BE’s Schaafsma headed to Charleston Southern

Bishop England High School basketball standout Ty Schaafsma had the game of his lifetime, but the senior was not in a mood to celebrate. The talented player scored 32 points against Marlboro County in the second round of the Class AAA playoffs, but the locker

room was in a state of hush afterward as the Bishops’ season came to a screeching halt in a 60-59 loss.

 

The state championship, one of Schaafsma’s dreams, did not become reality.

 

“It was such a tough loss,” Schaafsma said. “However, what I will remember the most is how hard we fought until the end. I’ll never forget the phenomenal support from all the fans and the loud cheers from the student section.”

 

Still, there were plenty of positives about Schaafsma’s career. He was part of a team that went 36-5 record the past two seasons, including 26-3 his junior season when the Bishops opened the campaign with 20 victories.

 

“It was great to be part of the record-breaking team last year,” Schaafsma said. “We won the Region (8-AAA) championship my last two years. It’s been a fun four years.”

 

It might have been the Bishops’ best two-season run in school history although the just-completed season was limited to 12 games because of the pandemic. But there were individual accomplishments as well.

 

Schaafsma, who played guard and forward, earned Region 8-AAA honors after leading the Bishops in scoring with 17.8 points per game. He was second in rebounding with 6.3 rebounds per outing.

 

He also earned a scholarship to play for Charleston Southern University (CSU).

 

“I really liked the fact that CSU is local,” Schaafsma said. “I’ve lived in Charleston my whole life and I love the area. Charleston Southern is also a part of the Big South Conference. I’m excited to play in a competitive league. Finally, CSU is able to offer me an education that aligns with my career goals.”

 

The decision to matriculate culminated an interesting recruiting process for Schaafsma. The pandemic even affected that segment of sports as some campuses were closed to recruits.

 

“The recruiting process is a job on its own,” Schaafsma said “An important part is gaining exposure through AAU basketball. I got that by playing for the Port City Stars. Social media also played a role in getting my name out there. The last month has been a lot of zoom calls with college coaches. Last week I traveled to Illinois, Ohio, and Virginia to meet with coaches before finally deciding on Charleston Southern University.”

 

Coach Bryan Grevey said Schaafsma provided leadership his senior year. “When you mention Ty and Daniel (Brooks), those guys really provide good leadership. They set the tone on how we practice, how we handle ourselves.”

 

Schaafsma was an all-region selection two years ago as a sophomore but missed a good portion of his junior season with a broken ankle.

 

“When he came back, he wasn’t 100 percent,” Grevey said. “(This year), he had a really good fall camp. He and Daniel are our leaders. You can’t put a price on that, having your best players as your leaders.”