Furman set to Host No. 11 Auburn in Charity Exhibition Sunday

Picture taken from Furman's game at No. 12 Auburn (Dec. 6, 2019) at Neville Arena

Furman (17-16, 10-8 SoCon/T-5 in 2023-24) vs. No. 11 Auburn (27-8, 13-5 SEC/t-2nd/SEC Tourney Champs in 2023-24)

Bon Secours Wellness Arena (17,500)

Coaches: Auburn--Bruce Pearl (200-119/11th year at Auburn)/Furman--Bob Richey (156-71/8th year at Furman)

Oct. 27, 2024, 1 p.m. EST

Series and Last Meeting:  Auburn blasted Furman 110-77 in an exhibition a year ago at Neville Arena/The Paladins and Tigers have officially met six times in series history, with the Tigers owning a 5-1 series edge. The Paladins and Tigers last met in a regular-season game on Dec. 5, 2019, with No. 13 Auburn overcoming a eight-point halftime deficit (trailed 39-31 at half) to garner an 81-78 come-from-behind win. Furman's only win in the series was a 44-22 win in Greenville during the 1922-23 campaign. 

Preview

Furman kicks off the 2024-25 basketball season Sunday afternoon when it welcomes a Top 10 caliber foe, in the Auburn Tigers (27-8, 13-5 SEC/t-2nd in 2023-24/SEC Tournament Champions, into its home away from home--Bon Secours Wellness Arena--for the 2024-25 season.

For Auburn, it's a team that expects to not only repeat the feat of cutting down the nets at the end of the SEC Tournament again this season, but Bruce Pearl's team is one that expects to be right back where it was in 2019, which was in the Final Four in Minneapolis. That season the Tigers were on the verge of knocking off eventual national champion Virginia before dropping a 63-62 contest in what was an epic national semifinal game.

The Tigers were SEC Tournament champions last season and headed to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed out west and faced a good Yale team out of the Ivy League. Like Furman a year earlier, the Bulldogs found the No. 13 seed to be a lucky seed line, ending the Tigers NCAA Tournament with a 78-76 shocker in Spokane last March. 

That hunger has fueled head coach Bruce Pearl's team all off-season. Under Pearl, Auburn has become a basketball powerhouse re-visiting some of the same consistency it has enjoyed in the past, most notably in the 1980s under the direction of legendary head coach Sonny Smith. 

While Furman is tied for the most wins in the SoCon (198 overall wins) since the start of the 2015-16 season, the Tigers have also been outstanding, winning 187 contests over that same period of time. Pearl led the Tigers to that memorable 30-win season back in 2018-19, which was just a season prior to the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the cancellation of the college basketball postseason. 

The Tigers enter the season as one of those handful of teams that can realistically win a national championship in the college basketball hardwood and will be arguably the best team the Paladins will face all season, with the only potential challenge to that argument being Furman's Nov. 30 test at Kansas. 

There's no doubt that the 2023-24 season for the Paladins that is one best filed far in the memory banks for head coach Bob Richey and the Paladins, which didn't fare so well in defending their 2022-23 Southern Conference title. The Paladins had three starters back, with Marcus Foster, JP Pegues, and Alex Williams representing the primary leaders of that team that eventually ended up faltering, finishing fifth-place in the Southern Conference standings and saw its chance to defend its title fall short in an 86-79 loss to top overall seed and eventual tournament champion Samford in the penultimate test. 

With that loss to the Bulldogs, a stark transition in the program took shape, with four key players transferring out of the program, as top all three scorers Pegues (transferred to Auburn), Foster (transferred to Xavier), Williams (transferred to Duquesne), leaving head coach Bob Richey and the Paladins the most question marks they have had entering a season since the 2018-19 season. Furman's fourth player that exited the program at the end of the season was Carter Whitt, who entered the transfer portal and ended up at Belmont. 

In JP Pegues, Auburn is Getting a Truly Special Talent 

Anytime a program loses a player that was vital to the success of a program, it's certainly tough to overcome. Furman lost that quartet of players mentioned above, but for many reasons none hurt more from a Furman fans perspective as JP Pegues.

Pegues will forever occupy a place in the hearts of Furman fans and alumni for the tremendous memories he provided Furman fans during his three seasons suiting up for the Paladins. 

Auburn is getting a player that could be the type of player that propels the Tigers to the goals that they are setting out to achieve in the 2024-25 season. It will make a neat reunion for Paladin fans, as well as the media to have the soft-spoken, humble young man back in the city where he started his journey some four years ago. 

The 6-2 guard from Nashville became known as "Mr. Clutch" during his time as a Paladin. In his final season with the Paladins during the 2023-24 season, he averaged 18.4 PPG and hit at least three shots with less than a second remaining last season, as his legendary status only grew following the March Magic he was able to provide Paladin fans a year earlier, which saw his three ball off a Garrett Hien steal and subsequent assist giving the Paladins a 68-67 lead over the No. 4 seed Virginia Cavaliers with just 2.8 seconds remaining. After the Cavs missed a halfcourt heave at the buzzer, Pegues' heroics helped the Paladins achieve their first NCAA Tournament win in 49 years.

