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| Wofford sophomore guard Chace Whatley (Photo courtesy of Wofford athletics) |
Wofford (19-13, 11-7 SoCon/T-2ND IN sOcOn)
Year two under Kevin Giltner figures to look a lot different in Spartanburg than it did in year one, but one thing that won't change is Wofford's winning standard, which it re-established in the first season under the leadership of former player and assistant coach Kevin Giltner.
It's weird to think that you'd have to re-establish a winning culture for a Wofford program that had just come off its own title run under the direction of head coach Dwight Perry. Perry, who was rather unceremoniously dispatched due to a minor violation a little over a month out from the season, and the former Wofford head coach has since resurfaced as an assistant on Brook Savage's staff at East Tennessee State.
In some strange world, the 2024-25 season for Wofford probably makes sense to some, however, whatever side of that fence you're on, you can't take away the achievement of winning the conference tournament no matter how lackluster and underwhelming the regular-season might have. Except for the regular-season win at Saint Louis, the non-conference slate for the Terriers and really the conference regular-season slate, save maybe the 19-point win at Furman and a win at ETSU, was forgettable.
That didn't matter in the SoCon Tournament, as Perry's Terriers reeled off wins over ETSU (W, 79-67), VMI (W, 81-61) and Furman (W, 92-85) in the SoCon Tournament to become the first No. 6 seed to ever cut down the nets at the end of the historic tournament. Perry's Terriers would go on to a decent showing as a No. 15 seed in the NCAA Tournament, dropping a 77-62 decision to No. 2 Tennessee in Lexington, KY., to bow out of the tournament.
It was a quiet off-season until it wasn't in mid-August, which was when the Perry and staff were suspended on paid leave pending an investigation into the allocation of NIL funds and on/off-campus living situations of both freshmen and incoming players from the transfer portal. There is apparently a rule that all first-year students at Wofford must have on-campus housing, and that includes student-athletes. The men's basketball program failed to honor this basic rule, and that ended up being more costly than most would have anticipated.
At best, it was probably an offense that at worst, garnered a suspension and was definitely not fireable one. But that's just my opinion.
Is there more to it? Was Director of Athletics Scott Kull looking for a reason to start anew? Those are questions that I can't answer, but what I can tell you is that given the situation, Kevin Giltner was absolutely the perfect hire.
Giltner had to deal with being a first-time head coach, managing to keep a roster intact and install his vision and tactical schematics in a little over a month's time and Giltner's coaching ability and leadership were very apparent for all to see during the regular-season. The Terriers, who were picked ninth in the preseason, finished tied for second, with an 11-7 league mark, which included a 19-13 overall record.
Unfortunately, the Terriers probably sputtered to the finish line more than Giltner and staff would have liked, but the flag had been planted and the new era of Wofford basketball under Mike Young's former right-hand man seemed more, positive than when Perry took the Terriers to the NCAA Tournament a year earlier if you can believe it.
One thing that Giltner's team had last season was an offensive identity, and that wasn't always apparent when Perry was in charge. With that, Wofford's toughness at times came up short where I think Perry's teams really excelled to a certain extent. Especially when it came to play on the defensive end of the floor, as well as having that desire to rebound. That was seemingly what Wofford did best under Perry.
While Perry's team was tougher in 2024-25 to the naked eye in some ways, I think it's unfair on the same hand to judge Giltner's team in his first season on the job with such a short time to prepare for the season, and I would be willing to bet that is a much different story in 2026-27 than it was in 2025-26.
The 2026-27 season will involve rebuilding without the three top scorers from a year ago, however, Giltner has assembled quite a recruiting class to go with another talented crop of newcomers for the new season, which feels a little more like his first season in charge, having had a full off-season to recruit and install some of his team winning philosophy.
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| Wofford sophomore forward Brian Sumpter (photo courtesy of Wofford Athletics) |
Portal Losses/Portal Adds and Returners
One thing is for sure; the Terriers will look a lot different offensively. Wofford loses its top three players to major programs, with Kahmare Holmes set to continue his career at DePaul, while both Nils Machowski and Cayden Vasko are set to join both UConn and Central Florida next season.
