After countless wins throughout the 2013-2014 season, there is one that will forever remain in the hearts of all Mercerians, the men’s basketball team defeat of Duke.
Since that win, the basketball team, and Mercer as a whole, has received various amounts of national attention and awards. One of those awards included 2013-2014 ESPY for the “Best Upset” for their memorable win over Duke.
Along with Coach Bob Hoffman, six of the seven seniors attended the awards show, and it was an experience they would never forget.
“It was a surreal event. I started watching the ESPY’s at a young age and I always thought to myself how awesome it would be to be there,” said senior Monty Brown. “I never imagined actually winning an award in front of all of the famous people and professional athletes. And there we were, sitting 10 rows back from the stage, winning an ESPY! Words cannot do enough to explain that feeling.”
While receiving the award was obviously the highlight of their trip, the former student-athletes had other memorable moments during their time in Los Angeles.
While their childhood heroes andheroines surrounded them, the former Mercer players did not waste anytime meeting their favorite professional athletes.
“I think the person I met at the ESPY’s I am most excited about would probably be Kevin Durant,” said senior Jake Gollon. “We also spent a lot of time with the U.S.A. soccer team and they were a great group of guys.”
Although receiving the “Best Upset” award at the ESPY’s was the main highlight of their summer, the men’s basketball team continued to collect postseason awards.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches announced the 2013-2014 Mercer men’s basketball team as one of 29 NCAA Division 1 teams to receive the Team Academic Excellence Award. The award is given to NCAA and NAIA basketball teams that earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
During the school year, the team managed a 3.211 overall GPA, while 13 out of 17 members boasted a 3.0 GPA or higher. The team is just one of 32 teams in the nation to be chosen for the award two years in a row.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches also announced their Honors Court for the 2013-2014 season, which included Kevin Canevari and Anthony White Jr. This award specifically recognizes student athletes of junior or senior class with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher for both fall and spring semesters.
Out of the ten academic institutions and thousands of athletes, Canevari and White Jr. were the only two student-athletes included from the Atlantic Sun Conference.
“This award is huge for me. My parents have always been hard on me about my academics,” said White Jr. “If I didn't have respectable grades when I was younger, then I didn't get the chance to play. This award just shows how hard Kevin and I worked on and off the court.”
Men's basketball continues to bring in awards
