By: Will Harper, staff writer
On Friday, November 10th, 2017 the Richardson Indoor Arena hosted its first ever game during opening night. According to many students, it was one of the most exciting nights that Wofford has had in a long time.
When interviewed prior to the game, Coach Mike Young stated that while South Carolina is not the team that it was last year, he thinks as highly as one can think about another basketball team. “They’re not [the same team]…It’s awesome to have the state university here to open a magnificent building, coming off a Final Four appearance. The last time they were in uniform, they were in Phoenix playing on the greatest stage on Earth. And to have those guys here is awesome, and we have the South Carolina college community, and Coach Martin and Coach Tanner to thank for that.”
Coach Young had a plan, a very simple one at that, in terms of attempting a Wofford win on opening night. “We have to rebound the ball, if we’re giving this South Carolina team two and three chances each time down on the offensive end… If we have more than fifteen turnovers, you know, go ahead and pick up your Coca-Cola and walk back over to your dormitory. The Terriers can’t win… We have to be ready to fight and grind every possession, and affect shots effectively. If we do those things, it could be a very interesting mid-November evening.”
All of this is even more important to consider, when factoring in the fact that Jerry Richardson, the building’s namesake, is attending the game. There were rumors of him sitting courtside with the players, or in one of the luxury boxes. But none of that matters to Coach Young, as he feels Mr. Richardson can sit where ever he likes. “He loves this school. He appreciates and admires what this school has done for him. And what a wonderful man for what he and his family have done for us, for many, many years.”
By this article’s release, the score of the game will be common knowledge. The score, the stats, and the winner and loser will all be known for a week. The stats can be found online just by searching “Wofford Basketball.”