That leaves just four core players that were part of the team last season, with only three of those seeing time on the floor, as Cannon Richards sat out the season with an injury, as he saw action in only two contests the entire season.
The other two core players that return to the fold include both Chace Watley, who acclimated to the incredibly well in his first season with the Terriers, and he'll be one of the go-to-scorers heading into the season.
Watley is a player that will see much of what Wofford wants to do built around him next season. The 6-2 guard ended up appearing in all 32 games last season, logging a total of 15 starts and was the first man off the bench in the other 17 games of the season. Led Wofford's freshmen on the roster in scoring, averaging 9.7 PPG and is the leading returning scorer off of last year's team.
Watley would end up enjoying one of his best games of the season on his Birthday, against ETSU which was Feb. 1, 2026, in a game that had to be moved back due to a snowstorm. Although tip-off time had to be moved back until 7 p.m. EST, and the no spectators were allowed outside of the students already on campus, it didn't phase Watley in the least, as the young guard went on to have one his best performances of the entire season despite the 86-72 setback.
The Minneapolis, MN., native went on to finish the contest with 19 points, as he knocked down 6-of-15 from the field, but was 5-for-9 from two-point range, but struggled overall from the perimeter, going just 1-for-6 from long range. Watley also finished that contest against the Bucs a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
Watley finsihed the season connecting on 39.8% (100-of-251) from the field and connected on 30.6% (30-of-98) from three-point range. He finished the season with 15 double-figure scoring performances and will be a candidate for all-conference accolades heading into the 2026-27 season.
Brian Sumpter will most obviously be another focal point of the 2026-27 Terriers, and I think he's going to make quite the jump from year one to year two in the lineup for Wofford. His athleticism is elite, and I look for him to develop into an impactful player this season on both ends of the floor.
Sumpter is coming off a strong freshman season and should make a clear jump in year two. The rising sophomore from Columbia logged action in 31 games for the Terriers this past season, starting 21 of those contests, and finished the season averaging 6.6 PPG and 4.9 RPG. His best performance of the campaign came in a 21-point, 11-rebound contest in his second-career game against Milwaukee. He also record a career-high 14 rebounds to go along with 10 points in Wofford's big 74-70 win in Greenville.
All told, Sumpter finished out the season with eight games in which he scored in double figures, logging double-figure scoring outings against Furman, Samford, and Mercer during a key stretch of games. He also ended up posting 12 points and eight rebounds in the 86-72 home loss to East Tennessee State on Feb. 1.
For the season, Sumpter ended up connecting on an impressive 59.9% (85-of-142) of his shots from the field and his 39 blocks accounted for the fourth-most in school history. Sumpter wasn't a three-point threat in his first season for the Terriers, or at least not yet, as he finished the season connecting on just 16.7% (2-of-12) from long-range last season. Sumpter also finished the campaign connecting at a 61.5% (32-of-52) from the free throw line.
Sumpter is one of the best athletes on the team, and he reminds me of a young Jalen Slawson at Furman. He has all the tools to go down as one of the greats in Terrier history, should he choose to remain in Spartanburg all four years, which seems less likely in this day and age than ever.
Luke Flynn returns as the most veteran performer on this roster heading into the 2026-27 campaign, and he will be the unquestioned glue guy for the Terriers this coming season, and there was a noticeable affect when Flynn suffered an injury that kept him out for the second half of Southern Conference play.
The 6-1, 185-lb guard is entering his junior season and his presence on this team might be the biggest piece to a hopeful championship winning puzzle. He comes off a 2025-26 campaign, which saw him average 5.6 PPG and 3.3 RPG, while shooting 33.8% (26-of-77) from three-point range, while shooting 33.0% (34-of-103) from the field. Flynn started 18 of 21 games for Wofford last season and has totaled 19 starts in 55 games over the course of two seasons in a Terriers uniform.
