Wofford Terriers
SoCon (28-6, 16-2)
Big Wins: 11/18 Iona (86-73), 11/23 vs Sam Houston State (64-53), 12/14 at North Carolina State (55-54)
Bad Losses: 11/29 at William & Mary (62-66), 1/15 at Citadel (66-69), 2/12 Chattanooga (46-56)
Coach: Mike Young
Why They Can Surprise:
Wofford wins with its defense. Allowing fewer than 60 points per game on the season, it was one of the top 25 scoring defenses in the country. Against talented out-of-conference foes William & Mary and NC State, Wofford allowed just 66 and 54 points respectively, even escaping NC State with a win. The Terriers did this by limiting three pointers and being on the positive side of turnovers. The active hands on defense were led by Karl Cochran. He finished with twice as many steals as any of his teammates, swiping 1.8 per game. On the offensive end, Wofford shared the ball and the scoring load while shooting pretty efficiently from the floor. Nine different Terriers accumulated at least 20 assists this year, six different players attempted at least 150 field goals and four men each hit at least 30 threes. Occasionally playing as many as 10 guys in a game, the Terriers relied on upperclassmen leadership in the starting lineup as well as off the bench.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Cochran, the team’s leading scorer, shot less than 40 percent from the floor this season. He was also under 66 percent from the foul line. In fact, foul shooting was a weakness of the entire Wofford team. The only thing weaker this year was its impact inside. The Terriers were just an average rebounding team and were absolute messes defending the rim. With zero rim protection, this team was lucky to allow opponents to shoot just 41.4 percent on the season. It could have been much worse. The other disappointing thing with this Terriers group is how the freshmen faded down the stretch of the season. Cameron Jackson and Derrick Brooks played in nearly every game. However, after playing solid minutes the first half of the season, neither player had much impact in reduced minutes in conference play throughout the season’s final month. Neither player was specifically missed, but shortening the rotation of a team that relies on depth is a tactic that leaves Wofford open to second-guessing.
Probable Starters:
Karl Cochran, Senior, Guard, 14.6 ppg, 2.7 apg, 5.8 rpg, 1.0 bpg
Spencer Collins, Junior, Guard,11.6 ppg, 1.5 apg
Eric Garcia, Sophomore, Guard, 7.8 ppg, 2.6 apg
Lee Skinner, Senior, Forward, 10.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg
Justin Gordon, Junior, Forward, 7.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Jaylen Allen, Sophomore, Guard, 6.1 ppg
John Swinton, Senior, Guard, 1.9 ppg, 1.1 apg
C.J. Neumann, Junior, Forward, 4.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 67.0 (183rd in nation, 7th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 59.7 (22, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.9 (67, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.4 (98, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.3 (181, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.9 (55, 2)
Free-Throw Percentage: 68.5 (202, 5)
Rebound Margin: 1.2 (147, 3)
Assists Per Game: 13.5 (104, 2)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.0 (40, 2)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2014 NCAA Second Round loss to Michigan
2012 CBI First Round loss to Pittsburgh
2011 NCAA Round of 64 loss to BYU
2010 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Wisconsin
*all team stats through 3/8
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
