Wednesday, November 6
Queens, N.Y.
6:30 p.m.
Mercer University
at
St. John's
Photo by: Mitch Robinson
Men’s Basketball Opens Season Wednesday at St. John’s
11/5/2019 2:42:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Mercer and St. John’s set for the first meeting between the two programs
MACON, Ga. – Mercer men's basketball opens the 2019-20 regular season on Wednesday, Nov. 6 when they play at St. John's. The Bears and Red Storm tipoff at 6:30 p.m. from Carnesecca Arena, which is on the campus of St. John's. This will be the first meeting between the two programs.
GAME DAY LINEUP
Date: November 6, 2019 | 6:30 p.m. (ET)
Teams: Mercer (0-0) at St. John's (0-0)
Location: Queens, N.Y. | Carnesecca Arena
Live Stats: RedStormSports.com
Radio: 100.9 The Creek FM and SportsMic – Rick Cameron
TV: FS1 - Brian Custer, Sarah Kustok
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB
SERIES HISTORY
• Overall: 0-0
• Current Streak: n/a
• Last Meeting: First Meeting between the two programs
OPENING TIPOFF
Mercer Men's Basketball opens the 2019-20 season on November 3 against St. John's. The contest will be aired on the Mercer Sports Network with Rick Cameron on the call and on FS1. Brian Custer and Sarah Kustok will have the call on the FS1 broadcast. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. from Carnesecca Arena.
ABOUT THE RED STORM
St. John's enters the season-opener picked as the ninth place team in the Big East…. The Red Storm earned 19 votes in the Coaches Preseason Poll and are only ahead of DePaul… St. John's is under the direction of new coach Mike Anderson, who was previously the head coach at Arkansas…. The Red Storm, who made the NCAA Tournament last year for the first time since 2015, have two excellent starting pieces with senior guard Mustafa Heron and junior wing L.J. Figueroa… Heron was the team's second-leading scorer last year with a 14.6 average and Figueroa averaged 14.4 points and 6.4 rebounds... Both are solid 3-point shooters. A supporting cast for the duo needs to be identified… Some returning candidates are guard Greg Williams Jr., forward Josh Roberts and forward Marcellus Earlington… Some talented transfers and newcomers will also get long looks as Anderson implements his pressing style of play.
LAST TIME OUT
The last time the Bears took to the floor, they faced St. Andrews in an exhibition contest at Hawkins Arena. The Bears came away with an 86-55 victory in front of 1,637 fans. Ethan Stair led the way for the Bears with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Mercer hit 12 three-pointers in the win. Five different Bears made their first appearance in the Mercer uniform during the game. Mitch Prendergast led the team with five made three-pointers in the contest.
NEW COACH, NEW ERA
The Bears will be under the direction of first-year head coach Greg Gary. Gary was named the Bears head coach on March 26. A veteran assistant coach with 26 years at the NCAA Division I level, Gary has spent the last eight seasons working under Matt Painter at Purdue University. Joining Coach Gary on staff this year is assistant coaches, Bobby Kummer, Kim Lewis, and Juan Cardona.
3-POINT FIELD GOALS
Not only is Ross Cummings closing in at 1,000 points but also he is closing in on becoming the all-time leading three-point field goals leader. In his three years at Mercer, Cummings has hit 162 three-pointers, which ranks fourth all-time. He is 94 threes away from tying the career record holder of Langston Hall, who hit 256 threes. Below are the top five career three-point shooters to wear a Mercer uniform. With his 162 made three-pointers in his career, Cummings is the third active leader in the SoCon.
3-Point Field Goals Made (Career)
Name 3-FGM Years
1. Langston Hall 256 2010-14
2. James Florence 242 2006-10
3. E.J. Kusnyer 190 2008-10
4. Ross Cummings 162 2016-Present
5. Bud Thomas 161 2010-14
PRESEASON SoCON RANKINGS
The Bears were predicted to finish eighth in both the coaches and media polls. Mercer finished 6-12 in league play last season, earning the sixth seed in the conference tournament. The Bears went on to finish the campaign 11-20 overall. Below you can find the coaches and media polls. Below are the Coaches and Media Polls that were announced earlier this season at the SoCon Media Day.
2019-20 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total
1. ETSU (8) 80
2. UNCG (2) 74
3. Furman 61
4. Wofford 52
5. Samford 48
6. Chattanooga 41
7. Western Carolina 38
8. Mercer 29
9. The Citadel 16
10. VMI 11
2019-20 Preseason Southern Conference Media Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total
1. ETSU (20) 286
2. UNCG (6) 264
3. Furman (4) 245
4. Wofford 216
5. Samford 169
6. Chattanooga 128
7. Western Carolina 117
8. Mercer 115
9. The Citadel 70
10. VMI 40
PRESEASON All-SoCON TEAM
Mercer guard Ross Cummings, a 6-3 senior from Dickson, Tenn., has been selected to the preseason All-SoCon Team. Cummings started all 31 games a year ago and averaged 17.4 points per game. He hit 101 three-pointers last year, which was the second-most made in a single season in school history. Over his first three years of his career, Cummings has made 162 three-pointers, ranking him fourth all-time at Mercer. On three different occasions, Cummings set new career-highs for scoring. On Nov. 27, 2018, against Brewton-Parker, he scored 31 points. The career-high points changed 36 on Jan. 10 against Western Carolina. A month and a half later, he scored 37 points, setting another career-high against Chattanooga. His 37-point contest came at Hawkins Arena. This second-highest total scored by a Mercer player at Hawkins Arena. James Florence scored 39 points, a Mercer single-game high, on Feb. 16, 2007.
