Just days after the tragic shooting death of Mercer basketball player Jibri Bryan, Coach Bob Hoffman sat down with 13WMAZ's Wes Blankenship to discuss Bryan's time at the university.
"He just was a really good player, a slasher – he could get to the rim. He enjoyed playing the game, he had a passion for playing," said Hoffman.
Bryan was an important member of the team that played for a conference championship and made it all the way to the NCAA tournament. He fed off the success of his teammates and encouraged them both on and off the courts. It was in that season that he developed chronic knee pain that would continue into this season.
"It was about a month ago now when he called wanting to have a meeting just because he felt like it was over and he didn't think he would have a chance to play again," said Hoffman, "I told him to hold off on that thought and he got back on the floor for a little bit, but he still was not the same."
