Florence Named MU Male 'Athlete of the Year'; Walker Recognized for Top GPA Among Men's Hoops
4/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MACON, Ga. - Mercer University senior James Florence added one more accolade to his already-bursting cache of awards by being named as the school's male “Athlete of the Year” for 2009-10. The honor was announced Sunday evening at MU's annual end-of-the-year awards banquet, held at the University Center.
In 2009-10, Florence (Marietta, Ga./Wheeler H.S.) averaged a team-leading 17.7 points per game and led the Bears to the championship game of the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament. Florence scored in double digits in 27 of 31 contests, topping Mercer scorers on 13 occasions. He had a career-high 40 points versus Georgia Tech on November 27, 2009.
Florence also averaged 4.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 3.1 rebounds per game. He shot nearly 32 percent from three-point range, averaging 1.8 treys made per game.
During his Mercer University career Florence racked up a school-record 2,287 points, which also ranks No. 142 on the NCAA Division I all-time scoring list. Florence is the top scorer from a Georgia school on that scoring list. He surpassed former NBA great Sam Mitchell to take over the Mercer top spot on Dec. 29 at UNC-Charlotte.
For his 119 games played for the Bears, Florence averaged 19.2 points and 3.7 assists per game. Florence also holds numerous other school career records, including: field goals attempted (1,696), three-point field goals attempted (819), free throws made (557), free throws attempted (669) and steals (222).
Florence was a four-time all-A-Sun Conference selection, garnering first team honors in both 2007 and 2009 (and second team in 2008 and 2010). He has the distinction of being the first-ever A-Sun player to score 500 points in all four seasons of competition.
Fellow senior Brendan Walker was also presented the Henry H. “Trot” Ware, Jr. Award for sporting the highest grade point average among the men's basketball team. Walker, from Jacksonville, Fla. (Bishop Kenny H.S.), appeared in 29 games off the MU bench and is an industrial management major.
“I am very proud of both James and Brendan,” said MU head coach Bob Hoffman. “While both are being honored for different reasons, the common denominator is that they both are great representatives of our program.
“And as good as they are on the court and in the classroom, they are even better young men who have great things ahead for them.”
