‘Why not us?’: Mercer men’s basketball looks to upset favorites for a conference title
It is a brand new season for the Mercer men’s basketball team when they take the court Saturday night in Asheville.
Despite entering the SoCon Tournament with a losing record, the team still has a goal of winning a title squarely in front of them.
The mission now is to go on a run and pull off some upsets to find a way into the NCAA tournament field for the first time since beating Duke five years ago.
“It has happened many times over the years in different places and I know our guys are going to be ready,” head coach Bob Hoffman said. “It only takes one game to get hot at the right time. And why not? Why not us?”
The Bears looked to be building momentum after winning three out of the last four games heading into final days of the regular season. Back-to-back double digit losses to VMI and UNCG derailed it.
That has been the story of the Bears season so far: Every time it looks like the team is preparing to go on a run, a bad loss kills the momentum. The Bears are hopeful that won’t happen in the tournament.
“You’ve got to be consistent and work this week on the right things, your mind’s got to be right,” Hoffman said. “So when we step on that floor there is no doubt what we are trying to accomplish.”
The Bears are preparing to go all out in the tournament as there is no tomorrow if the team loses a game from here on out, Hoffman said.
“It is a one-game shot to leave it all out on the line, give all you possibly have knowing the season is over if you don’t win it,” he said. “That pressure can push you to another place if you allow it and that’s what we are trying to work on, getting our minds right.”
Junior guard Ross Cummings is the player to watch for the Bears as he has been the key scorer averaging a team best 17.6 points per game. “The Mamba” will need to be ready to strike if the Bears have any chance of pulling the upset.
Senior Jaylen Stowe understands that he and his teammates will have to be at their best to knock off a good Furman team in the first round. He knows that he must step up on the court and in the locker room if they want to grab a win.
“I try to play every game like it’s my last,” Stowe said. “I try to be that vocal leader and lead by example on both ends of the floor so that’s something I take pride in.”
Hoffman said that he has tried to tell the guys they are still alive despite the disappointing end to the regular season.
“It just takes one game in a tournament...of seeing it happen to think you’re invincible,” he said. “That is exactly what will have to happen for us.”