Detroit's Orlando Lovejoy, granted fifth year, chooses his new school

DETROIT — His college career unfrozen by a judge, Orlando Lovejoy is headed to the frozen tundra.

Lovejoy, who starred for Detroit Mercy men’s basketball the last two seasons, has committed to fellow Horizon League program Green Bay for his fifth and final season of eligibility.

Lovejoy was among hundreds of college athletes from the high-school class of 2022 who were granted a fifth season of eligibility through temporary restraining orders from judges across the country. The NCAA recently announced a five-year eligibility window, starting with the high-school class of 2023.

Lovejoy, 23, was one of the top point guards in the Horizon League the last two seasons, and in 2025-26, he was first-team all-league as he led the Titans to within a whisker of the league tournament championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Lovejoy, a Detroit native, started all 31 games for Detroit Mercy in 2025-26, and was top 10 in the league in scoring (15.8 points), assists (3.7) and steals (1.6). He made free throws at an 89.2% clip.

Lovejoy spent his first two college seasons at Eastern Michigan, before transferring to Detroit Mercy after the school hired Mark Montgomery as head coach. He contemplated transferring after his first season at Detroit Mercy to capitalize on NIL opportunities, but he ultimately returned to the Titans and led them to the Horizon League championship game, in which they led much of the game before falling to Wright State, 66-63.

Lovejoy was a four-time all-state selection in high school at Summit Academy.

At Green Bay, Lovejoy joins high-profile head coach Doug Gottlieb, the former sports-talk media personality who is entering his third season on the job. Green Bay was 4-28 in Gottlieb’s first season and 18-15 in his second season. Lovejoy’s move to Green Bay is believed to be worth high five figures or low six figures in NIL money.

Lovejoy couldn’t return to Detroit Mercy for his fifth season because the Titans’ roster was at capacity, with 15 players on scholarship for next season. Teams across the country have taken different approaches about whether to fill roster spots or hold one or two open while waiting on judges’ rulings. Detroit Mercy also is ineligible for the postseason in 2026-27, because of NCAA academic violations.

Lovejoy is the latest notable loss for Detroit Mercy this offseason. Junior guard TJ Nadeau, a Detroit Catholic Central alum who was second in scoring for the Titans in 2025-26 behind Lovejoy, transferred to Tulane.

Green Bay plays at Detroit Mercy on Sunday, Jan. 3.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

@tonypaul1984

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit’s Orlando Lovejoy, granted fifth year, chooses his new school