SENIOR DUO LOOKING TO JOIN 1,000-POINT CLUB
Both Ross Cummings and Ethan Stair are closing into on becoming the Bears 41st and 42nd 1,000-career scores in Mercer History. Entering the season, Ross Cummings has scored 803 career points, while Ethan Stair has scored 704 points. Sitting in 40th on the 1,000 point club for Mercer is Dartez Talbott who scored 1,014 points in his career at Mercer, which stretched from the 1979-81 seasons. James Florence, who played for the Bears from 2006-10, is the all-time leading scorer as he scored 2,286 points. Florence is the only 2,000 point scorers in Mercer history. The list of players that Cummings and Stair are looking to catch are below.
1,000 Point Scorers (No. 36-40)
Rk. Name Pts
36 Will Emerson 1,050
T37 Jim Hearn 1,034
T37 Reggie Elliott 1,034
38 Rodney Kirtz 1,025
39 Donnie Veal 1,023
40 Dartez Talbott 1,014
THREE-POINTERS
During the exhibition contest, the Bears shot 31 three-pointers. Mitch Prendergast led the team with eight attempted threes, in his first-ever appearance for the Bears. Following his eight attempts, Ethan Stair and Ross Cummings had five apiece. Eight of the nine players attempted a three-pointer in the contest and seven of the nine players attempted multiple three-pointers in the exhibition game. Last season, the Bears shot 34.4 percent on three-pointers. They made 228 three-pointers last season on 663 attempts. Out of the returners, Ross Cummings attempted 253 three's last season. Ethan Stair (123), Djordje Dimitrijevic (99) and Luke Hamilton (44) also return for the Bears.
SoCON CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2020 Ingles SoCon Men's Basketball Championship presented by General Shale will be held March 6-9 at Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina. The 2020 edition of the tournament is the 100th for the nation's oldest collegiate conference basketball tournament.
UP NEXT
Following the contest at St. John's, the Bears have a quick turnaround as they return to action on Friday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. at Hawkins Arena. The Bears season opener will be against Columbia International. The matchup between the Bears and Rams will be the first matchup in program history.
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.
GAME DAY LINEUP
Date: November 6, 2019 | 6:30 p.m. (ET)
Teams: Mercer (0-0) at St. John's (0-0)
Location: Queens, N.Y. | Carnesecca Arena
Live Stats: RedStormSports.com
Radio: 100.9 The Creek FM and SportsMic – Rick Cameron
TV: FS1 - Brian Custer, Sarah Kustok
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB
SERIES HISTORY
• Overall: 0-0
• Current Streak: n/a
• Last Meeting: First Meeting between the two programs
OPENING TIPOFF
Mercer Men's Basketball opens the 2019-20 season on November 3 against St. John's. The contest will be aired on the Mercer Sports Network with Rick Cameron on the call and on FS1. Brian Custer and Sarah Kustok will have the call on the FS1 broadcast. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. from Carnesecca Arena.
ABOUT THE RED STORM
St. John's enters the season-opener picked as the ninth place team in the Big East…. The Red Storm earned 19 votes in the Coaches Preseason Poll and are only ahead of DePaul… St. John's is under the direction of new coach Mike Anderson, who was previously the head coach at Arkansas…. The Red Storm, who made the NCAA Tournament last year for the first time since 2015, have two excellent starting pieces with senior guard Mustafa Heron and junior wing L.J. Figueroa… Heron was the team's second-leading scorer last year with a 14.6 average and Figueroa averaged 14.4 points and 6.4 rebounds... Both are solid 3-point shooters. A supporting cast for the duo needs to be identified… Some returning candidates are guard Greg Williams Jr., forward Josh Roberts and forward Marcellus Earlington… Some talented transfers and newcomers will also get long looks as Anderson implements his pressing style of play.
LAST TIME OUT
The last time the Bears took to the floor, they faced St. Andrews in an exhibition contest at Hawkins Arena. The Bears came away with an 86-55 victory in front of 1,637 fans. Ethan Stair led the way for the Bears with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Mercer hit 12 three-pointers in the win. Five different Bears made their first appearance in the Mercer uniform during the game. Mitch Prendergast led the team with five made three-pointers in the contest.
