Mercer senior transfer thriving in key role at Mercer
By: Daniel Shirley
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MACON, Ga. – Ria'n Holland returned to the court at Hawkins Arena – without any sneakers on his feet; just his socks – for a post-practice interview and talked about the perfect fit he has found with the Mercer basketball program.
After finishing the interview, the senior guard stopped himself as he headed back to the locker room and said, "I can't leave the court without hitting a shot." Holland did just that, taking a pass and knocking down the first shot he took before returning to the locker room with a big smile on his face.
And Holland has knocked down a lot of shots since joining the Bears before the 2016-17 season.
"We've had good fortune. We've had players who have worked hard on our culture, and Ria'n has been a tremendous asset, and we have been blessed to have him," Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman said. "He's a special talent, and I think what I have been excited about is – he had a great year last year – but during the spring and summer he embraced all the other things that we've embodied and believe are important, whether it be the mission trip this summer or communication on the floor; he is working hard every day at getting better at those things."
Holland's hard work certainly has paid off.
After transferring from Indian Hills Community College, he made an immediate impact on the Bears last season. He played in 31 of the 32 games and led the team in scoring (17.2 points per game), 3-pointers made (77), free throws (102), steals (32) and minutes played (31.5 per game).
This season, he is averaging 22.1 points per game despite missing three games with an ankle injury.
Finding the right fit – which isn't always easy for a transfer – has been a key to Holland's success.Â
Holland dropped a career-high 33 points on 53 percent shooting at La Salle on Dec. 17.
"It's been easy actually. I came in. They welcomed me in with open arms with a big role," Holland said of his Mercer teammates. "They taught me the ways. They taught me the system. They taught me a lot. So basically, all I had to do was focus on knocking down shots, and that's what I do. So they made it easy on me."Â
Holland started his career at Wichita State, redshirting his first season with the Shockers in 2013-14. He averaged 8.5 minutes and 1.9 points per game in 2014-15 before transferring to Indian Hills.
There, he averaged 13.3 points per game and helped lead his team to a 29-5 record and a trip to the NJCAA national tournament.
"It gave me an opportunity to show what I can do again," Holland said of his one season in junior college. "In high school, I was a big scorer, and at Wichita, I had a certain role. Indian Hills gave me another opportunity to show I still had that in my game."
With that on display, Holland joined his third program in three years when he signed with Mercer. But he said he knew it was a good fit before he even played a game with the Bears.
"These are good guys, and we don't have any disagreements or fights or anything like that. We're just all tight," Holland said. "I wasn't so much nervous because when I came on my visit I saw what type of atmosphere this was, and it was a real good atmosphere, and they welcomed me on my visit, and we bonded really strong.Â
"I'm very thankful. It's probably even more than I expected. The coaches and the guys have done a real good job of getting me shots and letting me do what I do."Â
Holland's new teammates weren't anxious, either, about him fitting in. Holland and fellow senior Jordan Strawberry have formed a dynamic backcourt for the Bears the past year-and-a-half.
Again, it was the right fit.
"Coach talked to me about him and told me he was a really good player and that we would be able to play together and help each other's games," Strawberry said. "I had heard about him, but I had never really seen him play until he got here. But once he got here, I could see what kind of player he was and that he could help us.Â
"We're all players, and we all have high IQs, and if he had a high IQ, we knew we could all find a way to fit in with each other, and we've been able to do that."
Strawberry averaged a career-high 10.4 points per game last season, and he is averaging 9.7 points this season.
"Their feel is really good, and they look for each other, and they find each other, and that's been fun to watch," Hoffman said of his starting guards. "They have found ways to make each other successful, and when you have a guard tandem that can shoot the ball and can score the ball the way those guys have and are not selfish, you've got something special."Â
Holland, one of six seniors on Mercer's roster, was welcomed to the program with open arms.
The Bears are hoping that bond continues to be special through the rest of this season. Mercer is 6-6 with one non-conference game remaining – Dec. 28 against Kennesaw State. Southern Conference play tips off Dec. 31 against East Tennessee State. From here on out, the focus for the Bears will be getting ready for the Southern Conference Tournament, which begins March 2 in Asheville, N.C.Â
"To have a real good showing through conference and try to win all the games, that's the thing," Holland said of the team's expectations. "And to try to win a championship. Then when the conference tournament comes around, try to win those three games and get to the NCAA."
In addition to Holland and Strawberry, the Bears returned three other senior starters this season – Desmond Ringer, Stephon Jelks and Demetre Rivers – they and are counting on that veteran bunch to lead the way. Holland, who was new to the Bears just a season ago, has fit right in with those Mercer veterans, and that is key to the team reaching its goals this season.
The right fit can lead to special things, after all.
"He has played at a very high level for a very long time. His experience at Wichita State, he was already grounded in the sense of understanding what college basketball was all about," Hoffman said. "So he got stretched in the very beginning, and then playing at a great junior college program, when he got here, his experiences weren't just like a transfer who had played only junior college ball. He had multiple experiences that made him game ready right from the beginning, and his mindset and upbringing fit perfectly with who we are and what we're trying to accomplish beyond winning games."Â
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