An unusual off-season, filled with both challenges and encouraging signs

The following is based on an interview with Wofford men’s basketball coach Jay McAuley in May 2022.

Coach Jay McAuley describes himself as a “problem solver.”

That trait was certainly put to the test this spring. The Wofford men’s basketball program lost six underclassmen via the transfer portal, in addition to the expected departures of Ryan Larson, Isaiah Bigelow, and David Appelgren as graduates.

McAuley and his staff moved quickly to fill roster spots, finding players at key positions in the transfer portal and adding high school seniors in the late signing period.

With guards Max Klesmit and Morgan Safford leaving, finding seasoned perimeter players was a priority. Wofford quickly got commitments from Virginia transfer Carson McCorkle, a highly regarded shooting guard out of Greensboro Day School who was a reserve for the Cavaliers, and Jackson Sivills, a wing player who was leaving Murray State. Wofford had recruited Sivills when he was a high-scoring prep star in Kentucky.

The departure of Sam Godwin left a spot in the frontcourt, and Wofford has brought in Kyler Filewich, a brawny Canadian big man who spent two productive years at Southern Illinois University.

Wofford is also bringing in an impressive group of recruits out of high school:  Jackson Paveletzke, Adam Silas, and Anthony Arrington all look to be smart, versatile guards who could be in the mix for minutes at the open point guard spot. Joshua Morissette, Amarri Tice, and Chase Martin bring size and athleticism to the wing.

One of the most intriguing prospects in the recruiting class is Tauris Watson, from Lexington, SC. He played one year at Gulf Coast State, a junior college in Florida. He’s a strong guard who brings game experience. And his athleticism is reminiscent of Karl Cochran – seriously, folks.

(By the way, a quick Google search for highlights on all these guys is easy and, in my opinion, worth your time.)

“It’s been a different kind of off-season, but I am proud of what our staff has persevered through and how we have rallied,” McAuley told me. “We feel good about the group we have. I think our supporters have reason to be excited.”

McAuley made it clear that he has high expectations:  “We aren’t in this just to participate.”

Transfers:  Keep in mind, it’s been a strange few years for college kids

Wofford College prides itself on providing student-athletes with the “total student experience,” McAuley said, and this has been selling point in recruiting basketball players over the years. It has helped the program enjoy impressive stability.

Being a Division 1 athlete is, of course, a major time commitment. And beyond all the work that goes into it, coaches also stress team unity and friendships within the team. But when student-athletes have opportunities to make other friends on campus and to get involved with programs away from sports, these connections and experiences can bind them to the college community.

COVID-19, needless to say, threw things out of whack for students at Wofford – and it had a major impact on the experiences of student-athletes

By any reasonable standard, the Wofford basketball team handled the strange 2020-2021 season extremely well. The team avoided outbreaks of the virus, managed the rescheduling of numerous games, and achieved a successful record (15-9, overall, and 12-5 in league play).

But behind the scenes, things were turned upside down for the kids. Classes didn’t always meet in person. Social gatherings were called off or curtailed. There was no fall football season – usually a great time for young basketball players to meet alumni and rub elbows with fans.

Athletes went through a near-constant Coronavirus testing regime and had to take extreme precautions if exposure was suspected. “There was a lot that they went through that the public didn’t see,” McAuley said.

And, in terms of what the public could see – well, fans couldn’t see much of it in person, as attendance at games was off-limits until the final couple of home games. It wasn’t exactly the kind of home court game atmosphere kids dream about.

While it may difficult to draw a direct line from COVID-19 to the decisions of players to leave the college, there’s no question that the “total experience” that has been a key factor in Wofford basketball’s success was made impossible by the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the transfer portal is a new world

Followers of college basketball are now familiar with a term that didn’t even exist a few years ago:  transfer portal. More or less, it’s a clearinghouse for players who want to transfer and a system for coaches to recruit them.

