“Education has been my first priority, especially as I was recovering from an ACL injury. Basketball always stuck in my mind and this opportunity came about. I am happy to be able to participate again,” he said.

In 12 games, Jernigan is averaging 7.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 19.7 minutes per game. In a Dec. 5 contest versus Kean University, he scored 25 points and hit seven three-point field goals – just one three-pointer short of the single game record at Rutgers-Camden. For his efforts that day, he was named Rutgers-Camden’s Raptor Athlete of the Week.  Jernigan stayed in shape earlier in the fall as a member of the men’s cross country team and was the Raptors’ third place finisher at the NJAC Championship.

Playing on opposing teams did not faze either competitor. Carthan said, “I never imagined I would end up playing against a former teammate five years later but it was pretty cool.” Jernigan said it reminded him of their practices together at Mercer and thought it was fun.

Both Carthan and Jernigan have special memories of their time at Mercer. Carthan said he learned so much from the people who worked with him. “Coaches Howard Levy, Tom DeStefano, and Mirek Babiarz made me into a smarter player. Coach Levy helped me bring my game to a different level – from seeing the floor better to taking advantage of opportunities to score. He told me to just be myself out there. My second year, I barely got yelled at so I guess I was playing some of my best basketball,” he said with a laugh.

He also noted the important roles of Athletic Trainer Lisa Camillone and Strength and Conditioning Coach John Kalinowski. “They taught me how to take care of my body.  I will never forget them and I was truly blessed to have those positive influences in my life.”

Jernigan emphasized the lessons he learned about team play.  “Mercer helped me in many ways, the most significant being Coach Levy’s team-first concept.  I have such high regards for him. He taught us a lot about ourselves and about making each other better as a unit.”

Jernigan is particularly fond of a move known as the backdoor cut. “It’s something that Coach Levy passed on to me and many of his former players, and it works. The Princeton style of moving without the basketball has shown me what it can do for a team.”  (Levy’s style of play hails from Princeton University, where he played and coached.)

Both players say their 2010-11 playoff run is a treasured memory.  “We were eight points short of winning the Region 19 title [against Del Tech Stanton]. While it ended with a disappointing loss, it took all of us to get that far.  We changed our season and fought the whole way,” Jernigan recalled.  The team’s final record that year was 16-17.

Carthan was a member of the last Mercer team to advance to the NJCAA Division II Men’s National Championship in Danville, Ill., in 2010. He recalls that that trip and other overnighters during the season helped him grow.  “Those trips are some of my best memories. I was always quiet and through those trips I got to know my teammates outside of basketball.  I think that was a big reason we were so successful.”

While Jernigan’s team got the December win, both players are winners who remain stay focused on achieving their goals. Their days at Mercer taught them about perseverance and hard work – lessons that continue to serve them well in basketball, in the classroom and in life.

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