Although Ohio did not have much trouble dispatching Heidelberg for the Bobcats’ third consecutive win, the team should have its hands full on Tuesday when Mercer enters The Convo.
The Bobcats (4-1) take on the Bears (4-2) in the third contest of the Ohio Classic, which will showcase Ohio’s strengths and weaknesses and is yet another test in its early season schedule.
What jumps out about Mercer is not only the strength of the team’s schedule, as the Bears have the 15th-best RPI in the NCAA, but how it has excelled with wins against Seton Hall and Yale. Mercer also opened the season with a three-point loss at Texas, despite leading for a good portion of the contest.
Senior guard Travis Wilkins said other than Ohio’s matchup with Ohio State two weeks ago, Tuesday will be the team’s toughest test up to this point in the season.
“(Mercer is) very experienced, that’s the number one thing that stands out,” Wilkins said. “They’ve won a lot of games and they know how to win. It will be a tough team to beat, but I think we’re fully capable and I think we’re prepared.”
Coach Jim Christian said Mercer is a veteran squad that is balanced on both ends of the floor, especially on defense. The team is adept at crashing the boards and average 42 rebounds per contest, paced by 6-foot-10 forward Daniel Coursey with seven boards per game.
“They’re coming in with a mentality of they’re used to winning and they’re going to come to play and compete every possession,” Christian said. “This is going to be like games we had earlier like (Valparaiso) and Northern Iowa—those programs—tremendous amount of wins and a senior group… it’s going to be a big-time game.”
The Bears boast an experienced roster, which has seven seniors on the squad. Senior point guard Langston Hall is Mercer’s leading scorer, as he is averaging 16 points per game, while Coursey adds 11 points per contest.
Wilkins stressed that the Bobcats must limit their mistakes against a senior heavy roster, and also contain Hall, a multifaceted 6-foot-4 point guard.
“He’s really explosive,” Wilkins said. “Not only do we have to keep him out of the lane, but he’s a good shooter also so it will be a tough player to stop.”
Ohio senior guard Nick Kellogg said the Bobcats have momentum entering the clash against Mercer.
“Obviously we’ve got things to improve on,” Kellogg said. “Were just going to try to keep this thing rolling and get better day by day. We’ve got two days to prepare so we’re just going to go in with the same mentality we have every game.”
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