SoCon Basketball: Furman 2018-19 Preview

Furman--Forty-six wins over the past two seasons, and 76 over the past four--second-most in school history in a four-year span--has raised the bar of expectations for the program.

With the departure of three key starters from that four-year run, the 2018-19 season for Furman basketball will have a new feel to it, and it will feel like a bit of a new beginning for second-year head coach Bob Richey and staff.

A couple of staff changes have also been made, with the departure of Robbie Bostain, who is moving to California to pursue a new venture, as well as coach Trey Meyer, who had been the director of recruiting, has now been hired to the same position at College of Charleston. 

The good news is the replacement for Meyer as the Director of Recruiting will be a former player, who was very familiar with the bar of success achieved by the Paladin basketball program over the past four years, in Daniel Fowler, and he was a part of those 76 wins and the 2016-17 regular-season Southern Conference title team. 

The onus will be on Richey and Fowler and the holdovers from those successful runs each of the past several seasons to provide the leadership, challenging the incoming talent to push themselves to the same heights as the program has been able to achieve over the past four years. 

Players like senior forward Matt Rafferty and senior guard Andrew Brown will be key figures in helping the newcomers to understand just what this program has achieved, as well as how they have done it.

It was no doubt a special past four seasons of basketball for Furman, which not only included 76 wins and a regular-season crown, but also included a SoCon Freshman of the Year (Devin Sibley, 2014-15), two players of the year (Devin Sibley 2016-17 and Stephen Croone 2015-16), and two trips to the college basketball postseason for the first time since the mid-1970s, with a pair of appearances in the CollegeInsider.com (CIT) Tournament, including a trip to the semifinals in the 2016-17 campaign. 

Furman head coach Bob Richey

The Paladins have undergone a coaching change, with Niko Medved, who along with Richey, is credited for helping the Paladins get things turned around on the hardwood when he arrived at Furman in April of 2013. He left the program in the great hands of Richey. Under the direction of Richey, the Paladins would see plenty of success in his first season at the helm.

 With four starters back for the 2017-18 season, Richey would lead the Paladins to 23 wins and an appearance in the SoCon semifinals, where they would lose, 63-52, to reigning tournament champion East Tennessee State.

It was a tough ending for the likes of Fowler, Sibley, Geoff Beans and point guard John Davis III, however, it was those players, along with Kris Acox (‘17), Croone (‘16), Larry Wideman (‘16) and Kendrec Ferrara (‘16) that helped form the nucleus to get Furman basketball headed back in a positive direction.

The real test for Richey as a head coach will be this season, as only two starters return, however, a strong corps of talented players have been recruited over the past three seasons to help the Paladins have the ability to reload, instead of rebuild. Add to that Richey, a 37-year old head coach, who is wise beyond his years and is also an avid reader, and you have the makings of what could be another special season for Furman basketball.

Previewing The Furman Backcourt: 

Furman lost all three starters from its backcourt from a year ago, making the challenge a difficult one for head coach Bob Richey and staff heading into the 2018-19 campaign. 

The biggest loss was obviously 2016-17 Southern Conference Player of the Year and  2014-15 SoCon Freshman of the Year, Devin Sibley. 

The Knoxville, TN., native finished his career by scoring 1,817-career points, which ranks him seventh all-time in scoring in Furman basketball history. Sibley, who starterd 25-of-32 games for the Paladins last season, averaged a team-best 14.2 PPG. 

Though Sibley struggled a bit down the stretch for reasons un-related to basketball, with his mother being ill, he was still an on-the-court leader that was a reliable, experienced player the Paladins could look to down the stretch in games. 

One of Sibley’s most memorable performances during his final campaign as a Paladin came just prior to Christmas playing in his hometown of Knoxville against 20th-ranked Tennessee. The former Karns High School standout posted a game-high 22 points in what was a heartbreaking, 66-61, loss to the Volunteers.

