By Joel Welser
Wofford Terriers
Southern Conference
2009-10: 26-9, 15-3
2009-10 postseason: NCAA
Coach: Mike Young (116-125 at Wofford, 116-125 overall)
Following Wofford’s first ever NCAA Tournament appearance, Coach Mike Young is aiming for another trip on to the national stage. With four starters returning and a roster filled with upperclassmen, the Terriers should be able to repeat as Southern Conference champions. Yet, it will likely come down to the conference tournament for a spot in the big dance, but this is a group that can beat anybody on any given day and they may not be out of at-large consideration even with a stumble in the conference tournament.
Key Losses: G Jason Dawson, G Corey Godzinski, G Junior Salters
Key Newcomers:
Wofford lost three players on the perimeter, but this is also a team that started a 6-6 forward at center last year. Josh Corry should eventually help fill in some of those holes on the perimeter, but fellow incoming freshmen Aerris Smith and Cameron McQueen could make a bigger impact this season. Smith is not too much taller than those 6-6 forwards, but he is a bulky 260 pounder who can eat up space in the paint. McQueen, at 6-8 and 240 pounds, has more size than much of the roster and will be given the opportunity to contribute right away.
Backcourt:
Brad Loesing and Jamar Diggs make the backcourt tick. Loesing, a 6-0 junior, will not do too much scoring, but he will set up the rest of the scorers on the team. Diggs is one of those scorers. The senior is not a great shooter, but nobody on this team really is, yet he does a superb job attacking the basket for a 6-2 guard. Diggs did connect on 37.7 percent of his attempts from long range last year which is not bad at all, but he may be asked to shoot more now that Junior Salters is gone. Either way, Diggs will be the main scoring threat in the backcourt. The Terriers hope Cameron Rundles can turn into the shooter that Salters was last season. Rundles spent most of the 2009-2010 campaign coming in off of the bench, but he is an experienced and talented guard who can shoot and attack the basket.
Frontcourt:
On paper, Noah Dahlman is the big man on this team. He averaged 16.6 points and 6.3 rebounds last year despite being just 6-6 and 215 pounds. His ability to score in the paint around much bigger opponents is quite amazing and he can knock down the mid-range jumper consistently. Dahlman was the only player on the team to average double figures in the scoring column and he has been, and will continue to be, the heart and soul of the Terriers. What made Wofford so good last season was the emergence of another 6-6 forward. Tim Johnson started 20 games last season and ended up averaging 6.1 points and a team high 7.9 rebounds per game. Those two may be undersized, but they are a formidable duo in the paint.
Who to Watch:
However, there will be times when this team needs more size. Terry Martin and Kevin Giltner are only 6-6, but they are experienced forwards. The size could come from Drew Crowell. At 6-9 and 230 pounds, he is the tallest player on the roster, and if it takes some time for the newcomers to come around, Crowell will be asked to do a lot. Crowell missed all of last season, but did start 14 games two years ago. He will not put up big numbers, but on a team that lacks size, having Crowell back could be huge.
Final Projection:
Wofford is trying to become the next Davidson of the Southern Conference, but if they want to have success in the NCAA Tournament, it better happen right now. Four of their five projected starters are seniors and just about everybody else who will see quality minutes is a junior. Wofford should have a great season, but the recruiting classes have not been anything that special and the school needs to capitalize on their success on the recruiting trail if they hope to continue to dominate the Southern Conference.
Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA
Projected Starting Five:
Brad Loesing, Junior, Guard, 5.9 ppg
Cameron Rundles, Senior, Guard, 6.6 ppg
Jamar Diggs, Senior, Guard, 9.5 ppg
Tim Johnson, Senior, Forward, 6.1 ppg
Noah Dahlman, Senior, Forward, 16.6 ppg
