Cummings, Gary Named to Preseason All-SoCon Team
11/11/2020 3:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Mercer was picked fourth in a pair of preseason polls.
SPARTANBURG, S.C.  – In advance of the league's annual media day, Southern Conference officials announced that Ross Cummings and Jeff Gary were named to the Preseason All-SoCon team, while the Bears were picked fourth in both the coaches and media poll.
Cummings was a preseason second-team member prior to the start of the 2019-20 season but was restricted to just six games. Despite limited action, the Dickson, Tenn. native scored a season-high 16 points at Georgia Southern (Nov. 19) and connected on 60 percent or more of his three-point attempts against the Eagles and Furman Paladins (Dec. 20). Cummings also distributed the ball with back-to-back four-assist games against Georgia Southern and UIC (Nov. 23).
In March, the sharpshooting guard was granted a medical hardship and fifth year of eligibility. He enters his final campaign in the Orange & Black chasing the 1,000-point mark and the all-time three-pointers made record. The 6-foot-3 redshirt senior needs 140 points to become the 43rd player in program history to reach 1,000 points. With 173 three-pointers to his credit, he needs 84 to pass Langston Hall for the top mark. Cummings hit 101 treys as a junior, a year in which he averaged 17.4 points per game, but stepped up in Southern Conference action, scoring 19.9 points per contest.
Gary, who played under his uncle, Greg Gary, for the first time last season, averaged 11.5 points per game over 22 contests. The Austin, Texas product scored at a clip of 12.1 points per contest in Mercer's 18 Southern Conference contests. The redshirt junior shot over 45.6 percent from the floor last season and 39 percent from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-4 guard missed just twice from the free throw line, converting 19-of-21 attempts.
He had a breakout game against Samford (Feb. 19), pouring in a career-high 32 points and hitting eight three pointers, which was a career-best and also tied a Hawkins Arena record. As a team, Gary and the Bears dished out 30 assists to set a new Hawkins Arena record.
In addition to averaging 11.5 points per game, Gary pulled down 2.3 rebounds per contests while dishing out 2.1 assists.
Mercer was picked fourth in the 2020-21 Southern Conference Preseason Polls by both the league's head coaches and media members. In the coaches poll, UNCG garnered 76 points and four first-place votes, narrowly edging out Furman (74 points) despite the Paladins picking up an extra vote for the top spot. ETSU took home the final first-place vote and received 63 points. Mercer earned 56 points, holding a nine-point lead over Wofford (47). Western Carolina (44), Chattanooga (38), Samford (23), VMI (15) and The Citadel (14) finished sixth through 10th.
In the media poll, the top two spots were flipped with Furman receiving 278 points and 16-of-27 first-place votes. Nine media members picked UNCG as the preseason favorite, but the Spartans' 274 points placed them second. ETSU (211 points, 4 first-place votes) was third, while the Bears (190 points, 1 first-place vote) received the final first-place vote and were selected fourth. Wofford (184) rounded out the top-five. Spots six through ten remained unchanged with Western Carolina (175) sixth, Chattanooga (150) seventh, and Samford (79), VMI (61) and The Citadel (48) rounding out the poll. Â
Mercer is coming off a 17-15 (11-7 SoCon) season in Gary's first season at the helm. The Bears will begin the season on Nov. 25 by hosting North Georgia.
2020-21 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
Team (1st-place votes)Â Â Â Â Â Total
1. UNCG (4)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 76
2. Furman (5)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 74
3. ETSU (1)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 63
4. Mercer                56
5. Wofford               47
6. Western Carolina      44
7. Chattanooga          38
8. Samford              23
9. VMIÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 15
10. The Citadel           14
Â
2020-21 Preseason Player of the Year
Isaiah Miller, Sr., G, UNCG
Â
2020-21 Preseason All-Southern Conference Team
Ledarrius Brewer, R-Jr., G, ETSU
Ty Brewer, Jr., F, ETSU
Mike Bothwell, Jr., G, Furman
Noah Gurley, Jr., F, Furman
Clay Mounce, Sr., F, Furman
Ross Cummings, R-Sr., G, Mercer
Jeff Gary, R-Jr., G, Mercer
Isaiah Miller, Sr., G, UNCG
David Jean-Baptiste, R-Sr., G, Chattanooga
Mason Faulkner, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Storm Murphy, Sr., G, Wofford
Â
2020-21 Preseason Southern Conference Media Poll
Team (1st-place votes)Â Â Â Total
1. Furman (16)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 278
2. UNCG (9)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 274
3. ETSU (4)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 211
4. Mercer (1)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 190
5. Wofford               184
6. Western Carolina       175
7. Chattanooga           150
8. Samford               79
9. VMIÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 61
10. The Citadel           48
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.
