Emerson, Florence Selected to ASUN All-Decade Team
9/16/2020 10:01:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Florence is Mercer’s all-time leading scorer, while Emerson is fourth all-time.
ATLANTA – The ASUN Conference announced that James Florence, Mercer's all-time leading scorer, and Scott Emerson, a member of the Bears' Hall of Fame, have been named to the league's 2000s all-decade team.
Emerson, a Mercer Athletics Hall of Famer (Class of 2009), played for the Bears from 1999-2004. His No. 4 jersey is one of six numbers that the Mercer men's basketball program has given a permanent place in history as no other player will don No. 4 again.
Emerson appeared in 113 games over his five-year career and amassed 1,753 points, which was the third-most in program history upon his graduation. Currently, Emerson sits fourth all-time. His 930 career rebounds rank him second in program history behind Steve Moody's 1,058. His 95 blocked shots solidified his place in the top-10, placing him sixth. In the ASUN record books, his 42 double-doubles place him second overall.
Over five years, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged more than 15 points per contest, and his name is featured in the record book an astounding 22 times.
After pouring in 501 points and leading the team in scoring, rebounds and blocks as a freshman in 1999-2000, Emerson shot a stellar .488 (166-of-340) from the field as a sophomore. The stretch forward was not limited to post play, however, as he connected on 27-of-70 (.386) three-point attempts. He averaged 16.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest during his sophomore season.
An injury reduced Emerson to six games 2001-02, but the forward would receive an extra year of eligibility and returned with a vengeance the following season.
Without his presence, Mercer went just 6-23 in 2001-02 but nearly quadrupled its win total upon Emerson's return to the lineup in November 2002. The Bears engineered one of the most remarkable turnarounds in program history, going 23-6 en route to the school's first ever men's basketball ASUN Regular Season Championship. Mercer's 17-game turnaround was the best in NCAA Division I history at the time.
Emerson was instrumental in the Bears' success, appearing in 28 games and shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor. He also shot 39 percent from beyond-the-arc and nearly averaged a double-double with 15.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest.
In 2003-04, his final season in the Orange & Black, Emerson played in 18 contests. Despite missing a number of games, he remained a consistent force, shooting 50 percent from the field while also making an impact on the glass. He averaged 15.1 points and 8.2 rebounds in his final season.
Emerson was a two-time All-ASUN Conference First Team selection (2000-01, 2002-03) and earned second team all-league honors at the end of the 1999-2000 season, which also garnered him ASUN All-Tournament recognition.
Following his graduation, he embarked on a five-year professional career in Europe, spending time with Limoges (France) and Euphony Bree (Belgium).
Florence, a four-year player from 2006-10, knocked down a three-pointer against the Charlotte 49ers on December 29, 2009 to become Mercer's career scoring leader and finished his time in the Black & Orange with 2,286 points. The Marietta, Ga., product averaged an impressive 19.2 points per game for the Bears, the fourth-highest all-time average.
A phenomenal freshman campaign saw Florence earn CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Freshman All-America honors. He was one of three freshmen to lead their respective teams in scoring, joining future NBA stars Kevin Durant (Texas) and Steph Curry (Davidson). Florence's 19.3 points per contest ranked him 34th among all NCAA Division I players. He had 30 or more points on three occasions and reached the 20-point mark 10 times.
As a sophomore, the high-scoring guard averaged 19 points per contest and joined the 1,000-point club, becoming only the second player in Mercer history to do so in two seasons. He led the Bears in scoring 15 times, while dishing out a team-high in assists in 12 contests. Florence reached double figures in 25-of-30 contests and was a threat from beyond-the-arc, connecting on at least five triples in five different games. Perhaps his most impressive outburst came against Stetson when he contributed 15 points in a 2:15 span. At the end of the season, he earned All-ASUN Second Team honors.
To conclude an impressive junior campaign in 2008-09, the 6-foot-1 guard was a first team all-league selection and earned three ASUN Player of the Week honors. Florence averaged a career-best 20.8 points per game, tops on the squad. Over the final four games, despite only one victory, Florence did his part, pouring in an impressive 32.3 points per contest.
The accolades for Florence poured in prior to the start of his senior season with recognition as from the ASUN (Preseason All-Conference), Blue Ribbon (Preseason Player of the Year) and ESPN (Named 1-of-10 "Players to Keep Your Eye On"). In the ASUN record books, he is fourth overall in points and one of four players to earn four all-conference honors. Florence is one of only nine members of the 2,000 points club.
The prolific scorer averaged 17.7 points per game in his final campaign while distributing the ball at a high rate (4.6 apg). His scoring average ranked him 75th among all NCAA Division I players, and the talented guard set a career-high with 40 points at Georgia Tech on Nov. 27, 2009. Florence reached double figures in 26-of-28 games had 20-plus points on 12 occasions. At the end of his senior season, he was named second team all-conference and received an invitation to play in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, featuring many of college basketball's top seniors.
