In four seasons as a member of the St. Mary’s boys basketball team, Jonny Mercado built an impressive career. The Spartans’ starting point guard for three of those seasons, Mercado helped carry St. Mary’s to the Division 4 state final twice. That includes a victory over Maynard for the title in 2016.
Now Mercado shifts his focus to the next chapter of his basketball career, as the Lynn native committed to play at Bridgewater State last month. Initially, Bridgewater State was the second choice on Mercado’s list. After seeing similarities between Bears coach Joe Farroba and Spartans coach Dave Brown, Mercado was sold on joining the team.
“Coach Farroba came to a lot of my games and he even showed up to a lot of my practices,” Mercado said. “Coach Brown is a big part of my life and that’s what I was looking for in a school. I wanted that coach that I could come to anytime. Even though I graduated, I still talk to Coach Brown today and I see that in Coach Farroba.”
Mercado, who graduated from St. Mary’s in May, has already began developing a sense of camaraderie with his future teammates. He met his roommate, another incoming Bears player, and will meet the rest of the team when he arrives on campus at the end August.
“I’ve met my roommate, he’s from Colorado and he’s another incoming freshman player,” Mercado said. “We’ve been texting back and forth. I know there’s another point guard there and he’s a senior. I’ll be playing behind him. I’ll be going up to the school on August 30 and that’s when I’ll meet most of my teammates.”
Although he anticipates challenges in making the transition from the level of play in high school to college, Mercado’s anticipating those upcoming trials with confidence. The loss to Maynard in this year’s state final, the same team St. Mary’s beat in 2016, has served as a source of motivation for Mercado.
“I’m definitely confident in my abilities to take it to the next level,” Mercado said. “Since that loss in the state championship, I’ve been working out. My dad, Jason, he takes me anywhere I need to go and he even works me out. He was a big part of my career and my success at St. Mary’s. I’m excited and I’m ready to get in there and compete with my teammates.”
It also helps Mercado’s cause that he has a strong support system on which to rely. For advice on how to approach basketball on the collegiate stage, Mercado went to one of his closest friends and the older brother of Jalen Echevarria, one of his former Spartan teammates.
“I talked to Marcos Echevarria,” Mercado said. “He’s one of my closest friends. He’s played really well at Nichols and he told me to be ready to work and not take any days off. When you get to Division 3, it’s just as serious as Division 1. It doesn’t matter what level I play in, I have to come in ready to work and play basketball.”
The coaching staff at St. Mary’s, led by Brown, is also a crucial part of Mercado’s support system. Playing for four seasons for the Spartans coaches was a challenge but in the end, Mercado said, the preparation was all worth it.
“The coaching staff at St. Mary’s is the toughest coaching staff in the state,” Mercado said. “All of that makes you a better player and makes you want to get better. I think it all prepared me for playing in college.”
Mercado’s best skills as a point guard come on both ends of the court. After learning what it takes to be a stout defender at St. Mary’s, Mercado will hope to bring his defensive IQ to Bridgewater State.
“When I came into my freshman year I had no idea what it took to play defense,” Mercado said. “Coach Brown taught me that. I’ll hope to carry my defensive IQ and my leadership. I try to be a second coach on the floor.”
He also recognized his passing abilities as another strong part of his game. Throughout the summer, Mercado, who will major in criminal justice with a minor in psychology, has worked on improving his shooting in hopes of becoming a more complete player.
“My ball handling is what I’m most known for,” Mercado said. “I’m crafty with the ball and I know when to get by someone. My passing is another skill. I like making nice passes and making my teammates better. That’s another thing Coach Brown taught me. My shooting’s something I’ve gotten better at. I’ve been working on that all summer.”
In the end, the goal, just as it was at St. Mary’s, is to is to contribute to getting Bridgewater State as many wins as he possibly can.
“Getting Bridgewater wins is what I’m all about,” Mercado said. “I’m just looking to compete and win.”
