The men’s basketball team has witnessed a mass exodus, with a total of eight players transferring or graduating. The Terriers have made headway replacing the outgoing players, signing four players in the transfer portal and five incoming freshmen.

The Terriers’ most significant loss is sophomore guard Max Klesmit to Wisconsin, who averaged 14.9 ppg, averaging over 30 minutes per game and starting all 31 games this season. Klesmit has three seasons of eligibility remaining after playing the last two seasons for the Terriers. 

Klesmit, along with the rest of the transferring players, were all granted an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Other players departing the program early include sophomore Sam Godwin, sophomore Morgan Safford, freshman Austin Patterson and freshman Luke Turner. Ryan Larson ‘22, Isaiah Bigelow ‘22 and David Appelgren ‘22 will all move on as graduate transfers.

Larson will stay in-state for his extra year at the College of Charleston, a former SoCon foe. Bigelow will suit up for the Richmond Spiders of the A-10, who the Terriers played against the last two seasons in a home-and-home series. Appelgren remains undecided as to where he will play.

Turner joins Klesmit in transferring back home. A native of Temecula, California, Turner will compete for the nearby UC-Riverside Highlanders of the Big West Conference. Klesmit’s hometown of Neenah, Wisconsin is less than two hours from the University of Wisconsin’s campus in Madison. 

Patterson, also a California native, is still undecided, but has reportedly also heard from UC-Riverside, among other schools, opening the possibility of joining Turner. Safford is likewise undecided on his next destination. 

The Terriers have not lost time in filling the openings, though, bringing a total of seven new players into the fold so far: four transfers and three high school recruits.

Kyler Filewich, a 6’9 center native to Winnipeg, Manitoba, comes to Wofford by way of Southern Illinois University. Filewich averaged 5.5 ppg and 4.1 rpg over the course of two seasons at SIU. 

“I chose to transfer (because) my play style really didn’t fit in at Southern Illinois, and I want an opportunity to contribute more,” Filewich said. “I enjoyed my time at SIU, as I made plenty of relationships with people that I like, and it was my first opportunity to play college basketball. I chose Wofford (because) it is a place where my play style fits in a bit better, and it is a great program both athletically and academically. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to compete for a berth in the NCAA tournament this year.”

Carson McCorkle, arguably the most high profile of the newcomers, arrives after seeing minimal playing time at ACC power Virginia. The 6’3 guard was a three-star recruit out of basketball factory Greensboro Day in North Carolina.

Jackson Sivills spent two seasons with reigning Ohio Valley Conference champion Murray State. Like McCorkle, Sivills’ minutes were restricted behind a deep roster. While he chose to transfer in order to find the best on-the-court fit and maximize his potential, he values what he learned in his time with the Racers. 

“I grew up a lot and learned a lot of things during my time at Murray State,” Sivills said. “It wasn’t always easy, but I’m glad I went through it. I got to fulfill a childhood dream in going to the NCAA tournament this past year and was fortunate to see some really cool things. I can say I’ve grown as a player, but more importantly as a man.”

The 6’6 Paducah, Kentucky native was recruited heavily by Coach Jay McAuley and his staff coming out of high school and was already very familiar with Wofford and what it has to offer. 

“It was an easy decision when Coach (McAuley) called me after I decided to leave Murray – there (were) no second thoughts at all,” Sivills said. “I knew this is where I was supposed to be from the start. I’m looking forward to starting some place fresh with people that believe in me and look forward to putting another banner in the rafters in Jerry Richardson Indoor.”

Tauris Watson, a 6’3 point guard native of Lexington, SC, is transferring to Wofford after one season at Gulf State Coast College, a JUCO in Florida. Watson averaged 18.2 ppg and 3.7 rpg in 26 games. All incoming transfers should have three years of eligibility left, should they choose to use them.

Meanwhile, the Terriers signed four rising freshman guards in Josh Morrisette, Jackson Paveletzke, Anthony Arrington and Chase Martin. Morrisette comes from Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and Paveletzke keeps the Wofford midwest recruiting tradition alive, hailing from Kimberly, Wisconsin.

Meanwhile, the Terriers stayed local to recruit Arrington from The Galloway School in Atlanta, Georgia. The Terriers add some length with Martin, a 6’5 shooting guard from Jenks, Oklahoma, and 6’7 small forward Amarri Tice from South Kent School in Newburgh, NY. 

Second team all-SoCon forward BJ Mack ‘23 announced he will explore his pro options by entering the NBA draft, while keeping open the option to return to the Terriers for the 2022-23 season. The Terriers retain forward Messiah Jones, who will remain in Spartanburg for his fifth year. 

This latest wave of transferring, though certainly the largest in recent history, is not the first to hit the program – former Terriers Storm Murphy ‘21 and Keve Aluma helped lead the Virginia Tech Hokies to an ACC title this year and a berth in March Madness. Murphy and Tray Hollowell ‘21, who averaged 10.4 ppg for the Morehead State Eagles this past season, both took advantage of their extra year of eligibility after a successful four years at Wofford. 

Nick Pringle, who played for the Terriers during the 2020-21 campaign, became a highly sought-after player from the JUCO circuit after transferring from Wofford, and will gear up for Alabama next season.