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Post by orangeandblack on Mar 15, 2016 19:48:36 GMT -5
This is the toughest season of Mercer Basketball I've ever experienced -- and I'm just a fan. The loss of Jibri Bryan still doesn't seem real, and I can't imagine what these men have gone through since that terrible day. They carried themselves with poise and class throughout the remainder of the season, and honored Jibri in the process.
There is no doubt that the 2015-16 Mercer Bears were a championship team. They finished the season with 2 of the 5 opening day starters. They were 18-6 (8-3 SoCon). They beat Arkansas on the road. They were winning an amazing 75% of their games. 100% of their home games. And then it all changed.
They had to start from scratch. It was a brand new team with no depth. The depth became the starters.
Mercer has some amazing talent coming back that got increased playing time down the stretch that should help next year. We all got a reminder of how hard it is to win games. You have to lose to appreciate winning. Mercer has created such a winning tradition under Coach Hoffman that it's hard to accept any less. I saw the fight and desire in the final CIT game, however, I also saw the same script from the final 10 games. The talent would carry Mercer to a halftime lead, but the lack of depth would wear us out in the 2nd half. I expect Mercer to come back with a 'roar' in 2016-17.
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Post by Clueless Fan on Mar 16, 2016 8:01:08 GMT -5
Glad the season is over. Time for healing and soul searching.
I don't know why the two starters were suspended, but I have heard the rumors. But it is clear, their actions hurt Mercer basketball. They let their teammates down and they let the fans down. What actions are the coaches and administration taking to see that something similar doesn't happen again?
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Post by orangeandblack on Mar 16, 2016 23:18:12 GMT -5
Glad the season is over. Time for healing and soul searching. I don't know why the two starters were suspended, but I have heard the rumors. But it is clear, their actions hurt Mercer basketball. They let their teammates down and they let the fans down. What actions are the coaches and administration taking to see that something similar doesn't happen again? I have no idea for the reason either, but I think the action the admin took will impact future behavior across all sports. They set the tone that they will suspend anyone, regardless of performance, for the entire season (and possibly career). |
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Post by mubear on Mar 17, 2016 9:24:21 GMT -5
I was a member of the golf team when President Underwood first got to Mercer. We had a member shoot an air soft gun out of a dorm window and he was kicked off the team (but allowed to stay at the university). Shortly after that, three players on the basketball team shot an air soft gun at a stop sign. On the ricochet, I believe it came close to hitting a jogger. All 3 of them were immediately kicked out of the university by President Underwood as nobody would admit who actually pulled the trigger on the air soft gun. I don't remember the 3rd player as he was a transfer, but I think he was supposed to be really good. Big guy too I think. The other two were Emmanuel Holloway who went on to a very successful career that ended up with NCAA tourney appearances and Demitrious Coleman who had led the nation in assists the year prior. I remember that team was going to be loaded until the discipline issue. It was the downward spiral that led to the hiring off Coach Hoffman. My issue was President Underwood carried a big stick at the time (probably too heavy handed in my student-athlete opinion of the time). My teammate was just a freshman who was a borderline talent so it didn't affect us too much. Now it seems Underwood has his own people in place and this story doesn't fit his narrative and he has gone pretty silent on the issues of the suspensions(kids still sitting on the bench, being allowed to stay in school). Seems wildly inconsistent from his previous actions.
Now I say all that to say I am very pleased with the funding and importance athletics has taken on campus. Maybe I am being a little critical out of jealousy that it wasn't always this way on campus, especially when I was there. I still have a hard time thinking about a lot of the faculty being this open to athletics as it wasn't always the case either. Times have changed and for the better, just surprised President Underwood's view on discipline has changed (especially since I believe he was at Baylor either during or right after their high profile murder case).
Also, in a previous post I talked about the CIT tournament and another poster was definitely drinking the Mercer Cool-Aid which is great! A lot of belief in the Mercer Administration. But I cannot think of another D-1 school in the country where the program wouldn't be investigated by the media or admin. A lot of coaches get fired or put on the hot seat for far less than what happened at MU this player. We had a player die in a drug deal and 2 immediately suspended afterward and I did not see one question about the types of players and character we are recruiting to campus or the risks we are taking in recruiting to stay successful. I know Hoffman has built up a lot of goodwill and rightfully so, but I am amazed that this hasn't been a bigger deal. Curious your thoughts (and by no means am I calling for Hoffman's head). Maybe someone still on campus can give me insight into why this isn't a bigger deal.
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Post by Hayes on Mar 25, 2016 20:31:29 GMT -5
I was a member of the golf team when President Underwood first got to Mercer. We had a member shoot an air soft gun out of a dorm window and he was kicked off the team (but allowed to stay at the university). Shortly after that, three players on the basketball team shot an air soft gun at a stop sign. On the ricochet, I believe it came close to hitting a jogger. All 3 of them were immediately kicked out of the university by President Underwood as nobody would admit who actually pulled the trigger on the air soft gun. I don't remember the 3rd player as he was a transfer, but I think he was supposed to be really good. Big guy too I think. The other two were Emmanuel Holloway who went on to a very successful career that ended up with NCAA tourney appearances and Demitrious Coleman who had led the nation in assists the year prior. I remember that team was going to be loaded until the discipline issue. It was the downward spiral that led to the hiring off Coach Hoffman. My issue was President Underwood carried a big stick at the time (probably too heavy handed in my student-athlete opinion of the time). My teammate was just a freshman who was a borderline talent so it didn't affect us too much. Now it seems Underwood has his own people in place and this story doesn't fit his narrative and he has gone pretty silent on the issues of the suspensions(kids still sitting on the bench, being allowed to stay in school). Seems wildly inconsistent from his previous actions. Now I say all that to say I am very pleased with the funding and importance athletics has taken on campus. Maybe I am being a little critical out of jealousy that it wasn't always this way on campus, especially when I was there. I still have a hard time thinking about a lot of the faculty being this open to athletics as it wasn't always the case either. Times have changed and for the better, just surprised President Underwood's view on discipline has changed (especially since I believe he was at Baylor either during or right after their high profile murder case). Also, in a previous post I talked about the CIT tournament and another poster was definitely drinking the Mercer Cool-Aid which is great! A lot of belief in the Mercer Administration. But I cannot think of another D-1 school in the country where the program wouldn't be investigated by the media or admin. A lot of coaches get fired or put on the hot seat for far less than what happened at MU this player. We had a player die in a drug deal and 2 immediately suspended afterward and I did not see one question about the types of players and character we are recruiting to campus or the risks we are taking in recruiting to stay successful. I know Hoffman has built up a lot of goodwill and rightfully so, but I am amazed that this hasn't been a bigger deal. Curious your thoughts (and by no means am I calling for Hoffman's head). Maybe someone still on campus can give me insight into why this isn't a bigger deal. What years were you on the team? |
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