He finished his sophomore season with four double-figure scoring performances, highlighted by 16 points on 4-for-8 shooting from the field, including going 3-for-6 from three-point range in a 94-86 win over Bellarmine. The 16-point effort against the Knights marked a career-high scoring performance for Flynn. For the season, Flynn totaled 119 points, 81 rebounds, 25 assists, 14 steals and one block.
Rounding out the returning Terriers from a year ago, include rising senior guard Davis Miller and junior guard Grayson Collins, as both saw only limited time last season for the Terriers, with Collins logging action in eight games, while Miller finished the season having appeared in six contests.
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| Black Hills State transfer guard Cameron Lowe |
One of the early additions head coach Kevin Giltner and staff were able to bring in from the transfer portal might also turn out to be the most significant addition as a part of what was a solid portal haul.
Cameron Lowe will help immediately offset the losses underneath in the backcourt, and the 6-6, 215-lb redshirt junior will add versatility and size heading into the upcoming campaign. Lowe transferred into the Terriers program from NCAA Division II Black Hills State in South Dakota.
While at Black Hills State, Lowe was the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year following a 2025-26 season, which saw him average 17 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 2.7 APG, as he helped the Yellow Jackets to a 30-5 overall record and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Division II tournament. In addition to garnering his conference's Player of the Year honor, Lowe was also named an NABC Division II All-American.
He finished the 2025-26 season by scoring in double figures in 29 of 35 games, which included scoring a career-high 31 points in an 85-63 win over Colorado Mesa. In that particular contest, Lowe was able to finish the game a near-flawless 12-of-15 from the field, which included an 70% (7-of-10) shooting night from three-point land.
Lowe finished the season with 14 games in which he scored 20 or more points this season, including that 31-point performance. He connected on 39.5% (92-of-233) of his three-point field goals in his final season at Black Hills State, while finishing the season with a 47.5% (209-of-440) from the field.
His ability to score and his size and versatility will key for head coach Kevin Giltner in the coming season. Lowe is especially in that he can score at all three levels and can post in the paint and score on the low block. He can also play multiple positions, allowing the Terrier coaching staff to have multiple lineup options.
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| Lander transfer guard Jacob Daniels |
The rising sophomore will have three years of eligibility remaining, and he was an impact player for the Bearcats in his rookie season of playing college basketball, starting 34 of 36 games for Lander and finished second on the team in scoring average, posting 13.6 PPG and 5.6 APG. He also finished the season with a season-high 201 assists, while also pulling down 3.3 RPG. Daniels was named the Peach Belt Freshman of the Year for the 2025-26 season.
He will likely challenge for a significant role at point guard but can also play off the ball and scored in double figures on 29 occasions last season, including scoring 20 or more points on six different times last season. His best performance came in a game against the quarterfinals of the Peach Belt Tournament, as he posted 23 points and 10 assists to register a double-double, while also grabbing six rebounds to flirt with a triple-double.
Daniels was also outstanding on the defensive end of the floor in the 91-81 win, registering three steals. His 23-point performance came as the result of a 9-for-12 shooting outing. He shot an impressive 54.7% (185-of-338) for the season, but struggled as a perimeter shooter, finishing the season at just 28.9% (28-of-97). Daniels also connected at a 70.5% (93-of-132) clip from the free throw line in his only season at Lander, helping the program to its most wins in its history, as the Bearcats finished the 2025-26 season 30-6.
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| Jacksonville transfer guard Chris Arias |
Rounding out the key additions made in the backcourt from the transfer portal is 6-6 wing guard Chris Arias, who arrives in Spartanburg following two seasons with the Jacksonville Dolphins in the Atlantic Sun.
The lanky, athletic wing saw action in 30 games in the most recent season for the Dolphins, averaging 7.3 PPG and 2.3 RPG, as well as shooting 36.1% from three-point range (43-of-119), and was a 41.0% (139-of-340) from the field. He was selected to the pre-season All Atlantic Sun team and will be most remembered for his game-winning three-pointer to beat VMI last season in Lexington, which made the SportsCenter Top 10 Plays.
