MCCC Trailblazers, Black History Month

Mel Weldon, Connie White, Men's Basketball

Mel Wheldon was the first MCCC men’s basketball African-American All-American in 1973.  Wheldon helped lead Mercer to its first ever men’s basketball national championship, the first time a team on the East coast had won the title.  That year Wheldon was also named the 1973 NJCAA National Player of the Year.  Wheldon scored 1,111 points in his two seasons at MCCC.

Following his two seasons at MCCC, Wheldon went on to play at Boston College and helped lead the Eagles to a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament appearance.  Wheldon was selected to play for the 1973 World University Games (USA) team in Moscow, Russia. The team finished with a perfect 9-0 record, and captured its first gold medal since the 1967 Games. Wheldon was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame (1991), the Hudson County Hall of Fame (2010), and the New England Hall of Fame (2013).

In 1974, Connie White became the second MCCC men’s basketball player to be named NJCAA National Player of the Year.  White also earned All-American honors and finished his two year career with over 1,430 points during his time as a Viking.  White became the second MCCC African-American All-American men's basketball player.

After his two years at MCCC, White transferred to the University of California at Berkley and played on the Cal men’s basketball team for the 1974-1975 and 1975-1976 seasons.

Following his two seasons at Cal Berkley, White was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the fifth round (82nd pick overall) of the 1976 NBA Draft. White also played 4 games with the Anchorage Northern Knights of the Continental Basketball Association during the 1978-1979 season.