Furman and ETSU square off with both teams headed in polar opposite directions
Furman (12-12, 6-5 SoCon at East Tennessee State(13-11, 5-6 SoCon)
Feb. 10, 2024/Johnson City, TN
Freedom Hall (6,149), 6 p.m. EST/CBS Sports Network
Series: Furman and East Tennessee State will be squaring off on the hardwood against each other for the 69th time in series history, with the series all tied following Furman's nine-point win at Timmons Arena back in early January. The Paladins have won three-straight against the Bucs, including getting the rare season sweep of ETSU last season. That season sweep by the Paladins marked the first time Furman had swept the season series against ETSU since the 1986-87 season. The Paladins are riding a three-game winning streak in the series—it’s longest in the series since winning five-straight in the series between 1996 and 2001.
Coaches: Furman--Bob Richey (151-67/7th season)/ETSU--Brooks Savage (13-11/1st season at ETSU)
Preview: Furman and East Tennessee will do battle for a second time this season, with the Paladins claiming what was an 82-73 back in early January. A lot has changed for both sides since that meeting last month, with the two teams now seemingly headed in opposite directions, with the Bucs being one of the hottest teams in the Southern Conference, having won three-straight games, while the Paladins, who are the defensive Southern Conference champions, have lost three of their last four games, including a 78-69 contest at Mercer last time out, since becoming the only team to defeat league-leading Samford (21-3, 10-1 SoCon), 78-68, two-and-a-half weeks ago.
In the first matchup between the two earlier this season in Greenville, the Paladins were still regaining their overall team health, with both teams missing key players in the first clash. The Paladins were without Marcus Foster (19.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG)who was still working his way back from a lower body injury, as was ETSU's defensive and rebounding specialist, Karon Boyd (8.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG) who has recently returned to the lineup, and with him back on the floor, the Bucs have have posted a 3-1 mark since his return, including three-straight wins.
The only loss during that stretch since Boyd's return came in heartbreaking fashion, as league-leading Samford posted a 75-72 win at Freedom Hall to hand the Bucs their third home loss of the season, with Western Carolina's 80-66 win earlier in league play snapping what had been a 10-game home winning streak for ETSU.
The Bucs also dropped an 81-74 contest to Chattanooga on the home hardwood back on Jan. 21. It was part of a 1-5 start to league play, which included a five-game losing streak after an 80-69 win over Mercer to open up league play inside the friendly confines.
The Bucs played most of those games without Boyd in the lineup. ETSU has won three-straight entering Saturday's contest against Furman, having won at Mercer (W, 55-49), vs. The Citadel (W, 62-60) and vs. Wofford (57-50), as the Bucs have found a gritty edge on the defensive end of the floor to get each of those wins. The Bucs also got a blocked shot from center and rim protector Jadyn Parker to secure a 74-73 win on the road at VMI in, which was really the start of the strong play on that end of the floor in league games.
Boyd had a major impact in ETSU's seven-point win last time out against Wofford, as he posted 14 points, eight rebounds, and had three steals, ending with a +6 on the stats sheet by the end of the game, bolstering the Bucs on both ends in the seven-point home win last Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Foster will playing his eighth game since missing nine games due to a lower body injured, which he suffered at Princeton in early December in what was a heartbreaking 70-69 loss. During that nine-game stretch without Foster, the Paladins were 4-5 in that stretch, which included an embarrassing, 79-74 loss to Division II Anderson University to close out the non-league portion of the slate.
With him back in the lineup, Furman has been okay, but there have been some concerting performances, as well was a couple of what could be some of the Paladins' best basketball of the season. Since his return against VMI, the Paladins have posted a 4-3 mark after starting 3-0 in his first three games back. The Paladins knocked off VMI (100-60), Western Carolina (W, 65-62),and Samford (W, 78-68) in his first three games back.
The Paladins then promptly suffered losses in three out their last four, starting with a setback at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium to Wofford (L, 67-77), which was followed by an overtime win at The Citadel (W, 82-79) to complete the season sweep of the Bulldogs. Since that win at The Citadel, in which Furman had to battle back from as much as an 18-point deficit, including a 12-point margin at the break, the Paladins have lost back-to-back games against UNC Greensboro (L, 87-89) in a rare loss at Timmons Arena, as well as a nine-point loss at Mercer (L, 69-78) last time out in what was arguably one of Furman's worst performances of the season.
Foster himself, though, has been on a tear. In the eight games since he's returned to the lineup for the Paladins, Foster has posted a scoring average of 19.7 PPG, 10.0 RPG and 2.9 APG. In all eight games Foster has found his way into double figures, including having posted five double-doubles in those eight games back. Prior to his current string of five double-doubles in eight games, Foster had only three total double-doubles in his Paladin career.
With his 19-point effort last time out in the loss at Mercer, Foster crossed a career milestone, becoming the 51st player in Furman history to cross the 1,000-point plateau, as he now has 1,012 points in his Furman career. Foster has three games of 20 or more points since his return, and has scored in double figures in 14 of his 15 outings for the Paladins this season, which includes back-to-back 30-point efforts in the Myrtle Beach Invitational en route to setting a tournament record with 78 points in three games.