Over the course of the 2023-24 season, Pegues knocked down game-tying or game-winning shots against Tulane, Western Carolina and The Citadel, with all three coming with exactly eight-tenths of a second remaining.

He finished out the 2023-24 season averaging 18.4 PPG and was ranked the No. 28 player in the On3 transfer portal rankings, as well as being ranked the No. 11 point guard in the portal, according to 247Sports. Pegues finished his career for the Paladins having seen action in 95 career games, including 66 starts. 

His final two seasons in a Furman uniform were spent adjusting to playing the point after spending his first season in Greenville playing off the ball. He posted a pair of 30-point games last season, finishing with 33 points in a loss at Samford late in the regular-season, while finishing with 35 in the regular-season road finale at Western Carolina. That total still remains a career-high performance.

A Look at the Auburn Tigers Heading Into 2024-25

Picture taken at Auburn's 2022 Opening Round NCAA Tournament game vs. Jacksonville State at Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Auburn is a basketball team poised to challenge for a national title this season under the direction of Bruce Pearl, who heads into his 11th season at the Auburn basketball program. 

Giving credence to just how good the Tigers are is the fact the Tigers are consistently ranked in the Top 10-15 no matter the preseason publication you look at heading into the 2024-25 season. 

Blue Ribbon College Basketball Annual has the Tigers ranked No. 12 nationally, while Lindy's Preseason Basketball Magazine ranks the Tigers No. 11 heading into the 2024-25 season. On Thursday, the Tigers found out they were ranked No. 11 by the Associated Press heading into the upcoming season. 

After winning the SEC Tournament last March and tying for second in the regular season, with a 13-5 league mark, the Tigers headed into the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the 

The Tigers will have as strong a starting five as anyone in the country, and adding depth from the transfer portal has been a key element for Pearl and his staff during the off-season. 

The aforementioned JP Pegues (18.4 PPG at Furman last season, 4.8 APG, 1.2 SPG) is a player that will come in and make an immediate impact as the Tigers' starting point guard this season. Pegues is a unique talent, and he will be an immediate impact player running the point for the Tigers. Pegues in a word is unflappable, and Tigers fans are in for a treat with him running the point for Auburn this season. 

Pegues does a lot of different things well, and he will be a piece that maybe Pearl lacked last season in that he takes care of the basketball and makes mature decisions with the basketball. That as much as his scoring ability or his ability to hit shots in the clutch that will likely prove to be his most valuable asset to Auburn this season.

While Pegues is slated to start at point guard, he will be joined in the backcourt by shooting guard Miles Kelly (13.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.8 APG), and he comes to Auburn from Georgia Tech, where he was an outstanding shooter and scorer for the Yellow Jackets last season, as he ranked 19th in the ACC in scoring and knocked down 69 triples, which computes to 2.2 three-pointers per game last season. That ranked him 13th overall in the ACC and he finished the 2023-24 season scoring in double figures in 24 out of 32 games for the Yellow Jackets.

The other wing guard in the backcourt slated to start for the Tigers on Sunday afternoon is Denver Jones (9.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 41.8 3pt FG%), and he comes to the plains from Florida International. The 2023-24 season was Jones' first for Auburn after transferring in from FIU and he started 33 of 35 games for the Tigers last season. 

Jones knocked down 51 triples in his first season with the Tigers, and did so with proficiency, as he shot nearly 42% from long range in his first season with the Tigers. Jones got hot down the stretch of the season, scoring in double figures in each of the final eight games of the 2023-24 season, which included a 21-point outburst in Auburn's opening round loss to Yale.

Auburn 6-10 Center Johnni Broome

Switching from the backcourt to the frontcourt, the Tigers return maybe the top frontcourt tandem in the SEC, and perhaps one of the best in the country heading into the 2024-25 season. Both players returning have reputable starting experience and both finished out the season averaging in double figures. 

With that said, both 6-7 small forward Chad Baker-Mazara (10.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.2 APG, 41.8 3pt FG%) and 6-10 center Johni Broome (16.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.2 BPG, 54.8 FG%) were noted most last season, especially down the stretch in 2023-24 for their offensive reliability in scoring in the low post. 

Baker-Mazera is a player that played his best basketball late in the season, garnering All SEC Tournament honors after averaging 12.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, and 1.7 SPG over a three-day span in Nashville. Perhaps Baker-Mazera's biggest asset that he brings each game is his versatility in his ability to play different positions, and that can cause matchup problems for the opposition, and he has good athleticism and is a gritty player. He is maybe the Tigers' glue guy and comes off a season in which he saw action in all 35 games, including having made nine starts. Baker-Mazera found his way into double figures on 20 occasions last season, including scoring a career-high 25 points late in the season in a win at Georgia. 

