Eli Holman to take a leave of absence from Detroit

A major reason why Detroit was a trendy pick to win the Horizon League this season was the presence of center Eli Holman.

Holman, one of the better big men at the mid-major level, was one of five Detroit players to average double figures, posting 11.8 ppg, 9.6 rpg and 1.6 bpg last season for the Titans. But after being asked by the school to take an indefinite leave of absence, its unclear when -- or if -- he will actually suit up for the Titans.

"We have been working with Eli Holman for some time to assist him in addressing his personal matters," Detroit's Director of Athletics Keri Gaither said in a statement. "At this time, we feel it is in Eli's best interest to step away from basketball to allow him to concentrate on these matters. He has been excused from all team-related activity for an indefinite period while actively addressing these issues. We continue to support Eli during this time and we are asking everyone's cooperation in respecting his privacy."

This isn't the first time that Holman has been in trouble. The 6'10" Richmond, CA, native began his career at Indiana, but his transfer to Detroit was suspicious. After a meeting in which Armon Bassett and DeAndre Thomas were told that they were being kicked off of the team, Holman decided to transfer to Detroit, following former IU assistant Ray McCallum in a move that didn't make Tom Crean too happy.

Neither did the way that Holman made his exit -- he threw a potted plant in Crean's office and had to be escorted out by the police.