With his 30-point effort in consecutive games against Liberty and Coastal Carolina, Foster became the first Paladin to record back-to-back 30-point scoring games since Karim Souchu recorded back-to-back performances of 32 points vs ETSU (Feb. 25, 2003) and 31 points vs UNC Greensboro (Feb. 27, 2003) in a pair of Paladin wins. Foster has scored 20 or points six times this season.
The Paladins haven't fared all that well away from Timmons Arena this season, having posted just a 3-10 record in true road games.
Since the 2015-16 season, Furman and East Tennessee State have been two of the most successful teams in the Southern Conference, the Paladins have won 193 games overall, while ETSU has 183 games. In terms of Southern Conference wins, the Paladins are second to UNCG (110 wins) in total Southern Conference wins over that span, having won 109 SoCon games. ETSU is just behind those two in third with 99 league wins.
A Look at the Paladins: In Bob Richey's seven seasons as the head coach of the Furman basketball program, perhaps no team has struggled to shoot the ball consistently well from the field, and in particular, from three-point range. In its five of its six Southern Conference road games, that has especially been true.
The only game in which the Paladins shot the ball well from both two-point range and three-point range came in the Paladins' 100-60 win over VMI. In that contest, the Paladins matched a season-high with 18 three-point field goals made, shooting them at a 48.6% (18-of-37) clip for the game. The Paladins were also able to connect on 48.0% (36-of-75) shots from the field for the game in the win.
In road games against Mercer, The Citadel, Wofford, Chattanooga and UNC Greensboro, the Paladins are 25.3% (39-of-154) from long range. Meanwhile, from 2-point range, the Paladins have also struggled, which is not a good sign either. The Paladins have also connected on 111-of-310 from the field in all conference road games excluding the VMI contest, which converts to 35.8% from the field.
When the Paladins connected on just seven field goals in their 77-67 loss to Wofford last month, which was its lowest total in a game since 2012. In that game, the Terriers would out-score the Paladins in the paint an astounding 46-14.
Furman is averaging 80.8 PPG in all games this season, which ranks second overall in the Southern Conference behind only Samford. In league games this season, however, the Paladins rank fourth in the SoCon in scoring offense, averaging 76.9 PPG.
The Paladins have normally been sound in terms of offensive efficiency in terms of field goal percentage. However, this season Furman ranks seventh in the SoCon in team field goal percentage (44.6%) and in league-only games, the Paladins rank ninth in team field goal percentage (41.9%).
With that said, it's on the defensive end that Furman's struggles are most profound, and that has been glaringly clear over the past couple of games in losses to UNC Greensboro and Mercer, with both of those teams shooting better than 50% for the game, with the Spartans shooting a sizzling 59% from three-point range.
In league only games, the Paladins rank eighth in field goal percentage defense (46.2%) and sixth in scoring defense (63.3 PPG). The Paladins are doing a better job of defending the three since entering league play, holding teams to 32.9% from the field from long-range, ranking fourth in the league in three-point field goal percentage defense.
While Marcus Foster is a key component to Furman on the offensive end of the floor as noted above, he is also very important on the defensive end of the floor, as he is the team's best on-ball defender. He will likely draw the unenviable task of trying to slow Jaden Seymour.
Foster is joined in the backcourt by JP Pegues (16.4 PPG, 4.9 APG) and Carter Whitt (8.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG), who are both projected as starters in Saturday evening's contest. Part of Furman's struggles in their last contest in a loss at Mercer could be directly tied to Pegues, who got in foul trouble, committing his fourth foul early in the second half and never got in a good rhythm, finishing with a season-low four points.
Pegues shoots the ball well in clutch situations, as folks around the college basketball world well know after he has now hit three shots this season with under a second left to either tie or give the Paladins a win. He has nine games this season in which he has scored 20 or more points. He flirted with a triple-double earlier this season with 23 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in a 23-point (99-76) win over Belmont at Timmons Arena.
In fact, Pegues is shooting just 33.8% from three-point land (175-of-517) and only 29.4% (51-of-151) in conference games this season. He has to produce for Furman to be successful. That's the bottom line. His 4.9 assists-per-game ranks him fourth overall in the league, and his 87.6% clip from the charity stripe ranks first in the SoCon. Pegues tied for team-high scoring honors with 20 points in Furman's win last month.
Whitt, who once played for ETSU head coach Brooks Savage during his time at Wake Forest, had one of his best games of the season against the Bucs, efficiently managing the Paladin offensive attack in that 82-73 earlier this season, as he finished with 14 points, five assists, five rebounds, four steals and blocked a shot, as he was the Paladins' best defender in the contest.
Rounding out the starting five for the Paladins are forwards Alex Williams (15.7 PPG, 4.9 PPG) and Tyrese Hughey (5.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG), who provide both rebounding and scoring in the paint, with Williams using his strength at 6-5, 235 lbs.
