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| Furman senior wing forward Ben Vander Wal |
It will take some time for the eight
veterans to mix with the five newcomers, including three of which that are expected
to crack Furman's 10-man rotation this season, however, and with a tough
non-conference slate, you can expect the Paladins to take some lumps and encounter
a fair share of adversity. You can also expect Furman’s pedigree to show when
the stakes are at their highest in late February and early March.
Furman has a recent history of turning heartbreak
into triumph. After losing the SoCon title game on a buzzer-beater by Chattanooga’s
David Jean-Baptiste in 2022, the Paladins would respond by returning to the
NCAA Tournament for the first time in 43 years after defeating the Mocs a year
later in the title game.
The Paladins saw their NCAA Tournament hopes
ended by Wofford in an epic title tilt last March, as the Terriers claimed the
program’s sixth tournament crown with a 92-85 win over the Paladins.
After head coach Bob Richey’s club
posted a somewhat surprising 95-78 margin of victory over No. 4 Samford in the
quarterfinals of the SoCon Tournament last March, he gave us this gem that gave
us a first-hand perspective on just how he views the NIL era and how it’s
important to manage the money you have to get a player or players to fit your
culture and at the same time, the importance of having the most money isn’t as
important is knowing how to spend it on the right fit. The key is that you
could have culture and NIL, and Furman’s balancing of the two, at least so far
under Richey, is something for future programs to consider studying.
"One thing I told myself during the
off-season was I want to adapt but I never want to abandon...I never want to
abandon what I believe in as the core values as a head coach and we've done to
win, and my challenge is I am always looking for purpose in this business. We
coach players that we ask them to go make plays and we ask them to win games so
the light shines good on us and sometimes it can be one of those situations
like you can make it about you," Richey said at the 2025 SoCon Tournament
following the Paladins’ quarterfinal win over Samford.
"Sometimes in coaching right now, it’s
like, ‘Man, I’ve got to make sure I have all this money.’ Well, the most money
didn’t win this tournament this year, and it’s probably not going to keep
winning this tournament. That’s not going to guarantee you that the most money
is going to give you the most wins, and that’s been proven in a short time in
this era," Richey added.
Richey officially heads into his ninth
season as the head coach and 15th overall as a part of the Furman basketball
program as an assistant or head coach, and has posted a 181-82 record overall,
including a 99-42 mark in SoCon games. All told, Richey has been a part of 308
wins for Furman's program since joining Jeff Jackson's staff prior to the
2011-12 season.
Under Richey’s leadership, Furman has valued
its culture and retention rate and figuring out how to keep those two staples
as valued character traits of the program’s overall culture in a world of
college basketball that currently features a mid-major environment, which
revolves around temptation to go to the portal for more NIL money or perceived major
role at a power four program, remain a constant challenge.
Three Starters Must Be Replaced
Leading guards Nick Anderson (14.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 96 3PT FGs)
and PJay Smith Jr. (17.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 111 3PT FGs), who accounted for
207 of the team’s 380 three-point field goals last season, have both
moved on. Big man Garrett Hien (7.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 27 3PT FGs), who was a
1,000-point scorer in his career for the Paladins, and one of the most
important players in the history of Furman basketball for his two made free
throws, steal and assist to JP Pegues in the final seconds in the 68-67 NCAA
Tournament win over Virginia three years ago, has also moved on.
Many believed that selecting a point guard was the intended strategy during the off-season, and at first, Richey also expressed agreement on Furman’s postgame show after the Paladins’ 75-64 first-round defeat to North Texas. He would obviously change his thinking over the course of about a month.
"Well you get in that portal and it's
like...a little bit of a needle in a haystack and you've got to find somebody
that fits your place and you've got to somebody that fits your program and
you've got to find somebody that you feel like is leaving for the right reasons
and so you get in there and the funnel gets really tight really quickly and
then you have to figure out who you can afford so then you got to say well
you've probably go best player because there is only so many options and so are
you going to take a less talented guy that might not fit you as well to get the
quote unquote position you need and when we had the opportunity to get Asa
[Thomas] it was just one of those situations where you know coming from
Clemson...you know Brad [Brownell] and I have some similar values and we're
good friends," head coach Bob Richey said at SoCon Media Day in early
October.
"We recruited Asa in high school and
he can really shoot it and knows how to cut and knows how to play and then you
have to ask yourself do we need a point or do we need to replace
shooting...point guard in today's game and we're playing 94-feet offense and
we're just trying to get the ball out of the net and go play...So we've taken
two two-guards and turned them into all-conference point guards," Richey
added.
