Senior Spotlight: Eric Terry

By Gage Sutton
Sports Reporter

You can’t talk about the success of the Texas State men’s basketball team this year without mentioning the seniors who played such a huge role in helping the Bobcats finish 20-11 this season.

While many consider Nijal Pearson the star of the squad, there’s another player who’s impact has been just as important. Senior forward Eric Terry is not a player that should be taken lightly heading into the tournament and has proven to be a reliable piece down the stretch for the Bobcats. 

Terrys nickname, ET, might be just his initials; however, there may be more to this nickname than just that. “ET” is a fitting nickname for Terry because at times throughout his career at Texas State, he seemed to be an extraterrestrial and played out of this world. (See what we did there?)

This season’s triple overtime game against UT Arlington perfectly proves my point. Terry went into the late season game and scored a career high 30 points off of 12-of-17 shooting and added nine rebounds to his stat line, ultimately leading his team to their first road win over UTA in nearly a decade.

But before his stint with the Bobcats, Terry began his collegiate career at Temple after coming out of Westside High School in Houston, Texas. After transferring from Temple, Terry was redshirted in the 2016-2017 season. Terry then went on to play his sophomore, junior and is completing his senior year at Texas State. 

It’s been a long road with a lot of challenges throughout the years but one thing that always remained the same for Terry: consistency on the court. Since he started playing basketball at the collegiate level, Terry hasn’t missed a single game and hasn’t averaged less than five points in any of his four seasons despite having different roles on his team each season. 

Now let’s fast forward to the present: Terry’s senior year. A starter in every game this season, the senior forward has kept his averages nearly identical to his totals from his junior year and has done even more for the Bobcats than what just reading the stat sheet will tell you. 

From playing harassing defense to drawing charges, there are plenty of in-game skills that ET added to his game but perhaps the most important element he’s added to his game is leadership. 

Terry may not be a 20 point per game scorer, but his presence in the locker room is extremely valuable for this team heading into the Sun Belt Conference tournament. Terry is an unselfish player who always does what’s best for the team regardless of what it means for his personal stats. 

“Whatever my team needs, I’m going to do it for them,” Terry said. “Whether it’s taking charges, getting rebounds or anything like that, I’m going to do it.”

Alongside the senior leadership Terry brings, it’s impossible to ignore the versatility he brings to the forward spot. Terry stands at 6-foot-8, 230 pounds and does everything pretty well on the court. 

Terry has been an impact player since he started playing collegiately and it sure seems he will continue to be one as the Bobcats prepare to host the No. 6 seeded Appalachian State Mountaineers in the 2020 Sun Belt Conference quarterfinal game on Wednesday. 

Whatever the outcome is for the ‘Cats within the sunbelt tournament, nothing can change the fact that ET has been a key contributor for the Texas State basketball program the last three seasons. Terry has cemented his Bobcat legacy as a player that this team and fans will appreciate forever.

Featured image by Kate Connors.