Sibley also made a big shot in the regular-season finale road contest at East Tennessee State, as his four-point play at East Tennessee State with a little over a minute left helped the Paladins to a 79-76 road win. It was Furman’s first win at East Tennessee State since 2005. All told, Sibley finished out his final season as a Paladin by scoring 20 or more points 10 times, finished with 23 double-figure scoring performances as a senior, and two double-doubles. 

The same could be said for both John Davis III and Daniel Fowler, who both started for the better part of the past four seasons. In fact, Fowler played in a school-record 133 games, making 127-career starts. It could be argued that Fowler’s leadership might be missed more than anyone else, and his performance on the defensive end and his ability to make big shots in the clutch are two aspects of the game that aren’t easily replaced. 

Fowler finished out his career ranking eighth all-time in school hisotry in assists (369), 29th in scoring (1,217 points), and eighth in steals (153). He was a third-team all-conference selection this past season, and fortunately, he will be able to contribute his knowledge and help the newcomers get familiarized with the winning culture that has been created at Furman over the past four years, as he will be sticking around as Furman’s new Director of Recruiting. 

In all, the three starting guards Furman loses to graduation represented the three top scorers on the squad, as Furman had four average in double figures last season. 

One noticeable difference for the Paladins under Richey as opposed to his predecessor, was the Paladins’ high-octane offense. In fact, the Paladins scored 100 or more points five times last season and ranked second in the SoCon to only The Citadel in scoring last season, averaging 79.4 PPG. In Medved’s final season at the helm of the Paladin basketball program, Furman averaaged 74.0 PPG to rank seventh in the SoCon during the 2016-17 season. 

Fortunately, despite the loss of such talent and experience like the trio of Davis, Fowler and Sibley, both Medved and Richey made sure there would be talent waiting in the wings in the Paladin backcourt when the aforementioned trio graduated. 

The leaders in the backcourt in 2018-19 will be three veterans that will provide leadership, and all three have improved their perimeter shooting over the summer. Senior Andrew Brown (8.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, team-leading 61 triples), junior Jordan Lyons (8.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG, second on team with 58 made three-pointers) and sophomore Alex Hunter (3.2 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 37 assists, 16 turnovers) will all be key pieces for the Paladins.

Brown, a 6-5, 212-lb guard from nearby Travelers Rest, S.C., had a bit of a health scare after the season, after undergoing what should have seemingly been routine surgery for a hernia, however, the surgeon inadvertently knicked his intestine, which got infected while Brown was recovering and he got really sick, and he was transferred to ICU. Furman players and joined him by his bed side day and night with prayers until he finally was on the mend about two weeks later.

It’s been a bit of a long road back for Brown, however, and a few months later, suffered a foot injury, forcing him to have a pin inserted into his foot in late August, and is expected to return to the Paladins in mid-October. 

Brown really came on towards the end of the regular-season in 2017-18, scoring in double figures in four of his final six games of the campaign, including a career-high 22 points in a 78-55 route of Western Carolina in Cullowhee. He followed that up by scoring 11 points in a, 79-76, regular-season finale win on the road at East Tennessee State. 

He was a major part of why the Paladins entered the Southern Conference Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the SoCon, having won six-straight games entering the postseason. However, Brown did struggle in the tournament, as he was held scoreless in Furman’s quarterfinal win over Western Carolina. And in Furman’s season-ending, 63-52, loss to East Tennessee State, the Bucs held Brown to just two points.

The Catamounts and Bucs obviosuly found a way to put a stop to Brown’s strong play down the stretch, however, Brown should be a contender for all-conference honors in 2018-19, and is primed to have his best season yet in the Purple and White. 

Brown finished the 2017-18 season scoring in double figures in 11 of the 32 games he saw action in last season, logging 31 starts. Not only did Brown complete the season as Furman’s leader in three-point field goals, with 61, he also completed the campaign ranking third in the SoCon in three-point field goal percentage (43.3%/61-of-144).