Williams is Furman's top three-point shooter, connecting on 40.6% (52-of-128) from long range this season, and his 15.7 PPG ranks third on the team. He has 52 threes made this season, which is second on the team.
Off the bench, the Paladins have a solid scoring presence, in guard PJay Smith Jr., (10.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG), who like Williams, is a proficient long-range shooter. His 53 triples in the 2023-24 season leads the Paladins. Smith Jr. transferred into Furman from Lee University where he played for former Paladin standout Bubba Smith.
Garrett Hien (7.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 57 assists) and Ben VanderWal (5.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG) have been effective at times off the bench, with Hien having begun the season as a regular starter, logging 14 starting assignments, while VanderWal has started three. Hien has to produce offensively off the bench, as Furman struggles when he struggles. He scored 10-straight points off the bench in the first meeting between the Paladins and Bucs earlier this season.
Furman's best offense this season has, at times, been from the charity stripe where the the Paladins rank tops in the league in free throws made (357) and free throw attempts (491) as a team.
A Look at the Bucs: ETSU has hung its hat on the defensive end of the floor this season, and while it's noted above how much having Karon Boyd (8.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG) in the lineup has made them even better on the defensive end of the floor, it's also been his offensive rebounding and ability to score in the paint on the offensive end has also been key.
With the Bucs’ three-straight wins, it’s their longest SoCon winning streak since the 2020-21 season, which snapped from Jan. 18-21.
ETSU enters the contest leading the SoCon in scoring defense (68.5 PPG), and over the past five games, which has seen the Bucs win four of them, ETSU is scoring 63.8 PPG, but holding foes to a meager 61.4 PPG. The Bucs also are a +11.0 (41.0-30.0) in rebounding margin during that stretch as well. In fact, the Bucs rank 17th nationally in offensive rebounds per game (13.75) and 28th blocks per game (5.0 BPG).
In the backcourt, the Bucs start a talented trio, with Ebby Asamoah (15.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG), Jaden Seymour (15.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG) and Quimari Peterson (12.9 PPG, 3.4 APG) leading the way. Now healthy, both Allen Strothers (2.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG) and Justice Smith (4.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG) have been solid compliments to the scoring of the aforementioned trio. In fact, Strothers has found himself back in the starting five for ETSU as of late.
Seymour, however, is ETSU's most athletic and most talented player. In my opinion, if he stays at ETSU for his senior season, he could be a player that gets some NBA looks.
Locking down opponents in the paint and rim protection of been a couple of hallmarks for the Bucs in Brook Savage's first season at the helm. and that has especially been true in the recent three-game winning streak. Keying that defensive prowess in the paint for the Bucs have been 6-11 Jadyn Parker (6.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG) and Karon Boyd (8.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG). Parker and Seymour have keyed a pair of SoCon wins this season with blocked shots against VMI and The Citadel, respectively.
The Bucs also have good depth in the backcourt, with Gabe Sisk (4.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG) able to cause matchup problems on the defensive end of the floor with his size. William & Mary transfer Tyler Rice (3.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG) has also added some leadership off the bench. Sisk, who hails from Louisville, KY., was one of the top recruits in the SoCon coming into the season.
ETSU is 1-6 in league games when surrendering 70 or more points this season, however, are 4-0 when holding league opponents to less than 70.
Last Time the Bucs and Paladins met:
Furman 82, East Tennessee State 73 (Jan. 13, 2024)
Furman got a combined 40 points from Alex Williams (20 pts) and JP Pegues (20 pts), as the Paladins were able to win their second-straight game in league play, with an 82-73 win over East Tennessee State.
The win marked Furman’s third-straight over the Bucs, marking its first three-game winning streak in the series since winning five-straight in the series between 1996 and 2001.
Also helping key Furman’s home win over the Bucs last month was the play of sophomore guard Carter Whitt, who contributed 14 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals and a block. Garrett Hien provided 10 points off the bench for the Paladins, scoring all 10 of those points in succession.
ETSU also had four players in double figures, which was led by Jaden Seymour's 23 points and four rebounds, while Quimari Peterson added 16 points, with 14 of those coming in the opening nine minutes of the game. Peterson also added seven rebounds and three assists, but also turned it over six times.
Seymour scored his game-high 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field, including a 3-of-6 effort from three-point range. He also finished with four rebounds.
Ebby Asamoah and Jadyn Parker rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Parker narrowly missed a double-double, ripping down nine boards.
The Paladins finished the night connecting on 44.1% (26-of-59) for the game, while finishing the contest by connecting on 35.0% (7-of-20). The Paladins also had one of their best efforts from the charity stripe this season, knocking down 23-of-26 shots from the charity stripe.
Last Time in Johnson City: Furman 70, East Tennessee State 55 (Jan. 8, 2023)
What's At Stake Saturday:
A win for ETSU would tie the Bucs with the Paladins in the league standings, at 6-6. A win by the Paladins would see the Paladins post their fourth road win of the season and improve to 7-5 on the season, helping continue to position itself for March in Asheville.
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