Cummings was a preseason second-team member prior to the start of the 2019-20 season but was restricted to just six games. Despite limited action, the Dickson, Tenn. native scored a season-high 16 points at Georgia Southern (Nov. 19) and connected on 60 percent or more of his three-point attempts against the Eagles and Furman Paladins (Dec. 20). Cummings also distributed the ball with back-to-back four-assist games against Georgia Southern and UIC (Nov. 23).
In March, the sharpshooting guard was granted a medical hardship and fifth year of eligibility. He enters his final campaign in the Orange & Black chasing the 1,000-point mark and the all-time three-pointers made record. The 6-foot-3 redshirt senior needs 140 points to become the 43rd player in program history to reach 1,000 points. With 173 three-pointers to his credit, he needs 84 to pass Langston Hall for the top mark. Cummings hit 101 treys as a junior, a year in which he averaged 17.4 points per game, but stepped up in Southern Conference action, scoring 19.9 points per contest.
Gary, who played under his uncle, Greg Gary, for the first time last season, averaged 11.5 points per game over 22 contests. The Austin, Texas product scored at a clip of 12.1 points per contest in Mercer's 18 Southern Conference contests. The redshirt junior shot over 45.6 percent from the floor last season and 39 percent from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-4 guard missed just twice from the free throw line, converting 19-of-21 attempts.
He had a breakout game against Samford (Feb. 19), pouring in a career-high 32 points and hitting eight three pointers, which was a career-best and also tied a Hawkins Arena record. As a team, Gary and the Bears dished out 30 assists to set a new Hawkins Arena record.
In addition to averaging 11.5 points per game, Gary pulled down 2.3 rebounds per contests while dishing out 2.1 assists.
Mercer was picked fourth in the 2020-21 Southern Conference Preseason Polls by both the league's head coaches and media members. In the coaches poll, UNCG garnered 76 points and four first-place votes, narrowly edging out Furman (74 points) despite the Paladins picking up an extra vote for the top spot. ETSU took home the final first-place vote and received 63 points. Mercer earned 56 points, holding a nine-point lead over Wofford (47). Western Carolina (44), Chattanooga (38), Samford (23), VMI (15) and The Citadel (14) finished sixth through 10th.
In the media poll, the top two spots were flipped with Furman receiving 278 points and 16-of-27 first-place votes. Nine media members picked UNCG as the preseason favorite, but the Spartans' 274 points placed them second. ETSU (211 points, 4 first-place votes) was third, while the Bears (190 points, 1 first-place vote) received the final first-place vote and were selected fourth. Wofford (184) rounded out the top-five. Spots six through ten remained unchanged with Western Carolina (175) sixth, Chattanooga (150) seventh, and Samford (79), VMI (61) and The Citadel (48) rounding out the poll. Â
Mercer is coming off a 17-15 (11-7 SoCon) season in Gary's first season at the helm. The Bears will begin the season on Nov. 25 by hosting North Georgia.
2020-21 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
Team (1st-place votes)Â Â Â Â Â Total
1. UNCG (4)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 76
2. Furman (5)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 74
3. ETSU (1)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 63
4. Mercer                56
5. Wofford               47
6. Western Carolina      44
7. Chattanooga          38
8. Samford              23
9. VMIÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 15
10. The Citadel           14
Â
2020-21 Preseason Player of the Year
Isaiah Miller, Sr., G, UNCG
Â
2020-21 Preseason All-Southern Conference Team
Ledarrius Brewer, R-Jr., G, ETSU
Ty Brewer, Jr., F, ETSU
Mike Bothwell, Jr., G, Furman
Noah Gurley, Jr., F, Furman
Clay Mounce, Sr., F, Furman
Ross Cummings, R-Sr., G, Mercer
Jeff Gary, R-Jr., G, Mercer
Isaiah Miller, Sr., G, UNCG
David Jean-Baptiste, R-Sr., G, Chattanooga
Mason Faulkner, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Storm Murphy, Sr., G, Wofford
Â
2020-21 Preseason Southern Conference Media Poll
Team (1st-place votes)Â Â Â Total
1. Furman (16)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 278
2. UNCG (9)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 274
3. ETSU (4)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 211
4. Mercer (1)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 190
5. Wofford               184
6. Western Carolina       175
7. Chattanooga           150
8. Samford               79
9. VMIÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 61
10. The Citadel           48
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
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballSunday, May 10
Saturday, May 09
Saturday, May 09
Sunday, May 03