Richey’s Offensive Innovation
Though Furman won 25 games last season, it
still finished fifth in SoCon and did hit a lull in the middle portion of conference
play. While Furman’s offense and shooters against uncommon opponents was
something it had great success with, racing to a 13-1 start, including a 12-1
non-conference record, when the Paladins got in league against the good coaches
that make up the league, there was a game-plan that seemed to work early on.
Part of Furman’s philosophy under Richey
has been trying to always have five perimeter threats on the floor, and in most
seasons, that has not necessarily always been easy, but it’s always made Furman
so hard to account for defensively.
Aside from their offensive actions, which
seem like QB progressions in that each action has four or five options that the
Paladins can go to if an opponent shuts down one, is Furman has shot the ball maybe
as well as it ever has from three over the past eight seasons under Richey, which
included setting a single-season SoCon record with 401 triples in the 2021-22 campaign.
All told, Furman has connected on 2,690-of-7,162 attempts from three-point
range over the past eight seasons, which computes to an impressive 37.5%
shooting clip over the past eight seasons.
While Furman had two of its best shooters from
three in eight seasons under Richey, in Smith and Anderson, it also had guys
like Cooper Bowser, Ben Vander Wal and Garrett Hien that were basically minimal
perimeter threats at best, with only Hien really factoring in as a potential
long-range threat, and outside of his sophomore season, had struggled to hit from
long-range with great efficiency.
So the strategy from the opposition in the
SoCon was to play off Furman shooters by a process known as “painting”, which
meant it could more closely keep tabs on Anderson and Smith at all times with
the luxury of an extra defender by playing off Furman’s non-shooters.
Richey's innovative offensive strategy that
used Vander Wal as the quarterback and free screener for both Anderson
and Smith down the stretch was nothing short of brilliant because it didn't
allow teams to just play off Vander Wal like they had done when Furman took a
bit of a tumble in the standings, and it forced the opposition to have get out
and engage Vander Wal in some manner with a defender. It was a move that kept
teams from essentially having an extra player defensively as it had off-set the
balance by making it a 4v5 game before when playing off Vander Wal
Those changes led to a major turnaround for
Furman basketball during the 2024-25, as the Paladins would win six-straight
games, which included the very team they would lose to in the championship--the
Wofford Terriers--to reach the championship game.
Personnel Preview
Eight letterwinners, including a pair of starters, in Ben
Vander Wal (5.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG) and Cooper Bowser (8.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG,
57 BLKs) have built of plenty of
equity playing for the Paladins, and the duo enters the season as Furman’s two
most veteran players. Vander Wal is the last remaining holdover from the team
that won the 2022-23 SoCon crown and has played in 100 games for the Paladins heading
into his final season, as well as logging 34 starts.
If there were an award for the league’s best “glue guy”
heading into the season it would likely go to Vander Wal, as he does all the
little things right for the Paladins.
Bowser is a player that seems primed for a breakout season. The
junior is coming off a season where he started to emerge as a more consistent
scoring threat around the basket, and at 6-11 with great length, as well as
being a freak athlete, he is Furman’s leading returning scorer from a year ago.
His length and athleticism started to become a problem for the opposition last
season, so expect him to make a huge leap.
Bowser was one of two Paladins selected to the preseason
all-conference team, with sharp-shooting Tom House (7.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 54 3PT
FGs). House is a microwave perimeter shooter, meaning that if he gets hot,
he can string together points in a hurry. He put up 21 points in Furman’s first
tournament win over Samford and scored a season-high of 26 points in a mid-February
win over Mercer. House’s 54 three-point field goals last season rank as the
most returning three-pointers on the club, and he shot a blistering 40.6% (54-of-133)
from long-range. Interestingly, House shot 56% from three and averaged over 11
PPG in Furman’s final seven games of the season.
One of the more intriguing players on Furman’s roster last
season was Charles Johnston (5.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 33 3PT FGs), and his
progression over the course of the off-season has been notable, according to
Richey, especially as a true post player. Johnston spent most of his first
season with the ‘Dins as a primary perimeter threat, but now he’s put on some
more muscle and dedicated the off-season to becoming more of a low-post threat.
Also, Johnston is a sneaky good post defender, and that will be another aspect
of his game to watch this season.
More importantly, having both Bowser and Johnston in the lineup
at the same time, will allow the Paladins to go with two 6-11 guys on the court
at the same time. Johnston shot 38.8% (33-of-85) from three-point range last
season, and it’s almost impossible to think that the big man from Australia has
played only six years of organized basketball.