His 87.6% free throw clip was the best on the team last season and fourth-best free throw percentage in program history. Adding to his versatility is the fact that he can step out and shoot the three with some effectiveness, having knocked down 38 triples last season and shot them at an impressive 41.8% clip.

Broome rounds out the projected starters for the Tigers entering Sunday afternoon's matinee clash at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Broome decision to return rather than enter NBA Draft protocol this season could end up being a pearl of great price for head coach Bruce Pearl. 

Having a player of Broome's ilk around for another season on the plains could be the difference in pushing Auburn to the SEC regular-season title and a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament come March. But it's the intangibles that Broome brings to this team that will benefit Auburn even more than the tangible numbers he brings on both ends as an outstanding low-post scorer on the offensive end of the floor, while being a tenacious rim-protector on the defensive end. 

Broome's return will allow him to perhaps improve his draft status from late second round into the first round with a strong performance in his final season on the Plains. He was the lone player in the SEC last season to finish in the top 10 in both scoring (8th) and rebounding (2nd). He finished the season being chosen as a consensus Third-Team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), as well as the Associated Press (AP) and The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).

Auburn has won 48 games over the past two seasons with Broome as a starter, and he has 24 double-doubles in those games. He will not only be a force to be reckoned with in the paint for the Paladins on Sunday afternoon, but also throughout the season for SEC foes. His tenacious grit and effort have been fun to watch each of the past two seasons on a more personal note. Broome's biggest weakness was staying out of foul trouble last season, and that will likely once again be the main challenge he faces this season. 

Broome was just the fourth Tigers player in history to garner SEC Tournament MVP honors last March, joining the likes of Charles Barkley, Bryce Brown, and Chuck Person in that rare distinction. 

The talent doesn't end at the five slated to start the game for the Tigers on Sunday either, with plenty of depth returning to boot. Six-foot-11 center Dylan Caldwell (5.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG). Like Broome, Caldwell returns for a final year, as the fifth-year senior will give the Tigers another big presence in the paint, as well as adding solid rim protection.

One of the top incoming freshman performers for the Tigers is 6-6 wing forward Jahki Howard, who has the rare opportunity in the age of the transfer portal to be a major impact player for the Tigers this season as a true freshman. Howard was a four-star recruit coming out of Atlanta Overtime Elite and is a native of Boston. He ranked as the 85th best high school prospect nationally, including ranking as the 20th best small forward in the nation.  

Another top high school talent that could see action sooner rather than later is 6-1 guard Tahaad Pettiford out of Jersey City, NJ, and he appears to be the heir apparent to Pegues at the point guard spot. Pettiford is a five-star recruit and comes to the Plains after having been one of the top high school talents in the country. He averaged 20.0 PPG, 5.0 APG and at Hudson Regional Catholic High School as a senior last season.

Finally, SMU transfer and 6-7 forward Jaheim Hudson (5.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG in 2023-24 at SMU) figures to add some depth forward behind Baker-Mazera. Hudson logged action in 31 games, including one start for head coach Rob Lanier last season at SMU and will give coach Pearl another athletic wing to challenge teams at the rim.  Hudson started his career in Atlanta playing for Georgia State.

A Look at the Paladins Heading Into 2024-25

---The last time the Paladins had to replace that kind of production, they more than met the challenge by posting 25 wins and posted a third-place finish in the final regular-season standings. That team would knock off then defending national champion Villanova and get off to a school-record 12-0 start, achieving the program's first-ever national ranking in the process. 

From 2024-25 Furman Hoops Preview

You can wager a good amount of money that the Paladins will be a good shooting team this season, as it was one of the major weaknesses of a team that a team that was so talented last season, yet fell way below expectations, and it was primarily the three-ball that proved to be the biggest struggle offensively for the Paladins. It also had to do with pass-count numbers being low, which is an essential metric the Paladin coaching staff evaluates because its direct influence on Furman's offensive success, and thus, it's ability to hit shots from the perimeter in rhythm.

Why is that an issue? The three-ball has been Furman's hallmark over the past decade and especially in the seven seasons under head coach Bob Richey. Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Furman has connected on 2,310-of-6,245 three-pointers, which converts to a 36.9% shooting effort from three-point range in seven seasons under Richey. It's a major reason why the Paladins have won 156 wins under Bob Richey over the past seven seasons. 

In the 2023-24 season, the Paladins connected on 320 three-pointers, which is 20 less in three less games. It felt like, at least at times, that Furman wasn't a very good perimeter shooting team. That, however, was probably further from the truth than reality. It was more a reflection of a team not doing the things needed to create the open shots that had been created in previous seasons.

The Paladins did shoot the ball less than 35% from long-range this past season, and that's usually the benchmark for teams. The Paladins finished the 2023-24 campaign connecting on 33.2% (320-of-988) from long range this season. By comparison, the 2022-23 season, which yielded Furman's first league crown in 43 years saw the Paladins connect on 34.4% from long range. 

