The Hardwood Battle for Purple Supremacy
Furman (12-1) at Western Carolina (4-7)
Series: Furman and Western Carolina will be meeting for the 88th time in series history, with the Paladins holding the commanding 56-31 series edge, including having won 17 of the past 19 tilts between the two programs. Furman won two out of the three meetings between the two last season, including a 79-76 overtime win over the Catamounts in Asheville, which brought an end to the Catamounts' season and tournament title hopes in Asheville. Furman's lone two losses in the series in the past 19 games have both come in Cullowhee each of the past two seasons. The Paladins last won at the Ramsey Center back in 2021, with the Catamounts claiming each of the past two clashes between the two at the RAC, including an 85-77 contest last season.
Stat To Know: Furman has connected on 2,452 three-pointers under eighth year head coach Bob Richey, including having connected on 142 triples this season, shooting 36.6% from long-range through the first 13 games this season. In Richey's eight seasons as the head coach, the Paladins are shooting 37% (2,452-of-6,633) from three-point range. The Paladins set a Southern Conference single-season record with 401 three-pointers in a season back in the 2021-22 campaign, and through 13 games in that season, the Paladins had connected on 10 more three-pointers (152) than this year's Paladin team.
Did You Know: Both Furman and Western Carolina have both faced two different No. 1 teams in college basketball this season, with Furman's lone loss coming at Top-ranked Kansas (L, 86-51) on the final day of November, while the Catamounts battled No. 1 Tennessee (L, 84-36) back on Dec. 17.
Overview and Background
When Furman takes the court for its next game, it will be the real deal, as the Paladins will commence league play in the "Battle For Purple Supremacy" as the Paladins and Catamounts will renew their rivalry on the Southern Conference hardwood.
When Furman handed Western Carolina a 79-76 overtime setback in Asheville last March, it would mark the end of one era of hoops in Cullowhee and the beginning of another, as Justin Gray coached his final game for the Purple and Gold, while Southern Conference Player of the Year Vonterius Woolbright had played his final game in a Catamount uniform. That would also be the case for most of the Catamounts, who either graduated or headed for the transfer portal, knowing their coach was getting ready to bolt for Conway and the head coaching post at Coastal Carolina.
All told, only three players would return from that Western Carolina team of a year ago, with only forward Bernard Pelote, who initially entered the transfer portal returning of those players that saw any kind of significant playing time for the Catamounts.
The other three to return off of last season's roster are sophomore forward Marcus Kell, redshirt sophomore wing Cinque Lemon, and redshirt freshman guard Kamari Jones are the lone holdovers for a team that tied an NCAA Division I school record with 22 wins last season.
While Furman's 2023-24 season was one that was forgettable in the way in transpired for the Paladins, finishing a very mediocre 17-16 season with a 10-8 record in SoCon play, that was not the case for the Catamounts last season, who were starting to become a perennial title contender in what was just Gray's third season at the helm of the program.
So when he left to take the Coastal Carolina job in a Sun Belt Conference that has consistently ranked behind the SoCon over the past four or five years no matter the metric you look at, it came as a bit of a shock for Catamount hoops fan. It was the second-straight coach to leave them jilted at the altar, with Mark Prosser spending a three-year honeymoon in Cullowhee before moving on to Winthrop to become the head coach.
Furman hasn't had much success against the Catamounts in recent times in games played in Cullowhee, having lost its last two to the Ramsey Center, however, it's been the Paladins that have effectively ended each of WCU's past two campaigns in Asheville in the most heartbreaking of fashions, as the Paladins handed the Catamounts an 83-80 loss at the Harrah's Cherokee Center in the 2023 SoCon Tournament, while the Paladins waited until overtime to give a final twist to the knife in the 2024 SoCon Tournament, posting a 79-76 overtime win in Asheville last season.
It's tough to say which loss was more heartbreaking for Catamount fans, but last year there was a feeling that the Catamounts might be the dark horse pick to win the tournament if they could somehow find a way past Samford in the semifinals. The problem was, the Catamounts couldn't make it past Furman and that would be that.
The 2023-24 Catamounts will be forever be remembered for the season that Woolbright had--one of the best in both program and SoCon history--as he scored 635 points in a single season (sixth-most in school history) and posted three triple-doubles, while also helping the Catamounts to wins over Vanderbilt and Notre Dame in the non-conference. The 22 wins were second to only Samford's 29 wins last season.
But that was last year, and there is a new coach and a new brand of basketball being played in Cullowhee this season, and it's an exciting style, however, it's been a steep learning curve and the Catamounts have taken on maybe the league's most challenging non-league slate.