Brown will be joined in the backcourt by Lyons, who, like Brown, has taken on the leadership mantle during the off-season. The 5-11, 195-lb, native of Peachtree City, GA, has been a leader off the court during the off-season, both vocal and work-ethic wise.Lyons was Furman’s best player in the Southern Conference Tournament, earning second team all-tournament honors following a pair of double-figure scoring performances. 

In the SoCon Tournament quarterfinal win over Western Carolina, Lyons posted 15 points in the 97-73 win over the Catamounts. In Furman’s 11-point los to East Tennessee State in the Southern Conference Tournament, Lyons was one of the few bright spots on a night that was a dismal, emotional end for four Paladin seniors, finishing out what would turn out to be the final regular-season game for the Paladins with 17 points and was the only player in double figures in the loss. 

For the tournament, Lyons fiished by connecting 11-of-23 shots from the field, including going 4-of-14 from three-point land. According to Furman head coach Bob Richey, Lyons worked extra hard during the off-season to get his body leader and got stronger, as well as hitting over 30,000 three-pointers over the summer, which was more than any player on the team.

The former McIntosh High School standout and the program’s all-time leading scorer is ready to have a breakout season in 2018-19. Lyons posted double-figure scoring performances in 12 games this past season, as he mostly served as the Paladins’ sixth or seventh man off the bench last season. He finished the season shooting the ball well from the perimeter after he finished the season ranking second on the team in three-point field goals, having connected on 58-of-179 (32.4%) from three-point land last season. In a win over The Citadel in early January, Lyons scored a career-high 20 points. Lyons played in all 33 games for the Paladins last season, recording eight starts.

One of the hardest workers on the team and a player well mature  beyond his years is Alex Hunter. Hunter is a smart, humble point guard that came in last summer looking to soak up as much knowledge as he could from both current players and former players. He was particularly taken under the wing of veteran John Davis III ad former standout Stephen Croone, who was in town training for the next step in his hoops career. 

Hunter didn’t wow coaches with his scoring last season, but he wasn’t asked to do that in his role in his freshman campaign. What Hunter did do was impress with his play on the defensive end of the floor, as he was maybe the second- best on-the-ball defender last season behind Daniel Fowler.

Hunter took care of the ball like he was a senior last season, as he had 21 more assists (37) than turnovers (26) as a true freshman last season. He had his only double-figure scoring performance of the season in the Southern Conference Tournament win over Western Carolina last season, posting 10 points in the 97-73 win over the Catamounts.

With the transfer of Jonathan Jean to Lenoir-Rhyne, there will be less-experienced depth behind the 5-11 native of Raleigh, N.C. next season. Though he didn’t start a game for the Paladins last season, he did see action in all 33 games, averaging 14 minutes-per-game. 

While Brown, Lyons and Hunter will be expected to start in the backcourth next season, the question will be who will provide the depth in the backcourt behind that trio in 2018-19. There are some talented, incoming players in the backcourt that could be impact players much the way Hunter was last season. 

Three true freshmen that could see plenty of action in reserve roles in 2018-19 are Mike Bothwell (Willoughby, OH/Cornerstone Christian Academy), and Jaylon Pugh (Cartersville, GA/Cartersville HS). 

Bothwell is a newcomer Richey is extremely excited about heading into the 2018-19 season. Like John Davis III before him, Bothwell hails from the state of Ohio, and the 6-3, 170-lb shooting guard has excellent athleticism and is a good on-the-ball defender. 

Bothwell entered his senior season at Cornerstone Christian Academy as a preseason candidate “Mr. Basketball” candidate for the state of Ohio. During his breakout junior season, Bothwell averaged 20.9 PPG on was first-team all-state, helping his program finish ranked No. 6 in the final Associated Press final state poll. 

