Men's Basketball Announces 2024 Recruiting Class
5/23/2024 1:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MACON, Ga. – Mercer head men's basketball coach Ryan Ridder and his staff have announced the addition of 10 incoming student-athletes to its 2024 recruiting class.
"Our staff has worked extremely hard the last two months to put together a high-quality recruiting class," said coach Ridder. We have added a mix of shooting, playmaking, toughness, and great overall size to our team. These guys are committed to representing Mercer in a first-class manner and will compete for championships as well. We couldn't be more excited to welcome these guys here."
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Cam Bryant
6-7 | Guard/Forward
Camilla, Ga. | Georgia Southern
Bio:
Cam Bryant joins Mercer after spending four seasons at Georgia Southern. In four seasons at Georgia Southern, Bryant averaged 6.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Last season with the Eagles, Bryant appeared in 30 of 33 games, starting 19. He scored in double figures four times and grabbed a career-best nine rebounds in three different games. In Bryant's sophomore season at Georgia Southern in 2021-22, he led the team in three-point field goal percentage at 34.5 percent.
Coach Ridder on Bryant:
"Cam is a big-time athlete that loves to defend. He can make perimeter jump shots as well as score inside, but his defensive energy is unmatched."
Tyler Johnson
6-2 | Guard
Athens, Ga. | USC Aiken
Bio:
Tyler Johnson joins Mercer after four seasons at USC Aiken where he was named the Peach Belt Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference last season. He is a 1,000-point scorer as he scored 1,281 points in his career at USC Aiken.
During his senior campaign, Tyler Johnson appeared in all 30 games with 29 starts, averaging 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He scored over 1,200 points in his career with the Pacers.
Coach Ridder on Johnson:
"Tyler understands how to win. He was Peach Belt Player of the Year for a reason. He can contribute on both sides of the floor and should impact our team at a high level."
Dwaine Jones
6-5 | Guard
Neptune, N.J. | Charleston
Bio:
Dwaine Jones joins Mercer after spending last season at one of the best NCAA Division II programs in the country, the University of Charleston. Jones helped lead Charleston to a 29-5 record, a Mountain East Conference regular season and tournament championship, as well as run to the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship last season.
As a senior, Jones played and started all 34 games for Charleston and averaged, 10.1 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. His 5.8 assists per game ranked eighth among all Division II players in the country. Jones had 196 total assists to just 61 turnovers for an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.21 which was ninth best in Division II. Jones shot 48.5 percent from the field and finished second on the team with 27 steals on the year.
Coach Ridder on Jones:
"Dwaine comes from one of the best Division II teams in the country. He was an All-League guard that makes his teammates better and can really defend. He has a major winning pedigree that we are looking for."
Angel Montas
6-6 | Guard
La Romana, Dominican Republic | Fordham
Bio:
Montas joins Mercer after spending two injury-shortened seasons at Fordham University. During his redshirt freshman season, Montas played in five games, averaging 4.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in 12.6 minutes before a season-ending injury. He scored a career-high 10 points in Fordham's win over Norfolk State in November.
Montas played his high school basketball at Life Christian Academy in Kissimmee, Florida. He was named Player of the Year three times and was a Sunshine Independent Athletic Association (SIAA) first-team All-State selection. Montas was also an All-Conference player and was named team MVP in three seasons. He was rated as a three-star recruit by 247sports. Montas was an electrifying scorer, finishing with 4,000 career points by the end of his high school career. His senior year, he averaged 34.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 2.7 assists per game.
Coach Ridder on Montas:
"Angel is a great player who has major upside. His ability to play multiple positions is crucial for us and we look forward to coaching him."
Jah Nze
6-4 | Guard
Oviedo, Fla. | North Florida
Bio:
Jah Nze joins Mercer after spending his first two collegiate seasons at North Florida. Last season, Nze averaged 8.3 points per game in 15 minutes. Nze connected on 37.0 percent of his three-point attempts. He scored a career-high 22 points in North Florida's win at Queens.
Nze played his high school basketball at Hagerty High School in Oviedo, Florida where he was a four-time All-Conference player. He finished his career second all-time in points scored in Seminole County history.
Coach Ridder on Nze:
"Jah is an extremely gifted scorer. He can fill it up in a hurry and score from all over the floor. He comes from a great program and will translate perfectly into our system."
