As the Mercer Men’s Basketball continues its success in the Southern Conference, a former member of the team is also continuing his success on the court.
Daniel Coursey, a vital member Mercer team from 2010 to 2014, has been with the Erie BayHawks since he was drafted last November. This opportunity with the developmental league gives Coursey an ample amount of experience to take his basketball career even further.
During his time with the Bayhawks, Coursey has made quite a name for himself. Out of the 25 games in which he has participated, Coursey has started in 22, averaging 25.5 minutes a game. He is also averaging 10.32 points and 6.28 rebounds. Coursey is pleased with his performance so far, but he thinks he can contribute to the team even more.
“So far, I've personally done well, but we haven’t performed well as a team,” said Coursey. “We've lost a lot of games recently, and it makes it a lot tougher to play.”
Recently, Coursey has greatly contributed to the Bayhawks with stellar performances. On Dec. 14, Coursey contributed 28 points and 12 rebounds against the Reno Bighorns. More recently, Coursey collected 24 points along with 10 rebounds against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in early January.
While Coursey is continuing to improve every aspect of his play, he is especially pleased with his newfound jump shot.
“I think my jump shot has most improved,” said Coursey. “I didn't really have one during my time at Mercer and now it's how I score a lot of my points.”
According to his statistics, his jump shot has especially improved his points scoring ability.
Although his offense has been a key asset to his success with the Bayhawks, Coursey believes that his defense also is a huge part of his success.
“Since being in the developmental league, I have learned that I can play good defense,” said Coursey. “Both blocking shots and rebounding are the two biggest things I can do to help the team.”
Overall, Coursey has been enjoying his time in the developmental league, but he believes it to be much different than college basketball.
“Relating the two, the D league is much faster than college basketball,” said Coursey. “Everyone in it is an NBA caliber player, and everyone is trying to get a call up, so it's much more competitive. Also, the overall size of players is a lot bigger than in college, which makes a huge difference in the game.”
Coursey is not exactly sure what his plans are after his first season, but he does know that he wants to continue playing the game that he loves.
“Right now, I just want to keep playing basketball,” said Coursey. “I just want to make the best of the opportunity at hand.”
Daniel Coursey continues his success in d-league
