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MACON, GA – Before an audience of 600 people, National Basketball Hall of Fame member Dick Vitale, better known to many as the “Voice of College Basketball”, delivered an appropriate preseason message for the 2009-10 Mercer men’s and women’s basketball teams.
Both teams face extremely tough schedules this season. With the men’s battle cry being “No Regrets,” they will battle college basketball standouts Providence, Florida State, Alabama, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech. The Mercer women face national powers Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State on the road. Vitale issued a challenge to both programs, and everyone in attendance.
“If you think you’re mediocre, you’ll be mediocre,” he said. “If you think you’re outstanding, you’ll be outstanding.”
That is the goal for the Mercer men as they seek to end a 25-year conference championship drought. According to Head Coach Bob Hoffman, christening the season with the caliber of Vitale sends a strong message to the community and beyond.
“With Dick Vitale here, it speaks volumes about the commitment the university and the athletic department has to bringing winning basketball programs to Mercer,” he said. “This event sends a buzz to the community that we are for real and a Division I program that is committed to competing and winning at the highest levels.”
Vitale spoke for over an hour and eventually left the stage and moved through the crowd. He shared stories of his commitment to being the best at each level in a coaching career that spanned high school, college and professionally with the Detroit Pistons. After being fired by the Pistons, he took that same energy to ESPN as a basketball analyst. This marks his 30th season covering college basketball.
Women’s head coach Janell Jones said her team was inspired by Vitale when he simply said, “It doesn’t take ability to dive for a loose ball. It doesn’t take ability to make the extra pass.” It was a night they will long remember.
“Coach Vitale made an amazing impact on my girls,” she said. “We sat in the locker room and talked after it was over. We didn’t want the night to end because of the emotions it stirred in us as a team.”
The hoops icon challenged those in attendance, and in the community, to support the men’s and women’s basketball programs. Vitale said this season is a great opportunity to do that, especially with the Atlantic Sun tournament being held in the University Center next March.
“I don’t think we will really know the full effect Coach Vitale’s visit has made until later on down the road,” Jones said. “It was such a positive way to start the season.”
Vitale commented he was “really in awe” of Mercer’s state of the art facility. Hoffman said his appearance was a perfect opportunity to show off the University Center.
“It was a great introduction to people who might not have seen our great venue,” he said. “I’m hoping it will bring them back to many of the home games this season.”
Vitale is the first speaker for this year’s Mercer Executive Forum. The program was established in 1979 and has featured such speakers as Lou Holtz, Neal Boortz, Nancy Grace, Saxby Chambliss and Steve Forbes.