Marcus Overstreet
6-9 | Forward
Chicago, Ill. | University of South Carolina Beaufort
Bio:
Marcus Overstreet joins Mercer after spending his freshman season at Division II University of South Carolina Beaufort. Overstreet had an outstanding freshman season and was a dominant force inside for the Sand Sharks. He was named the Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year and All-Conference Third Team.
He finished second in the league in scoring posting 17.6 points per game and led the conference in rebounds per game with 11.0. Marcus also led the conference in field goal percentage at 62.5 percent. Overstreet scored 20 or more points in half of USCB's games last season including a career-high 36-point game on 16-for-21 shooting.
Coach Ridder on Overstreet:
"Marcus is a relentless interior player who should contribute right away. He plays with a great motor and scores it very efficiently."
Petras Padegimas
6-8 | Forward
Kaunas, Lithuania | Dayton
Bio:
Petras Padegimas joins the Bears after playing his freshman season at the University of Dayton. Padegimas led all freshmen on the team in minutes played and appeared in 25 of the team's 33 games last season. He played 12 minutes in Dayton's opener vs. SIUE and finished with six points on 3-of-4 shooting. He tallied five points (2-2 FG) and two rebounds in 11 minutes a win over St. John's.
Padegimas spent the 2022-23 season at high school powerhouse DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida. His senior season at DME Academy, he averaged 19.5 points and 8.0 rebounds and shot 43 percent from three-point range. Padegimas was named First Team All-Florida Independent Athletic Association. Padegimas plays for the Lithuanian National Team and played in the European U18 championships in Nis, Serbia in the summer of 2023.
Coach Ridder on Padegimas:
"Petras is an inside/outside force who really knows how to play. He can dribble, pass, and shoot and we look forward to him helping us in the future."
Ahmad Robinson
5-10 | Guard
West Orange, N.J. | New Hampshire
Bio:
Third Team All-America East guard, Ahmad Robinson, joins Mercer after spending last season at New Hampshire. Robinson started 30 of UNH's 31 games and averaged 15.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. He finished second on the team and sixth in the conference in scoring and his 4.7 assists per game ranked fourth in the America East. Robinson scored in double figures in 26 of 31 games played and scored a season-high 28 points at Binghamton.
Coach Ridder on Robinson:
"Ahmad is a big-time playmaker who can create his own shot and get others involved. He had a tremendous year last year scoring the ball and that should translate to the Southern Conference."
Brady Shoulders
6-6 | Guard
Eddyville, Ky. | Lyon County HS
Bio:
Brady Shoulders joins Mercer after an outstanding high school career at Lyon County. Shoulders was a part of three straight state postseason appearances. His senior year, Shoulders helped lead his team to a 36-3 record, a third consecutive Region 2 championship, and a state championship. In his high school career Shoulders scored over 1,500 points to go with over 1,000 rebounds. He was a three-time All-Region 2 and All-District 5 player.
In his junior season, Shoulders scored 17.9 points and grabbed 11.1 rebounds per game, ranking in the top 20 in the entire state in the latter category. He shot 51.5 percent from the floor and made 35.9 percent of his three-point field goal attempts.
Coach Ridder on Shoulders:
"Brady is an absolute winner. He is a Kentucky State champion and has a high basketball IQ. He is a versatile inside/outside guy who will bring intensity right away."
Laurynas Vaistaras
6-7 | Guard/Forward
Plunges, Lithuania | Campbell
Bio:
Laurynas Vaistaras joins Mercer after four seasons at Campbell. In his last season at Campbell, Vaistaras averaged 10.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. Vaistaras averaged career highs this season in points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game while shooting 54.3 percent from the floor. Vaistaras also showed the ability to stretch the floor last season as he went 28-for-66 (42.4%) from three-point range. He scored in double figures in each of Campbell's final 13 games of the season last year.
Vaistaras Represented Lithuania in the 2019 FIBA U-18 European Championships where he averaged 6.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game.
Coach Ridder on Vaistaras:
"LV is a triple-threat guy who can score, rebound, and facilitate. He is very skilled and will look to have a major impact for us this upcoming season."
Coach Ridder will retain the 2023 fall commitment of Braeden Carlson to Mercer, alongside three returners in Jah Quinones, TJ Grant, and Alex Holt.
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