Bears Travel to Knoxville to Square-off with Volunteers Wednesday Night

Wednesday, November 29

Knoxville, Tenn.

7 p.m.

Mercer University

Tennessee

Bears Travel to Knoxville to Square-off with Volunteers Wednesday Night

11/28/2017 1:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Will Tharp

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer men's basketball team will travel to Knoxville to face Southeastern Conference powerhouse Tennessee this Wednesday, Nov. 29, at Thompson-Boiling Arena. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.

GAMEDAY LINEUP
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017 | 7 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (5-2) vs. Tennessee (4-1)
Location: Knoxville, Tenn. | Thompson-Boiling Arena
TV: SECNetwork.com
Radio: 97.3 FM, 103.3 FM, iHeart Radio and Sports Mic – Rick Cameron
Live Stats: UTSports.com/LiveStats
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB

SERIES HISTORY
• Overall: Mercer leads, 4-3 (series dates back to 1913)
• In Knoxville: Series tied, 2-2
• In Macon: Mercer leads, 2-0
• Neutral Sites: UT leads, 1-0
• Current Streak: Tennessee has won two straight
• Last Meeting: Tennessee won, 64-54, on Dec. 22, 2014

BEAR NECESSITIES
Last Time Out
Mercer shot a red shot 58 percent from the field and had five players score in double figures as the Bears returned from Thanksgiving break to claim a 90-53 victory over Hiwassee College on Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Arena.

The Bears, now 5-2 on the season, opened up a 51-32 halftime lead and stretched it out in the second period to win going away. Mercer hit a sizzling 68% of its field goals in the opening half, including eight of 14 behind the three point line.

Ethan Stair got the starting nod in place of leading scorer Ria'n Holland, who was sidelined with an injury. Stair, a 6-5 sophomore, responded with a solid 15-point, six assist and five rebound effort to pace the Bears in scoring. That 15-point showing equaled his career high.

Four other Bears hit for double figures, including Cory Kilby, who tallied a career high 14 points. Jordan Strawberry and Desmond Ringer contributed 11 points apiece, while Marcus Cohen scored a career-best 10 points.

Mercer Maintains Mid-Major Ranking
For the third consecutive week, Mercer is ranked No. 16 in the latest edition of the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.

The Bears, currently 5-2 on the season, are preparing for a challenging two-game road swing through the state of Tennessee, where they will face the Tennessee Volunteers Nov. 29 and the Memphis Tigers Dec. 2.

Mercer continues to be the highest ranked Southern Conference team in this week's poll. SoCon rival Furman (4-2) is ranked No. 21.

For the third straight week Gonzaga (5-1), who finished runner-up to NCAA Champion North Carolina in last year's national tournament, is ranked first in this week's poll, accumulating 30 of the 31 first place votes. St. Mary's (5-2), ranked third, received the other first place vote. Vermont (5-1) is No. 2; UT Arlington (4-1) is ranked 4^th; and Albany (6-0) is rated 5^th.

The Collegeinsider.com poll consists of teams from the following conferences: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, West Coast, and Western Athletic.?

Bears Held in High Regard
Mercer has been tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the Southern Conference men's championship by the league's head coaches. The Bears were narrow favorites to claim the SoCon crown, tallying four first-place votes and 71 total points with Samford a close runner-up, earning three first-place votes and 70 total points.

Coach Hoffman-Led Bears Own 10 Power Conference Wins
Under Head Coach Bob Hoffman's leadership, Mercer has posted some impressive victories over power conference programs. Included in that list, is a 75-67 triumph over Tennessee on March 20, 2013 in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament in Knoxville, Tenn. The Bears' most celebrated power conference victory came against No. 6 Duke in the NCAA Championship Tournament, when Mercer knocked off the Blue Devils 78-71 on March 21, 2014 in Raleigh, N.C. Most recently on this win list, Mercer defeated Arkansas 69-66 on Dec. 19, 2015 in Fayetteville, Ark.

Here's a complete list of Mercer's power conference wins under Coach Hoffman:

Mercer 69, Arkansas 66 – December 19, 2015 – Fayetteville, Arkansas
Mercer 78, Duke 71 – March 21, 2014 – Raleigh, North Carolina
Mercer 79, Ole Miss 76 – December 22, 2013 – Oxford, Mississippi
Mercer 77, Seton Hall 74 – November 16, 2013 – Macon, Georgia
Mercer 75, Tennessee 67 – March 20, 2013 – Knoxville, Tennessee
Mercer 66, Alabama 59 – December 22, 2012 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Mercer 61, Florida State 56 – December 2, 2012 – Tallahassee, Florida
Mercer 65, Georgia Tech 59 – December 22, 2010 – Atlanta, Georgia
Mercer 78, Auburn 74 – November 19, 2008 – Auburn, Alabama
Mercer 72, Alabama 69 – November 16, 2008 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Holland Continues Hot Start
Senior guard Ria'n Holland is off to a fast start for the Bears and ranks near the top in several Southern Conference statistical categories. Through six games, he leads the team in scoring (20.2); three point shooting (21-37 for 56%) and free throw shooting (28-29 for 96%). Holland was named the Southern Conference Player of the Week for his performance in the team's opening two games. Holland is the second leading scorer in the Southern Conference (20.2); second in free throw shooting percentage (96.6%); fourth in three point shooting percentage (56.8%) and second in three point shots made per game (3.5). He went for 31 points in the 88-79 loss at Central Florida and then came back with a 16-point effort in the victory over Toccoa Falls. That 31-point effort vs. UCF was the second-highest output in his Mercer career. The 6-0 product of Fayetteville, N.C., scored a career-best 32 points last season vs. The Citadel. Holland was named to the Paradise Jam All-Tournament team as he averaged 18.3 points during the three-game stretch, including a 29-point effort in the victory over Drexel. Holland has scored in double figures in 33 of the 38 career games he has played at Mercer. He missed Sunday's game vs. Hiwassee with an injury.

