University of North Carolina Athletics
Know Your Opponent: Wofford
November 18, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Wofford (WoffordTerriers.com)
Location: Spartanburg, S.C.
Rankings: No. 172 KenPom, NR AP
Record: 0-1
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 2-0 (Carolina 41, Wofford 23), Jan. 14, 1926, Chapel Hill)
Wofford's best season in program history ended with a 3-point loss to Arkansas in last year's NCAA tournament, a game the Terriers led with less than five minutes to play and in which they never trailed by more than three.
Mike Young's club dominated the Southern Conference to the tune of a 16-2 league record by playing lockdown defense, especially against the 3, and turning the ball over on just 16.2 percent of possessions.
SoCon Player of the Year Karl Cochran struggled to a 4 for 19 night from the field against the Razorbacks, ending a storied career that featured consecutive NCAA trips. Effective scoring forward Lee Skinner also graduated, but the program's most significant loss occurred over the summer. Rising junior Jeremiah Tate died in a drowning accident while working as a camp counselor in June, dealing the program and the Wofford community a devastating blow. The 2015-16 Terriers have dedicated the season to Tate and will wear a special patch featuring Tate's No. 12 and his trademark bow tie.
Senior Spencer Collins, one of the three returning starters, is wearing the No. 12 jersey to honor the memory of his friend. Collins shot a team-best 37.9 percent from 3 last season and was named to the 10-man preseason All-SoCon team. As a team, Wofford was picked to finish second behind Chattanooga in what should be an extremely competitive league race.
The Terriers started five upperclassmen in the season opener against Missouri, with junior Eric Garcia and senior Justin Gordon joining Collins as returning starters. Senior C.J. Neumann and junior Jaylen Allen rounded out the lineup against the Tigers, but it was freshman Fletcher Magee who stole the show. The 6-4 shooter had a game-high 22 points in his collegiate debut and made 5 of 9 from deep. Fellow freshman Matthew Pegram is the tallest player on the roster at 6-10 and could see an expanded role off the bench against Carolina.
Wednesday is the first of three ACC matchups for the Terriers, who will also travel to Georgia Tech and Clemson before starting SoCon play. A pre-Christmas trip to Vanderbilt also highlights the non-conference slate, and Wednesday's contest in Chapel Hill will be the program's first against a No. 1 team.
