"I Think You'll Be Surprised By _______" Part 1/3: The Wofford Terriers

When Selection Sunday comes around there are people around the world tuning in, many of which do not care for the College Basketball regular season and are often surprised to see some teams in the field of 68. The brackets that millions study and fill out every March consist of 32 conference winners and 36 "at-large" bids that are selected by the committee. As it often goes, the 36 at-large teams tend to reign out of the nation's power-5 or "major" conferences, but it is those who win the "mid-major" titles that are on Cinderella watch every year. The Wofford Terriers (if they are fortunate enough to get in) may be this year's edition of Loyala-Chicago, VCU, or George Mason with a few big wins that will shock many. It is so tough to try and predict these things in January, but it is equally as hard to ignore the outrageous numbers the Terrier's are putting up this campaign.

At 14-4 (6-0), Wofford is first place in the Southern Conference, but their record is hardly the most impressive thing about their club so far. Coming in at 25th in the nation in Points per Game with 83.1, the Terriers compliment that with a 49% field goal percentage (24th best nationally). For a team like Wofford, it does not hurt to play the big boys in the regular season due to the fact they will need to win their conference tournament to qualify for the big dance, so Wofford stacked up 6 power-5 opponents for this years' slate. Despite getting run out of the gym by top 5 Kansas,  the Terriers held their own in losses to Mississippi State, Oklahoma and North Carolina while grabbing a nice win against South Carolina. Now this isn't me saying Wofford will make the Final Four or even to the second weekend of the competition, but it is worth it to acknowledge the ability of this high flying team.



Led by two veteran seniors Cameron Jackson and Fletcher Magee, Wofford has all the fixin's for the classic mid-major formula. There is a reason a lot of mid-major's do not see consecutive tournament appearances and it is simple... players graduate. Often the guys who have lost those tough conference games are the ones who stick together to lead their school back to the tournament. Under the helm of 17 year head coach Mike Young, the Terriers look to get back to the NCAA tournament for the 5th time since 2010. We will really never know what this team is capable until the field is set on March 17th, but keep your eye out for Wofford when your bracket is complete and you feel you're lacking upsets. If Wofford collects an 11-13 seed they will cause problems for those who run into them, do not be afraid to select them. It is also worth noting that if you're into that whole sports betting thing, hammer the over when these guys take to the floor.

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