That three was part of a career afternoon for Arias, who finished with a career-best 24 points in the win. He will be another player that can reliably hit the outside shot for head coach Kevin Giltner's Terriers if called upon to do so in the upcoming season.
The only addition via the transfer portal to the frontcourt is a pretty big one...literally. UVA-Wise transfer center Evan Ramsey has two seasons of eligibility remaining, and the 7-0, 250-lb native of Abingdon, VA., started all 31 games he logged action in last season for the Terriers, finishing out what was an impressive campaign by averaging 14.1 PPG and 7.8 RPG to go with 57 blocks.
He is a legitimate rim protector and finished out the 2025-26 season with a pair of six-block games for the Cavaliers. Ramsey was a big reason why the Cavaliers finished with its most wins (20) since making the jump to the NCAA Division II level. Ramsey was a All-SAC First Team selection in 2025-26.
He will also be an impact player in the paint on both ends for Wofford, as he will contend for a starting spot.
Ramsey posted his best game of the 2025-26 season in a 91-83 loss to the Trojans, as he posted 24 points and 13 rebounds, as he finished 8-of-13 from the field and was 8-for-9 from the charity stripe.
All told, Ramsey finished his redshirt sophomore season by posting double-figure scoring efforts in 27 of 31 outings and posted seven double-doubles last season. Ramsey also finished the 2026-27 season connecting on 58.1% (162-of-279) and was a 73% (192-of-264) from the free throw line.
In his redshirt freshman campaign for the Cavaliers, Ramsey averaged a double-double, as he posted 14.5 PPG and 10 RPG en route to garnering All-SAC Second Team plaudits. Like the 2025-26 season, Ramsey proved to be an impact player on the defensive end of the floor in his redshirt freshman campaign, as he blocked 50 shots as a rookie.
Freshman Additions
Headlining the list of five newcomers is 6-9, 270-lb freshman big man Cutter Sisk out of Hendersonville, Tenn.
Sisk was the first signee of the current 2026-27 class, as he inked his official letter of intent last November, having already reached the 1,000-pt and 500-rebound plateau before his senior season at Beech High School in Hendersonville, Tenn.
Sisk was a Class 4A "Mr. Basketball" finalist and a district/region MVP. He led Beech High School to its first state title since 2009, hitting a buzzer-beater against Lebanon in the state title game as a junior, finishing off his junior campaign in dream fashion.
Because of his high basketball IQ and tremendous skill as a power forward, Sisk garnered the nickname "Baby Jokic", which is reference to Denver Nuggets star power forward Nikola Jokic of course. After averaging a double-double as a junior, Sisk finished out his final season as a prep averaging 23 PPG and 10 RPG, as he led the Buccaneers to the brink of a second-straight state title, which came up just short in the state quarterfinals, scoring 33 of his team's 52 points in what was a 55-52 loss to Bearden.
Bearden will offer the perfect complement in the paint to guys like Sumpter and Ramsey, and I think and expect to see Sisk to get some pretty significant playing time in his rookie campaign for the Terriers because of his size and overall strength in the paint.
The other four freshman additions came in the backcourt, with some impressive signees highlighting the newcomers in the backcourt, with Jhett Carter and Jyi Dawkins among those that could join Sisk in making an immediate impact for the Terriers this coming season.
Dawkins had originally committed to play for Western Carolina in the fall, but then decommitted and found his way to Wofford, where he could make an impact with his ability to score at all three levels on the floor.
Dawkins was one of the nation's top scorers in his final two seasons with Ben L. Smith High School in Greensboro, choosing Wofford over other offers from Campbell, North Carolina A&T, UNC Greensboro, and Cleveland State, and he is a three-star recruit.
He will give the Terriers an athletic combo guard that can score in a variety of different ways, and it sets up for him to be one of the top freshmen in the SoCon next season. His 32.6 PPG last season ranked him 14th nationally in scoring in his final season as a prep. He added 13.1 RPG and 5.2 APG as a senior. He is unequivocally a player that has a chance to be a game-changer for Wofford as soon as the 2026-27 season.