Florence began an extensive pro career after graduating and was drafted by the Reno Bighorns of the NBA's Developmental League (Now G-League). He is set to play for Stal Ostrow in Poland for the 2020-21 season.
Follow the Bears:Â
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.
Emerson, a Mercer Athletics Hall of Famer (Class of 2009), played for the Bears from 1999-2004. His No. 4 jersey is one of six numbers that the Mercer men's basketball program has given a permanent place in history as no other player will don No. 4 again.
Emerson appeared in 113 games over his five-year career and amassed 1,753 points, which was the third-most in program history upon his graduation. Currently, Emerson sits fourth all-time. His 930 career rebounds rank him second in program history behind Steve Moody's 1,058. His 95 blocked shots solidified his place in the top-10, placing him sixth. In the ASUN record books, his 42 double-doubles place him second overall.
Over five years, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged more than 15 points per contest, and his name is featured in the record book an astounding 22 times.
After pouring in 501 points and leading the team in scoring, rebounds and blocks as a freshman in 1999-2000, Emerson shot a stellar .488 (166-of-340) from the field as a sophomore. The stretch forward was not limited to post play, however, as he connected on 27-of-70 (.386) three-point attempts. He averaged 16.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest during his sophomore season.
An injury reduced Emerson to six games 2001-02, but the forward would receive an extra year of eligibility and returned with a vengeance the following season.
Without his presence, Mercer went just 6-23 in 2001-02 but nearly quadrupled its win total upon Emerson's return to the lineup in November 2002. The Bears engineered one of the most remarkable turnarounds in program history, going 23-6 en route to the school's first ever men's basketball ASUN Regular Season Championship. Mercer's 17-game turnaround was the best in NCAA Division I history at the time.
Emerson was instrumental in the Bears' success, appearing in 28 games and shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor. He also shot 39 percent from beyond-the-arc and nearly averaged a double-double with 15.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest.
In 2003-04, his final season in the Orange & Black, Emerson played in 18 contests. Despite missing a number of games, he remained a consistent force, shooting 50 percent from the field while also making an impact on the glass. He averaged 15.1 points and 8.2 rebounds in his final season.
Emerson was a two-time All-ASUN Conference First Team selection (2000-01, 2002-03) and earned second team all-league honors at the end of the 1999-2000 season, which also garnered him ASUN All-Tournament recognition.
Following his graduation, he embarked on a five-year professional career in Europe, spending time with Limoges (France) and Euphony Bree (Belgium).
Florence, a four-year player from 2006-10, knocked down a three-pointer against the Charlotte 49ers on December 29, 2009 to become Mercer's career scoring leader and finished his time in the Black & Orange with 2,286 points. The Marietta, Ga., product averaged an impressive 19.2 points per game for the Bears, the fourth-highest all-time average.
A phenomenal freshman campaign saw Florence earn CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Freshman All-America honors. He was one of three freshmen to lead their respective teams in scoring, joining future NBA stars Kevin Durant (Texas) and Steph Curry (Davidson). Florence's 19.3 points per contest ranked him 34th among all NCAA Division I players. He had 30 or more points on three occasions and reached the 20-point mark 10 times.
As a sophomore, the high-scoring guard averaged 19 points per contest and joined the 1,000-point club, becoming only the second player in Mercer history to do so in two seasons. He led the Bears in scoring 15 times, while dishing out a team-high in assists in 12 contests. Florence reached double figures in 25-of-30 contests and was a threat from beyond-the-arc, connecting on at least five triples in five different games. Perhaps his most impressive outburst came against Stetson when he contributed 15 points in a 2:15 span. At the end of the season, he earned All-ASUN Second Team honors.
To conclude an impressive junior campaign in 2008-09, the 6-foot-1 guard was a first team all-league selection and earned three ASUN Player of the Week honors. Florence averaged a career-best 20.8 points per game, tops on the squad. Over the final four games, despite only one victory, Florence did his part, pouring in an impressive 32.3 points per contest.
The accolades for Florence poured in prior to the start of his senior season with recognition as from the ASUN (Preseason All-Conference), Blue Ribbon (Preseason Player of the Year) and ESPN (Named 1-of-10 "Players to Keep Your Eye On"). In the ASUN record books, he is fourth overall in points and one of four players to earn four all-conference honors. Florence is one of only nine members of the 2,000 points club.
The prolific scorer averaged 17.7 points per game in his final campaign while distributing the ball at a high rate (4.6 apg). His scoring average ranked him 75th among all NCAA Division I players, and the talented guard set a career-high with 40 points at Georgia Tech on Nov. 27, 2009. Florence reached double figures in 26-of-28 games had 20-plus points on 12 occasions. At the end of his senior season, he was named second team all-conference and received an invitation to play in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, featuring many of college basketball's top seniors.
Florence began an extensive pro career after graduating and was drafted by the Reno Bighorns of the NBA's Developmental League (Now G-League). He is set to play for Stal Ostrow in Poland for the 2020-21 season.
Follow the Bears:Â
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.
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