Mercer is for real this year - they followed a solid win over Georgia Tech on the road with a home thumping of #11 ranked mid major (according to College Insider) Georgia State 86-69.

They have lots of talented new faces, including the team's 2 new leaders 6-2 Rs-So transfer from Fairfield, point guard Neftali Alvarez, and Rs-Jr 6-9 253 transfer from South Carolina, Felipe Haase. Alvarez is from Puerto Rico, Haase from Chile. Along with Maciej Bender (Poland), Diego Rivera (Puerto Rico) and Victor Baffuto (Brazil), they make Mercer probably the most international squad in the league.

Alvarez has got a set of skills to rival Mason Faulkner of Western. He had a typical night with 30 minutes, 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists (he averages 6) and 3 steals. He controls the pace of the game.

Felipe Haase is a for real stretch 4-5. It's an overused term, but this guy earns it. He got 39 minutes, losing the 1 minute only when he fouled out at the end. He scored 17 points on 4-7 from 3 (he averages .417 with 5 makes), 7 rebounds (he averages 9) and 4 assists. He's a below the rim player without great athleticism. But what a smart, skilled guy. Haase and Alvarez spent a transfer year sitting out and practicing with Mercer last season, so they fit in seamlessly with the experienced core of the team.

Another big new addition is 6-6 180, long athletic JUCO Jr all-American Leon Ayers III. He got 25 minutes, 17 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists.

Returnees are RS-Sr transfer 6-11 Maciej Bender, 6-3 Rs-Sr Ross Cummings, 6-6 210 Soph James Glisson and 6-4 Rs-Jr transfer Jeff Gary, the coach's nephew.

The shooting guards Cummings and Gary are a key part of the mix. Either will bury a 3 in a split second. They force the opponent to spread the floor and open the middle for back cuts, which James Glisson, Haase and Bender are glad to provide. Or for drives by Alvarez or Ayers. Cummings and Gary each average 28 minutes, with Cummings shooting 14 points on .643 from 3 with an average of 3 makes. Gary chips in 4.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 3.3 assists and 2 steals per game.

It's only been a couple of games, but so far Mercer is averaging 10.7 three's per game, 28th in D1, and .421 from 3, 33rd in D1. They are only average in 2pt%, 153rd in D1. Rebounding has been strong with a +12.3 rebounding margin. In assists they are 2nd in the SoCon to Furman with 20.0 and 24th in D1. The sample size is small, but with the skills on display so far, it looks like perimeter shooting, assists and rebounding will be strong. Lots of guys go to the boards, and lots of guys pass well.

Glisson is basically an undersized 4 who averages 18 minutes, 6.7 ppg (mostly on back cuts and put backs) and 4.3 rebounds.

Maciej Bender is more effective since he doesn't have to try to be THE big man. He averages 15.7 minutes, 8 points with no 3's, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. He's a long armed 6-11 who will block shots, in contrast to Haase, who's a bit short armed at 6-9. He and Haase are both foul prone.

These guys will be battling to the end in the SoCon this year. They are a little short on athleticism, but they have elite skills.

Good take. Talking with Jay Sando's last season, he told me these guys would be contenders this year. Haase was solid at USC, Alvarez as mentioned looks good so far, and Cummings can flat out shoot. Gary has a good thing going.

With online wagering now legal in TN, I may have won $10.00 on that game. But I can neither confirm nor deny that report.

They made a terrific hire in Coach Gary. You could see this coming last year. He took over a floundering program and turned it into a respectable one in his first year. He's the real deal.

(12-01-2020 01:41 PM)Buc76 Wrote:  They made a terrific hire in Coach Gary. You could see this coming last year. He took over a floundering program and turned it into a respectable one in his first year. He's the real deal.

And he is proving it on the court. Impressive.

Mercer can’t be real without Bob!

Maybe not real to you, but they were a better team without him last year and Mercer will be real to the teams in the conference this year.

