Furman's Opponent Preview in the SoCon-A-Sun Challenge: Queens Royals

Furman (2-3) returns to the floor Sunday evening to take on Queens in its only game of the 2025-26 portion of the SoCon-ASun Challenge, welcoming in the Queens Royals into Timmons Arena. The Royals' most-recent win on Thursday night against UNC Greensboro gave the Atlantic Sun a narrow 6-5 lead in the series, with Saturday's three games in the challenge still pending results. 

The Paladins come in off their second win of their second win of the season over an NAIA foe, knocking off Ohio Christian, 79-44, on Wednesday night at the refurbished Timmons Arena. 

Furman and Queens will be meeting for the first time in series history. The Paladins defeated both of their Atlantic Sun foes they faced last season, knocking off both Jacksonville (W, 78-69) and Florida Gulf-Coast (W, 76-73) on the road last season. 

Furman, which will be hosting its second NCAA Division I opponent in the newly renovated Timmons Arena, sports a 60-9 record on home hardwood since the start of the 2019-20 season, including having won 39 of its last 43 games against non-conference opposition in the friendly confines. Furman dropped a 64-61 heartbreaker to Troy in the home opener but have since claimed a pair of wins over NAIA foes on home hardwood.  Furman holds a 259-109 all-time record at Timmons Arena. 

QUEENS ROYALS: 

Head Coach: Grant Leonard (55-52/4th season)

Record: 3-3 (0-0 Atlantic Sun)

Series with Furman: First Meeting

Queens Royals Preview: Queens is a relative newcomer to the NCAA Division I scene, however, if the 2024-25 season taught us anything about one NCAA Division I basketball's newest members, it told us that it certainly did not take long for head coach Grant Leonard's team to acclimate itself to its newest surroundings, and being an NCAA Division I basketball member. 

Entering the 2025-26 season, Grant Leonard's club is one that has been picked to win the Atlantic Sun title this season. With a ranking of 134 in the latest KenPom rankings, Queens enters Sunday's contest with its highest KenPom ranking ever, entering the contest at 180.

This season, the Royals have gotten off to a 3-3 start in the early going, and that includes a 101-94 win in the most recent outing against Southern Conference, as the Royals knocked off UNC Greensboro in their first SoCon-Atlantic Sun challenge game in a game that saw five Royals end up in double figures scoring-wise. 

So far in 2025-26, all three of Queens' wins have come in the friendly confines of Curry Arena, and in addition to knocking off the Spartans this past Thursday night, the Royals also have wins over the University of Lynchburg (W, 87-76), Sacred Heart University (W, 81-64) and UNC Greensboro (W, 101-94). Losses for the Royals have come on the road at Villanova (L, 74-94), at Duquesne (L, 81-87 OT) and in a neutral court opener in Rock Hill against Winthrop (L, 74-81) as a part of the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon. 

The 2025-26 season will mark the Royals' fourth campaign as a Division I College Basketball member, and the Royals have already made their first postseason appearance in their short NCAA Division I membership, as the Royals took part in the College Basketball Invitational last March, competing in the College Basketball Invitational. 

The Royals reached the 20-win plateau for the first time in program history, as the Royals knocked off Big Sky member Northern Arizona, 85-78, in Daytona Beach to move on to the quarterfinals in the 16-team tournament. Ultimately, that's where Queens' season would come to an end, however, dropping what was an 88-73 contest to Cleveland State to bow out of the tournament. 

As of last season, Queens is done with the transitioning to official NCAA Division I status, so winning the league's tournament this season would see the program chart its first-ever path to an NCAA Tournament berth as a NCAA Division I member.

The 2024-25 season would see the Royals go 3-1 against Southern Conference competition, winning at VMI (W, 81-78), vs. Western Carolina (W, 67-54) and vs. Mercer (W, 73-66), while losing on the road at East Tennessee State (L, 67-82). If you add the win over UNC Greensboro to the mix, the Royals have now knocked off four of their last five SoCon opponents.  

Queens is a team that plays fast and likes to get up and down, averaging 83.0 PPG through the first six games this season. 

The Royals have two starters back and have done pretty well in the transfer portal plugging in replacements for the others lost to transfer or to eligibility. It all starts with one of the best players in program history, with Chris Ashby (14.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG) leading the charge for the Royals. The 6-2 guard is the Royals' lone returning all-conference player and is on the verge of setting Queens' career three-point record.