NEW COACH, NEW ERA
The Bears will be under the direction of first-year head coach Greg Gary. Gary was named the Bears head coach on March 26. A veteran assistant coach with 26 years at the NCAA Division I level, Gary has spent the last eight seasons working under Matt Painter at Purdue University. Joining Coach Gary on staff this year is assistant coaches, Bobby Kummer, Kim Lewis, and Juan Cardona.
3-POINT FIELD GOALS
Not only is Ross Cummings closing in at 1,000 points but also he is closing in on becoming the all-time leading three-point field goals leader. In his three years at Mercer, Cummings has hit 162 three-pointers, which ranks fourth all-time. He is 94 threes away from tying the career record holder of Langston Hall, who hit 256 threes. Below are the top five career three-point shooters to wear a Mercer uniform. With his 162 made three-pointers in his career, Cummings is the third active leader in the SoCon.
3-Point Field Goals Made (Career)
Name 3-FGM Years
1. Langston Hall 256 2010-14
2. James Florence 242 2006-10
3. E.J. Kusnyer 190 2008-10
4. Ross Cummings 162 2016-Present
5. Bud Thomas 161 2010-14
PRESEASON SoCON RANKINGS
The Bears were predicted to finish eighth in both the coaches and media polls. Mercer finished 6-12 in league play last season, earning the sixth seed in the conference tournament. The Bears went on to finish the campaign 11-20 overall. Below you can find the coaches and media polls. Below are the Coaches and Media Polls that were announced earlier this season at the SoCon Media Day.
2019-20 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total
1. ETSU (8) 80
2. UNCG (2) 74
3. Furman 61
4. Wofford 52
5. Samford 48
6. Chattanooga 41
7. Western Carolina 38
8. Mercer 29
9. The Citadel 16
10. VMI 11
2019-20 Preseason Southern Conference Media Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total
1. ETSU (20) 286
2. UNCG (6) 264
3. Furman (4) 245
4. Wofford 216
5. Samford 169
6. Chattanooga 128
7. Western Carolina 117
8. Mercer 115
9. The Citadel 70
10. VMI 40
PRESEASON All-SoCON TEAM
Mercer guard Ross Cummings, a 6-3 senior from Dickson, Tenn., has been selected to the preseason All-SoCon Team. Cummings started all 31 games a year ago and averaged 17.4 points per game. He hit 101 three-pointers last year, which was the second-most made in a single season in school history. Over his first three years of his career, Cummings has made 162 three-pointers, ranking him fourth all-time at Mercer. On three different occasions, Cummings set new career-highs for scoring. On Nov. 27, 2018, against Brewton-Parker, he scored 31 points. The career-high points changed 36 on Jan. 10 against Western Carolina. A month and a half later, he scored 37 points, setting another career-high against Chattanooga. His 37-point contest came at Hawkins Arena. This second-highest total scored by a Mercer player at Hawkins Arena. James Florence scored 39 points, a Mercer single-game high, on Feb. 16, 2007.
SENIOR DUO LOOKING TO JOIN 1,000-POINT CLUB
Both Ross Cummings and Ethan Stair are closing into on becoming the Bears 41st and 42nd 1,000-career scores in Mercer History. Entering the season, Ross Cummings has scored 803 career points, while Ethan Stair has scored 704 points. Sitting in 40th on the 1,000 point club for Mercer is Dartez Talbott who scored 1,014 points in his career at Mercer, which stretched from the 1979-81 seasons. James Florence, who played for the Bears from 2006-10, is the all-time leading scorer as he scored 2,286 points. Florence is the only 2,000 point scorers in Mercer history. The list of players that Cummings and Stair are looking to catch are below.
1,000 Point Scorers (No. 36-40)
Rk. Name Pts
36 Will Emerson 1,050
T37 Jim Hearn 1,034
T37 Reggie Elliott 1,034
38 Rodney Kirtz 1,025
39 Donnie Veal 1,023
40 Dartez Talbott 1,014
THREE-POINTERS
During the exhibition contest, the Bears shot 31 three-pointers. Mitch Prendergast led the team with eight attempted threes, in his first-ever appearance for the Bears. Following his eight attempts, Ethan Stair and Ross Cummings had five apiece. Eight of the nine players attempted a three-pointer in the contest and seven of the nine players attempted multiple three-pointers in the exhibition game. Last season, the Bears shot 34.4 percent on three-pointers. They made 228 three-pointers last season on 663 attempts. Out of the returners, Ross Cummings attempted 253 three's last season. Ethan Stair (123), Djordje Dimitrijevic (99) and Luke Hamilton (44) also return for the Bears.
SoCON CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2020 Ingles SoCon Men's Basketball Championship presented by General Shale will be held March 6-9 at Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina. The 2020 edition of the tournament is the 100th for the nation's oldest collegiate conference basketball tournament.
UP NEXT
Following the contest at St. John's, the Bears have a quick turnaround as they return to action on Friday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. at Hawkins Arena. The Bears season opener will be against Columbia International. The matchup between the Bears and Rams will be the first matchup in program history.
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.
Players Mentioned
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