It might have been the weirdest basketball season any of us can remember – but we weren’t ready for it to be over.

Having concluded the regular season on a three-game win streak, including an exhilarating senior night win over Furman (with some fans allowed in!), Wofford looked poised to make a serious run at another Southern Conference tournament title.

We’ve become accustomed to seeing the Terriers in the tournament finals. Even a year ago, when the team had lost seven in row in the lead-up to the tournament and was relegated to a dreaded no-bye bracket, our guys were on the court when the championship game tipped off.

I started this column earlier in the week but was still working on it on Selection Sunday. SoCon rival UNC-Greensboro was announced as a 13-seed. It had been easy to envision Wofford in that role instead.

But such visions came to a quick and unhappy end when Mercer held on to defeat Wofford in Asheville. Wofford struggled mightily in the first half and again in the final minutes – Coach Jay McAuley talked about both stretches in the postgame media interviews. All season, Wofford was willing to rain in outside shots with an offensive attack built on speed and fluidity, and the results were good, more often than not. But there were times when the shots weren’t falling, especially from 3-point range, and that usually spelled defeat. Examples: 5 of 29 from behind the arc in the loss at The Citadel and 8 of 32 at ETSU. That’s how it went in Asheville against Mercer, as Wofford hit only 10 out of 32 3-point attempts.

As McAuley put it, “To shoot…28 percent from 3, that ain’t going to get it done with how we play.”

Of course, the Terriers almost DID get it done. Energized and focused after halftime the Terriers came back from a 17-point deficit to take the lead. It was fun to watch. Storm Murphy made two outrageous 3-point shots from the corners. Ryan Larson made a clutch 3-pointer. Max Klesmit had a steal and a layup. Messiah Jones was all over the place (finished with 16 points on 8-10 shooting in just 22 minutes of play!).

But shooting woes returned down the stretch, and Mercer made a couple more plays when it mattered.

Just like that: a promising postseason – and, yes, maybe the most unusual season any of us can remember – was over.

A Season Of Perseverance

Indeed, it was a weird season. And the ending was a disappointing one. But, in many ways, it was an extremely enjoyable season, one that will be remembered favorably. We can go ahead and say this upfront: It’s a thrill to see our guys sweep Furman any year, and denying them a chance to wrap up a first-place regular season finish on our home court was particularly satisfying.

But the wins against Furman were only part of a larger picture. Wofford was really good this season. Murphy was absolutely terrific – more on that below. Jones, when full strength, was a force. Senior Tray Hollowell had some outstanding performances. Three new guys – Klesmit, Sam Godwin, and Morgan Safford – made the conference all-freshmen team. The team added a surprise recruit in December, Austin Patterson, who promptly scored 5 points in a win at home against Coastal Carolina after joining the team only about 48 hours earlier.

And the Wofford student-athletes were tough. For one thing, the team had no COVID-19 shutdowns. It must have taken enormous discipline on the part of the players – maybe some luck, too – to avoid an infection. The pandemic did, however, affect scheduling on a number of occasions. Wofford adjusted, scheduled new opponents when possible, and stayed focused.

There were also injuries. Klesmit and Ryan Larson started the season late after getting hurt in the preseason. Heralded freshman point guard Keaton Turner came down with mono (OK, an illness, not injury), and missed a few weeks. Jones suffered a foot injury that kept him out for several games and had him playing through serious pain after he returned. Godwin and BJ Mack, who provided key support in the frontcourt, each missed games.

Before all that, sophomore Isaiah Bigelow tore his ACL and was forced to sit out the entire season. There’s a good chance the 6-7 wing from Greensboro would have started. It’s thoroughly conceivable that his size, athleticism, and shooting ability would have made Bigelow a major force in the SoCon this season.

