Redefining tradition: Detroit Mercy's all-time assist leader watches son suit up for Titans

Detroit Mercy mens basketball is picked to finish fifth in the Horizon League this season, but they added a new player to their roster who has a connection to the tradition of the Titans basketball program. Kevin McAdoo is a graduate transfer with two years of eligibility left. His father, also Kevin McAdoo, is UDM’s all-time assist leader.

“When I weighed out all my options, my dad put a lot of time here,” said McAdoo. “A lot of blood, sweat, tears. So, it was really just the cherry on top.”

His father, Kevin McAdoo, was a Titan from 1982 to 1986. With 615 assists, he is the university’s all-time assist leader, a record he set while his Titans team was in the 1986 postseason.

“It’s something to say that you played a long time and had a pretty decent career,” said McAdoo. “There is a lot of tradition here and I am happy to be a part of that tradition. And right now, I hope to see things even go to a different level now that my son is here.”

With only two years of eligibility left, it is safe to say that his dad’s record at Detroit Mercy is safe. The father and son duo joked about how competitive they are, but Kevin said he doesn’t feel any pressure or expectations in living up to his dad’s legacy as a Titan.

“My dad taught me everything I know,” said McAdoo. “How to be a good person in this life, the right way to move in this world, the right things to do, how to be a good person. He taught me all the intangibles you need in this life to survive.”

As for his father, he is enjoying the view from the sidelines this time around.

“They’re making their own history, I’m enjoying basking in their history or developing their history instead of trying to remember mine.

Kevin credited much of his basketball career to his father and said that he is the one who put a basketball in his hands when he was a child. Kevin and the Titans open the 2021-22 season On November 10th in Wyoming.