The portal became crowded with players following the NCAA’s decision to do away with the rule requiring transfers to sit out a year (in most cases). For about as long as anyone remembers, the requirement to sit out a year was a major deterrent for kids contemplating a move from one school to another. Not that it never happened – and truth be told, Mike Young saw his share of players leave the Wofford program for one reason or other – but the idea of being sidelined for a year gave players serious reason to consider the positives of staying put.

These days, it’s a different situation in college basketball: The up-and-coming player who has visions of playing at a larger school, the reserve who feels frustrated about playing time, the youngster who’s a little homesick … they can move on and be eligible the very next year, and the transfer portal streamlines the process.

You can go down the list of the players who recently decided to leave Wofford, and there are clear patterns:  Most have transferred to schools back closer to home. A couple have gotten on with major conference teams.

Still, while there are understandable reasons for the transfers we’ve seen, it wasn’t a situation that McAuley expected when he recruited players to come to Wofford. It is, ultimately, very personal. “I love these kids and I know their families,” he said.

Name, image, likeness:  Also a new world

Beyond the transfer portal, fans of college sports have been hearing a lot about NIL, which stands for “name, image, likeness” and has to do with a Supreme Court ruling that college athletes have the right to make money when a jersey with their name on it is sold. This can extend to endorsement deals – say, a local business that uses the player’s picture and name as part of an ad campaign.

There are already reports of athletes at big conference schools making quite a lot of money through NIL deals. And there are rumblings of SoCon competitors – or their fans, in any case – working to put together attractive arrangements for their players. Needless to say, if endorsement money becomes a significant factor in recruiting or in players’ thinking when it comes to the transfer portal, there is the possibility that this could present a new challenge for Wofford athletics.

McAuley stressed to me that he wants fans to know that there are ways they can get involved and help Terrier athletes. He and I didn’t get into specifics about what Wofford supporters may have in mind. The various things I hear indicate that there are supporters passionate about Wofford athletics who are working on NIL possibilities for players. But what this might look like – and how it might stack up against SoCon rivals, not to mention what boosters at larger schools can offer – is anyone’s guess.

Getting to work

The front-burner concern for McAuley right now is getting everyone acclimated to the college, to one another, to the program.

Players are in town for the summer, and the athletic department has released on social media a couple of videos of the guys – including the numerous newcomers – engaged in fun, non-basketball activities. It appears that the idea is to build friendships and a sense of togetherness. There are also workouts, instruction, and pick-up games ongoing.

McAuley is excited. “The summer will be invaluable for us,” he said.

He hopes to instill key values that made his first three teams as Wofford’s head coach strong – solid ball-handling, rebounding, and especially defense. “That’s been a staple of our program,” McAuley said.

As noted above, the coach is impressed by the potential of the group of new players. He had good things to say to me about each of them – and there are quotes from McAuley on the Men’s Basketball news section of www.woffordterriers.com.

McAuley is also pleased about the progress of returning players.

Messiah Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in late 2021 — a loss that altered the landscape of the season for the Terriers. It’s the kind of injury that requires a long rehabilitation process; all reports are that Jones is doing well.

McAuley said he appreciates Jones’s leadership along the way. “He’s fiercely loyal,” the coach said, describing Jones as “protective” of the Wofford program and of his relationship with the staff.

BJ Mack, who was an all-conference inside player last season, tested the NBA waters before returning to Wofford. He’s an extremely gifted big man who could be in the mix for  SoCon player-of-the-year honors.

Guard Corey Tripp was a highly regarded prospect coming out of high school. He saw limited playing time as a freshman, but seemed to gain confidence as the season went along. He’s athletic, and his experience could make him a strong candidate for the starting job at point guard. McAuley said Tripp has had a productive off-season so far.

Finally…

The landscape of college basketball has changed – rapidly, dramatically – in recent years. Wofford and other mid-majors will have to wrestle with the challenges and possibilities of NIL. And as long as the NCAA allows transfers to enjoy immediate eligibility at a new school, there is no guarantee that the transfer portal won’t be full of players next spring and beyond.

But, for his part, McAuley is working to ensure that Wofford has the talent and stability to be a annual contender in the SoCon. He emphasized: “I want to have open and honest conversations and build strong relationships. That’s a foundation for success.”