MACON, Ga. - Looking to rebound after a tough loss on Monday, the App State men's basketball team (4-3) is set to travel to Macon, Ga., for a midweek road test at Mercer (3-2) on Wednesday. This will be App State's first trip to Mercer since the 1972 season. Tip off from Hawkins Arena is slated for 2 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
With App State's win over Charlotte last Friday at the Holmes Center, Kerns sits one win away from 150 for his career. Entering Wednesday, Kerns owns a 149-119 career record, with 118 of those victories coming at App State over the last seven years. Last year, Kerns surpassed 100 career victories at App State and became the third-fastest App State head coach to reach 100 career wins when he did so. Entering Wednesday, Kerns owns the fifth-most wins in program history.
App State will head back out on the road for four of its next five games, with three of those contests coming in North Carolina locations (Asheville - Nov. 30, Greenville - Dec. 11 and Hickory - Dec. 14). Wednesday's contest will be the last time App State leaves the state of North Carolina until Dec. 31, when it travels to Old Dominion. The Mountaineers are 1-2 away from home this season, and enter Wednesday with a win in their last road game over Dartmouth on Nov. 16.
Wednesday's game at Mercer will mark the first of five games against teams from the state of Georgia this season (Mercer, Georgia State (twice) and Georgia Southern (twice). The Mountaineers are 7-2 against opponents from Georgia since 2023-24. Prior to a loss on Feb. 15, App State had posted six straight victories over Georgia foes.
The Matchup
- Who: App State at Mercer
- Where: Hawkins Arena // Macon, Ga.
- When: Wednesday, Nov. 26 // 2 p.m.
Tune In
- Watch: ESPN+ | Dean Keener (PxP), Phil Cox (Color)
- Listen: FLAGSHIP 97.3 (North Wilkesboro), 950 AM/92.7 FM (Greensboro), 790 AM/93.7 FM (Johnson City) | Matt Present (PxP)
- Live Stats: appstatesports.com
Last Time Out
The App State men's basketball team fell 88-53 to the Elon Phoenix at home on Monday. The Phoenix ran away with the game late in the first half thanks to a 26-6 run to close the first half, and never looked back.
Elon proved a physical counterpart to the Mountaineers on Monday, as it outrebounded the Mountaineers by 20 (45-25). 16 of the Phoenix's 45 rebounds came on the offensive glass, which translated to 26 second-chance points. Additionally, Elon totaled 46 points in the paint compared to App State's 16.
Jalen Tot led the Mountaineers in scoring against the Phoenix with 14 points, his season and Mountaineer high. Tot drilled four threes in the game, the most made by a Mountaineer in a game this season. App State drilled eight threes as a team, extending its streak to 19 consecutive games with at least five made 3-pointers.
Scouting the Mountaineers
App State enters play on Wednesday with a 4-3 record and has won four of its last six games. App State's offense has shined in its wins this season as it is scoring 79.5 points per game, compared to just 57.3 points a game in its losses. The Mountaineers have tallied 75 or more points in three of their four wins this season.
When the Mountaineers hit the road, they use their defense to win games. App State allowed just 62.6 points in its 17 games away from home last year. This number included four instances in which the Mountaineers gave up 50 or fewer points.
When the Mountaineers have found success on offense this season, they have done so by crashing the paint with intention. Coming into play on Wednesday, the Mountaineers have recorded 20 or more points in the paint in all but one game this season (Elon). In its four wins, App State scores 39.5 points a game in the paint compared to 19.3 in losses. App State has tallied two games with 50 or more paint points already this season, marking the most instances in a season since 2023-24.
App State's depth has been on full display entering Wednesday as it sees five different players who average at least seven points a game in
Kasen Jennings,
Eren Banks,
Luke Wilson,
Alonzo Dodd and Tot. Six different Mountaineers have posted a double-digit point game this season, which includes multiple from Jennings, Wilson and Dodd. Entering play on Wednesday, the Mountaineers get 27.3 points a game from their bench unit, which would be the second-highest bench points per game average in the Kerns era if the season ended today.
Scouting the Bears
Mercer enters play on Wednesday with a 3-2 record, and is coming off a road victory over Eastern Kentucky last Saturday. The Bears come into Wednesday's game with a 2-0 record on their home floor.
Offense has been the Bears' calling card on the young season, as through five games, they lead the Southern Conference in scoring. The Bears have eclipsed 90 points in all three of their wins this season. Two Bears, Baraka Okojie and Quinton Perkins II, enter Wednesday averaging better than 15 points a game. Both players sit in the top 10 in the SoCon in scoring entering Wednesday.
Head coach Ryan Ridder's squad has been one of the best teams in the country at blocking shots, as entering Wednesday, they lead the SoCon and rank 86th in the nation in blocks per game. The Bears also boast the 78th-highest block rate in the country entering Wednesday at 7.2 percent. Armani Mighty ranks first in the SoCon and 36th nationally in blocks per game (2.2) entering Wednesday.
Series History
The Mountaineers and Bears will meet for just the fifth time on Wednesday, in what will be the first matchup between the two teams since 2015. App State and Mercer's 2015 meeting came at the Challenge in Music City multi-team event in Nashville.
The Mountaineers' trip to Macon will be their first since Feb. 7, 1972, which was App State's final season as an NAIA school. Mercer owns an unbeaten 4-0 record against the Mountaineers.
Kerns has never faced Mercer in his coaching career.
Next Up
Once action in Macon concludes, the Mountaineers will trek to Asheville for a neutral-site bout with the UNC Asheville Bulldogs on Sunday. Sunday's contest, which was initially scheduled for last season but was postponed due to Hurricane Helene, will mark the second straight neutral-site game between UNC Asheville and App State (the two teams played in Hickory in 2023). Tip off from Harrah's Cherokee Center is set for 1:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
