune–Cookman | W 84–50 | 1–0 | Calihan Hall Detroit, Michigan |
| Nov 19, 1998* | | at Michigan | L 55–62 | 1–1 | Crisler Arena Ann Arbor, Michigan |
| Nov 24, 1998* | | at Bowling Green | W 72–70 | 2–1 | Anderson Arena Bowling Green, Ohio |
| Nov 28, 1998* | | Texas Southern | W 72–51 | 3–1 | Calihan Hall Detroit, Michigan |
| Dec 1, 1998* | | at Western Michigan | W 63–51 | 4–1 | University Arena Kalamazoo, Michigan |
| Dec 4, 1998* | | vs. Gonzaga Hawkeye Invitational | W 49–48 | 5–1 | Carver-Hawkeye Arena Iowa City, Iowa |
| Dec 5, 1998* | | at Iowa Hawkeye Invitational | L 60–61 | 5–2 | Carver-Hawkeye Arena (10,978) Iowa City, Iowa |
| Dec 9, 1998* | | Central Michigan | W 60–51 | 6–2 | Calihan Hall Detroit, Michigan |
| Dec 12, 1998* | | Wayne State | W 68–62 | 7–2 | Calihan Hall Detroit, Michigan |
| Dec 19, 1998* | | at UMass | L 46–59 | 7–3 | Mullins Center Amherst, Massachusetts |
| Dec 28, 1998* | | vs. Grambling State Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational | W 67–56 | 8–3 | Don Haskins Center El Paso, Texas |
| Dec 29, 1998* | | at UTEP Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational | W 47–44 | 9–3 | Don Haskins Center El Paso, Texas |
| Jan 2, 1999 | | at Milwaukee | W 71–54 | 10–3 (1–0) | Klotsche Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Jan 4, 1999 | | at Green Bay | W 43–37 | 11–3 (2–0) | Brown County Arena Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin |
| Jan 7, 1999 | | Loyola | W 58–39 | 12–3 (3–0) | Calihan Hall Detroit, Michigan |
| Jan 9, 1999 | | Illinois–Chicago | W 70–42 | 13–3 (4–0) | Calihan Hall Detroit, Michigan |
| Jan 16, 1999 | | at Butler | L 46–59 | 13–4 (4–1) | Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Jan 19, 1999 | | at Wright State | W 68–56 | 14–4 (5–1) | Ervin J. Nutter Center Fairborn, Ohio |
| Jan 23, 1999 | | at Cleveland State | W 73–58 | 15–4 (6–1) | Henry J. Goodman Arena Cleveland, Ohio |
| Jan 28, 1999 | | Milwaukee | W 78–53 | 16–4 (7–1) | Calihan Hall Detroit, Michigan |
| Jan 30, 1999 | | Green Bay | W 67–54 | 17–4 (8–1) | Calihan Hall Detroit, Michigan |
| Feb 4, 1999 | | at Loyola | L 69–72 | 17–5 (8–2) | Joseph J. Gentile Center Chicago, Illinois |
| Feb 6, 1999 | | at Illinois-Chicago | W 69–50 | 18–5 (9–2) | UIC Pavilion Chicago, Illinois |
| Feb 11, 1999 | | Butler | W 62–52 | 19–5 (10–2) | Calihan Hall Detroit, Michigan |
| Feb 13, 1999 | | Wright State | W 64–46 | 20–5 (11–2) | Calihan Hall Detroit, Michigan |
| Feb 20, 1999 | | Cleveland State | W 78–66 | 21–5 (12–2) | Calihan Hall Detroit, Michigan |
| MWCC Tournament ||||||
| Feb 27, 1999* | | at Illinois-Chicago Quarterfinals | W 55–51 | 22–5 | UIC Pavilion Chicago, Illinois |
| Feb 28, 1999* | | vs. Cleveland State Semifinals | W 80–65 | 23–5 | UIC Pavilion Chicago, Illinois |
| Mar 2, 1999* | | vs. Butler Championship game | W 72–65 | 24–5 | UIC Pavilion Chicago, Illinois |
| NCAA Tournament ||||||
| Mar 11, 1999* | (12 S) | vs. (5 S) No. 15 UCLA First Round | W 56–53 | 25–5 | RCA Dome Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Mar 13, 1999* | | vs. (4 S) No. 14 Ohio State Second Round | L 44–75 | 25–6 | RCA Dome Indianapolis, Indiana |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. S=South. ||||||