Mercer mixes old and new this season
Bob Hoffman likes what he sees from his Mercer team entering the season, even with eight new faces on the roster.
How those new players mix with the returning seven players will determine if Hoffman likes his team at the end of the season.
Mercer opens the 2016-17 campaign at 8:30 p.m. on Friday at Hawkins Arena against Brewton-Parker. The Bears then jump right into a difficult non-conference schedule Sunday at Florida.
“I think as much as anything them being excited about whatever their role might end up being, and it’s going to be different for some of them who have been high-level scorers, and there’s going to be nights that they may be, and then there might not be,” Hoffman said of the new players and how they fit into the team. “So if I can get them to continue to buy in as they have at this point, to the end result and what we’re trying to get done collectively and not individually, it could be a major thing that we’re able to accomplish as a team because really that’s the only thing that would hold us back.
“Each position, we’ve got multiple people at positions, and we’ve got maybe the best shooting team we’ve ever had. It hasn’t translated to games yet, but on paper and in practice so far, we’re shooting the ball very, very well. Normally, that leads to some fun in the games.”
Juniors Stephon Jelks, Demetre Rivers, Jordan Strawberry and Desmond Ringer will be counted on to lead the team, while center Andrew Fishler is the only returning senior. Sophomores Ethan Stair, Cory Kilby and Jaylen Stowe contributed last season, and Hoffman expects them to take the next step, although Stair and Stowe will miss the start of the season with injuries.
The eight new players include five transfers: senior JJ N’Ganga (New Mexico), juniors Ria’n Holland (Indian Hills Community College) and Rashad Lewis (Tallahassee Community College) and sophomores Ryan Johnson (Tallahassee Community College) and Stephen Gavin (Hilton Head Preparatory School). And the freshman class is made up of Darius Roy (Lawton, Oklahoma), Ross Cummings (Dickson, Tennessee) and Mac Brydon (Charlotte, North Carolina).
“They’re integrating really well. It’s a new system (for them),” Rivers said. “I remember coming in as a freshman, and there were a lot of things I had to buy into, a lot of different things from high school, and (Hoffman) has a real different coaching style. If everybody buys into the system, then we’re going to get a lot of good things accomplished this year.”
The new players understand how important that is and how important they are to the team’s success this season.
“It’s a lot of plays but just keep working,” N’Ganga said with a big smile. “Never get discouraged and just keep working. Definitely, definitely (a big adjustment), but we’ll be just fine. We’re doing a great job. We’re all doing a good job, and we’re all trying to keep knowing each other.”
In the end, they’re all working toward one clear goal.
“It’s a great program with a lot of sincerity,” Holland said. “I love being a part of it so far. I expect a championship, actually.”
This story was originally published November 10, 2016 at 7:12 PM with the headline "Mercer mixes old and new this season."