New Year's Day starts a new year and a new season in a sense for the 10 teams in the Southern Conference, and the Catamounts have the opportunity to "right" a lot of "wrongs" if they can pull of the upset over the Paladins in the league opener.
Previewing the 2024-25 Catamounts:
However, if Furman thought it lost a lot when it didn't return 71% of its scoring a year ago, try losing 92% of your scoring, which is essentially what the Catamounts had to replace coming into the 2024-25 season under its new head coach.
That new head coach is Tim Craft, and he's gone about installing a new system of basketball in the 'Whee, and it's a style that looks more like an actual team rather than the iso/NBA style of basketball the Catamounts featured last season under Gray. It was understandable why the Catamounts employed such a style, with a player that featured such a unique skill-set such as Woolbright did, however, in the SoCon Tournament against the Paladins, the iso-ball style ended up backfiring, as Furman head coach Bob Richey and staff devised as good of a plan to shut down that iso game and Woolbright as any foe did during the 2023-24 season.
One of the reason the Paladins were able to win in Asheville is the fact they used a combination of Marcus Foster and Alex Williams to guard Woolbright out top, preventing him from using his physical and size and powerful first step to get that first step in the lane towards the basket, which allowed him to either get started towards the basket or get fouled.
By cutting that off before Woolbright could take that step and use his body to either draw fouls or get started towards the basket, it basically shut down a lot of what made the Catamounts so successful for much of the 2023-24 season, with everything running through Woolbright.
That iso-style of offense also helped mask much of the problem the Catamounts had for the entire season, which was getting points in the post. The Catamounts essentially had the same problems as other teams in the SoCon last season, which is missing on their portal additions in the post. The Catamounts got by better than most because they had an elite four-guard backcourt, led by Woolbright, while Russell Jones Jr., Tre Jackson and DJ Campbell were all three-point threats and could score in a variety of different ways.
So how exactly is this Craft-led Catamounts team different than the one that won 22 games a year ago? Well, for one the Catamounts play at a much faster tempo, as according to KenPom, the Catamounts rank 23rd in all of college basketball and tops in the SoCon in adjusted offensive tempo, averaging just 15.6 seconds per offensive possession, and that's much faster than the Catamounts played under Gray.
The Catamounts come into their New Year's Day lid-lifter against the Paladins having played two less non-conference games than most teams in the SoCon, yet it's evident the Catamounts like to put up the three-ball with some propensity, as WCU enters its SoCon opener ranking eighth in the nation in overall adjusted offensive tempo.
The Catamounts are off to a 4-7 start so far in the 2024-25 season, having posted wins over Bob Jones (W, 100-61), Truett McConnell (W, 99-64), Bellarmine (W, 86-74) and Milligan (W, 78-69). With so much turnover from one year to the next, it's not hard to see why the Catamounts have struggled during the non-conference.
Last season, the Catamounts entered Southern Conference play after having won 11 of their 13 games in the non-conference, however, the Catamounts have played a much tougher non-conference slate this season under a new head coach and a team assembled largely from the transfer portal. It has led to a rough start. According to several different metrics, Western Carolina has played the toughest slate in the Southern Conference to this point and one that currently ranks as the 30th toughest slate in all of college basketball.
The non-conference schedule for the Catamounts has featured the following teams: Florida State (L, 57-91), No. 10 Marquette (L, 62-94), No. 1 Tennessee (L, 36-84) and Wake Forest (L, 69-82). In three of those four games, the Catamounts have been out of the game long before halftime. Against Wake Forest--a team picked to finish third in the ACC--the Catamounts played one of their best games of the non-conference slate, managing to only lose by 13. The Catamounts also dropped contests against USC Upstate (L, 68-74) and at UNC Asheville (L, 61-78)
The Catamounts would hang tough for three quarters of the game before finally succumbing to the overall talent and depth of the Demon Deacons over the final eight minutes of regulation. In that game, the Catamounts went to half facing just a 10-point deficit, at 44-34.
As a team, Western Carolina has been a team that has at times almost become solely reliant upon the three-point shot. The Catamounts enter Wednesday's contest having already shot 347 threes in 11 games, which averages out to 31.5 attempts-per-game. The problem is WCU has only made 103 of those three-point attempts, which averages out to a 29.7% clip from long-range this season, which ranks 323rd of 350 ranked teams in all of NCAA Division I.
The Catamounts are good on the boards, leading the league in team rebounding average (40.5 RPG) and defensive rebounding average (28.7). The Catamounts also lead the league in turnovers, averaging 17.8 miscues per game. Western Carolina is averaging 70.0 PPG while surrendering 76.2 PPG.
