It’s been greater than a decade since Mercer final made the NCAA Event. All of us knew what occurred on March 21, 2014: the Bears upset Duke within the NCAA Event.
Since that seminal second for the Bears, two coaches – Bob Hoffman, who led the Bears to that first-round upset of Duke, and Greg Gary, who was on the helm the final 5 years – haven’t replicated the success Mercer had since shifting from the Atlantic Solar to the Southern Convention.
After final season’s 16-17 mark beneath Gary, 8-10 within the SoCon (seventh place end), the administration felt it was time for a change.
Enter Ryan Ridder, who was beforehand at Bethune-Cookman and at UT-Martin. Final season, UT-Martin flourished in Ridder’s third and ultimate season, going 21-11 general and ending tied for first within the Ohio Valley Convention.
So far, 12 video games in (Mercer is 6-6 general), Ridder has carried out a brand new system and is laying the inspiration for what seems to be like a Mercer resurrection within the SoCon.
“We’d prefer to be (undefeated), and from November 7 until as we speak, we’re getting higher brick by brick by brick,” Ridder mentioned after final Sunday’s win over Chicago St. “I really like strolling into that locker room each single day.”
The system is quick. Mercer’s common possession size is twenty eighth in Ken Pom, because the Bears get a shot each 15.5 seconds per possession. In comparison with Grant’s workforce final season, they bought a shot each 18.0 seconds per possession, which was 245th within the nation.
That is by design. Ridder, an Embry-Riddle grad, performed beneath his dad, Steve, who has been their coach for over 30 seasons.
Final season, UT Martin completed twenty first within the nation in scoring common (81.5) and led the OVC in 3-point proportion at 36.2%. Mercer is at the moment averaging 83.6 factors a sport. Whereas the three-point taking pictures has been inconsistent at greatest, taking pictures a bit of over 30% (tied for 250th within the nation), Ridder will not be dismayed.
“We discovered a technique to win video games the place we didn’t hit many photographs,” Ridder mentioned. “However our photographs are good. They are going to begin getting in.”
Within the Sunday win over Chicago St., 5-foot-11 New Hampshire switch Ahmad Robinson scored a season-high tying 25 factors on 9 baskets, eight of which have been within the paint. Regardless of not hitting a 3-pointer within the sport, Robinson’s capacity to get into the lane, use his soccer operating again form physique to contort and discover openings to get his shot off and draw fouls was key to assist to stave off a second-half comeback try by CSU.
“It’s a workforce effort,” Robinson mentioned after the win over CSU. “The factors are going to be put up a method or one other. I’m from Jersey. We work in our lanes. We’re the large filet within the lanes.”
Sadly, roughly 5 minutes into the highway sport vs. Queens (NC) Wednesday, Robinson regarded to tweak his leg/ankle and didn’t return a sport during which the Bears misplaced 73-66. He returned within the Bears’ subsequent sport (a 102-97 loss to Winthrop) and scored a game-high 27 in 35 minutes of motion.
Coming into that sport, Robinson has been a stalwart for the Bears. He’s averaging 15.6 factors, 5 assists and 4 rebounds a sport.
“My sport has grown, and I’ve grown quite a bit simply confidence-wise,” Robinson mentioned. “Coach Ridder expects me to do quite a bit and trusts me to do quite a bit, so he helps me to do what I do. Whether or not it’s scoring or passing, and he is aware of I’m going to do the appropriate factor.”
There are all the time roster adjustments each time a brand new coach is available in. 9 of the 12 gamers who’ve performed for the Bears this season are new faces.
Together with Robinson, senior Tyler “Chip” Johnson has been a flame-thrower for the Bears. The Division-II graduate switch from USC Aiken leads the workforce in scoring at 15.8 a sport, taking pictures 40.9% from deep (36-out-of-88). Johnson can jab step again to create house for his jumper and performs a team-high 30.8 minutes a sport.
Different newcomers who’ve made an amazing impression embody Fordham switch 6-foot-6 Angel Montas Jr. (10.8 factors and 4.2 rebounds). Montas’s greatest problem has been his well being, as he battled knee points at Fordham and performed in a handful of video games his first two seasons within the Bronx earlier than having each seasons finish early with accidents.
He’s performed in 10 video games up to now this season, and RIdder is comfortable to see him rounding into kind.
“Angel can impression the sport in so some ways,” Ridder mentioned. “We simply should get him wholesome. He’s working himself means again in, and it’s good to get him in sport form.”
Montas confirmed what he’s able to within the current sport in opposition to Chicago St. After Robinson went out early with a leg/ankle damage, Montas stepped up and added 14 factors, six rebounds and 4 assists off the bench.
“We all know what he’s able to,” Robinson mentioned. “He’s bought quite a lot of expertise and general really feel for the sport.”
Brady Shoulders, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound freshman whose final identify doesn’t do him justice given his soccer physique, was inserted into the beginning lineup within the fifth sport of the season at South Carolina (a more in-depth than seems 84-72 loss on the highway), and his impression on the beginning unit has been profound.
Shoulders collected ten or extra rebounds in three of the final 4 video games. He pulled down 11 vs. Queens. Within the match in opposition to CSU, Shoulders has 12 rebounds, three assists, and two steals. He has a knack for making the additional move out of congestion within the lane. Shoulders was part of three straight state postseason appearances in highschool. His senior yr, Shoulders helped lead his workforce to a 36-3 file, a 3rd consecutive Area 2 championship and a state championship.
“His mentality is what we search at Mercer,” Ridder mentioned. “He’s the pound-for-pound the hardest and mentally-fit participant I’ve been round. He cares about profitable on the highest stage and doesn’t care who will get the credit score.”
Three gamers select to return to Mercer from final yr’s workforce. Junior guard Jah Quinones (4.0 factors a sport) and senior ahead TJ Grant (2.8 factors and a couple of.8 boards) have contributed in spots this season. However 6-foot-8 senior ahead Alex Holt, the lynchpin down low, has loved a breakout senior season.
Undersized however athletic and hard, Holt is averaging 12.1 factors a sport and 6.8 rebounds – an enormous bounce from the 7.3 factors and 4.7 boards he averaged final season. Holt’s area purpose proportion at 63.6, is sweet for seventeenth general within the nation.
“Holt finishes successfully on both facet of the block down low,” Ridder mentioned. “He’s stepped up and acquired into what we’re constructing right here. We’re nonetheless determining our rotation stuff, however this group cares about profitable. They’re clever and tough-minded. When you will have that, you’ll be able to proceed to get higher.”
