ESPN Men's Basketball

Updated: October 29, 2009, 11:24 AM ET

Team preview: Mercer

Blue Ribbon Yearbook previews the 2009-10 season, exclusively on Insider

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Blue Ribbon Yearbook

Editor's Note: ESPN Insider has teamed with Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook to provide a comprehensive look at all 334 Division I teams. To order the complete 2009-10 edition of Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, visit www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.
(Information in this team report is as of Oct. 1.)

COACH AND PROGRAM

The beginning of the Bob Hoffman era at Mercer exceeded all expectations. Three games into the 2008-09 season, the Bears were 3-0 with victories over Alabama and Auburn. And when Mercer built an 18-point lead in the second half against Georgia Tech, 4-0 seemed to be a certainty.

But the Bears couldn't hold on and eventually lost to the Yellow Jackets in overtime. From there, Mercer was up and down, and the inconsistency led to a middle-of-the-pack finish in the conference and a first-round exit in the A-Sun Tournament.

"They were playing really good, then I started coaching a little bit and we started going the other way," Hoffman joked.

Hoffman pointed to a preseason trip to Canada last September as the catalyst for the fast start. The first-year coach used the 10 extra days of practice and a few exhibition games north of the border to get his new team used to a new coaching philosophy.

"Going to Canada really helped us, gave us some experience and laid a foundation for what we wanted to accomplish," Hoffman said. "In those first games, we'd already played some games so we were in good position. It gave them confidence that the coaching might work."

The wins over Alabama and Auburn got the entire community rallying around the program, but the Bears were unable to sustain the early momentum. As teams turned up the heat defensively, Mercer began to struggle.

"We just couldn't handle pressure," Hoffman said. "They started trapping us and the guards did a good job, but we didn't take care of the ball as well as we needed to."

The Bears averaged nearly 16 turnovers a game, and many of those miscues proved to be costly when they ended up in the hands of opponents, triggering easy fast-break opportunities.

Mercer shot the ball well, but its opponents averaged 76 points per game and won several close games that could have gone Mercer's way if the Bears had been a little tighter with the rock.

PLAYERS

But as the Bears enter a new season, Hoffman said the positives from last season outweigh any negatives. With four returning starters and the confidence generated from beating a pair of SEC opponents, Hoffman is excited about his team's chances.

"Our guys have stepped it up, we've got a good nucleus and we've added some good pieces I think," he said. "They got a little taste of what it felt like. They went away realizing they could do even more, and it comes about by hard work and doing it on a daily basis."

Mercer returns 82 percent of its scoring punch, the bulk of that coming from seniors James Florence (20.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.7 apg), Daniel Emerson (13.8 ppg, 10.7 rpg) and E.J. Kusnyer (10.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg).

Florence, a 6-1 guard, is the most prolific scorer among returning Division I players. That's right, all of them. His career scoring average of 19.7 is a full point per game higher than Notre Dame big man Luke Harangody's career average.

Despite shooting a shade under 30 percent from beyond the arc, Florence gets the ball into the basket by taking opponents off the dribble.

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Emerson, a 6-8 forward, averaged a double-double last season as he emerged as a force inside. But Emerson also showed the ability to step outside and knock down shots; he connected on 35 percent of his three-point shots (20-of-57) a year ago.

"Danny and Flo both have the ability to play above their talent level on a given night," Hoffman said. "They have the ability to draw double-teams, either one of them. That always leads to open shots."

Kusnyer, a 6-5 guard, took advantage of opposing defenses that keyed on Florence and Emerson. With a good touch from the perimeter (.367, 83-of-226), Kusnyer showed the ability to find open spaces on the floor and knock down shots. "E.J. is just a solid player that has deep range and can get it going," Hoffman said. "He's worked hard on the rest of his game and being able to do more than just being a shooter. That's really going to help him as we go into the season."

Brian Mills (6.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg), a junior, and senior BeJay Corley (1.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg) return to the frontcourt after logging plenty of starts between them a year ago.

