Mountaineers forward Jerry Jr. Mercury becomes first CCAA student-athlete to be drafted in the CEBL
History was made on Thursday when Mohawk Mountaineers all-star Jerry Jr. Mercury was selected 30th overall by the Niagara River Lions in the 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Draft.
Mercury (Scarborough, ON), a third-year forward for the Mountaineers men's basketball team, became the first athlete from the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) to be drafted to the CEBL.
"Words can't describe how blessed and grateful I am for this opportunity," Mercury said. "To be the first-ever CCAA player drafted to the CEBL feels surreal."
Since 2019, U Sports athletes have been eligible for the CEBL draft, but this year the CCAA has been included, following an amendment made to the league's roster composition rules.
"It just goes to show that there's a lot of talent everywhere in Canada," Mercury said. "I feel like now that those doors are open, it's only going to draw even more talent into the CCAA and elevate the league to heights it's never been before, since there's a great opportunity to play professionally right in our backyard."
"I think the CCAA overall has been getting better and better every year," added Mountaineers men's basketball head coach Jamie Girolametto. "It's great to see that these kids are finally now going to get this equal opportunity because there's always been top-level talent in the CCAA."
The CEBL is a league created by Canadians for Canadians, featuring 10 teams from across the nation. This has created a coveted opportunity for Canadian post-secondary student-athletes to play professional basketball by training and playing alongside veteran professionals from the NBA, NBA G League, Canadian National team, and top international leagues.
"I think what I'm most excited about going into the CEBL is the chance to really get an understanding of what being a professional is like," Mercury said. "From their diet, how they approach practice every day, the way they get extra work in, getting to know their thought process and how they view the game – all of that is what I'm so excited to jump into."
Mercury's first season with the Mountaineers came in 2022-23 when the team captured an OCAA bronze medal. He was named both an OCAA West Division Second-Team All-Star and an OCAA Championship All-Star that year, after averaging 18.8 points per game on 50.6 per cent shooting and 10.6 rebounds, and he picked up 10 double-doubles on the season. Mercury's performance moved to the next level in four OCAA playoff games that year, as he averaged 22.3 points and 15 rebounds.
In the 2023-24 season, Mercury became the focal point of the Mohawk offense, and despite an injury-riddled season that had him miss six games, Mercury averaged 22.6 points and 10.4 rebounds, with six double-doubles. Additionally, with the missed time, Mercury still finished 14th in OCAA scoring, with 271 total points. He was named an OCAA West Division First-Team All-Star.
"He's very well deserving. This is just the start of a long professional career I believe for him," Girolametto said. "This past season he handled the role of being the main guy really well. I don't think he was in that role in the past so for him to take that on this year and handle it so well, while being the main guy on everyone's scouting report and still producing at a ridiculously high rate, is super impressive."
Along with getting the opportunity to play alongside professional basketball players from across the globe this upcoming CEBL season, Mercury will be coached by a first-class staff in Niagara, led by River Lions head coach and general manager Victor Raso. A native of Hamilton, Raso enters his sixth season at the helm of the Niagara franchise.
"Jerry is a very talented basketball player, who like many of our signings, can impact winning in many ways," Raso said. "He is versatile offensively and can really score the ball, he loves to defend, and is an excellent rebounder. He is an impressive young man who has overcome a lot to get to this point in his basketball journey, and he has earned the opportunity to be drafted into the CEBL."
The Niagara River Lions begin their 2024 campaign on May 24 when they visit the Brampton Honey Badgers at the CAA Centre with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off. Niagara's first action in their home Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, ON will come on May 30 when they host the Honey Badgers at 7 p.m.
More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.