Game thread: Dogs vs. Hogs

[boulder3m]

Several juniors really picked it up at the end of the season. Spencer Collins was his old reliable self, and CJ Neumann became a force inside. Justin Gordon can pick up that athleticism and let it go at times. Next year we will have Ryan Sawvell, who is listed at 6'8" and we know about Cam Jackson. Eric Garcia played an amazingly steady game at the point while being harassed by Arkansas. Jaylen Allen really was an important part of our offense last night, and will be a big factor next year. We have a couple of guys who can also handle the point and some more help coming in. We probably won't be the league favorites-maybe even ranked 4th or 5th pre-season. My guess is that next year's team will be pretty darn good. When Eric Garcia and Jaylen Allen finish they have a chance to become the winningest players in Wofford history. A great goal would be 100 wins, but that is a real stretch. The point is that there is a PROGRAM in place at Wofford, and with the new Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on the horizon things are looking bright for Terrier Basketball. Each of the teams has been laying planks that have built something of which they can be very proud. When Karl Cochran, Lee Skinner and John Swinton come back for that Grand Opening of the JRIS they can be very proud of what they have helped build.

[Eyes of Old Main]

Got back from Jacksonville this afternoon. Six hours of windshield time provided ample opportunity to think about what happened, what I saw and what I see for the future.

Wofford did let this game slip away, but I think it was a case of Arkansas elevated to their peak performance level which tightened us up and as a result the Terriers had a couple offensive possessions that weren't their best. On defense, Wofford lost control of the tempo a little late and Arkansas got to speed up to their preferred pace which was to our team's detriment. My takeaway is that it was a masterful game plan that was executed brilliantly for 37-38 minutes, much like the Wisconsin game. Unlike the Wisconsin game, their was a feeling of Wofford control of much of the game, which is why this is more of a disappointment for everyone. All that being said, it was a great accounting of our program, our staff and our College; we just need to figure out how to close one of these out.

The big thing I saw was that we now have a program, not just a good team. The entire roster has bought into Coach Young's system and they are the are the right personnel to run it. I also believe I saw a transformational moment for the entire Wofford community. Our fans in attendance out-cheered and out-supported Arkansas' fans even though there were far more Razorback supporters there. It was apparent that our fans love our team and equally apparent that Arkansas' fans were there to see a win. For Wofford, part of that is having a great team, winning results and a chance to get a NCAA win. But the bigger part of that is the love we all have for Wofford. Wofford fans cheer for the Terriers because they are out team, but we also cheer because we love that little school on North Church Street. Arkansas' fans love to win games, we love our school from the top down and everything that's associated with it. I think this year has taught our fans how much the players respond to great support.

For the future, obviously we lose three great seniors and we could lose our coach, but there is a lot to be excited about. I had a chance to speak with Cam Jackson's father after the game and his comments gave me an inside look at what the guys who will be our next crop of stars are like. There will never be another Cochran, Skinner and Swinton, but we said that about Dahlman, Rundles and Diggs, too. None of those guys will suit up for us again, but there will be new stars that command the same reverence. We have that next group of guys on campus right now with more on the way. Wofford may not win 28 games or make the NCAA tournament next season, but I feel confident that we will be competitive in our league on an ongoing basis in spite of personnel losses. As for Coach Young, I think last night had to show him how much he is loved by the Wofford community and how much the program that he has built is loved. If his dream is to start over somewhere larger then he will have his chance and I hope he takes it, but I think he knows he has something pretty special in Spartanburg that's not easy to come by as well. We'll see what happens, but either way I will support Mike Young in whatever he does because he's earned that much and more in my opinion.

[woffordgrad94]

The Terriers will be among the teams competing for the SoCon championship next season. We will be good enough to win it again. Remember, we don't have to win the regular season, just improve throughout the year and be the best at tournament time. We will have as good a shot as anyone next March in Asheville. Eric Garcia is as steady as they come at PG, and he can also hit the big shot. Spencer Collins will be a scoring machine and a potential SoCon player of the year, and we will be strong and deep on the inside with Neumann, Gordan, Cam Jackson, and the transfer Sawvell. Jaylen Allen will also be a reliable scorer who will continue to improve. Redshirt freshman Larry McKnight and Derrick Brooks should add depth at guard. And then we have the good looking freshman recruits (though one or two of them will probably redshirt in 2015-16). We will be just fine. I doubt we finish any lower than third and we just might finish first again.

