Every inch of Mercer's 5-7, 180-pound frame is set to make sure that Villanova's Scottie Reynolds doesn't do what Singletary did. Mercer's 14th-seeded Eagles play Reynolds' third-seeded Wildcats tomorrow night at 7:20 at the Wachovia Center in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Mercer, now a senior, said in his assured, husky voice: "If I just go in and play my game, I can play with the guy. I can stick with him."
So much has changed since that eye-opening night at Virginia. Mercer got stronger - 10 pounds of NFL muscle stronger - smarter, braver.
"I think I gave Sean a little too much respect. You can't do that," Mercer said. "I've grown up. I've established that I can play with any guard in the country. Scottie's a great player, but I'm going to come in, look him straight in the eye and let him know I'm not some little kid you're going to walk all over or bully."
Mercer has been dealing with the "little kid" issue forever.
Listed at 5-9 but really a couple inches shy of that, Mercer was lightly recruited. He starred for Bob Hurley Sr. at St. Anthony in his hometown of Jersey City, N.J., (he's delighted American is playing in Philadelphia, despite Villanova's obvious advantage), but a suspect jumper and his size kept him from drawing suitors.
"He's been the little guy all his life," said Mercer's father, Derrick Mercer Sr., a security guard in a Jersey City grammar school. "When he was 8, he was the second-tallest kid on his team. Since then, he's always been the shortest."
Mercer stood plenty tall last season. His two free throws clinched the Patriot League tourney title last season, which gave the school its first NCAA Tournament berth - in a year it was picked to finish seventh in its own modest conference.