Mills and Corley, both 6-6 forwards, will help the Bears replace star forward Calvin Henry. Mills, a junior, started 16 games a year ago and hit 47 percent of his shots.

"Brian just has to get a little tougher and stronger," Hoffman said. "He had some great minutes for us last year. He just needs to get more consistent with what he's trying to accomplish."

Physicality is not an issue for Corley, who started 14 games last season. At 220 pounds, Corley can throw his weight around and make an impact.

"BeJay Corley has been working really hard," Hoffman said. "He started early for us last year and played sparingly. He's one of the guys who can be an enforcer and we're hoping he'll do that for us."

Brendan Walker (0.6 ppg, 0.3 rpg), Mark Hall (5.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg) and Jake Gollon (0.9 ppg, 0.5 rpg) are among the other returnees. Walker, a 6-2 senior, provided some great defensive minutes last season and should be able to do the same thing this year. Hall, a 5-11 junior guard, played a lot of minutes last year but has also been hurt a lot.

Gollon, a 6-7 freshman, appeared in a couple games last season before redshirting. Four of the five players in Mercer's latest recruiting class are from the junior-college ranks. The exception is freshman guard Tevin Swann (15.0 ppg, 8.0 apg), a native of Hampton, Va., who played at The Miller School last season.

The 5-11 Swann will get an early opportunity to contribute.

"He can really put pressure on the ball for 94 feet," Hoffman said. "He can do some things we didn't have anybody do last year. He can really get after people, so that's going to be good."

Jeff Smith (13.2 ppg, 5.8 apg, 3.0 spg) and Brandon Moore (10.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg, .610 FG), both juniors, teamed up at Wallace State (Ala.) Community College last season.

Smith, a 6-2 junior, can break down defenders off the dribble. Hoffman said that outside of Florence, nobody else on Mercer's roster has shown the ability to consistently beat defenders in one-on-one situations.

Moore, a 6-5 junior, has also shown the ability to face up defenders and get to the basket. His length should allow him to play much bigger than his 6-5 frame.

Michael Jenkins (13.7 ppg, 12.2 rpg) and Ridas Pulkanuninkas (13.2 ppg) round out the class. Jenkins, a 6-7 junior from Walters State (Tenn.) Community College, is an excellent rebounder and provides a physical presence in the paint. Pulkanuninkas, a Lithuanian who played at Lon Morris (Texas) Junior College last season, is a versatile player. At 6-6, Pulkanuninkas, a junior, will provide some matchup problems for opposing defenses.

"He's kind of a three-four," Hoffman said. "He can play in or out and he shoots it well. Nobody's going to play any harder or compete any better."

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

BACKCOURT: B+
BENCH/DEPTH: B-
FRONTCOURT: B
INTANGIBLES: B

Last season's fast start created a buzz around Mercer's program. Now Hoffman is intent on striking while the iron is hot. By infusing a senior-laden roster with the maturity of junior college players, the Bears are clearly gunning for a league title this season.

"We wanted to be sure we had the right level of guys because we thought we had the chance to compete at championship level," Hoffman said. "Whether we do that or not remains to be seen, but having two all-conference guys back, you know your window is short there."

Mercer's success will depend heavily on the newcomers and the returnees developing great chemistry in a hurry. There is no trip to Canada this year, no 10 extra days of practice and no exhibition games.

But so far, Hoffman has liked what he's seen.

"I like the camaraderie and attitude that they've been showing to each other," he said. "They understand that winning is not going to come easy, but is going to come from our strength in numbers and not just from one person."

Mercer may have some good individual scorers, but scoring wasn't the problem last season. Hoffman said his team knows what it has to do in order to take the next step.

"We're going to have to be more consistent with how we approach games," he said. "It needs to be at the same level all the time and try not to have so much up and down in our season. I think the other part is that we need to guard, contest shots and finish with more rebounds."

For the most comprehensive previews available on all 334 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college basketball, the 2009-10 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, at www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.