As a senior, Bothwell was once again chosen as the top player in Division III and IV Ohio State boys basketball in 2017-18. It was the same award given to Bothwell as a sophomore, as he led Cornerstone to a state title in 2016. Bothwell nearly led Cornerstone to a second state title as a senior, however, his Patriots lost a heartbreaking, 52-51, decision in double overtime to Maria Stein Marion in Division IV Ohio boys basketball last March. Bothwell, a lefty, that will give Furman yet another perimeter threat in the backcourt. 

Despite that loss, Bothwell is not only a winner, but an instant impact scorer, and finished the state title game with 22 of his team’s 51 points. He finished as Cornerstone’s all-time leading scorer, scoring more than 2,000 points in his prep career. 

Pugh will also have an excellent chance to see court time in 2018-19 for the Paladins. The 6-0, 167-lb Peach State native is a good ball-handler and slasher and yet another good athlete and all-around scorer, but maybe not be the polished perimeter threat as both aforementioned guards, however, he can shoot from the perimeter, but most importantly, he is another pure scoring threat Richey has added. Pugh is probably the best athlete of the incoming freshmen guards. 

Rounding out the incoming freshmen that have a chance to see minutes this season is walk-on Robert Swanson (Myrtle Beach, S.C./Myrtle Beach HS), who comes to Greenville from the lower part of the state after a stellar prep career at Myrtle Beach High School. 

Swanson was named to the Class 4A all-state team, as well as being named the Region 7-4A player of the year after averaging nearly 20 PPG last season.  He surpassed the 1,000-point threshold for his prep career during his senior season, and will be another strong perimeter threat off the bench for the Paladins. He finished with more than 1,200 points during his prep career. According to the website Bigshots.net, the 5-10 point guard is ranked as the No. 56 recruit in the Palmetto State.

Redshirt sophomore Tre Clark and senior walk-on Brady Schuck round out the returnees in the backcourt for the Paladins. Clark, a 6-5, 194-lb combo guard from Palmetto, FL, saw action in 23 games as a true freshman during the 2016-17 season, and redshirted last season, due mostly to depth and to develop more as a player. He averaged 1.2 PPG and 1.3 RPG. Clark posted his best performance in a win over Trinity Baptist during his freshman season, posting seven points. 

Schuck saw action mostly in mop-up duty last season, but has continued to improve with each season. Last season, Schuck posted a career-high for points with four in an early SoCon win over The Citadel last  season.

Previewing Furman’s Frontcourt:

Furman senior forward Matt Rafferty

The Paladins have one of the best frontcourt players returning in the Southern Conference for the 2018-19, with the return of senior forward Matt Rafferty (11.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 91 assists, 59.8 FG%). Rafferty was a third-team All-SoCon selection at season’s end as a junior last season.

Rafferty will be one of the leaders on and off the court for the Paladins this season, and rightfully so. Despite experiencing some back issues during his sophomore season, when healthy, Rafferty has been a stalwart in the lineup for the Paladins. 

Rafferty was one of the best passing big men in the Southern Conference last season. The 6-8, 215-lb native of Hinsdale, Ill, finished the 2017-18 season ranking 14th in assists-per-game last season, averaging 2.8 helpers-per-game. Rafferty’s 2.8 assists-per-game last season led all big men in the Southern Conference. 

Rafferty also ranked third in the SoCon in rebounds-per-game (7.2) last season, and he ranked 21st in the SoCon in scoring. During the 2017-18 season, Rafferty posted 22 double-figure scoring performances, and started all 33 games last season. Rafferty and Daniel Fowler were the only two players to start every game for the Paladins last season.

Richey said earlier this summer that Rafferty had enjoyed his best off-season so far as a Paladin, having been healthy throughout the off-season. 

Rafferty was also effective at the charity stripe this past season, connecting on 72% (64-for-89) from the line, and shot 33.3% (13-for-39) from three-point land. If Rafferty adds more consistency from beyond the arc, he will be even more of a nightmare to guard as a big man next season.

