All season, Terrence Wright has been on the move. From game to game, sometimes minute to minute, Wright's assignment has changed under Morgan State basketball coach Lynn Ramage.
"My best attribute is also my biggest downfall. I play so many different positions, I don't know where my niche is," said Wright, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound senior who is listed as a guard but has played all five positions this year. "I can't think of one thing that I do really well."
"I picture Terrence walking around on the court with his tool belt on, asking what he needs to do to help us," Ramage said.
One thing Wright has done consistently is stand out on a Morgan State team that has experienced few good nights during his four years in the program. His best moments have come at the small forward spot, where his slashing moves to the basket, medium-range shooting and quick hands create the most problems for opponents.
As the Bears prepare to play host to this week's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament -- seventh-seeded Morgan State (5-21) plays second-seeded South Carolina State in Thursday's quarterfinals -- Wright reflected on a career that has been marked mostly by losses.
He also looked back on a fine season. He leads the team in scoring (13.0 ppg), and last week set a school record for career steals (168). He is also averaging 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and is shooting a team-high 58 percent from the field. But the numbers lose impact when Wright considers the bigger picture.
"I've stopped counting the losses. For four years, it seems like we've always come up short," said Wright, whose Morgan State teams have gone 31-76 over the past four years. "I've made a lot of sacrifices to fit into the system this year."
It has been another unsettling year for the Bears. Their youth, lack of size and tough early-season road schedule have combined to produce their sixth consecutive losing season. The Bears began the year with 12 straight losses and were the nation's last Division I team to win a game. They did improve on last season by avoiding the league cellar.
Ramage, a former Morgan State assistant who took over on an interim basis after Michael Holmes was fired last spring, has juggled the lineup lately, giving more minutes to players such as freshman guard Jerard Rucker and sophomore guard Paul Grant. That has cost the team's four seniors playing time. Wright has started just 15 of 26 games.
"I've never been the type that needed a lot of spotlight," said Wright, who comes from South Philadelphia. "I just pride myself on coming to work every night."
Wright has a chance to recapture the high point of his Morgan State career. He played an integral part in the Bears' upset of top-seeded Coppin State in last year's MEAC quarterfinals. With time winding down, Wright drove into a collapsing defense, then whipped a pass out to Chico Langston, who hit the game-winning three-pointer.
Wright says he can help history repeat itself in this tournament.
"When I come out on the court, I'm probably not as talented as some of the players in this conference, but I'm going to play as hard as possible," he said. "I'm not worried about points or how many shots I take. I just like to compete."