Michael Anthony Mercer Jr. (born September 29, 1986) is an American former professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player. He played
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
University of Georgia
, mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things."
, establ ...
and the
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF i ...
.
Early life
Born in
Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...
, Mercer grew up in
Snellville, Georgia
Snellville is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States, east of Atlanta. The population was 18,242 at the 2010 census, and in 2019 the estimated population was 20,077. It is a developed suburb of Atlanta and a part of the Atlanta metro ...
, where he was a teammate of former
NBA player
Lou Williams
Louis Tyrone Williams (born October 27, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted directly out of high school by the Philadelphia 76ers ...
at
South Gwinnett High School
South Gwinnett High School (SGHS) is a public high school for students in grades 9–12. The school is located in Snellville, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Gwinnett County Public Schools system, one of the 15 largest public school sys ...
and with the AAU's Georgia Stars. As a junior at South Gwinnett in 2003–04, he averaged 18.1 points per game and helped the school go 31–2 and win the AAAAA championship.
As a senior in 2004–05, Mercer averaged 19.8 points, 8.1 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game, helping South Gwinnett to a 28–3 record and the quarterfinals of the Georgia Class 5A state tournament.
College career
Georgia
As a freshman at
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
in 2005–06, Mercer averaged 11 points and three rebounds per game and was named to the Coaches' SEC All-Freshman team. He had 17 double-digit scoring games, captured one Freshman-of-the-Week award, and ranked eighth in the SEC in steals at 1.71 per game.
As a sophomore in 2006–07, Mercer started all 23 games for Georgia before suffering a right ACL injury that forced him to miss the final 10 games of the season. He was the second leading scorer on the team at 13.6 points per game. Prior to his injury, Mercer was leading the team in scoring and minutes played and was ranked 18th in the SEC in scoring, 14th in assists (3.6), eighth in steals (1.70) and 13th in assist/turnover ratio (1.43). He earned SEC Player of the Week honors once and came within two rebounds against Jacksonville of becoming first Bulldogs player in history to achieve a triple-double.
On March 15, 2007, Mercer underwent reconstructive knee surgery to repair the torn ligament.
On October 11, 2007, Mercer was suspended by the University of Georgia for violating the school's new class attendance policy for student-athletes. His suspension cost him the first 15 games of the 2007–08 season. Mercer was later dismissed from the program on November 19, 2007 for "being a disruption," said Georgia coach
Dennis Felton at the time.
South Florida
On November 27, 2007, Mercer transferred to
South Florida and subsequently redshirted the 2007–08 season due to NCAA transfer regulations.
Mercer became eligible to play for South Florida in December 2008, making his debut for the Bulls on December 14 against
Niagara. He competed in four games, starting two, before suffering a season-ending knee injury on December 21 against
Wright State.
While out injured, Mercer again ran into trouble. On January 23, 2009, he was arrested for the second time in four months: the first being in September 2008 for public consumption of alcohol, and the second being for marijuana possession. Arrested with him was teammate Anthony Crater, who were both charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Both were suspended from the team indefinitely.
It seemed his career, at Georgia and USF, would be remembered for injuries and dismissals, and for the disappointment of missed opportunities. But coach Stan Heath kept Mercer on scholarship, hoping he would stick around and earn his degree, and after Mercer graduated in August 2009 and fulfilled the legal requirements of a pretrial intervention program to get a misdemeanor drug charge dropped, Heath took a chance by allowing Mercer back on the team for the 2009–10 season. Heath's decision paid dividends, as Mercer became a key part of the Bulls' emergence in 2009–10. In February 2010, Mercer expressed how grateful he was to be part of a team making a run at the NCAA Tournament: "Coming back has been a blessing. I'm grateful that Coach Heath and the coaching staff gave me another chance, and that's why I play my heart out every game. When you have a coach that's willing to go out on a limb for you, it makes you want to work that much harder for them."
In 2009–10, Mercer played in all 33 games for the Bulls, starting 30 of them. He ranked fifth on the team with 9.2 points per game while also adding 4.5 rebounds in 28.6 minutes per contest. He also finished third on the team with 48 assists and second with 44 steals. On January 5, 2010, he had his first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 10 rebounds against
Notre Dame.
During the season, he had two 19-point games, a season high.
After earning a degree in criminology, Mercer began working on a second degree in communications.
Professional career
In November 2010, Mercer joined the
Halifax Rainmen
The Halifax Rainmen were a professional basketball team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. They played in the Atlantic Division of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) and their home games took place at the Scotiabank Centre, ...
as a non-contracted training camp invite. He helped the team go 3–1 over four preseason games between December 10 and 19, and made his regular season debut for the club in the season opener on January 2, 2011, scoring 14 points in a 109–99 win over the
Vermont Frost Heaves
The Vermont Frost Heaves were a professional basketball team in Vermont, United States, that last played in the Premier Basketball League, last coached by Joe Salerno.
History
The formation of the team was announced in December 2005 by foundi ...
. Mercer left the team on February 15 because of undisclosed family reasons. Team Owner Andre Levingston said Mercer returned to Atlanta to be with his wife and young child. His departure left a gaping hole at the Rainmen's two spot, where Mercer averaged 14.5 points per game, second on the team and 15th in the
Premier Basketball League
The Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is an American professional men's basketball minor league that began play in January 2008. The league folded after the 2017 season. It was announced that the league would be revived un ...
.
In November 2011, Mercer moved to
Weißenhorn
Weißenhorn is a town in the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria. Weißenhorn is located about 22 km southeast of Ulm.
History
Archaeologic finds prove that the area of Weißenhorn was once a settlement of the Alamanni. Also Roman artifacts an ...
, Germany to play for BG Illertal of the German
ProB
The ProB is the third-tier level league of professional club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 24 teams, separated into a Northern and a Southern Division. Officially, the ProB is part of the '' 2. Basketball Bundesliga'', which con ...
. In 15 games for the club throughout the 2011–12 season, he averaged 16.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
In December 2012, Mercer signed with the
Geelong Supercats for the 2013
SEABL
The South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) was an Australian semi-professional basketball league. The league comprised both a men's and women's competition and was run by the country's governing body, Basketball Australia. The league wa ...
season. Mercer had a standout year with Geelong, finishing top ten in the league in points scored, assists and steals. In 29 games for the club in 2013, he averaged 20.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He subsequently earned All-SEABL Team honors.
In October 2013, Mercer trialled with the
Wollongong Hawks
The Illawarra Hawks (formerly the Wollongong Hawks and The Hawks) is an Australian professional basketball team based in Wollongong, New South Wales. The Illawarra Hawks compete in the National Basketball League (Australia), National Basketball ...
of the
National Basketball League, but was ultimately unsuccessful in garnering a contract.
Mercer returned to the Geelong Supercats for the 2014 SEABL season, but a mid-season right Achilles tendon injury ended his campaign after just 15 games. He helped the Supercats go 14–1 with averages of 20.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
References
External links
Mike Mercerat gousfbulls.com
at georgiadogs.com
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercer, Mike
1986 births
Living people
African-American basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in Australia
American expatriate basketball people in Canada
American expatriate basketball people in Germany
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Anaheim, California
Geelong Supercats players
Georgia Bulldogs basketball players
Halifax Rainmen players
Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
Sportspeople from Snellville, Georgia
Basketball players from Gwinnett County, Georgia
Shooting guards
South Florida Bulls men's basketball players
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American people