During his junior season, Rafferty enjoyed five double-double performances, and had a career-high 16 rebounds to open the season in a win over Bob Jones, while notching a career-high 22 points in a win over regular-season Big South champion UNC Asheville. While Rafferty does so many things well, his biggest asset is most likely his toughness.  

Rafferty displayed that toughness mostly on the defensive end of the floor last season, swatting away a team-high 21 shots, while his 54 steals led the team and ranked him fourth in the SoCon, averaging nearly two thefts per outing (1.8).

The question for head coach Bob Richey and staff in 2018-19 will be the four position. While Rafferty appears to have solidified his starting spot at the No. 5 position next season, both Clay Mounce (5.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG) and Noah Gurley (Fayetteville, GA/Fayette County HS) will be competing for major minutes at the four. 

I projected Mounce to be one of the top newcomers in the SoCon last season, and in fact, I had him listed as the newcomer of the year. Though Mounce did not end up getting enough minutes to really have a chance to garner that distinction, the 6-7, 200-lb native of Elkin, N.C., was an electrfying player, and most times he stepped on the floor last season, he was the best athlete. Mounce had a number of electrifying dunks last season, but has improved his overall game and put on some muscle during the off-season. 

Mounce could be in line for a breakout season for the Paladins in 2018-19, and probably has the inside track on starting at the four heading into the season. The redshirt sophomore ended up enjoying his best performance of the season against Montreat, scoring a career-high 13 points, to go along with four rebounds and a block in a lopsided, 103-47, win. Mounce had two other double-figure scoring performances in 2017-18, posting  two 11-point efforts against Winthrop and Western Carolina last season.

He will be challenged for the starting job this season at the No. 4 by Gurley, who redshirted last season. The 6-8, 190-lb native of Fayetteville, GA, is another athletic performer and could have actually played last year, but the Paladins were deep enough at the position, and it gave Gurley a chance to improve even more as a player in the post. 

Gurley was a prep standout at Fayette County High School, where he was named Atlanta Journal Constitution AAAAA All-State as well as first-team AAAAA all-state during his senior season. He was named player of the year by HoopSeen.com. During his senior season, Gurley averaged 18.5 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.3 APG and 2.1 BPG in his final season at Fayette County High School, helping his prep program to a 23-8 record, region title and a final four appearance in the state tournament. 

Gurley is the best athlete and freshman player at the four to come through Furman in quite sometime, and will remind Furman fan of former standout Quan Prowell (2003-05), who ended up transferring to Auburn after some academic troubles. Gurley has a chance to be that good and that much of an impact player this coming season.

He looked really good in the couple of closed scrimmages the Paladins had last season just prior to the season, when there was some consideration to removing the redshirt due to some injuries prior to the season.

If Gurley does come off the bench, he will step into the role that Geoff Beans occupied the last couple of years, but he will give the Paladins a more true four coming off the bench rather being primarily a perimeter threat as Beans was. Whatever the case, excitement abounds about this potential impact player for the Paladins in 2018-19, and that’s why I have him as my “Newcomer of the Year” in the SoCon in 2018-19.

According to head coach Bob Richey, no player made as many strides as Jalen Williams (2.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG) during the off-season, and he is slated to play a huge role in the paint in the 2018-19 season.

Williams is the type of player that seemed to show up biggest in big games. One of those games last season that comes to mind is a late-season win over Wofford. In the late-season win at Timmons Arena by the Paladins, Williams was a forced to be reckoned with, posting seven points, six rebounds, two blocks and an assist. 

Williams appeared in 30 games as a reserve for the Paladins last season, and this season will likely begin as one of the first players off the bench as a backup to Matt Rafferty underneath, or he could find himself in the starting five if the Paladins decide to go big underneath to start a game. 

