DETROIT — At 10:38 a.m. Friday, Jan. 4, sneakers screeched the hardwood floor inside Calihan Hall. The heating system and constant beating of basketballs provided the soundtrack for two bodies getting a little extra work, 13 hours after a conference win. Sweat dripped from Detroit Mercy forwards Chris Brandon and Boe Nguidjol as they listened to the voice that dominated the arena.
They led drills of driving and finishing, while the man behind the voice peppered his players with passes and encouraged them to hold their follow-throughs on their shots. For more than a decade, 31-year-old former Syracuse star Eric Devendorf led similar drills — with a similar vigor — in the place he called “home.