Strangely, the Paladins have shot exactly 988 three-pointers each of the past two seasons. When Furman has shooters, conceptually, the Paladins' style of offense is nearly impossible to defend. It really was each of the previous two seasons coming into the 2023-24 season, and the fruits of that can be discerned from the Paladins connecting on a Southern Conference record 401 threes two years ago, and then last season, while the Paladins weren't the best perimeter shooting team, they more than made up for it from two-point range, connecting at a sizzling 58.3%, which ranked third in all of college basketball. 

Mike Bothwell and Jalen Slawson were those dudes. In their final two seasons, their offensive influence was astounding in those two stats listed above. The 2021-22 Furman offensive efficiency is probably a benchmark in terms of its efficiency and versatility. Furman needed only one

Despite holding to being a developmental program, Furman doesn’t limit itself from excluding the portal. In fact, when you lose 70.8% of the team's scoring to the portal, or if you're looking for it in mathematical terms the Paladins lost 56.5 of their 79.5 PPG average from last season, it forces you to look to the portal. 

But in previous years, Furman hasn’t been hesitant to do just that. In the spring of 2021, the Paladins brought in Conley Garrison for one year from Drury and the sharp-shooting guard was the perfect one-year addition in the 2021-22 season, nearly helping the Paladins get to the NCAA Tournament. 

Carter Whitt, who this past spring transferred out to Belmont to finish out his career, played for a year at Wake Forest before joining the Paladin program and played a big role in the latter half of the 2022-23 title run and then played a bigger role last season, with several standout performances. Whitt will be missed as a teammate and as an on-court performer, but it was more an issue that Whitt hasn’t found his niche yet in stints at both Wake Forest and at Furman. 

Finally, last year Furman brought in PJay Smith Jr. (10.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG)  at point guard after there was interest from several prominent mid-major players, including one that played at a rival school in the SoCon that could have played right away as a graduate transfer. 

With plenty of good scoring and shooting options at its disposal, Furman opted to stick with Smith, and that move paid off. Smith was the best friend of JP Pegues and his AAU teammate in high school and played his first couple of seasons of college basketball at Lee University in Tennessee for head coach Bubba Smith. Smith is an extension of Furman’s rich basketball culture, starring as a sharp-shooting guard for the Paladins in the mid-1990s. 

In Smith, the Paladins got a career 40% shooter from three-pointer, and following his first season in Greenville, he ended up averaging 

In each instance, those players were added as character-building pieces to a team that already had strong leadership before ever being added on just talent alone. Saying all that to say that Furman looks for the right people to plug into its culture rather than the right talent to match a statistical need. The two seemingly go hand-in-hand.   

The rising senior point guard has made great strides during the offseason and with Sullinger likely no longer with the team, and that will give Smith a more clearly defined role for the upcoming season as a result. 

As expected, Smith ended up being one of Furman's better shooters from three-point range last season, finishing second to only Alex Williams' 40.2% shooting from long range this past season. Smith finished the season connecting on 36.3% of his long-range efforts, as he ranked second to only JP Pegues in three-pointers made, finishing the season with 74 triples. 

Eddrin Bronson is a 6-4 guard that coaches have been excited about since he arrived on campus last fall. The former three-star recruit out of Tampa Catholic is poised to get his Paladin career started in 2024-25 and is versatile in that he can provide depth at the point guard spot, as well as possessing the athleticism to be an option off the ball. 

Bronson was already going to be a major part of the Paladin plans even if Whitt, Pegues and Foster hadn't all hit the portal. The 6-4, 184-lb guard out of Tampa Catholic in Tampa, FL, according to head coach Bob Richey following Furman's regular-season ending loss to Mercer, as he highlighted the fact that he wished the rule for redshirt freshmen was the same as it was at the NCAA Division I football level, which allows for all redshirt freshmen to play up to 25% of the total games before having to forfeit that redshirt. 

In my regular-season preview for mid-major madness, I have Bronson slated as the SoCon's best freshman player this season, and his athleticism and scoring ability as a slashing guard that can break down opposing defenses, coupled with his ability as a perimeter threat, it will make him a tough player to guard for opposing defenders in the upcoming campaign in the SoCon. Bronson has been limited during the preseason due to a foot injury, but is expected to return to the lineup soon.

During his time at Tampa Catholic, Bronson was able to average 17 PPG and four rebounds per contest during his senior season. He also helped Tampa Catholic to a 19-11 overall mark and Florida 3A state playoff appearance.  He was a three-time all-county pick. 

Bronson will be asked to step up offensively. His strength and power off the bounce will remind folks a little of a combination of Marcus Foster, with his strength and power, as well as Clay Mounce with his overall athleticism and bounce off the dribble. 

If you are a longtime fan of Paladin hoops, former Paladin guard Steve Harris (1992-95), who spent three years in the Furman backcourt after transferring in from Clemson. Harris was a powerful, athletic guard that was an effective perimeter threat and was good on the glass. A more recent comparison might be a guy like Daniel Fowler (2015-19). 

