Men's basketball: Former Monte del Sol standout lands valuable role on NMSU’s practice squad

James Barron | The New Mexican

10/11/2008 - 10/12/08

Kelly Merker believes anything is possible.

Which is why the 22-year-old senior at New Mexico State University and 2005 Monte del Sol graduate paused while thinking about his future. Graduate school looms, and next year, he will do a stint with the Peace Corps.

Then there's basketball, which has been a trusted companion for the last 15 years and will be for the rest of his life. But their relationship is approaching a crossroads, and Merker is aware concessions might be made.

He's just not ready to make them.

"I'm always going to be playing basketball, just not at the professional level," Merker says before catching himself.

"Well, I can't say never. You never say never."

You can't say it when you go from a 6-foot-4 post in high school to a 6-4 wing in college in the span of four years. The possibilities are endless when a
Class A player who wasn't even a first-or second-team All-State mention becomes a walk-on addition to an NCAA Division I program. That's what Merker became on Monday, when he secured a spot with the NMSU men's basketball program. Merker will be a guard for the Aggies, and his task is a simple one.

"We liked the way he expressed his purpose here," says John McMullen, the assistant to NMSU head coach Marvin Menzies. "He's here to do the best he can and help push some of our younger kids in practice. If it develops into some minutes on the floor, then great."

It completed a four-year journey in which Merker always had a role in Aggies athletics, but it was never a featured one. His place came away from the crowds, and his uniform was a practice one for the men's and women's teams. It was one that he was proud to wear.

"This game is just a huge passion for me," Merker says. "Basketball has been there when I am having tough days and I wouldn't be able to do this if I didn't like the game as much. I wouldn't work as hard on this on my own."

But he was never completely alone. He had the support of Alfredo Lujan, the former head coach at Monte del Sol who helped mold Merker's never-say-die work ethic. There also was Lujan's protégé and Santa Fe Preparatory head boys basketball coach Chris Chakares, who helped Merker with his re-invention.

When Merker called Chakares and Lujan to inform them of his selection, there was no surprise, only congratulations and brimming pride.

"He's the kind of guy who you want everything good to happen to him and for things to work out," Chakares says. "He's such a good-natured guy and he wants to earn everything he gets."

"I am really proud of him," Lujan adds. "What it really shows in Kelly's case is his character and determination and perseverance — the things we teach in high school that are life-long lessons."

They helped Marker become the Dragons' leading scorer his last two seasons, including a 23-point-per-game average as a senior. Those points came as a back-to-the-basket player in the low post, and Merker knew he that wouldn't be his job at the collegiate level, regardless of division. After considering schools in St. Petersburg, Fla., and Wichita, Kan., Merker decided to attend NMSU in the fall of 2005 with the intent on walking on to the team.

What he lacked in skills, he made up for with determination and good leaping ability.

"There's an article that I have clipped out from one time that we played them," Chakares says. "My quote was that we tried to put three guys on Kelly, but all they did was throw the ball up in the air and let him get it."

Still, Merker needed to improve his ball-handling, shooting and defense. The way to do it was just play, be it at practice or in a pick-up, city league or intramural setting.

"I had to take it as a challenge and every day, I would try to get a little better and a little quicker,' Merker says. "I liked the challenge of trying to stop these players who are a lot quicker. I wasn't always successful, but it was a personal challenge to me."

He was good enough to land on NMSU's practice squad under then-head coach Reggie Theus. It meant he didn't have a spot on the bench for games, but he did have a seat behind the team on the court. The men's program didn't need a practice squad or a walk-on the next season, so Merker filled a similar role for the women's team.

Merker wanted to try to walk on once more in 2007, but it was cut short by surgery to correct an overbite that summer. Merker lost 15 pounds from his 190-pound frame because of it and it took him a few months to fully recover.

It left him with one last shot, but it was one that he made as a well-prepared player. When tryouts were held in late September, Merker easily stood out among the group with his sharp shooting and hustle. It made McMullen's decision easier.

"There were a couple of other players we were still considering," McMullen says. "But he was recognized as someone who can help us, and we asked him right away to be a member of our squad."

Merker now starts on his latest endeavor, having spent the past week participating in conditioning drills and workouts with his scholarship teammates in preparation for the first day of practice on Wednesday. But he hopes that his story will belong to some high school player, someone who believes that he can do what Merker has done.

"I hope there is a junior or a senior in high school that might be a little unsure of what he's doing," Merker says. "I hope it gives those kids some motivation, some hope."

Contact James Barron at 986-3045 or jbarron@sfnewmexican.com