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For the first time in six seasons, the Wofford Terriers men’s basketball team gathered in the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium to see their name come up on the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Selection Show.
Players, coaches, and fans stood and cheered when the announcement came: Wofford, seeded 15 in the Midwest Region, will face number two Tennessee on Thursday in Lexington, Ky.
“We played Tennessee last season, and we know they’re a great team,” said starting center Kyler Filewich. “We are super excited for the opportunity to go in there and try to make some noise.”
Filewich, who hails from Winnipeg, Canada, was named the most valuable player of the Southern Conference Tournament. Wofford’s win over arch-rival Furman in the championship game gave the Terriers the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Wofford’s postseason run has generated high-level excitement on campus and in the community.
Busloads of students, along with a sizable crowd of alumni and other fans, traveled to Asheville for the championship game. It made for a raucous atmosphere, especially as Wofford pulled away in the final minute of the game.
“It was really nice having our fans there, and it definitely helped us,” said Filewich, who has gained national attention for his unusual method of shooting free throws.
To say he was struggling from the line during the season would be an understatement. So, with encouragement from head coach Dwight Perry, Filewich switched to shooting foul shots underhanded – commonly referred to as “granny style.”
He even got in-person tutoring from Hall of Famer Rick Barry, who shot free throws underhanded and almost never missed.
More: Wofford basketball tickets in 2025 NCAA Tournament: Prices, how to buy
Filewich’s percentage has improved some – though not drastically. He did, however, make two key foul shots in the second half of the championship game against Furman. A Wofford student was shown on TV holding up a Canadian flag after Filewich’s two clutch shots.
“A Southern Conference championship brings the campus community together in powerful ways,” said Wofford President Nayef Samhat.
“It’s an extraordinarily exciting time in the lives of students and the college.”
Leland Burch has been following Wofford athletics since 1957, when he enrolled as a freshman at the college. He was in attendance Sunday for the NCAA Tournament announcement.
“It’s great fun to be here,” Burch said. “It really is a joy to see the success of this team after they had some incredibly close losses during the season.”
Wofford finished 10-8 in league play during the regular season. One of those close losses came against Furman – a 78-75 heartbreaker – in the final home game.
“Who knows how they’ll do in the tournament,” Burch said. “But I’m so proud of them.”
Matt Pegram came from Greenville on Sunday to support the Terriers.
He was a backup center on Wofford’s 2019 team. That group featured Fletcher Magee, who set the NCAA record for most made three-point shots, and went undefeated in league play before earning Wofford’s first-ever win in the NCAA Tournament.
“Now I’m just a normal fan, and I’m loving it,” Pegram said. “This is awesome.”
Mike Young was the coach of the 2019 team – his fifth NCAA tourney squad. Following that historic season, Young took the head coaching position at Virginia Tech.
The Wofford job then went to Young's top assistant, Jay McAuley, who brought Dwight Perry over from Furman's staff. Perry is now in his second full season as Wofford’s head coach. He spent most of the 2022-2023 season as interim head coach following the sudden departure of coach Jay McAuley.
Perry has been credited with guiding Wofford through the upheaval of McAuley's tumultuous departure as well as changes in the college basketball landscape that include what's known as the "transfer portal" — a system in which players can easily transfer from one school to another.
Wofford has lost its share of transfers, including several really talented players, but most of the key performers from the 2023-2024 team opted to return.
“We believe in Perry,” said Pegram, who was standing beside his former teammate Trevor Stumpe.
“It’s great to see the team carry through that championship culture, to bring it full circle,” Stumpe added.
Perry said players and coaches are soaking up the experience. He thanked everyone who came out on Sunday and said it’s gratifying to see fans rally around the team and take part in the excitement.
“It’s a blessing to have the opportunity to do this for the community,” he said.
Through all the hoopla and happy emotions, Perry said his team remains focused on basketball.
“Obviously, Tennessee is great, but like any other opponent, we’ll have to do a deep dive to figure out what we can do to give ourselves a chance,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to continuing the season this week in Lexington.”
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Wofford to take on Tennessee in NCAA March Madness tourney first round
Continue reading...