Joining Brunson in the backcourt as a newcomer into the fold will be Tommy Humphries, who is also a player that is ready for battle heading into the 2023-24 season. 

The 6-5, 215-lb product of Minneapolis, MN., has good athleticism and strength and is a player that comes into the program that has been used to winning. He starred at Totino-Grace High School in Minneapolis, where he was ranked as the No. 5 player in the state of Minnesota by PrepHoops.com, as he was a key piece to helping Totino-Grace yo back-to-back AAA state titles. In the state title game last March, Humphries scored 11 points en route to helping his school to its second-straight AAA state crown. 

Humphries ended up garnering all-state honorable mention honors as a senior, while also garnering Minnesota State High School League AAA all-tournament accolades. Like Bronson, Humphries brings an edge and a dedication to lock down and guard the opposition on the defensive end of the floor, along with being a pretty good athlete himself. 

Like most of Richey's recruits, Humphries can also step out and shoot the three. The backcourt depth, however, is thin outside Smith, Bronson and Humphries. Furman has been active in the transfer portal over the past couple of weeks, however, without a solid commitment yet. 

Furman was able to get another outstanding shooter from the transfer portal via the Division II ranks, in Barry University Bucs product Nick Anderson, who like Conley Garrison a couple of years ago, would be a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining. 

Anderson is a prolific shooter, starring for former Furman head coach Butch Estes (1986-95), as his quick release off the hand-offs and curls is somewhat reminiscent of former Wofford guard Fletcher Magee, in that it is especially tough to block his shot. He’s the kind of shooter that will make an instant impact in the lineup this season and will be in contention to potentially start.

Anderson finished out his final season with the Bucs averaging 17.4 PPG and 2.2 RPG, while shooting a blistering 42.3% from three-point range, having knocked down 101-of-239 long-range attempts in his final season at Barry. Among the other Southern Conference programs, who were interested in procuring the services of Anderson during the off-season were The Citadel, Chattanooga and East Tennessee State.   

Rounding out the newcomers in the backcourt is 6-7 Florida State transfer Tom House. House is a player that is another that could provide an instant impact with his long-range shooting ability, and he will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. With Bronson out and Smith Jr. limited due to a minor injury in last Saturday's scrimmage against UNC Asheville, House more than picked up the scoring slack for the 'Dins, leading the way with 19 points.

Two years ago, the Paladins broke open a close game in the second half to come up with what was an 89-74 win over Belmont. 

House rounds out the backcourt additions for the Paladins heading into the 2024-25 season, and he is another potential 40% or better shooter from the perimeter heading into the season. House was a player that was highly sought after during the recruiting process, and it came during a time when recruiting was a little tricky due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He averaged 1.5 PPG and shot 47% from three-point land this past season in Tallahassee, and he comes to Furman with two seasons of eligibility remaining. House his best outing as a Seminole against Kennesaw State last season, posting a career-best nine points, while adding seven points against South Florida. 

House was instrumental in leading Centerville High School to the 2021 state title and a state runner-up finish as a senior. For his prep career at Centerville, House posted averages of 14.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 2.4 APG.

While the Paladins will again be solid in the backcourt, they could have among the top frontcourts in the Southern Conference in 2023-24, with Garrett Hien (6.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG), Tyrese Hughey (4.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG), Davis Molnar (2.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG), Cooper Bowser (3.9 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 27 BLKS) and Ben VanderWal (5.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG) all returning to the fold, while the additions of Division II transfer Charles Johnston from Cal State Monterrey Bay, as well as Mason Smith both figure to be instant impact players.

Hien, Hughey and VanderWal are three players left over from that championship run a couple of years ago, and both will feel as they have something to prove this season. They were all three a big part of that successful run two years ago, and Hien has the most experience of the three. His leadership and knowledge of the overall offense will be vital to the success of the Paladins.

Rotationally is one area that Richey has improved with each passing season of his coaching career and expect this year to be the best. The Paladins will likely have a 9-10 rotation throughout the entirety of the season rather than working into one as the season progresses, which has been the case in past seasons. 

Hien is a player that could emerge as an x-factor player for the Paladins this coming season. Two years ago, Hien was a factor when in the lineup alongside Slawson, however, without the benefit of Slawson in the lineup, he saw his numbers take a bit of a dip, particularly his shooting from beyond the arc.  

Hien went from shooting 35% (27-of-77) from long range two years ago to just 14.6% (6-of-41) last season. Those aren’t numbers that are indicative of the type of shooter Hien can be and it was clear that he never exhibited the type of confidence in his shot that he had shown each of the previous two seasons. If the Paladins are going to be successful in 2024-25, Hien has to produce. He is also just a 46.1% foul shooter for his career. That is an area that also must see improvement this coming season. 