Set to join up alongside Dawkins will be Jhett Carter, who is another 6-5 combo guard that will have a chance to come in and be a difference-maker as well in the backcourt for the Terriers. During his high school career at Hargrave Military Academy, the Titusville, FL., native finished his career with 1,790 points, 814 rebounds, and 238 steals, showing his all-around game.
Carter is versatile enough to play either a third guard spot, or at small forward. He chose Wofford over offers from East Carolina, Georgia State, Ohio, Albany, Hampton and Holy Cross. Carter is known for his defensive capabilities and was named All Elite Prep League Defensive Team in each of his final two seasons, as well as being a First-Team All-EPL selection following the 2025-26 campaign.
Jemon Price and Misho Kalinov round out the talented freshman signing class for the Terriers. Price is a 6-2 guard out of Westfield High School in Virginia, garnering 6A State Player of the Year honors as a senior following a 2025-26 season, which saw him average 18.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 2.5 APG and in his senior season, scored 20 or more points nine times on the season, which included a season-high 32-point outing.
The 6-2 point guard turned in a brilliant high school career at Westfield HS, scoring over 1,200 points in his four-year career, and was named to the Washington D.C. Area Coaches All-Met First Team. Price is a three-star guard and will offer depth at the point guard spot for the Terriers this season, but is versatile enough to play on the wing.
Kalinov will the Terriers an Eastern European Bloc influence, as he comes to Spartanburg all the way from Silistra, Bulgaria, and averaged 16 PPG, 3.6 PPG, and 5.5 APG, starring for BC Botev 2012 in the Bulgarian NBL this past year. He enjoyed his best performance against Balkan Botevgrad, posting a season-high 26 points to go with six assists. Kalinov brings with him to Wofford some major international experience, having competed in the 2025 FIBA U18 EuroBasket League, averaging 8.6 PPG and had a +8.6 efficiency rating.
Overall, this is an outstanding class of five signees, and if you include the three additions from the transfer portal, the eight overall additions in total marks one of the top signing classes in the SoCon heading into the 2026-27. I had the Terriers ranked fourth out of the 11 teams in the league in my recruiting rankings coming into the summer.
Wofford Terriers Early outlook for 2026-27
Wofford comes off a season that saw the Terriers surprise everyone by finishing the campaign by finishing second after being picked ninth. The reality of the 2025-26 season we learned is that despite the coaching change, the talent will always translate.Plus it was also a huge advantage that Kevin Giltner had with the program, as he is not only an alum, but was also an assistant for Mike Young as assistant for six seasons, while spending six more as Young's assistant at Virginia Tech.
With a year under his belt and having had a full off-season to implement schemes both offensively, as well as on the defensive end, expect the Terriers to once again be among the handful of teams that could contend for a conference title once again this season.
Terriers Breakdown:
Starters Experience Lost: (6)--G-Kahmare Holmes (26 starts, 19.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG/transferred to Depaul); Nils Machowski (32 starts, 17.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 91 made three-pointers/transferred to UConn); G-Cayden Vasko (32 starts, 10.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 54 made three-pointers/transferred to Central Florida); F/C Rex Stirling (9 starts, 5.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG/transferred to Jacksonville); G--Brendan Rigsbee (5 starts, 4.2 PPG, 1.7 RPG)
Others Lost: (2)-G-Jayden Tyler (5.4 PPG, 1.0 RPG/transferred to Youngstown State); G-Maximo Ortega (3.3 PPG, 1.0 RPG)
Best Returning Player: G-Chace Watley (9.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG)
Potential Breakout Player in 2026-27: F-Brian Sumpter (6.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG)
Best Transfer Portal Get: G/F-Cam Lowe (Black Hills State) or G-Jacob Daniels (Lander)
Potential Glue Guy: G-Luke Flynn (5.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG)
Best Freshman Addition: G-Jyi Dawkins (Ben L. Smith HS/Greensboro, N.C.)
Overall Portal/Recruiting Synopsis and Grade: A-
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