Friday, November 07, 2008

11 Days of A-Sun Men's Basketball stays in Macon, Ga., with a preview of the new-look Mercer Bears. The Bears have a new head coach in Bob Hoffman, who brings with him 400 coaching wins.

James Florence enters the 2008-09 season as the fifth-highest scorer among juniors with 1,070 points. He trails Davidson's Stephen Curry, Campbell’s Jonathan Rodriguez, Southern Mississippi’s Jeremy Wise and UNC’s Wayne Ellington.

With Florence, the 2006-07 Freshman of the Year, and Calvin Henry, the 2007-08 Defensive Player of the Year, the Bears enter 2008-09 as the only team in the conference with two players that have won a conference postseason award on the roster.

Coach Bob Hoffman on the Bears

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SEASON PREVIEW - (Courtesy Mercer Media Relations)

First-year head coach Bob Hoffman in 2008-09 returns to the collegiate sidelines after a three-year absence, looking to bring his successful high-octane offensive philosophy to the University Center hardwood. Ironically it may not be offense but rather defense that keys the Bears' success this season.

It may come as somewhat of a surprise coming from a coach known for his prolific scoring teams in the NBA Developmental League, the American Basketball Association and at Oklahoma Baptist, but the top Bear believes defense, versatility and chemistry will be the Bears' strengths during the 2008-09 campaign.

Buoyed by the return of seven lettermen, including three starters from a year ago, Hoffman also has the benefit of drawing on the talents of redshirt junior Daniel Emerson, who sat out last season after transferring from Western Kentucky. MU's roster lists only one senior after having three a year ago, but Hoffman has players returning who accounted for nearly half of the team's starting assignments, were three of the squad's top five scorers and the team's top rebounder and shot-blocker.

Returning senior forward Calvin Henry started all 30 games for the Orange and Black last season, and returning junior guard James Florence started 28 contests, and was the team's top scorer, ranking second in the conference. Returning sophomore guard Mark Hall started nine games, including the final seven contests. Forwards BeJay Corley (junior) and Brian Mills (sophomore) each saw action in all 30 contests, with Corley notching three starting assignments. Retuning junior guards Michael Ellis and Brendan Walker provide additional experience.

"We will be able to mix things up because we have smart guys that understand the game," Hoffman said of his current team. "Their basketball IQ is high."

"We have a lot of versatility - a lot of options," Hoffman added. "Our big guys run the floor really well and we have interchangeable parts. "I am a strong believer that the more you have guys that can play multiple positions, the harder you are to guard and prepare for - and the more we can do as coaches with them out on the court. And we possess the ability to stretch defenses because we have the luxury of lot of guys that can shoot the ball well. They can run the floor well and put pressure on defenses by stretching them."

One of the keys to Mercer's success this season will be the coaches' ability to blend six newcomers with the veterans.

"Our guys are really focused and we're building a chemistry based on treating each other right and not just on winning and losing," Hoffman said. "We want to have the right mindset of who we want to be collectively as a team and what we want to represent. This team is coachable and they've done a great job of listening to coaching, and that is a tremendous place for a team to be."

Florence and Henry a year ago were the Bears' top scorer and rebounder, respectively, and the addition of the 6-foot-8 Emerson and availability of the 6-foot-7 junior college transfer Sidiki Straub should provide Mercer with an enhanced frontcourt rotation.

The 6-foot-1 Florence has started all but four Mercer games the last two seasons and has led the team in scoring both years. He averaged 19.3 points and 3.3 assists as a freshman when he was league rookie of the year and 19 points and three assists en route to earning second team all-conference accolades a year ago. The native of Marietta, Ga., can put flurries of points on the board in a hurry, having surpassed the 30-point mark six times already in his career. Henry, the reigning defensive player of the year in the Atlantic Sun, is a potent shot-blocker - twice blocking seven shots in a game and cleans the glass as well, equaling the school record with 22 rebounds against VMI two seasons ago. Last season the 6-foot-7 forward was first in the A-Sun in blocked shots (1.93/g) and ranked third in rebounding, collecting 7.7 caroms a contest.

"James is very talented and has had two great seasons." Hoffman noted. "He can really score and knows how to make plays. He's unselfish, a great competitor and wants to win. Calvin may be the hardest worker we have - he spends as much time as anyone in the gym on his own, trying to perfect his game. He has the ability to be an energy guy that makes big-time plays with blocked shots or dunks that will change momentum in the course of a game."

While not a true point guard, Hall dished out 2.5 assists per game last season and was the team leader in three-point field goal accuracy - shooting 38.7 percent from beyond the arc. The Los Angeles, Calif., native showed flashes of brilliance, scoring a career-high 30 points against Loyola Marymount last season while draining a University Center record 15-of-17 free throws. During the final seven games last season, he averaged nearly four assists per game and shot 88.9 percent (16-of-18) from the charity stripe.