Finally, guys like Davis Molnar (3.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG) and Mason
Smith (2.9 PPG, 1.7 RPG) are a couple of guys that Richey hopes to see
continued progression with this season. For Molnar, he started to be a
difference maker in some games, with Furman’s home win over Samford in the
first of three meetings between the two coming to mind, providing a crucial inbounds
pass to Bowser late in the game, which was not an easy pass against heavy pressure.
Molnar saw action in 33 games last season, averaging almost 11 minutes per
game.
The real x-factor for the Paladins this season might be
Clemson transfer Asa Thomas (Clemson/Lake Forest, Ill) who red-shirted
his freshman season and then battled injuries throughout the 2024-25 season
while with the Tigers and didn’t see much action. When he entered the portal,
the Paladins went after him, forgoing their initial plans to get a point guard.
Thomas was available and too talented to pass up. His ability as a shooter will
complement the skill-set Vander Wal already brings to the position. His
shooting ability just makes Furman different on the wing than they were last
year, and more like they have been in past seasons with guys like Noah
Gurley (2018-21) and Daniel Fowler (2014-18) in terms of
having that type of scoring versatility.
While the frontcourt is much more the settled piece of the
team, the backcourt is somewhat of a concern or maybe a question mark might be
the better way of putting it.
Eddrin Bronson (5.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG) is the
latest two-guard to make the move to the point guard spot under Richey, joining
both Smith and Pegues in that regard. Bronson was already one of the best defensive
players on the team last season, and if his offensive game has progressed in
the off-season like most believe that it has, it could be case of Furman
turning a potential question mark into an advantage much the same way it did
when it moved both JP Pegues and PJay Smith Jr. from the two-guard spot into two
different seasons and both turned in all-conference campaigns. He showed
glimpses of what he could do as a shooter, leading Furman with 14 points in the
road loss to No. 1 Kansas, while topping that previous career-high by posting
15 points in the Paladins’ opening round NIT loss at North Texas. He went a
combined 7-of-13 (53.8%) from three in those two games, but shot
Bronson is being pushed this preseason by as four-star recruit
and 6-5-point guard Alex Wilkins (Brooks School/Mattapan, MA). Wilkins’
game is unlike any Furman has had at any point under Richey or even his predecessor
at the quarterback of Furman’s diverse offensive scheme, and that is having a
player that is a smooth ball-handler and elite passer on the offensive end
combined with the length and athleticism to be a real asset on the defensive end.
Wilkins will play a lot and may even end up being the starter for Furman. That’s
not to diminish Bronson in any way, who will be playing a new position this
season and is a dynamic player in his own right, but rather a testament to just
how talented Wilkins is. Adding credibility to that claim is the fact that Wilkins
received 33 offers from NCAA Division I programs before settling upon Furman.
Wilkins isn’t the only freshman that the Paladins added
either, as Furman found its next big-time 6-5 backcourt talent from much closer
to home, in South Carolina “Mr. Basketball” and state leading scorer (35.1 PPG),
in Abijah Franklin (Wren HS/Greenville, S.C.). While his status for
playing this season—whether he redshirts or plays—remains up in the air, one
thing is undeniable and that is his raw ability as a scorer at all three
levels.
With players like Devin Sibley (Karns HS/Knoxville, TN), JP
Pegues (Hillsborough HS/Nashville TN) and most recently PJay Smith Jr. (LaVergne,
TN/Lee University/Goodpasture Christian School) all hailing from Tennessee,
the next potentially special talent with a link to Volunteer State is 6-3 guard
Collin O’Neal (Montgomery Bell Academy/Nashville, TN) out of Montgomery
Bell Academy, where he established himself as a three-star prospect according 247
and Rivals, and an all-state and all-region honoree as a senior. O’Neal is a
player that should see some time this season, as Richey mentioned that three of
Furman’s five starters would be featured in the rotation this season. He is one
of the best athletes on the roster, and his elite skill level and defensive tenacity
should be reasons as to why he will see the floor rather than redshirting this
season for the Paladins.
The final two additions to the latest recruiting class for
Furman are 6-6 wing Cole Bowser (DeMatha Catholic, Bowie MD) and 6-9
power forward Owen Ritger (Marist School/Atlanta, GA), that will give
the front court some added depth.
It's my prediction that one of these two players stands the
most likely chance to redshirt from this class, but both come into the Furman
program with an eye on playing right away and will have the opportunity to do
so. In fact, there's also the chance that all five could play as soon as the
2025-26 season.
Cole Bowser is of course Cooper Bowser's little
brother, and he comes to Furman from DeMatha Catholic, as he will unite season
with his brother, and both will look to join some other great brother tandems
to have starred in the league in its rich history, including guys like identical
twins Ramon and Damon Williams in the late 1980s at VMI.