[youngterrier]

Honestly, with the potential of Chattanooga and ETSU making a coaching change, Mercer losing about as much as we are, and UNCG keeping their so-so coach, I really don't see how you don't pick Wofford to be a top 3 team in the Socon again this year.

Don't get me wrong, Karl and Lee are huge loses, but I think who we have coming in next year between Sawvell and McKnight and the 6 '10 guy from Mount Pleasant, the cupboard is not going to be bare.

I think we easily have a better chance of "3-peating" in the Socon than we did the year after our first repeat. That year we lost at least 4 (I think it was 5/6) seniors including 4 starters (Dahlman, Johnson, Diggs, Rundles), and a couple other players to academic problems. We still managed to win 19 games the next year, even though we sort of fell apart down the stretch.

I think overall, our talent level is higher than it was back then. Lee Skinner was a player in the mold of Dahlman and Johnson. No height, not much natural talent, but a motor unmatched by anyone. We're now starting to get these taller players, and though I couldn't tell you what our roster looked like 4 years ago I'm willing bet we're much taller than we were then. We have a solid enough nucleus of players coming back, that you have to feel confident in what we're gonna produce next year. If we defend the benjo like we did this year, we're going to compete for another title, no question about it.

[Ruckus]

I don't disagree with any of these comments but a coaching change throws all of this into question, especially if we go with someone with a different scheme/philosophy. And I thinknwe all agree MY will have options. Just saying.....

[boulder3m]

Good insights from everyone. Eyes-thanks for the details from being there. Wish I had gone. In watching the "mid-majors" compete against the biggies the missing factor is big men. The guard play in the MM is just as good for the most part. Davidson chooses to go overseas to find them, while most others just have to go with 6'6" guys and try to compete. Our game plan was executed perfectly, and we held a high scoring team to 56 points-soomething seemingly overlooked by the TV announcers and the national media. But for a couple of shots it was an unbelievable performance. Oh how I wish it were our guys against my beloved Tar Heels today...I may just throw a shoe on the court!!
I debated whether to continue on with my comments on the TV coverage and announcers, and finally decided to. For some reason I thought I couldn't get Thom and Mark on the internet-I think that was only on Tune In Radio that it was blacked out- and found out late that I could have gotten them on the WOLI website. Anyway, I watched and listened to the TNT coverage, and maybe some of you did also. The announcers were very unprepared. They spent most of the game telling the audience what great defense Ark was playing and how they were pressuring us and causing so much trouble. Meanwhile we were holding the leading scoring team in the SEC and 3rd leading in the nation to 20 points below their average. It was very frustrating, to say the least. Then they went to the half with Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley, who understood EXACTLY what was actually going on, and they had nothing but praise for Wofford and what they were doing to ARK. If you have it recorded take a look and see if you have the same impression. The game announcers were just waiting for Ark to overpower the hapless little mid major team and taking no note whatsoever about the fact that we dictated virtually everything in the game except rebounding. I don't think there was much east coast audience for our game, but the preparation for the announcing crew was in general non-existent.

[Eyes of Old Main]

Then they went to the half with Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley, who understood EXACTLY what was actually going on, and they had nothing but praise for Wofford and what they were doing to ARK.

They showed those halftime comments on the scoreboard in the arena and the Wofford crowd went crazy. I've never seen a crowd cheer for commentary before, but it was pretty cool.

[lawdog]

http://woffordterriers.com/news/2015/3/ ... ath=mbball

I agree that the best team did not win. The big surprise is that we still had a chance to win or tie at the end.

If you had told me beforehand that Cochrane, Skinner, Garcia, and Gordon would shoot a combined 7 for 32 (21.9%), and that we would be outshot as a team 31.6 % to 45.8%, and still have a chance to win against any good team, I would have said no way. We did everything else necessary to win this game; if we had shot it badly instead of horribly, we would have won. Still our kids played smart and with courage, and we are all very rightly proud of them. BTW, our ball handling against their pressure D (which was a worry) was very good.

We have a great chance to be this good or better next year, provided the heart and smarts continue to be there (I think they will). HATS OFF to this marvelous senior class.