(12-01-2020 09:56 PM)Buc76 Wrote:  Maybe not real to you, but they were a better team without him last year and Mercer will be real to the teams in the conference this year.

We discussed at least two, and I think three, years ago on this board the possibility that Mercer would be better without him. In his last year, I think that idea gained more acceptance. I don't think that was completely clear, but apparently that was the case. I think that altho he brought some value, he sort of had an 'artificial' upside limit, if that makes sense.

(12-02-2020 02:39 AM)posterformerlyknownasthedoctor Wrote:  

(12-01-2020 09:56 PM)Buc76 Wrote:  Maybe not real to you, but they were a better team without him last year and Mercer will be real to the teams in the conference this year.

We discussed at least two, and I think three, years ago on this board the possibility that Mercer would be better without him. In his last year, I think that idea gained more acceptance. I don't think that was completely clear, but apparently that was the case. I think that altho he brought some value, he sort of had an 'artificial' upside limit, if that makes sense.

Hoffman at Mercer was similar to Bartow at ETSU. Solid coach, good record. But when you get in that 10-12 year range with the same team you have to be exceptional to keep the success going. Neither of those were exceptional so it was time for a change.

(12-02-2020 08:56 AM)Meanmike0001 Wrote:  

(12-02-2020 02:39 AM)posterformerlyknownasthedoctor Wrote:  

(12-01-2020 09:56 PM)Buc76 Wrote:  Maybe not real to you, but they were a better team without him last year and Mercer will be real to the teams in the conference this year.

We discussed at least two, and I think three, years ago on this board the possibility that Mercer would be better without him. In his last year, I think that idea gained more acceptance. I don't think that was completely clear, but apparently that was the case. I think that altho he brought some value, he sort of had an 'artificial' upside limit, if that makes sense.

Hoffman at Mercer was similar to Bartow at ETSU. Solid coach, good record. But when you get in that 10-12 year range with the same team you have to be exceptional to keep the success going. Neither of those were exceptional so it was time for a change.

I’m not talking about Mercer team quality, I am talking about fan experience. Hoffman was the Mercer show. Worth the price of admission for opposing teams fans and student sections.

With his black mock turtleneck shirt and classic grey suit he had that gangsta look. Add to that his foot stomping antics he was the star of the show! Remember the student “cut outs” of Bob?

By the way, I have never met Bob but have been told he is a genuinely nice man.

(12-02-2020 10:01 AM)BucDoctor Wrote:  I’m not talking about Mercer team quality, I am talking about fan experience. Hoffman was the Mercer show. Worth the price of admission for opposing teams fans and student sections.

With his black mock turtleneck shirt and classic grey suit he had that gangsta look. Add to that his foot stomping antics he was the star of the show! Remember the student “cut outs” of Bob?

By the way, I have never met Bob but have been told he is a genuinely nice man.

Oh, we know (you were talking about the 'show'). (Or certainly I do, and suspect we all do.) And yes, all reports are that he's a genuinely nice fellow.

(12-02-2020 11:13 AM)posterformerlyknownasthedoctor Wrote:  

(12-02-2020 10:01 AM)BucDoctor Wrote:  I’m not talking about Mercer team quality, I am talking about fan experience. Hoffman was the Mercer show. Worth the price of admission for opposing teams fans and student sections.

With his black mock turtleneck shirt and classic grey suit he had that gangsta look. Add to that his foot stomping antics he was the star of the show! Remember the student “cut outs” of Bob?

By the way, I have never met Bob but have been told he is a genuinely nice man.

Oh, we know (you were talking about the 'show'). (Or certainly I do, and suspect we all do.) And yes, all reports are that he's a genuinely nice fellow.

When they played Duke in the NCAA's that year I was driving and listening to the game on the radio. Big John Thompson was the analyst and he was so impressed with the way Hoffman was working the officials saying he was step for step with one of the masters, Coach K. He must have made a comment about Hoff's working of the officials 3 or 4 times during the game.