Having said that, the positives Hien can bring far outweigh the negatives, and the two main assets he brings are his knowledge of the Paladins’ motion offense, as well as his ability to see the game spatially. His skills as a passer are underrated, and he’s also a better than average athlete. He started 23 of Furman’s 33 games last season.  

With the 6-9 Hien, 6-11 Bowser and Johnston, the Paladins will have among the best size in the league this coming season and will have the ability to cause some matchup problems by having two or all three of those guys on the floor at the same time.  The true freshman shot a blistering 74.2% (46-of-62) from the field last season, with a vast majority of those being dunks. 

Bowser has NBA potential and his emergence towards the latter portions of the 2023-24 season were evident, and was largely responsible in helping the Paladins come up with a pair of big road wins wins at East Tennessee State and The Citadel last season. Without him in those two games, the Paladins likely don’t end up on capturing a win in either of those games. 

With a progression track similar to that of how Jalen Slawson was able to make a giant leap in overall development from freshman-to-sophomore, expect Bowser to contend for all-league honors this coming season. 

Already a presence on the defensive with his length and wingspan, his development of to his overall offensive game playing at the rim for the Paladins could be a huge factor for Furman this coming season. The sophomore from Woodbridge, VA., blocked a team-best 27 shots last season, while logging action in 32 games, including making three starts.

As far as Johnston is concerned, he comes to Furman with two years of eligibility remaining after transferring in from Cal State Monterrey Bay. He is an intriguing hoops talent, having played just four years of organized basketball, displaying a shooting range uncanny for most with his size, as well as being an elite rebounder and and an added asset as a rim protector. 

Though the Otters struggled during the 2023-24 season, winning just seven games, it wasn’t the fault of Johnston, who ended up garnering second-team California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) honors last season following a campaign, which saw Robertson break the CSUMB single-season mark for total rebounds in a season, bringing down a total of 278 rebounds for the season, leading the league in rebounding average, at 10.7 RPG. 

Additionally, Johnston, who is a native of Sydney Australia, finished the season as his team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 13.4 PPG. He finished the 2023-24 season by posting an impressive 13 double-doubles, scoring in double figures 20 times last season, including posting four games with 20 or more points. 

The unique trait that Johnston brings to the Paladin roster as a 6-11 center is his ability to shoot the three ball with excellent efficiency from long range. The newcomer brings with him an ability to shot from long-range, making him a danger all over the floor. In his most recent season with Cal State Monterrey Bay, Johnston finished connecting on 37.7% (20-of-53) from three-point range last season. His 10.7 RPG ranked fifth in NCAA Division II in rebounding last season.

Hughey returns as one of the team’s best rebounders, and he will be another key in the paint. The 6-6 senior from Columbus, OH, is finally completely healthy after having been plagued by off-season surgeries on each hip the previous two seasons.

Despite those surgeries, Hughey is an exceptional athlete, but like Hien, needs to show his prowess as a consistent outside threat and he doesn’t have to average in double figures, but he needs to make the opposition to respect his ability to score. He is among the best rebounders on the Furman roster, and that’s a primary strength for him as a player.

He also became a solid presence defending around the basket last season, with the biggest improvement he made as a player was his presence as a shot-blocker. He completed the season with a total 18 swats, which was 10 more blocked shots than he had in 2022-23. Hughey started 20 of the 31 games he logged action in last season for the Paladins and shot a solid 51.3% from the field for the season. He has started a total of 24 times in 88-career games in a Paladin uniform. 

VanderWal has more often than not been the energy spark-plug the Paladins have looked to each of the past couple of seasons, whether it be a loose ball, a play on the defensive end, or a highlight-reel dunk like the ones he produced in Paladin wins over Winthrop and VMI during his freshman and sophomore campaigns, respectively. 

It’s a player like VanderWal that championship worthy teams often have that can make a difference in a palpable fashion when it comes to changing the team’s overall energy. 

While VanderWal has most often provided that energy as a reserve off the bench, the 6-7 junior from Elmhurst, Ill., figures to provide that presence as a potential starter this season. He posted a career-high 15 points and 13 rebounds in Furman’s Valentine’s Day win over VMI last season. 

He logged action in 30 games, missing three games due to having to have an emergency appendectomy last season. He made 10 starts for the Paladins last season and has garnered starting nods in 17 games in his Paladin career.

The biggest issue for VanderWal in his first two seasons in a Paladin uniform has been maintaining a consistency in his long-range shooting. He finished the 2023-24 season shooting just 18.8% (9-of-48) from long range. VanderWal shot just 27.6% (16-of-58) from long-range as a freshman. 

Molnar is a player that should see some added minutes this coming season. He’s an asset on the backboards and is a solid defensive presence. At times last season, particularly in the Arkansas game and in the game at Wofford, he was able to give the Paladins a lift off the bench. 

