D1 · Southern Conference

Mercer Men’s Basketball Recruiting: Roster & Openings

KenPom #207 · 19–13 · 2025–26 · Division 1 · Southern Conference · Macon, GA

Mercer finished 19–13 (SoCon 3rd, KenPom #207) in 2025–26. 15 players hold the 2026–27 roster; 12 are new this season.

Roster data through 2026–27

Roster15 players
New this season12
Transfer additions9
Clearest projected openingGuards and Forwards · 2028
Most common home stateGA (4)

Where the door opens

our roster projection · your arrival year

Guards and Forwards: open from 2028 — 7 ahead.

2027
Gblocked8 ahead
Fblocked5 ahead · multi-yr
2028
Gopening7 ahead
Fopening5 ahead
2029
Gopening3 ahead
Fopening1 ahead · multi-yr
2030
Gopen1 ahead
Fopen1 ahead

Projections for 2029, 2030 are low-confidence reads.

Guards in that room (10)
Ryder Cate6′4″RS-So
Derek Goodman6′4″Jr
Quinton Perkins II6′1″RS-Jr
Emmanuel Koveos5′10″Sr
Brady Shoulders6′6″Jr
Dawson Barr6′4″RS-Jr
KJ LaMonte6′3″Jr
Harrison Lyttle5′10″Fr
Josh Jackson6′0″Fr
Shane Cherry5′9″So
Forwards in that room (5)
Keelan Steele6′10″RS-Jr
Makoi Mabor Makoi6′11″Jr
Dimitrije Kovacevic6′8″RS-Fr
Petras Padegimas6′8″RS-Jr
Sawyer Mayhugh6′9″RS-Jr
Those openings are for the roster in general. See whether your position, size and profile fit them →

If you want to play at Mercer

How to get recruited here

For 2027 arrivals the roster projection reads: G blocked (8 ahead), F blocked (5 ahead · multi-yr).

Of the latest cycle's 12 arrivals, 3 came straight from high school and 9 from the transfer portal.

Most arrivals come from GA, FL, IL.

2 of 15 recent arrivals held a national ranking — 2 of 15 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

19% of last season's scoring returns.

The roster, as a depth chart

2026–27 · 15 players

Guards 10 of 15

Brady Shoulders6′6″Jr9.3 PPG
Ryder Cate6′4″RS-So
Derek Goodman6′4″Jr
Dawson Barr6′4″RS-Jr
KJ LaMonte6′3″Jr
Quinton Perkins II6′1″RS-Jr8.9 PPG
Josh Jackson6′0″Fr
Emmanuel Koveos5′10″Sr · final yr
Harrison Lyttle5′10″Fr
Shane Cherry5′9″So

Frontcourt 5 of 15 · forwards + centers

Makoi Mabor Makoi6′11″Jr · F
Keelan Steele6′10″RS-Jr · F
Sawyer Mayhugh6′9″RS-Jr · F
Dimitrije Kovacevic6′8″RS-Fr · F
Petras Padegimas6′8″RS-Jr · F
freshman final year — spot opens returning

Returning production

19%of recorded scoring returns
2 of 5top scorers returning
Top returning scorers
Brady Shoulders9.3 PPG in 2025–26 · returning
Quinton Perkins II8.9 PPG in 2025–26 · returning

Computed from 14 of 16 players on the 2025–26 roster with recorded stats; "returning" means listed on the 2026–27 roster.

Who actually gets onto this roster?

How players arrive

3from high school9via the portal

6 of 15 roster spots were filled out of high school or held over.

Rankings

2 of 15

2 of 15 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

Best-ranked: Petras Padegimas #320.

Where from

GA 4 · FL 2 · IL 2 · NY 2 · TX 2 · IA 1

9 international: Sydney; Kaunas; Citluk; Toronto and 5 more

High schools: DME Academy ×2; Wauconda HS; Veterans HS and 2 more

Transfer flow

named arrivals and departures

2025–26 → 2026–27 · in

→Ryder Cate
→Derek Goodman
→Keelan Steele
→Emmanuel Koveos
→Makoi Mabor Makoi
→Dawson Barr
→KJ LaMonte
→Shane Cherry
→Sawyer Mayhugh

2025–26 → 2026–27 · out

←Alex Koch
←Braeden Carlsen
←Tristan Gross
←Jaydon Cole
←Baraka Okojie
←Armani Mighty
←NJ Nganga
←Pero Zubac

How this roster compares

Southern Conference (11 programs, 2025–26 medians)
MeasureMercerConference
Average guard height6′2″6′2″
Average frontcourt height6′9″6′8″+1″
Roster size1516−1
Freshman share20%25%−5pp

The five-year arc

kenpom rank · wins · conference finish
#1622021–22#2172022–23#2092023–24#2802024–25#2072025–26
16–17 · SoCon 4th14–19 · SoCon 5th17–16 · SoCon 7th14–19 · SoCon 7th19–13 · SoCon 3rd

Coaching staff

Ryan RidderHead coach
Langston HallAssistant coach
Woody TaylorAssociate head coach
Tysor AndersonAssistant coach
Nashad MackeyAssistant coach
Staff changes11 on-court staff changes in 4 offseasons — 2 before 2023–24, 5 before 2024–25, 4 before 2025–26.

Academics

published admissions data
Acceptance rate69%
SAT midpoint1311
ACT midpoint30

How this page is made: Rosters: official Mercer rosters, 2025–26 and 2026–27, read from the athletic department's own site · Season: Mercer's 2026–27 roster is posted, so this page reads it; the conference comparison uses 2025–26, the newest season every program has on file. · Stats: 2025–26, the last season played — the 2026–27 season has no games yet. · New this season: players not listed on the 2025–26 roster; a newcomer who is not a freshman counts as a transfer addition · Ratings: KenPom, five seasons; conference finish computed among same-conference teams by rating · Openings: Depth Chart's roster projection from listed class years; confidence stated per year · Sample: among players who made a college roster — the data cannot see who didn't. Among players who made a college roster. Model judgments describe positions and cohorts, never a named player's future. Refreshed automatically when the rosters change. Corrections: research@mydepthchart.com.

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