In Western Carolina's last time out before the Christmas break, the Catamounts shot the ball a little better against a non-Division I foe, connecting on 9-of-24 shots from long range, which converts to 37.5% from long range in the game. As you might expect, the Catamounts are shooting the ball at a much higher clip against non-Division I foes from the perimeter this season, connecting on 36.3% (32-of-88) from long-range against non-Division I foes this season, while the Catamounts are shooting just 26.6% (65-of-244) against NCAA Division I competition this season.
The Catamounts' 103 made three-pointers are the second-lowest total in the SoCon this season, ranking only six more makes ahead of the The Citadel's 97 made triples. The 27.6% shooting clip from long range this season ranks as the lowest shooting percentage from three-point range in the SoCon this season.
By contrast, Furman has not only shot the ball well from long-range, but they have also done a nice job of defending the three this season, as the Paladins enter their Southern Conference opener with the Catamounts second in the nation in three-point field goal percentage, having limited foes to 73 made threes and just a 25.3% (73-of-289) shooting clip from beyond the three-point line in the non-conference slate. Only top-ranked Tennessee, which has held teams to 24.9% shooting from long range this season ranks as a better team defending the three this season to this point.
The Catamounts have several threats from long-range that the Paladins must be aware of at all times, and those are Chevalier "Ice" Emery (10.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG) and Cord Stansberry (11.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG) being the two best.
Emery is a 6-0 junior guard that has two seasons of eligibility remaining and has gotten off to a fast start in his first season with the Catamounts, and he is one of three Catamounts averaging in double figures this season, ranking third on the team in scoring production. Emery enjoyed his best outing of the season in WCU's lopsided win over Truett-McConnell, as he posted 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field, which included a 5-for-11 effort from three-point range in the win. Though he came off the bench in WCU's win over Milligan last time out, Emery has logged nine starts in 11 games for the Purple and Gold this season.
Emery made it back-to-back 20-point performances against Wake Forest, as he posted 20 points on 7-of-18 shooting from the field and 3-for-11 shooting from three-point land. The Appleton, WI native came to WCU from Dodge City CC and before that, Merrimack in New Jersey. During the 2023-24 season, Emery shot 44.3% from three-point range, knocking down 80 three-pointers. This season, Emery has struggled from long range, however, connecting on just 24.0% (18-of-75) from three-point range, and his 18 made threes ranks second on the team.
The team's leader in perimeter shooting this season has been Cord Stansberry, who has knocked down 22 threes this season and is shooting a little better from three-point range than Emery, connecting on 31.0% (22-of-71) from three-point range this season. Stansberry came to WCU all the way from Bermuda Dunes, CA., by way of UC Irvine where he spent one season before opting to transfer. The 6-4 redshirt sophomore has scored in double figures in seven of WCU's 11 games this season, including posting two performances of 20 or more points, which came against Bellarmine and at Wake Forest, respectively. Stansberry is coming off a 14-point effort in his last game out against Milligan.
All told, both Emery and Stansberry account for 40 of the team's 103 made three-pointers this season, which converts to almost 40% (38.8%) of the team's made three-pointers this season.
The third scorer to keep an eye on is Bernard Pelote (10.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG), who is of course the veteran of the last two Catamount teams and is coming off a final game of the non-conference slate against Milligan that was a most memorable outing, as he posted a season-high 24 points in WCU's last game before the Christmas Break, as he the 6-8, 224-lb forward connected on 8-of-12 shots from the field and was a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range in the win. He also made all four of his foul shots and just missed a double-double by adding nine rebounds. Pelote's 7.5 RPG ranks second to only Wofford's Kyler Filewich in rebounding average.
Pelote has found his way in double figures in the scoring column in five out of the past six games. The senior forward also has one double-double this season, as he finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds in WCU's loss at Queens. Pelote is connecting on 45.4% (44-of-97) of his shots from the field so far this season, which includes a 35.7% (15-of-42) effort from three-point range this season. He has started all 11 games for the Catamounts this season.
Point guard CJ Hyland (5.5 PPG, 2.1 RPG), and big men Chase McKey (4.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG) and Vernon Collins (5.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG) have also been regulars in the starting rotation at one point or another this season for head coach Tim Craft. Hyland is a 6-1 freshman point guard that Craft really likes, and he has started to gain footing as an NCAA Division I college basketball player, having started the past five games for the Catamounts, playing 20-plus minutes in four of those games.
Hyland's 22 assists ranks second-best on the team this season, and he is the only player on the WCU roster to have more assists than turnovers this season, having dished out 22 assists, while having turned it over only 19 times this season. Hyland and Emery essentially have split time running the point guard spot for the Catamounts this season. Hyland has one double-figure scoring performance this season, posting 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and was 2-for-3 from three-point land in the win over Bellarmine.