Furman's lone freshman signee comes to Greenville, S.C., from the Palmetto State's northern border state, where he led Davidson Day (Charlotte, N.C.) state championship as a senior, as 6-7 forward Mason Smith provided athleticism and a keen shooting ability, averaging 15 PPG and eight RPG, shooting 40% from three-point land en route to garnering All-Foothills Conference honors and NCISSA All-State honors as a senior.  

Smith had originally been a Mercer commitment, however, after Greg Gary was not retained as the head coach, Smith, who is rated as a three-star prospect by most services, re-opened his recruitment and decided to commit to Furman.  

It appears more apparent that Smith won’t redshirt this coming season, and if that is the case, he will be among the best freshmen in the SoCon by the time the 2024-25 season comes to a conclusion.

I expect Smith to be a big factor this season with his shooting ability, and I am not sure how he redshirts this season given Furman’s shooting woes last season, as well as given his overall ability. He comes to Furman comparable to a guy like Clay Mounce (2017-2021), having already exceeded Mounce’s ability at this juncture of his career.

New Coaching Additions

Not only has the Paladin roster seen some major turnover, but the coaching staff will also have plenty of new additions for the 2024-25 season, with that a natural progression for many mid-major programs, who have had a great deal of success.

The Paladins will have six new members of its coaching staff and support staff this season. Top assistant Jeremy Growe has joined the College of Charleston's new staff under first-year head coach Chris Mack, and he will occupy the same role on the Cougars staff, as Associate Head Coach. 

Tim Johnson moved on to take a position as an assistant on Matthew Graves' new staff at Indiana State. Former Chief of Staff Darren Angell has moved into the business world, and Director of Sport Performance Matt Aldred has moved on to join Dusty May's new staff in the same role at the University of Michigan.

The lone remaining holdover as an assistant coach--Chad Warner--who joined the staff prior to the 2022-23 season after being the head coach at Flagler University, has been elevated to the role of Associate Head Coach with Growe's departure. 

Newcomers to the coaching staff include Kip Owens, Khyle Marshall, Pat Estepp and Rett Lister. Owens comes to Furman from Flagler, spending five seasons as an assistant, which included the final two as the Associate Head Coach of the Saints. 

He worked alongside Warner during Warner's time as the head coach, and Owens helped guide the Saints to a 18-3 record, including an 11-1 record in the Peach Belt and helped the Saints reach the NCAA Division II national semifinals in 2020-21. The following season, he was a major part of helping the Saints return to the tournament and finish the campaign with an impressive 23-8 mark.

Owens played college basketball at NCAA Division II Alabama-Huntsville, starring for Lennie Acuff (current head coach at Lipscomb University) during his four years with the program. Acuff is one of Bob Richey's mentors and many of his coaching philosophies are based on Acuff's concepts. 

During Owens' time as a player for UAH, he helped the Chargers to three NCAA Division II Tournaments, which included two Gulf South Tournament titles (2015 and '17) and a pair of regular-season titles (2014-15 and 2015-16).

Marshall joins the Furman program after spending three seasons at South Dakota State. In his first season on staff with the Jackrabbits in 2021-22, he was part of one of the successful seasons in Summit League history, with a 30-5 overall mark and an unblemished 18-0 mark in league action. 

The Jackrabbits went on to the NCAA Tournament in 2021-22 and followed up in 2022-23 with a second-place finish in the Summit League. Last season, he helped the Jackrabbits compile a 22-13 record, which included a 12-4 mark in the Summit League, as SDSU won both regular-season and tournament titles, returning to the NCAA Tournament for a second time in three seasons. 

Estepp spent 24 seasons at Cedarville University (OH) as an assistant and head coach. He spent 16 years as the head coach, compiling a record of 292-191 and led the Yellow Jackets to three NCAA Division II (NCCAA) national titles in 2012, 2019 and 2024. He will serve as the special assistant to the head coach, occupying essentially the same role that Angell did the previous two seasons. 

Lister returns to Furman after spending one season as a graduate assistant at Kent State. He helped the Golden Flashes finish the 2023-24 season with a 17-17 record, helping Kent State reach the MAC Tournament title game. 

During his four seasons as a walk-on player at Furman from 2019-23, he was one of the winningest players in Furman history, as he finished his career being a part of 90-career wins and helping the Paladins return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 43 years in 2022-23. He was also a part of a Furman team that won its first NCAA Tournament game since 1974, with the Paladins 68-67 upset of Virginia in Orlando in the 2023 NCAA Tournament,

Lister's father, Chad Lister, is a Furman graduate and has served as the head coach of nearby NCAA Division II North Greenville for better than two decades.

Final Prediction: This game won't be about the final score, but it is a good challenge for the Paladins going into what again figures to a challenging non-conference slate. If Furman can find a way to keep this within 15 by the time the final buzzer sounds on Sunday, it will be a huge win for Richey and the program. It could bode well for another strong season in Greenville. Auburn legitimately has a chance to win a national title this season. It has a chance to be one of the best teams in program history. Below is a recap of the 2019 regular-season meeting between the Tigers and Paladins at Neville Arena.