The 6-8, 240-lb local product, who played at nearby Wade Hampton High School, produced a career-high performance in a win over South Carolina State in mid-December, posting 14 points in a 101-72 win. Williams could also be a force as a rim-protector in the paint. 

Rounding out the frontcourt for the 2018-19 season will be true freshman Jalen Slawson (Summerville, S.C./Pinewood Prep). Slawson comes to Furman from the lower part of the state, and was a standout player during his time as a prep. 

Slawson was recruited by several Division I programs, including getting offers from Georgia State, New Orleans, Winthrop, Appalachian State, Coppin State, Stetson, West Point, East Tennessee State and Jacksonville. 

Slawson is an athletic big man that can step out to the perimeter and shoot the basketball. Slawson has a nice skill-set that coaches are especially excited about heading into the 2018-19 season. Slawson is a quick learner, and has worked especially hard during the off-season to get himself ready for the rigors and challenges the Southern Conference will present him as a freshman in 2018-19.

As a senior at Pinewood Prep in 2017-18, Slawson averaged 14.6 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 4.0 BPG, 3.5 APG and 1.9 SPG. That’s quite a stat line for the young man. He rounds out what is a very talented Furman freshman class, and one that is confident enough to be a factor enough in the Southern Conference race in 2018-19, despite the major losses to graduation. 

Timmons Arena:

Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Furman has made Timmons Arena one of the most difficult places to play in not only the Southern Conference, but also mid-major college basketball. 

Since the start of the 2014-15 season, the Paladins have posted a 43-15 record on their home floor, including setting a record for home victories with a 14-2 record on the home floor during the 2015-16 season, which included a 9-0 record against Southern Conference floor inside the friendly confines. 

Schedule Preview:

The Paladins will play one of the more attractive basketball schedules in the Southern Conference during the 2018-19 season, as it will feature reigning national champions Villanova (Nov. 17) as well as Final Four participant Loyola Chicago (Nov. 9) . The Paladins will also face SEC darkhorse LSU (Dec. 21) just before Christmas. 

Furman will be meeting the Wildcats for just the second time on the college basketball hardwood. The last time the Paladins and Wildcats met on the college basketball hardwood was during the 1989-90 season. Then under the direction of head coach Butch Estes, the Paladins were able to pick up one of the more impressive wins on their historical basketball resume’, with the Paladins able to come away with a 77-73 overtime win over the Wildcats the last time the two met on college basketball hardwood.

Villanova returns two starters off last year’s national champioship team, which won the national championship last season and completed the campaign with an outstanding record of 36-4 following a 79-62 win in the national championship over Michigan. The lone two returning starters from that national championship club of a year ago are 6-8 senior forward Eric Paschall (10.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG) and redshirt senior shooting guard Phil Booth (10.0, 3.2 RPG). Jay Wright will be entering his 18th season as the head coach of the Wildcats, sporting a () record as the head coach of the Wildcats.

Furman will be facing the Loyola Chicago Ramblers for the third time in series history, with the series tied, 1-1. The two faced off a TImmons Arena in the 2011-12 and the 2012-13 seasons, respectively. Furman was able to take a 63-51 at Timmons Arena on Nov. 20, 2011, while the Ramblers posted a 77-50 win in Chicago the very next season. 

The Ramblers are coached by Porter Moser, who will enter his eighth season in charge of the Ramblers’ basketball program, where he has produced a 121-111 record in his career as the head coach.

Loyola returns three starters from that team that finished 32-6 last season and made a Final Four appearance, losing to Michigan, 69-57, in the penultimate game to cap the 2017-18 season for the Ramblers. Returning from that Final Four team for the Ramblers from a year ago will be guards Clayton Custer (13.2 PPG, 4.1 APG, 2.2 RPG) and Marques Towns (11.1 PPG, 2.4 APG, 4.0 RPG), while 6-9 center Cameron Krutwig (10.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG).