"In Canada, more often than not, Mark was the catalyst in critical situations - either to get a steal or make a big three." Hoffman said of the 5-foot-11combo guard. "He stayed positive and didn't get down when he wasn't in the starting lineup. He put in some quality minutes and could be the spark a lot of nights because of his ability to hit shots, guard the ball and get deflections."

Hoffman refers to Emerson, the youngest brother of former Mercer standouts Scott and Will Emerson as "a workhorse" and plans to get the 6-foot-8 forward "a lot of touches because he has the ability to put the ball in the basket and can score inside and outside. He demands the ball and has great leadership ability. Just his presence alone is going to make the team better."

Emerson averaged 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds while seeing action in 61 games over two seasons with the Hilltoppers. The big man demonstrated his smooth outside touch, shooting 40 percent from between the arc during his time in Bowling Green.

Corley was one of five Bears to see action in every game a year ago and drew a starting assignment on three occasions. The 6-foot-6 junior forward will be counted on to be a physical inside presence, getting rebounds, putbacks and playing strong defense.

"BeJay understands what he can do to contribute and help the team," Hoffman added. "He knows what he can do to help the team win and his demeanor is an asset to the squad."

Junior guards Brendan Walker and Michael Ellis will be counted to contribute heavily this season, as Hoffman was impressed by the pair's play north of the border in September.

"Brendan made several plays for us in Canada," Hoffman noted. "I was especially encouraged by his play on the defensive end. He's not 'just a shooter' and there will be situations where his play will be crucial to our success. And Michael Ellis is a veteran of a lot of basketball and understands the game at a high level. He knows how to make plays and is really on a path to get back in shape after his injury. Michael can get in the lane, rebound well and hit shots."

Walker played in 23 games a year ago while Ellis saw action in 18 games, narrowly missing a double-double in his MU debut at Southern Cal, scoring nine points and grabbing a team-high 10 defensive rebounds off the bench.

Hoffman refers to sophomore Brian Mills as "maybe having the most upside of anyone on the team if he continues to work ard and get more physical. His wingspan is so long he can cover defensively and rebound."

The 6-foot-7 Douglasville, Ga., native "can shoot the three and also has face-up ability," added Hoffman. He has the ability to raise up on people and to dunk on them. His game will evolve and I'm excited about what he brings to the table."

Mills averaged nearly 16 minutes while playing in each MU game a year ago, and his two free throws with 2.2 seconds remaining sealed the win over S.C. State and he notched the game-winning slam versus Lipscomb in the UC. Mills scored eight points and recorded seven rebounds in 21 minutes against the Bisons and scored 10 points off the bench in the upset at Southern Cal.

NEWCOMERS

The newcomers to the Bears will contribute to the versatility of the squad, "filling different roles depending on the opponent and game situation," says Hoffman.

Guard E. J. Kusnyer and post-man Sidiki Straub begin play as perhaps the most accomplished of the Bears' newcomers at the collegiate level. The 6-foot-5 Kusnyer averaged 11.9 points and 3.9 rebounds last season for Collin County Community College and earned second-team all-conference honors while showing long-range accuracy - ranking fourth nationally in 3-point field goal accuracy. Straub has exhibited an uncanny knack for finding the ball off the glass and will add quality depth on the inside.

Hoffman sees true freshman Jake Gollon as an asset to the team as a big guard. The 6-foot-6 native of Stevens Point, Wis., averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds and three assists during his prep career.

"We want to get better everyday," said the Bears' head coach. "We have to continue to find ways to individually and collectively get better. It's a process. Winning is a by-product of doing things right and you cannot expect to achieve miracles if you aren't daily making good deposits to get the great return."

SCHEDULE

Hoffman’s first slate at the helm of the program will be challenging, with five meetings versus opponents who reached the postseason in 2007-08.

Non-conference contests at powerhouses UCLA, Oklahoma State, Alabama, Iowa State and Auburn, along with a homecoming contest against Georgia Tech in the University Center on Nov. 22, and the third annual Chicago Invitational Challenge highlight Mercer's schedule.

"I believe this is an outstanding collection of diverse teams," Hoffman said. "Our non-conference schedule will give us an indication of where we are and what we need to get accomplished prior to entering the tough A-Sun schedule.”

The Bears' meeting with UCLA will be the first in school history, while MU also faces Dayton, Texas Southern and Chicago State for the first time.

"I believe we are playing one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country," Hoffman added. "We will get tested and stretched in every way. We'll see every kind of offense and defense because of the strength of our schedule."

Following exhibition games against LCC International University and GCSU, Mercer will be tested early and often in the regular season. Piedmont College visits the University Center to open the Bears' home schedule (Nov. 14) and Mercer will face Alabama, Auburn and Georgia Tech in an eight-day span beginning just two days after the home opener.

