Southern Wayne senior Chris McDuffie Jr., middle, signed a national letter of intent to play basketball next season at Tiffin University in Ohio. With McDuffie is assistant coach Cody Rose, left, and second-year head coach Brian West, right. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Teammates sit and stand with Chris McDuffie Jr. after the Southern Wayne senior signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at Tiffin University in Ohio on Wednesday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Karen McCullen, left, claps with everyone else after Chris McDuffie Jr., right, signed to play basketball next season at Tiffin University. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
An emotional Chris McDuffie Jr. gets a hug from sister Katrina Jones after signing on the dotted line agreeing to play basketball next season at Tiffin University in Ohio. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne senior Chris McDuffie Jr., middle, is pictured with, from left, father Christopher McDuffie Sr., mother Karen McCullen, brother Phillip McDuffie and grandfather Council McCullen. Standing behind McDuffie Jr. from left are sisters Emani McDuffie and Katrina Jones. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne senior Chris McDuffie Jr. grins proudly while he signs a national letter of intent to play basketball next season. McDuffie Jr. helped lead the Saints to 13 wins, a top-four finish in Quad County 3A play and their first playoff trip since 2018. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
DUDLEY — Adversity builds character.
Yes, it’s an over-used adage. Then again, it perfectly describes Chris McDuffie, Jr.
Relentless perseverance from challenging obstacles may have seemed insurmountable and limiting for the Southern Wayne senior this season, however, those potential “road blocks” allowed him to develop a necessary grit that resulted in a well-earned goal Wednesday afternoon.
Surrounded by his family and friends, McDuffie Jr. grinned proudly as he signed a national letter of intent to play basketball next season at Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio.
“I feel like since I grew up here and a lot of bad stuff has happened, I want to change the environment,” McDuffie Jr. said. “I want kids [in the community] to know it’s not hard to get away from home if you work hard, stay committed and have laser focus.”
McDuffie Jr. experienced gut-wrenching moments last semester.
A close family member received a cancer diagnosis before Thanksgiving. During the Christmas holidays, his mom’s house became bullet ridden from a violent incident. No one suffered any injuries, but it took an emotional toll.
Heartfelt family discussions followed.
Everyone readily agreed that McDuffie Jr. needed to leave Wayne County, even if Tiffin is 10 hours away.
“The goal this year, when we first started, was to make sure we got him in a better position life-wise so he can help himself, get a fresh start and go do what he needed to do as a young man, first, and a student-athlete, second,” SW head coach Brian West said.
Southern Wayne entered the holiday break 4-6.
That didn’t sit well with McDuffie Jr. or his teammates.
Practices became physical. Tempers flared, which led to scuffles.
“That made us grow up as a team,” McDuffie Jr. said.
The Saints started to click on both ends of the floor and opened some eyes among their Quad County 3A peers. They started league play 3-0, hit a rough patch and finished 9-5.
McDuffie Jr. faced another hurdle during the second-half surge. He endured a knee injury that benched him for a couple of weeks.
No longer channeling his inner “Charles Barkley” on the court, he became a cheerleader and assistant coach on the bench. He returned to play in Southern Wayne’s finale — a first-round playoff loss at White Oak.
“Chris was one of our leaders and he pushed everybody, saying ‘we’ve got to go hard,’” West said. “His leadership from the bench showed a sign of maturity in his character. [This year], his effort was better. He worked harder.
“He was more aware … knew his spots on defense. When his character began to evolve, you could see growth in every other area of his life.”
McDuffie averaged 8.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He posted a season- and career-high 16 points against South Johnston in early January.
The 5-foot-11 forward matched his career and season high for rebounds (10) on four occasions.
Southern Wayne’s 13 wins overall and nine league victories were the most since the 2018-19 season. The Saints made their first postseason trip since 2018.
West feels McDuffie Jr.’s coachability and work ethic will lead to success at the next level. It helps that the Dragons play an up-tempo offense that suits his aggressive mentality.
“They’re like Coach West, really down to earth,” McDuffie Jr. said. “They’re real, don’t sugarcoat anything and I’m that way. I communicate on defense, play hard. I rebound, score the ball and when a pass is needed, I always try to make that one extra pass.”
McDuffie Jr. plans to major in biology and history — another chapter to pen once his collegiate career ends.
Let the writing begin.