McKey and Collins are both transfers and have started in the previous game before the break against Milligan, and along with the 6-8 Pelote, gives the Catamounts some size in the paint. McKey, a 6-10 junior forward, came to WCU after spending a couple of years at Princeton.
The junior from Chocowinity, N.C., has started seven of 11 games for the Catamounts this season, with a pair of double-figure scoring outings, posting a season-high 12 points and seven rebounds in a loss at Queens in the second game of the season. Collins also posted 10 points in WCU's loss at Blue Ridge Mountain rival UNC Asheville back on Dec. 14. Collins is shooting an impressive 61% (28-of-46) from the field this season, with his best outing coming in the road loss to the Bulldogs last month, connecting on 88.3% (5-for-6) of his shots from the field.
McKey, a 6-10 transfer from Marshall, has seen action all 11 games, with starts coming against Truett-McConnell and Milligan this season. He isn't going to give the Catamounts much in the way of scoring, however, he does provide size and and extra long body to try and shoot over at the rim if he is in the game with Collins. McKey scored in double figures in the season opener against Bob Jones, as he contributed 13 points on 6-for-6 shooting from the field. Like Collins, McKey has been efficient when looking to score underneath this season, as he is shooting 62.1% (18-for-29) from the field so far this season.
Junior guard Brandon Morgan (5.8 PPG, 2.0 RPG) and forward Marcus Kell (7.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG) have also seen starting minutes for the Catamounts this season. Both Morgan and Kell have had their moments for the Catamounts this season, with both having contributed double-figure scoring performances. Kell actually started the first four games of the season for the Catamounts and posted his two double figure scoring performances against both Bob Jones (16 pts) and most recently against UNC Asheville (14 pts).
Kell is shooting 47.4% (27-of-57) from the field so far this season and is a 38.5% (10-of-26) from three-point land this season.
Morgan also started four games during the non-conference slate and has three double-figure scoring performances in non-conference play, including the last time out against Milligan. He also posted double-figure scoring efforts against Florida State (13 pts) and Bob Jones (12 pts). Morgan, a 6-4 junior guard, is in his first season with the Catamounts' basketball program, having transferred in from Caldwell Community College.
Noting The Paladin Team Averages Entering SoCon Play
--As a team, the Paladins enter their Southern Conference opener ranking fourth in the SoCon in scoring average (78.9 PPG), second in scoring defense (63.8 PPG), first in field goal percentage (48.3%), second in field goal percentage defense (39.8%), third in three-point field goal percentage (36.6%), first in three-point field goal percentage defense (25.3%), and third in assists-per-game (18.2). The Paladins rank second nationally in three-point field goal percentage defense, 16th in total assists-per-game, and 31st in scoring defense.
PJay's Dynamic Start
--The Paladins have a well-balanced attack, led by PJay Smith Jr. (17.3 PPG), who is likely the frontrunner for Southern Conference Player of the Year after non-conference play. He played in 11 of 13 games for the Paladins, missing two starts with injury. He currently ranks second in the SoCon in scoring average (17.3 PPG), fifth in field goal percentage (51.6%), first in three-pointers made (41), second in three-point field goal percentage (50.6%), fifth in assists (3.7 APG), and tied for sixth in steals (1.6 SPG).
--Smith was named SoCon Player of the Week on three different occasions and has scored 20 or more points in five of his first 11 games this season, including season highs and Furman career highs of 29 points vs. Tulane and Ogelthorpe. He has eight double-figure scoring efforts in the 11 games he has played in this season for the Paladins.
--The Paladins have had a much deeper unit this season as opposed to previous campaigns, as evidenced by 11 different Paladins having posted double-figure scoring performances so far this season.
Transfer Translation
--Furman added three players from the transfer portal, with Nick Anderson (Barry University), Tom House (Florida State), and Charles Johnston (Cal State Monterey Bay), with all three having led the Paladins in scoring in a game during the non-conference. Anderson led the Paladins in scoring against Montreat (21 pts) and vs. Charleston Southern (14 pts), while Charles Johnston went 8-of-9 from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point range in Furman's 78-69 win over Jacksonville, finishing with 25 points. Finally, House led the Paladins in scoring in the season-opener against Columbia International, with 21 points in the 104-46 win.
Leading Acts
--Furman has had six different leading scorers this season, with PJay Smith Jr. owning the most leading scoring efforts with six, while Cooper Bowser has led the Paladins twice and the aforementioned trio of transfers all having leading scoring efforts in at least one game, with Anderson's two leading scoring efforts tying with Bowser for the second-most on the team behind PJay Smith Jr. Eddrin Bronson led the Paladins with 14 points in their lone loss at No.1 Kansas, and the redshirt freshman has scored in double figures five times in 13 games.
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