The Crimson Tide lost two starters from last season's 17-16 team - Richard Hendrix to the NBA Draft and senior forward Mykal Riley - but coach Mike Gottfried's incoming class is already ranked 17th in the nation by ESPN.com, and with little time to rest, the Bears meet Jeff Lebo's Auburn Tigers (Nov. 19) for the second consecutive season. This season's contest is the first round of the Chicago Invitational Challenge.

Three days later, the Bears mark homecoming as they play host to Georgia Tech on Nov. 22 in Macon. The contest will mark the first trip to the University Center by an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent and the first visit to Macon by an ACC foe since Clemson downed the Bears, 88-71, on Jan. 3, 1994, at the Macon Coliseum. The Yellow Jackets wrapped up their 2007-08 campaign by winning four of their last six games, including three of four in the regular season. Mercer and Georgia Tech last met Nov. 19, 1999 in Atlanta when the Yellow Jackets claimed a 91-71 victory.

"We are excited about hosting Georgia Tech," Hoffman said. "I believe the game will showcase our athletics department as well as Mercer University as a whole."

The second round of the Chicago Invitational has Mercer visiting Dayton (Nov. 25), which went 23-11 last season and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT before falling to eventual champion Ohio State in Columbus.

The Bears celebrate Thanksgiving in Chicago as third-round and championship action of the Challenge pits Mercer against Texas Southern on Friday, Nov. 28, followed by either Bethune-Cookman or Chicago State the next day.

After the Thanksgiving break, Mercer opens Atlantic Sun Conference play at home against USC Upstate. The Bears wrap up the brief homestand as ETSU pays a visit to the University Center on Dec. 5.

Following a break for final exams, Hoffman and the Bears embark on an ambitious stretch of seven straight road games covering a 26-day span as Mercer visits Oklahoma State (Dec. 17), UCLA (Dec. 20) and Loyola Marymount (Dec. 22) to open up the road swing. The grueling run marks the first time since the 1964-65 campaign that a Mercer squad has played seven consecutive road contests.

From Stillwater, Okla., the Bears travel to Los Angeles, Calif., for two games beginning with UCLA in revered Pauley Pavillion. The Bruins set a school record with 35 wins last season en route to their third consecutive Final Four appearance and climbed as high as No. 2 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll before falling to Memphis, 78-63.

UCLA also posted an impressive 16-2 record at home last season, with its lone non-conference home loss to eighth-ranked Texas. UCLA lost three players to the NBA Draft, but ESPN.com ranks the Bruins’ incoming class as tops in the nation with two incoming McDonald's All-Americans. The California swing concludes with a Monday night visit to Loyola Marymount and another first-year head coach, Bill Bayno, on Dec. 22.

After a brief Christmas break, the Bears will spend New Year's Eve in Ames, Iowa, squaring off against Iowa State for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

Mercer jumps back into A-Sun conference action, welcoming the New Year with a trip to Buies Creek, N.C., and the Campbell Fighting Camels, who boast the league's reigning Player of the Year, Jonathan Rodriguez. The Bears finish the road swing with a two-game trip to Jacksonville (Jan. 9) and UNF (Jan. 11). Jacksonville owns a 15-2 home mark versus A-Sun opponents over the last two seasons, while the Ospreys look to build on last season's 3-26 record.

The Bears welcome Florida Gulf Coast (Jan. 16) and Stetson, Mercer's oldest rival, to the University Center on Jan. 18 as the Bears finally return to Macon to continue league action. Mercer then heads to Nashville, Tenn., for two games, squaring off against Lipscomb (Jan. 24) and defending A-Sun Tournament champion Belmont on Jan. 26.

Mercer closes out January by playing host to in-state rival Kennesaw State (Jan. 29), then, as the Atlantic Sun returns to a double round-robin format, sees Campbell visit the University Center on Feb. 2.

“I am most looking forward to the competition," Hoffman concluded. "I want to see where we stack up. The non-conference schedule will be tough and will help us get prepared for the conference, which will be competitive. But the three games at the end - the conference tournament- is what you play for. Win three games then and you go to the NCAA tournament."

The 2008-09 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament will be held March 4-7 in Nashville, Tenn., hosted by Lipscomb for the second consecutive season.

11 Days of A-Sun Basketball Schedule
Oct. 29 - Belmont
Oct. 30 - Campbell
Oct. 31 - ETSU
Nov.  3 - FGCU
Nov.  4 - Jacksonville
Nov.  5 - Kennesaw State
Nov.  6 - Lipscomb
Nov.  7 - Mercer
Nov. 10 - UNF
Nov. 11 - USC Upstate
Nov. 12 - Stetson