Bowser chose Furman among eight offers from others like
Bryant, Norfolk State, Old Dominion, Towson and George Washington to name a few
of those. The 6-6 small forward is athletic and an outstanding defender, which
will give him a chance to play this coming season. He's also versatile but
excels as a long-range threat.
Ritger is another player that is versatile, and the 6-9 power
forward gives Furman a true four in the paint, rather than having to develop a
five into four, which the Paladins have had to do in recent seasons. His
ability as a rebounder as well as a shooter from beyond the arc will give the
Paladins plenty of ability to stretch the floor when he's in the
lineup.
The final addition is 5-10 point guard Gunnar Lewis (Christ Presbyterian Academy/Nashville, TN), who is a great shooter and joined the program as a point guard out of Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville. His ability as a shooter makes him a unique add for the Paladins as a walk-on, which also means he could see time in the Furman backcourt at some point in his career.
A Return to Timmons Arena
If you’ve followed Furman basketball for the past three decades or more, you’ll recall the many different evolutions of Timmons Arena.
With the hiring of first Niko Medved prior to the 2013-14 season, and then some four years later, the hiring of Bob Richey, those two coaches have now elevated the program to not only one of the best in the Southern Conference, but also one of the best in mid-major basketball over the past 11 seasons.
Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Furman has been nearly unbeatable at Timmons Arena, posting what is a 109-19 record, which includes a 63-10 mark against Southern Conference foes. In all home venues over that same span, the Paladins have posted a combined mark of 127-24.
The Paladins have made it a home, but it hasn’t always been easy. Drawing the same hearty and loyal fanbase that once attended games in downtown Greenville at the Memorial Auditorium and before that, Textile Hall, has been a challenge and a constant work in progress.
Since Furman’s rise to Southern Conference prominence over the past 11 seasons, the Paladins have also seen a rise in the level of opponents willing to come play at Timmons. Some high-profile mid-majors like Belmont (2022 and 2023) and Loyola-Chicago (2019) have brought a certain excitement that the program lacked in the previous two decades.
Sure, Furman had hosted the likes of power conference foes like South Carolina, Georgia and Clemson before, as well as welcoming in stars like generational talent Stephen Curry from former Southern Conference rival Davidson, or a College of Charleston team on the verge of being ranked in its first season as a league member in 1998. However, never before had the buzz been about Furman basketball from a fan’s perspective.
During those days prior to Furman’s turnaround as a program, which dates back to its run all the way to the tourney title game as the No. 10 seed in 2015, fans were most often filling the Timmons Arena seats and pull out bleachers to see the opposition—be it South Carolina, Clemson or Georgia, or Curry or that record-setting CofC team from 1998-99.
If you could chart a defining turnaround for Furman basketball, it might be the 2016 CIT buzzer-beating win over Louisiana Monroe, with Daniel Fowler knocking down the game-winning shot.
Others might say it came in a loss to close the 2014-15 regular-season, which saw the Paladins drop a 62-60 contest to Wofford, who would end up repeating as Southern Conference champions in 2015. Whatever the case, the 251-105 all-time record inside the facility, despite the hiccups of shortcomings of it over the years, has been one of the best home records in the league over the better part of the past three decades.
Pack Line Paladins
What’s striking about the Paladins this season is they are a
big team, and one of the bigger teams in the SoCon. It will be interesting to
see what the change to a pack line defense will look like and how much the
Paladins will use it this season, as that was one of the main reasons new
assistant coach Joe Pierre III was brought in from Ritchie McKay’s staff
at Liberty. Furman playing the pack line with Johnston and Bowser on the floor
at the same time and with their length, as well as being in a mid-major league
that features smaller, quicker guards, it all makes a lot of sense.
Final Word
“This is the most returning plus new I’ve had since I’ve been
here as the head coach…six new players…I’ve never had that…but also a good clump
of returners back and so really getting the young and the old assimilated
quickly you know I think that’s going to be a big challenge for us and getting
the point guard spot figured out…we’ve got talent there but it’s going to be
young talent…We are going to have a new point guard and I can guarantee you
this…the 40 point guard minutes this year will all be all guys that have never
played point guard before in a college game,”—Bob Richey at SoCon Media Day
2025.
What’s Coming Soon…
Be sure to check back soon for more coverage of SoCon media
day soon, as I detail Chattanooga’s outlook for the upcoming 2025-26 season
after having caught up with Mocs head coach Dan Earl to discuss the upcoming
season and look back to the Mocs’ amazing run to NIT glory last March.
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