Dec. 16, 2009
Samford senior guard Megan Wilderotter has experienced her share of high moments and low moments since becoming involved in the game of basketball.
Wilderotter first started playing the game that would eventually bring her to Samford University after seeing her brother play at an early age.
"My brother (Eric) played basketball and I wanted to play with him," Wilderotter said. "He'd go in the back yard with me and teach me how to shoot the ball. I actually didn't have a basketball, just a plastic bowling ball that I would try to shoot at the goal in the back yard."
Wilderotter picked up the game quickly and then began attending camps and eventually playing on her school and AAU teams. Wilderotter, however, came close to giving up basketball early in her career.
"There was a time, at the beginning of high school, where I got tired of it, kind of burned out," Wilderotter said. "I was tired of getting yelled at, it just wasn't fun for me anymore. So I took a summer and didn't play for the team I normally played for, but played for more of a low-key team. "
Wilderotter said, however, it did not take her long to start missing playing basketball at a higher level. She found a new team to play for and she credits the coaches of that team with helping her rediscover her love for the game of basketball.
"The summer after that, I was kind of missing it," Wilderotter said. "So, I played for this team in Baton Rouge and my two coaches there, Tami Reynolds and Ryan Daily, had a different approach to the game. I would say they really helped me find the love of the game again. They were intense, but they were also like, if you're not having fun, it's not worth it. So first and foremost, we are going to have a good time."
Wilderotter, a native of New Orleans, La., played her high school basketball at Dominican High School. Wilderotter helped lead her team to three-straight state finals appearances while also being named to the All-District, All-Orleans and All-Metro teams.
Wilderotter was a two-sport star in high school, as she was standout on her school's volleyball team as well. In addition to her basketball accolades, she was named All-District and All-State in volleyball at Dominican.
When Wilderotter began looking at where she wanted to attend college, she talked to a former coach for advice and that coach was the first to tell her about Samford.
"I talked to my old high school coach who coached me my freshman and sophomore years," Wilderotter said. "She was actually at Tulane at the time and was breaking down film and saw Samford and saw that they ran the Princeton Offense, which is what we ran in high school.
"So, I sent a tape to Samford and that is how it all started," Wilderotter said. "And (Samford) Coach (Mike) Morris actually watched the tape, which was good."
Wilderotter said, in addition to running the same offense she had in high school, she had several reasons for choosing to attend Samford.
"The campus was really beautiful, and I liked that," Wilderotter said. "It was close to home, it wasn't too far away. I felt comfortable here and I liked the players. It was a good place for me to go."
Wilderotter was able to contribute right away when she arrived at Samford. As a freshman, she played in 28 games, including one start. In her first season of college basketball, Wilderotter finished third on the team in assists with 57.
She continued to improve as a sophomore, playing in all 31 games, including 24 starts. She dished out 61 assists, good for second on the team, and she scored 187 points, the highest single-season point total of her career.
Wilderotter began her third season at Samford well, starting the first eight games of the season, averaging six points and three rebounds per game. However, while playing 14th-ranked George Washington in a tournament in her hometown of New Orleans, Wilderotter suffered a torn ACL, which ended her season.
"It was extremely difficult," Wilderotter said. "Because, I feel like that year, through the first eight games, we were playing really well. In my five years here, that was probably the best we started off a season. That was the most difficult part."
Wilderotter was able to receive a medical redshirt so she could return as a redshirt junior for the 2008-09 season. As it turned out, the eighth game was the final game she could have played in and still been eligible for a medical redshirt under NCAA rules.
"It scared me at first because I didn't know if I'd get that year back," Wilderotter said. "I knew I was close. I was worried about that until I found out I was going to get that year back."
Wilderotter said sitting out that year made her want to play even more, and it also changed the way she approached the game of basketball.
"It made me less hard on myself," Wilderotter said. "I sat out and I missed it and I really missed being competitive. I felt like I really wasn't a part of the team. So, now when I'm out there, I really try to concentrate on just enjoying my time out there, because I know at any time it can be taken away from me."
As a redshirt junior in 2008-09, Wilderotter picked up where she left off the previous season. She played in all 29 games, starting 28 contests. She led the team in both assists, with 73 and steals with 40, both career highs.
In the first four seasons Wilderotter has been a part of the Samford program, she has helped lead the Bulldogs to four of the five best records in program history, including the program's only three 20-plus win seasons.
Wilderotter says she knows the program hasn't always been as strong as it is now. She said that the current players have the players who have come through the program in the past to thank for the successes the team has enjoyed over the past few years.
"The people who play at Samford now, and especially the younger players, kind of take it for granted that we are going to come out and win 20 games every year," Wilderotter said. "I know it wasn't like that before, like when (Assistant) Coach (Andrea) Ward was here, and the other players who have been here before. So, really it's thanks to them that we can be successful now."
Prior to her senior season, Wilderotter was named one of Samford's four captains, along with fellow senior Monica Maxwell and juniors Emily London and Savannah Hill. Wilderotter said she was honored to be named captain.
"It's a real honor for me because I know there are a lot of good girls, character-wise on the team," Wilderotter said. "I feel like anybody he could have picked would have been a good choice. Everybody on our team has the right mindset when it comes to team first. It's a great group of girls, we get along with everyone really well, and I just feel honored and privileged to even be a part of the team."
Through the first 10 games of her senior season, Wilderotter ranks sixth on Samford's career assists list with 234 for her career. She also ranks seventh in school history in steals with 115 and ninth in free throws with 153 in her collegiate career.
In addition to her experiences on the basketball team, Wilderotter has been heavily involved in Samford's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). She has also maintained a high grade-point average throughout her time at Samford.
"I feel it's important to stay involved in a lot of things and to keep yourself well-rounded," Wilderotter said. "It's an opportunity to meet new people too, which is important to me. Through SAAC, I've met a lot of new people and made a lot of friends."
Wilderotter said she has had a great experience at Samford, though it has been different than she expected it to be.
"My experience at Samford has been different than I expected it to be," Wilderotter said. "My brother and sister both went to LSU, so I was kind of expecting it to be more like that. But, it has been a really good experience for me, and definitely what I needed. I don't think I would have been able to thrive in a bigger college setting. I'm definitely glad I came to a smaller school."
