Thursday, October 20, 2011

MACON, Ga. - The 2011-12 Atlantic Sun Conference Men's Basketball Season gets underway on Friday, Nov. 11th and prior to that date the A-Sun office will preview each of the ten member institutions.

Mercer's Rick Cameron sits down with Bears Head Coach Bob Hoffman and sophomore forward Jake Gollon in the Bears season preview.

Men's Basketball Capsule
Coaches Poll Predicted Finish: 5th
Media Poll Predicted Finish: 5th
2010-11 Overall Record (A-Sun): 15-18 (11-9; 5th)
Season Schedule // Roster

Notes:
• For the third-straight season, Mercer hosts the General Shale Brick Basketball Championships at the University Center and the Bears have had great success on their home court in the postseason tournament. As a six-seed in 2010, Mercer defeated No. 3 Belmont and No. 2 Jacksonville to reach the Championship Final, while last season the Bears made a return visit to the semifinals before falling to top-seeded Bruins.
• The Bears lost 74.29 percent of their scoring from last season with the departure of Brian Mills (16.2), Jeff Smith (14.7), Brandon Moore (11.9) and Mark Hall (7.2). The quartet all ranked in the top-five of scoring on the team.
• The fourth-leading scorer from last season, Langston Hall returns for his sophomore season after averaging 8.2 points per contest. The point guard brings a lot to the table for the Bears as he led the team in assists (3.5) and steals (1.3) last season, while also ranking second in three-point percentage (39.7).
• In the regular season, Mercer will host sub-regional games of the College Basketball Experience (CBE) Classic on November 21-23. The Bears will play contests in three-straight days against Sam Houston State, Niagara and South Dakota State. Mercer was one of two programs in the nation selected to host sub-regional games.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an NCAA Division I league with 10 member institutions committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun meets the challenge of maintaining the highest standards in academic and athletic achievement with a true balance between student and athlete. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.