Another attractive opponent on the schedule is LSU. It will be the first-ever meeting between the Paladins and Tigers, when the two meet on Dec. 21 at the Pete Maravich Center. 

The Tigers are coming off an 18-15 season and an appearance in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) before getting knocked in the second round of the tournament last season.  Wade has one of the top recruiting classes in the nation coming in, according to 24/7 Sports, and it will be an interesting pre-Christmas game for both teams.

Furman will battle a pair of non-Division I foes this season, facing both Bob Jones and Bob Richey’s alma mater, North Greenville. The Paladins will face the Bruins on the opening night of the season--Nov. 6--while taking on the Crusaders on Nov. 15. The Paladins were able to pick up a 101-71 win over Bob Jones last season to open the 2017-18 season.

The Paladins will also face four teams from the Big South, with all four having had success in recent seasons. The Paladins will face UNC Asheville (Nov. 25) and USC Upstate (Dec. 8) away from Timmons Arena, while facing both Gardner-Webb (Nov. 13) and Charleston Southern (Dec. 11) will both make treks to face the Paladins at Timmons Arena.

Furman will get an early look at conference play on Dec. 1, hosting Western Carolina on Dec. 1--a team the Paladins swept all three meetings with last season. Three days later, Furman will be on the road to face Elon at the brand new Schar Center. The Paladins defeated their former SoCon rival 76-67 in Greenville last season.

Final Outlook: 

After 46 wins over the past two seasons, and three solid pillars of that senior class, which helped the Paladins win 76 games over the past four, offering up a bit of an unknown heading into the 2018-19 season. 

The Paladins are an unknown heading into the 2018-19 season, but there are still some old heads around to help the Paladins compete towards the upper echelon of the Southern Conference. Players like Jordan Lyons, Andrew Brown, Matt Rafferty, Clay Mounce and Alex Hunter all returning to the fold, the Paladins should be competitive near the top of the league this season.

One thing that seems consistent about the program and that has been palpable to Furman's fanbase since the start Niko Medved took over in 2013-14 is a new enthusiasm that has seemingly been infused into the Furman basketball culture. It took nearly two seasons for Medved to start generating things in the right direction, and when he left during the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) for Drake a couple of years ago. 

In Furman’s first season under Bob Richey, he of course had plenty to deal with, including the departure of Medved, a coach the players were very close to and one that left his mark on the program as the coach that started the turnaround. 

But Richey knew had to continue that success, having come to Furman in some of its darkest times, when the Paladins were in need of a new enthusiasm and a re-launch of a once-proud basketball program. Richey has seen the worst of times in Jeff Jackson’s final season at the helm in 2012-13, when Furman won just seven games. He’s also seen some of the best of times for the Paladins, and one of which he helped the program tie the program record for wins in a season (23), which came last season.

Richey has a challenge this season, and that is keeping the Furman hoops train charging forward with momentum, and though he will have a connection with former pillars of the foundation, like Daniel Fowler, who is sticking around as the Director of Recruiting for the Paladins, while Geoff Beans also took a job in Greenville, it will be up to Richey to get his veterans like Mounce, Hunter, Lyons, Brown and Rafferty to step up, while he brings along a talented group of freshmen, with players like Noah Gurley, Andrew Taylor and Mike Bothwell all expected to see plenty of action in their redshirt and true freshman seasons for Richey’s Paladins. 

It’s hard to predict a win total for this group, with such a brutal non-conference slate, the win total might not be as high as the previous two teams, however, I fully expect the Paladins to be competing in late February and early March for regular-season and Southern Conference Tournament titles with the talent on-board now in Greenville.

Projected Starting Five:

G-Jordan Lyons

G-Andrew Brown

G-Alex Hunter

F-Matt Rafferty

F-Clay Mounce


First off the Bench:

G-Mike Bothwell--or--F-Noah Gurley


They'll see good minutes:

G-Jaylon Pugh

F/C-Jalen Williams

G-Tre Clark