Mercer basketball team set for 14 home games, difficult non-conference schedule

Bob Hoffman is entering his 10th season as Mercer’s basketball head coach, and his Bears are going to face a tough non-conference schedule during the 2017-18 season.

That non-conference schedule includes games at Central Florida, Tennessee, Memphis and Alabama, and the Central Florida game (Nov. 10) is also the Bears’ season opener. The Bears’ first home game is No. 12 against Toccoa Falls in the opener of the Paradise Jam.

The Bears host Jackson State on Nov. 14 before traveling Nov. 17-20 to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands for three more games in the Paradise Jam, starting with a game against Liberty.

“Our schedule is tough as always,” Hoffman said. “We’re excited about having 14 home games, and we believe our schedule is very balanced. We are going to get stretched in very possible way that we can get stretched, with our non-conference schedule, against highly rated teams and perennial power teams. That is going to be exciting for our fans and for our team to see exactly where we stack up.

“We believe that puts us in a good position for conference play in that we’ve learned all we need to know about our team so we can play at the highest level against some of the best players and the best coaches in the country in the Southern Conference.”

Mercer opens Southern Conference play at home on New Year’s Eve against East Tennessee State. The Southern Conference Tournament is set for March 2-5 in Asheville, North Carolina.

The Bears return all five starters from last year’s team, and all five are seniors. Ria’n Holland led the team in scoring and ranked sixth in the conference last year, averaging 17.2 points per game. Jordan Strawberry averaged 12.2 points per game and was third in the conference in assists (4.3) and free-throw percentage (88.3 percent), while Demetre Rivers averaged 11.2 points. Stephon Jelks and Desmond Ringer also return as starters.

“Our depth and being able to have the foreign tour this summer has served us well,” Hoffman said. “Our guys have worked really hard in the offseason and dedicated themselves to each other to be the best they can be. We’re extremely excited to get started, and November can’t get here quick enough.”

This story was originally published August 24, 2017 at 11:31 AM with the headline "Mercer basketball team set for 14 home games, difficult non-conference schedule."