From "Nae Nae" to GA

After a memorable 2013-2014 season, one member of Mercer Men’s Basketball Team has decided to return. Kevin Canevari, known all over the United States for his “Nae Nae” dance after the team’s defeat of Duke, is currently back at Mercer to pursue an MBA and to be a graduate assistant for the men’s basketball program.

“I made the decision to come back to Mercer because it was a great opportunity for me to further my education and get my MBA while also building coaching skills at the same time,” said Canevari.

In his 2013-2014 season, Canevari registered a 41.5 field goal percentage while averaging 1.7 assists per game. He played in all 36 games last season, and he is excited to offer his expertise as a point guard to the new team.

“I am hoping to be able to contribute to the team as a leader and ex-player. I hoping to give the players a new perspective since I just finished playing and I know exactly how it is to play at Mercer as well as in our system,” said Canevari. “I am also hoping to be able to help the new point guards out a bunch in learning different things about playing at this level. We have a lot of new guys, so I hope to help the transition to Mercer be as smooth as possible for them.”

As a four-year veteran of the team, Canevari has the ability to offer a great deal of knowledge of basketball for the new players in addition to more general knowledge about the university as a whole.

While Canevari played for the Mercer Men’s Basketball Team for four years, he is excited to get the opportunity to sit on a new side of the bench.

“I am very excited about my return to Mercer and cannot wait to help the team. I am most excited about being able to see the team from a different prospective and watching the team come together and grow,” said Canevari. “I cannot wait to see how we measure up in the new conference and watch some of the returners as well as the new guys step into big time leadership roles. GO BEARS!”

While Canevari is just a regular guy at Mercer, people know him all over the country for his dance after the basketball team’s defeat of Duke University. Although many people think that the “Nae Nae” is just a dance, Canevari thinks of it as much more.

“My dance has shown me the power and beauty of showing emotion and how being yourself can open up many doors,” said Canevari. “For people that know me, they know that I am a very outgoing and I am full of excitement and emotions. Whether it is in sports, business, medicine, or whatever, it is important to enjoy life and have fun. My dance will always remind me of that. “

After his next two years as a double-Bear, Canevari is unsure as to what he wants to do, but he knows he wants to pursue a career in the field of sports.

“My plans for the immediate future are to get this MBA degree while furthering my coaching experience,” said Canevari. “Down the road, I think I want to coach and will hopefully know that more definitively in the days ahead. Being able to get my MBA gives me a great backup plan if I decide to steer away from coaching.”