Terriers overcome injuries, schedule changes early in the season
Wofford men’s basketball has certainly embraced the unknown this season, having several games canceled or postponed due to COVID-19 concerns and playing the likes of Richmond on the road and South Florida in Atlanta on short notice. The team has even had a conference matchup against ETSU fall victim to postponing due to the coronavirus. Still, the Terriers have come to play in every game, earning a 8-4 record overall and a 5-1 record in the Southern Conference.
Early in the season, the Terriers’ guard depth was impacted due to Guard Isaiah Bigelow ’22 being sidelined for the season due to injury along with health concerns surrounding Guards Keaton Turner ’24, Max Klesmit ’24, and Ryan Larson ’22. Despite this setback, the Terriers fought on and came away with a 3-3 record through their first six games of the season.
Veteran guards Storm Murphy ’21 and Tray Hollowell ’21 have certainly been big contributors in the Terriers’ offense, one that attempts roughly 30 3-point shots per game and sinks about 11.
“Tray and Storm had to carry some big minutes early on to fill the void of some guys being out,” Head Coach Jay McAuley said of the seniors. “Now with Austin [Patterson], Max, and Keaton available we have a lot of firepower at the guard spot. Each has made an impact already in the short period of time that they have been available to play.”
Forward Messiah Jones ’22 has been a consistent presence on the interior for the Terriers, and other key additions to this year’s team have been transfer Forward BJ Mack from South Florida and freshman Forward Sam Godwin, both of whom McAuley has spoken highly of. Guard Morgan Safford has also made his debut for the Terriers this season, hovering around the 40% mark from 3-point range.
“Messiah [Jones] has certainly set the tone for [the Forward] position this year and guys like BJ, Sam, Nick [Pringle] and David [Appelgren] have all followed his lead,” McAuley said. “When [Isaiah] went down, we had to move some pieces around and I’ve been really proud of Morgan’s start to the season. He’s played all over the board for us because he’s smart, skilled and tough.”
Now in league play, each game is crucial in a tight Southern Conference. Led by Murphy, the Terriers hold one of the best scoring margins in the conference, outscoring opponents by nearly 15 points per game while out-rebounding them by nearly 9 rebounds per game.
Murphy, who has become one of the best players the Southern Conference has to offer, has raised his scoring average to 19.4, up from 11.9 points per game last season.
“There isn’t another guy that works harder and serves others on his team more than Storm Murphy,” McAuley said. “I think he’s the best player in the league and certainly does a lot for our club. … He’s going to go down as one of the best to ever put on a Wofford uniform.”
Looking ahead, the Terriers face Western Carolina on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m., a crucial game for the Terriers as they currently rest at second in the Southern Conference.