Wofford’s players and coaches persevered. They made adjustments, found new lineup combinations, and kept working hard. There were a few tough nights shooting the ball, and the team was likely exhausted heading into the ugly losses at home against UT-Chattanooga and on the road against East Tennessee – they’d been through a brutal stretch that included jamming an extra game in as a pandemic-related move and then grinding out a gritty comeback win at Furman. But even on difficult nights, there were positive signs – the impressive play of several freshmen, especially Turner, against UTC comes to mind – and the team never gave up. Indeed, the second half comeback against Mercer in Asheville was a testament to the players’ spirit of determination.

They gave us fans something to feel good about. Yes – a distraction from the hardships associated with the pandemic and from a political season that, whatever side you were on, was full of stress and strife. But more than that. Whether we could be there in person or not, the team provided a real connection to something familiar and positive. Wouldn’t we agree that we needed that?

A Nod To Storm Murphy

In meaningful ways, the team was a source of inspiration – again, its discipline and toughness in the face of adversity. And while it was very much a team effort – everyone deserves credit, from coaches to players to managers to athletic department staff – I feel comfortable calling special attention to one guy in particular: senior guard Storm Murphy.

Murphy’s four-year stint as a Terrier holds up to anyone in the Division 1 era. As a freshman, he stepped into the starting role and helped guide the team to a 21-13 season that included the historic win against a top-10 UNC team in Chapel Hill. His sophomore year saw Wofford’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win, and Murphy’s last-second shot against Samford helped preserve an undefeated conference season. He hit another huge game-winner last season, pushing Wofford into the conference title game in McAuley’s first year as coach.

Along the way, he did all the things great point guards do – providing leadership, distributing the ball and creating opportunities for teammates, keeping turnovers to a minimum, hitting shots when they were open. A question heading into this season was whether Murphy could take a next step offensively. He had proven himself to be a good – and clutch – shooter, but could he emerge as a truly high level scorer? Murphy responded by showcasing an array of step-back shots, quick-release 3-pointers, and driving layups. His scoring as a senior was about as impressive as anyone we’ve seen at Wofford not named Fletcher Magee. And his selection as a first-team all-conference honoree solidifies his place in an elite category of Wofford hoopsters.

Murphy’s legacy will also be defined by his leadership and attitude during the coaching transition. While it’s true that McAuley was hired from within and was apparently the choice of the players from the start, questions still loomed. Would players recruited by Mike Young fully embrace McAuley, particularly if the program, which had also lost numerous key players, struggled in his first season? Would the new assistants be a good fit? The program’s positive momentum is, of course, a credit to the work of McAuley and his staff. But the players get plenty of credit, too, for supporting the coaches and one another. In his numerous post-game interviews this season, Murphy spoke of the team’s chemistry and of players’ strong relationships with the coaches. No doubt Murphy, a senior and the team’s top player, had a great deal to do with that buy in.

Asked about the support from Murphy and fellow senior Hollowell, McAuley said, “It’s been everything for me.”

Murphy and Hollowell are set to move on, taking advantage of the NCAA’s decision to allow players an additional year of eligibility due to COVID-19. It was not much of a surprise when Murphy announced his decision to play one more season for Young at Virginia Tech. There was some talk of his considering an extra year at Wofford, but this move makes sense for Murphy, who will have the opportunity to pursue graduate studies while testing his mettle against ACC competition as part of his old coach’s team.

Looking To The Future

Wofford, meanwhile, has loads of talent returning. We’ll take a look at next season’s prospects at a later time. For now, it is enough to say that the program looks to be on extremely solid footing. The development of the many talented freshmen and sophomores, along with the addition to 6-9 wing Dante Kiesenhofer and any other spring signees, will be exciting. The 2021-2022 squad should have the versatility to run four guards, as we saw much of this season, or play a two-post lineup – or a mix of the two. It should have enough depth and athleticism to attack relentlessly on both ends of the court.

It ought to be a lot of fun. And, with just a few more months of mask-wearing and continued trends in vaccinations, maybe we’ll have the chance to be there to cheer the team on. Go Terriers!