‘I’ll always have Blue Ridge in my corner’: Still defying odds, Bailey never forgets where his story began

Former Blue Ridge and current Wofford star basketball player Justin Bailey led Blue Ridge to its first and only state championship in 2022.

For Justin Bailey, the easy way out has never been an option.

On Monday night, Bailey helped lead Wofford to the Southern Conference Basketball Championship. His Terriers defied the odds. They were a 6-seed coming into the tournament. Few predicted much from Wofford. Absolutely no one besides the men in their locker room expected them to win the whole thing.

But Bailey? He’s used to defying odds, doing the things others deem impossible — even when the “easy way out” is tempting. Monday night’s payoff — a championship performance where Bailey finished with 19 huge points — was eerily familiar for the Blue Ridge High School graduate.

Now a junior at Wofford, Bailey recalled the uncertainty he felt seven years ago. After finishing middle school, he prepared to begin his high school basketball journey with the Tigers.

“I remember coming out of my eighth grade year, I wasn’t sure I wanted to play basketball at Blue Ridge,” said Bailey. “I wasn’t sure how high of a level I could play there.”

But that was Justin’s community. He’d grown up in the Blue Ridge area. Bailey went to Mountain View Elementary and Blue Ridge Middle School, forging bonds with friends and youth basketball teammates along the way. 

For Bailey, Blue Ridge was home. If he was going to make himself known, he was going to do it in Tiger red and black. Though Blue Ridge had never even grazed basketball glory, Bailey was determined to be the one to carry the community to the promised land.

“I give a lot of credit to my dad for helping me make that decision,” said Bailey. “I’ll never forget what he told me that summer. He said, ‘If you stay home and stick with it, you’ve got a chance to put Blue Ridge on the map.’

“So I took his word for it.”

Bailey put his head down and worked hard for four years at Blue Ridge.

For his curtain call with the Tigers, he made his father’s words come true.

As a senior, Bailey led Blue Ridge to its first and only basketball state championship, embarking on what many consider to be the best playoff run by a single player in South Carolina high school history. He averaged 35 points over five playoff games, accounting for over 65 percent of Blue Ridge’s scoring along the way.

The most important part for Bailey? He did it at home, putting Blue Ridge on the map. Just like his father said he would.

“The guys on that team, those are the same guys I’d played with since middle school. I lifted the state championship trophy with the same guys I’d grown up with,” said Bailey. “All of us were so tight with each other. That’s what I love about Blue Ridge and the community the most. Everyone is so close.”

On Monday night, Bailey defied the odds yet again. He hoisted another trophy few believed he could obtain. Many questioned why he decided to play basketball at Wofford. But, per usual, Bailey chose not to take the “easy way out.” He wanted to work to put the Terriers back on the map. Again, his determination paid off.

Bailey (back row, fourth from left) celebrates with his Wofford teammates after beating Furman, 92-85, to win the 2024-25 Southern Conference Basketball Championship.

So, in postgame interviews after Wofford’s historic win Monday night, Bailey made a point to mention and give gratitude to the folks back home in Blue Ridge — where his unlikely journey began.

“Even before the [Southern Conference Championship] game, [Blue Ridge head basketball coach Richie] Stevens texted me and wished me good luck,” said Bailey. “[Blue Ridge Athletic Director Austin] Abercrombie was my social studies teacher back in high school. He texted me. So many others did, too.”

That’s just what Blue Ridge — his home — is all about, says Bailey. And Bailey vows never to forget where he came from.

“All of these teachers, friends, and coaches from Blue Ridge still reach out to me. They still check in on me. People don’t know how much it means. That just goes back to how close and tight-knit the community is. 

“No matter where I am in life, I know those people are always going to be there for me. I’ll always have Blue Ridge in my corner.”

Bailey will represent Wofford next week on a national stage in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. The Terriers clinched an automatic bid to the Big Dance with Monday night’s win over Furman. The exact date and time of Wofford’s first-round matchup is TBD.