Heath reinstates Mercer
USF basketball guard Mike Mercer, who was dismissed from the team in January, was reinstated to the basketball program by coach Stan Heath, USF announced Friday.
Mercer, a guard, was dismissed from the team in January after his arrest for possession of marijuana, his second run -in with the law while at USF.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity coach Heath has given me to rejoin the team,” Mercer said in a statement. “I apologize again to my teammates, my coaches, and the USF community for my poor decisions last year.”
Mercer was also arrested last September for public consumption of alcohol, a misdemeanor.
Mercer transferred to South Florida in November 2007 after being dismissed by the University of Georgia. With the Bulldogs, Mercer averaged 11 points per game during the 2005-06 season, his freshman year, and 13.6 points during the 2006-07 season.
Mercer had to sit out the 2007-08 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Last season with USF, he averaged 8.5 points per game in four appearances.
Mercer graduated from USF this past summer and will have one season of college eligibility remaining.
“Mike has demonstrated a commitment to his education that resulted in his graduation from USF, and he has been fully compliant with all obligations related to both incidents,” Heath said in a statement. “I am pleased that Mike has learned from this experience, and I am confident his conduct and personal development will be reflective of what we expect of each student-athlete in our program. I believe Mike has earned the opportunity to be reinstated to our team.
More Stories
Bomb threat at USF Cooper hall wasn’t legitimate, police say
University Police (UP) determined a reported bomb threat at Cooper Hall on Tuesday night wasn’t legitimate. After sweeping Cooper Hall, UP found “nothing of concern,” according to a universitywide email sent out at 12:39 a.m on Wednesday. The investigation is still ongoing, according to police. The USF community was first alerted to the bomb threat […]
Pro-Palestine encampment protest at USF broken up by tear gas
Law enforcement broke up a pro-Palestine encampment of around 100 protesters at the USF Tampa campus Tuesday evening using tear gas. The demonstration was the second in two days at USF where students, employees and community members urged the university to divest from companies with financial ties to Israel. Related: Several protesters at USF arrested […]
Several protestors at USF arrested during pro-Palestine encampment protest
Three protestors were arrested by University Police (UP) Monday afternoon during a pro-Palestine demonstration outside the Marshall Student Center (MSC), according to USF spokesperson Althea Johnson. Johnson said the three arrests included a student, an employee and an individual who is not associated with the university. Related: USF pro-Palestine hunger strikers removed from BOT meeting […]
The Oracle needs your help
Dear reader: Reporters for USF’s award-winning student newspaper, The Oracle, have recently navigated through a pandemic, a rapidly evolving political climate and a change in university president – all with the goal of sharing important news and stories. Though The Oracle has been an integral part in keeping the USF community informed since 1966, we […]
USF won’t install more physical protections following recent on-campus suicide
USF will not be implementing additional physical safety measures over a month after a student leapt from an upper floor inside the Interdisciplinary Sciences building, USF spokeswoman Althea Johnson said. The incident marked the third on-campus suicide since fall 2022. A week after a student fell from an upper floor of Beard Garage in 2022, […]
Meet USF’s new student body president and vice president
A new era of Student Government (SG) just arrived. In a quick five-minute ceremony, student body president-elect Suryakanth Prasad Gottipati and vice president-elect Sumit Subhash Jadhav were sworn in on Wednesday afternoon. Their term will start on May 6 and last for one year. Related: Take a look at USF’s student leaders’ swearing in ceremony […]