Detroit Mercy hit with postseason ban over academics

The Detroit Mercy men's basketball team will be hit with a postseason ban for the 2026-27 season due to academic shortcomings.

The NCAA is set to announce the annual Academic Progress Rate results on Tuesday. Athletic director Robert Vowels confirmed the bad news in a letter sent to boosters and fans on Monday, according to The Detroit News.

It's a disappointing development for the Titans, who fell just short of an NCAA Tournament berth this past season. Detroit Mercy lost 66-63 to Wright State in the Horizon League championship game on March 10.

"It is a big blow because of the momentum we (had) in last year's tournament," head coach Mark Montgomery told The Detroit News of the one-year penalty. "It just is what it is. It's unfortunate."

This is the third time in a decade that Detroit Mercy's program has been penalized for falling below the minimum APR score, along with 2017-18 and 2023-24.

With APR scores based on a rolling four-year window, Vowels did not place the blame on Montgomery, who is heading into his third season with the program.

"Head coach Mark Montgomery is committed to the Titans, and the coaching staff has been fully invested in academic monitoring and success since their arrival last year," Vowels wrote in his letter to donors.

The Titans, who finished 1-31 in 2023-24 in their final season with coach Mike Davis, have not been to the NCAA Tournament since the 2011-12 season.