Bears Rank High in SoCon Stats
Mercer ranks in the top three in multiple Southern Conference team statistical categories, including:

• 1st in scoring margin (+21.1)
• 1st in field goal % (48.9 %)
• 1st in 3-pt. field goal % (42.4%)
• 1^st in assist/turnover ratio (1.5)
• 2^nd in scoring offense (82.3)
• 2^nd in scoring defense (61.1)
• 2nd in field goal % defense (40.1%)
• 2^nd in rebounding defense (30.0)
• 2nd in rebounding margin (+4.9)
• 2nd in assists (17.1)
• 2nd in turnover margin (+5.0)
• 3^rd in free throw % (73.5%)
• 3^rd in 3-pt. field goal % defense (33.1%)
• 3^rd in blocked shots (2.7)

Other Bears Rank Among SoCon Stat Leaders

• Stephon Jelks – 2nd in rebounding (7.4)
• Stephon Jelks – 5^th in field goal % (61.1%)
• Stephon Jelks – 1^st in 3-pt. % (60.0%)
• Jordan Strawberry – 1^st in assists (4.6)
• Jordan Strawberry – T1st in assist/turnover ratio (3.2)
• Ria'n Holland – 4^th in 3-pt. % (56.8%)
• Ria'n Holland – T2nd in 3-pt. per game (3.5)
• Ria'n Holland – T4th in steals (1.8)

This and That
Ethan Stair made the most of his starting role Sunday against Hiwassee. With Ria'n Holland sidelined with an injury, Stair led the Bears to the win with 15 points, six assists, and five rebounds. The 15 points equaled the sophomore's career high … Junior Cory Kilby (14) and freshman Marcus Cohen (10) also posted career high point totals in Sunday's victory … DemetreRivers is averaging 10.3 points per contest while shooting 53.3 % from the floor and 93.8 % from the charity stripe … The Bears are outrebounding their opponents 34.9-30.0 per contest … Mercer is shooting a solid 42.4% from three-point range … The Bears hold a big margin over their opponents in scoring points off of turnovers per game – 21.0/11.4.

Senior Leadership
Six seniors return from last year's team. Those senior leaders include: Desmond Ringer, Jordan Strawberry, Ria'n Holland, Demetre Rivers, Rashad Lewis, and Stephon Jelks. Holland is the team's leading returning scorer at 17.2 points per game; Jelks paced the club with 6.7 rebounds per outing; while Strawberry dished out a team-best 4.3 assists per contest.

Speaking of Seniors
Mercer is one of only two teams in the nation to start five seniors this season, with Texas Tech being the other. The Bears are currently 5-2 on the year and rated No. 16 in this week's edition of the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major poll, while the Red Raiders of the Big 12 Conference sport a 6-0 record and are ranked No. 22 in the latest Associated Press poll.

Returning Firepower
Mercer returns all five starters from last season's club. Those five starters – Ria'n Holland, Jordan Strawberry, DemetreRivers, Desmond Ringer, and Stephon Jelks – combined to score a total of 1,744 of the team's 2,269 points on the season. That translates to nearly 77% of the Bears' offensive output from last year. In total, nine players are back from the 2016-17 team.

Preseason Watch List
Holland was named to the 2017-18 Lou Henson Award Preseason Watch List, as announced by CollegeInsider.com earlier this month. The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the nation's top NCAA Division I mid-major player. Holland is one of 51 mid-major players included on the preseason watch list. The award is named after Lou Henson, who coached college basketball for 41 years and was sixth all-time in career Division I wins (779) when he left the game in 2005. Holland is one of four players from SoCon teams included on the watch list. Players on teams from the following conferences are eligible for the award: America East, ASUN, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro-Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt and West Coast. The winner of the 2017-18 Lou Henson Award will be announced on March 31, 2018 at the CollegeInsider.com Awards Event in San Antonio, Texas, the site of the men's NCAA Basketball Championship.

Holland was also named to the preseason All-Southern Conference team as selected by the league's coaches prior to the start of this year.

How to Follow the Bears:
For complete coverage of Mercer Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerMBB (Twitter), /MercerBasketball (Facebook) and @Mercer_MBB (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.