Players, coaches, and fans stood and cheered when the announcement came: Wofford, seeded 15 in the Midwest Region, will face number two Tennessee on Thursday in Lexington, Ky.
You must be registered for see images
“We played Tennessee last season, and we know they’re a great team,” said starting center Kyler Filewich. “We are super excited for the opportunity to go in there and try to make some noise.”
Filewich, who hails from Winnipeg, Canada, was named the most valuable player of the Southern Conference Tournament. Wofford’s win over arch-rival Furman in the championship game gave the Terriers the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Wofford’s postseason run has generated high-level excitement on campus and in the community.
Busloads of students, along with a sizable crowd of alumni and other fans, traveled to Asheville for the championship game. It made for a raucous atmosphere, especially as Wofford pulled away in the final minute of the game.
“It was really nice having our fans there, and it definitely helped us,” said Filewich, who has gained national attention for his unusual method of shooting free throws.
You must be registered for see images attach
To say he was struggling from the line during the season would be an understatement. So, with encouragement from head coach Dwight Perry, Filewich switched to shooting foul shots underhanded – commonly referred to as “granny style.”
He even got in-person tutoring from Hall of Famer Rick Barry, who shot free throws underhanded and almost never missed.
More: Wofford basketball tickets in 2025 NCAA Tournament: Prices, how to buy
Filewich’s percentage has improved some – though not drastically. He did, however, make two key foul shots in the second half of the championship game against Furman. A Wofford student was shown on TV holding up a Canadian flag after Filewich’s two clutch shots.
“A Southern Conference championship brings the campus community together in powerful ways,” said Wofford President Nayef Samhat.
“It’s an extraordinarily exciting time in the lives of students and the college.”
You must be registered for see images attach
Leland Burch has been following Wofford athletics since 1957, when he enrolled as a freshman at the college. He was in attendance Sunday for the NCAA Tournament announcement.
“It’s great fun to be here,” Burch said. “It really is a joy to see the success of this team after they had some incredibly close losses during the season.”
Wofford finished 10-8 in league play during the regular season. One of those close losses came against Furman – a 78-75 heartbreaker – in the final home game.
“Who knows how they’ll do in the tournament,” Burch said. “But I’m so proud of them.”
You must be registered for see images
Matt Pegram came from Greenville on Sunday to support the Terriers.
He was a backup center on Wofford’s 2019 team. That group featured Fletcher Magee, who set the NCAA record for most made three-point shots, and went undefeated in league play before earning Wofford’s first-ever win in the NCAA Tournament.
“Now I’m just a normal fan, and I’m loving it,” Pegram said. “This is awesome.”
Mike Young was the coach of the 2019 team – his fifth NCAA tourney squad. Following that historic season, Young took the head coaching position at Virginia Tech.
The Wofford job then went to Young's top assistant, Jay McAuley, who brought Dwight Perry over from Furman's staff. Perry is now in his second full season as Wofford’s head coach. He spent most of the 2022-2023 season as interim head coach following the sudden departure of coach Jay McAuley.
Perry has been credited with guiding Wofford through the upheaval of McAuley's tumultuous departure as well as changes in the college basketball landscape that include what's known as the "transfer portal" — a system in which players can easily transfer from one school to another.
Wofford has lost its share of transfers, including several really talented players, but most of the key performers from the 2023-2024 team opted to return.
“We believe in Perry,” said Pegram, who was standing beside his former teammate Trevor Stumpe.
“It’s great to see the team carry through that championship culture, to bring it full circle,” Stumpe added.
You must be registered for see images attach
Perry said players and coaches are soaking up the experience. He thanked everyone who came out on Sunday and said it’s gratifying to see fans rally around the team and take part in the excitement.
“It’s a blessing to have the opportunity to do this for the community,” he said.
Through all the hoopla and happy emotions, Perry said his team remains focused on basketball.
“Obviously, Tennessee is great, but like any other opponent, we’ll have to do a deep dive to figure out what we can do to give ourselves a chance,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to continuing the season this week in Lexington.”
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Wofford to take on Tennessee in NCAA March Madness tourney first round
Continue reading...
