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2 USF Basketball Guards Arrested On Marijuana Charges

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By BRETT McMURPHY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 24, 2009

Updated: 01/24/2009 03:50 pm

Anthony Crater

Mike Mercer

TAMPA - University of South Florida junior guard Mike Mercer's future at the school is "in jeopardy" after his arrest on charges of possession of marijuana late Friday night.

USF freshman guard Anthony Crater was arrested with Mercer. It was Mercer's second arrest since September.

Mercer's future at USF is "in jeopardy," Heath said. "I still have to get all the facts, but this is not something I'm going to accept in our program.

About Mercer's first arrest, Heath said: "I didn't necessarily say he had 'one more chance' [after the first arrest for public consumption of alcohol at 3:21 a.m. on Sept. 29], but he knew his back was against the wall. He swore to me [that] he wouldn't cross the line. When you breach trust, that's not a good thing."

Heath said he hadn't spoken to him yet and would give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

Mercer, a 22-year old junior, was USF's starting point guard before suffering a season-ending knee injury Dec. 21. Crater, a 19-year old freshman, transferred to USF from Ohio State in December and was sitting out this season per the NCAA's transfer rules.

Although neither could have played this season, Heath said both players have been suspended indefinitely.

"This kind of behavior is unacceptable within our program," Heath said today.

Mercer and Crater were arrested at 11:56 p.m. Friday at Bruce B. Downs and Bearss Avenue, less than a mile from campus, on charges of possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office report. They were booked in the Orient Road Jail at 2:05 a.m. Saturday.

Mercer also was arrested in September for public consumption of alcohol at 3:21 a.m. on Sept. 29. Those charges were dropped after the completion of a pre-trial misdemeanor intervention program.

As a sophomore at Georgia, the 6-foot-4 Mercer led the Bulldogs in scoring with 13.7 points, and the year before that was named to the all-SEC freshman team. He was then suspended for the first 15 games of the 2007-08 season after violating the school's academic policy and transferred to USF last season.

USF lost to No. 20 Villanova 70-61 this afternoon.

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928

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