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl (left) and Furman head coach Bob Richey (right) following the 2019 regular season meeting at Neville Arena

No. 13 Auburn 81, Furman 78 (OT)/Dec. 5, 2019

Neville Arena/Auburn, AL

Records: Auburn (8-0); Furman (7-3)

If Furman Indication of how good it could be in the 2019-20 season, the message was heard loud and clear tonight with only eight games on the college basketball docket on Thursday night, as the Paladins went toe-to-toe with 13th-ranked and undefeated Auburn in their 10th game of the season. 

There were some questions that might have lingered following Furman’s 65-55 loss at South Florida earlier this week—a game which Furman entered as a four-point favorite—but the Paladins extinguished all of those questions in Thursday night’s loss to No. 14 Auburn at least for the immediate. The Paladins looked like a prime SoCon title contender once again this season and proved they could go toe-to-toe with any heavyweight on any floor in the nation Thursday night.

Despite holding an eight-point (39-31) lead at the half and as much as a 14-point in the second half, the Tigers would eventually whittle away at the lead down the stretch to force overtime. 

The narrative of the contest was spun in two different advantages for the Tigers. Auburn attempted 29 free throws to Furman’s 13, while out-scoring Furman 19-9 at the stripe for the night. Furman was whistled for 27 fouls, while Auburn committed 13.  All three of Furman’s big men fouled out, with Jalen Slawson doing so with 9:33 remaining. Gurley would follow with 3:38 left in overtime and Clay Mounce in the final minute of overtime.

Mounce, Gurley and Slawson combined for 35 points, 15 rebounds, five steals and four steals. Furman’s 27 fouls were the most whistled against it all season

The second advantage heavily favoring the Tigers was their superior size. The Tigers owned a 45-25 edge on the backboards, out-scored Furman 48-20 in the paint, and posted a 15-2 advantage in second-chance points. 

Tied at 66-66 following J’Von McCormick’s beautiful reverse layup attempt rolling off rim at the buzzer, the Tigers would out-score the Paladins 15-12 in overtime. The Tigers were 4-of-8 from the field and 7-for-9 from the line in the extra session.

What will be interesting to see is if East Tennessee State gets the same “SEC treatment” from officiating when it visits the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Dec. 15. Remember Furman big men Matt Rafferty and Noah Gurley were whistled for three first-half fouls in its trip to LSU last season. Though neither fouled out of the game, it changed the narrative for Furman against LSU’s huge frontcourt.

What to watch for ahead for Furman:

The development of Noah Gurley and Clay Mounce this season has helped Furman maintain its status it held last season, which is from a team that beat two Final Four teams from the previous season. Last night against Auburn, Furman had a chance to take down a third from a previous Final Four run.

Although the Paladins would ultimately fall in overtime, Mounce and Gurley showed the Paladins have staying power.

Through the first 10 games of the season, you could certainly make the argument that Clay Mounce is in the running for Southern Conference Player of the Year. He currently ranks seventh in the league in scoring (14.4 PPG), tied for seventh in rebounding (6.7 RPG), 12th in field goal percentage (53.5%), first in steals (2.6 SPG) and ranks second in three-point field goal percentage (47.2%) and eighth in three-pointers made (2.5/25 three-pointers).

So far this season, Mounce has posted double-digit scoring efforts in 9-of-10 games this season, including a pair of double-doubles.

Gurley has come on of late, posting 21 points, eight boards, two steals and and assist to lead all scorers last night against Auburn.The redshirt sophomore has scored in double-figure games this season, which includes two efforts with 20 or more points, and has now scored in double figures in each of the past three games.

Coming into the season, we wondered how Furman would replace Matt Rafferty. However, Furman keeps on keeping on by replacing its best player from the previous season going all the way back to Stephen Croone’s senior season in 2015-16. Mounce and Gurley have once again stepped up this season. 

This duo has to stay out of foul trouble. It’s a must if the Paladins hope to cut down the nets in Asheville. However, that’s easier said than done in SEC country. 

Despite the loss of Rafferty, it has forced Furman’s bigs to be more versatile and has forced more collective leadership, which in a way, has made Furman a more complete frontcourt to in 2019-20 than even it was last season. So in a sense, Rafferty even has had a positive effect on those who he left behind after graduation.

Quotable: 

"We dealt with foul trouble all night long. We've got to go back and look at that to see what we're doing. The past couple of games we've fouled a little bit more than typical."—Bob Richey

What’s Next:

Furman will be back in action Sunday when it faces USC Upstate at Timmons Arena, with set up for 2 p.m. The Paladins won’t face another power five conference team this season, but have a tough game remaining against Winthrop (Dec. 14.). That blockbuster matchup with the Eagles will take place at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in downtown Greenville. It’s the same facility that hosted the 2017    NCAA Tournament first and second rounds. If things go well for the Paladins, look for Furman to enter SoCon play with a 10-3 record.