Ashby is the preseason Atlantic Sun Player of the Year, and he comes off a 2024-25 campaign which saw him set a new single-season record for three-pointers made in a single-season, as he knocked down 115 triples alone just last season. 

He is on pace to set a new program standard this season, needing just 38 triples to break former standout Chris Benson's school record. His 14.8 PPG this season ranks second on the team, and he's also picked up right where he left off in terms of shooting the three, connecting on 43.1% (25-of-58) from three-point range this season. 

In fact, 25 of Ashby's 28 made field goals through the first six games this season. It's nothing new for Ashby in terms of shot disparity, as he shot only 65 shots inside the arc last season, while he connected, he shot a whopping 327 shots outside the arc last season. 

Ashby has scored in double figures in all six games for the Royals so far this season, and he is coming off a 18-point performance in the win over UNC Greensboro on 5-of-14 shooting from the field, which included a 5-for-12 shooting effort from three-point range. 

Ashby's best performance of the season came against the University of Lynchburg, as he connected on 7-of-10 shots from the field, which included knocking down 6-of-9 from three-point range to finish the contest with a season-high 22 points. Ashby is averaging over four made three-point field goals per game this season, which ranks him in the Top 10 nationally. Coach Leonard hopes that Ashby will develop more as a well-rounded scorer this season. 

The Royals most efficient ball-handler has been point guard and leader is 6-5 Jordan Watford (8.0 PPG, 3.3 APG), and unlike Furman in the early portion of the season, Watford has led a team that has taken decent care of the basketball this season.

Watford garnered his first start for the Royals last time out, and as a result, he posted his second double-figure scoring performance of the season, contributing a 13-point effort on 6-of-9 shooting from the field in a season-high 28 minutes of floor action Thursday night in the 101-94 win over the Spartans. 

Watford, like Furman's Alex Wilkins, is a true freshman point guard and he is now being asked to lead a very talented offensively well-oiled machine that the Royals showcase each time they take the floor, which is why they are so highly thought of, both among the coaches that picked them to win the Atlantic Sun, as well as many of the media that cover the Atlantic Sun on a nightly basis. 

The native of Lancaster, S.C., posted his only other double-digit scoring performance of the season against the University of Lynchburg, posting 16 points on a 5-for-8 shooting effort from the field, as well as knocking down the only three-point shot he took. He was also 5-of-6 from the charity stripe as a part of that 16-point performance earlier this season.  Watford came out of Lancaster High School as a four-star recruit and a top 100 guard in the 2025 class, according to rivals.com.

The other returning starter for the Royals in the backcourt is 6-6 wing Yoav Berman, who is a highly skilled, do-everything type of player for the Royals. Berman joins Ashby as the two returning starters for the Royals this season, and during the off-season, Berman had some big programs sniffing around for his services, including the likes of 2024-25 national champion Florida and Big Ten member Iowa during the off-season. 

Through six games this season, Leonard's efforts to if it all possible to make sure Berman stayed in Charlotte rather than matriculate to a bigger program has paid off, as he is leading the team in both scoring average (15.2 PPG) and assists (3.2 APG), while also helping shoulder even some of the load left behind with Jaxson Pollard transferring out to Samford. 

Berman will remind Furman fans some of a Matt Rafferty type transformation, with he being the centerpiece of what Queens likes to do offensively. The native of Tel Aviv, Israel scored a season-high 22 points in Queens' loss at Duquesne earlier this season, but unlike Rafferty, Berman isn't exactly great when it comes to efficiency, as he has connected on just 37.7% (26-of-69) from the field and only 25.6% (10-of-39) from three-point range. Berman was a 40.4% shooter from long-range last season. 

He is the team's best free throw shooter, having connected on 83% (29-of-35) from the charity stripe this season. He leads a team that shoots a solid 73.5% from the free throw line this season. He's seen his scoring improve by 7.0 PPG this season.

Another good talent set to start in the backcourt in what will be a four-guard lineup for the Royals is 6-senior wing Nasir Mann (14.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.5 APG) and like Berman, has seen his scoring production take off through the first six games of the 2025-26 season, as he went from averaging 6.6 PPG last season to averaging 14.0 PPG this season. 

Prior to coming to Queens, Mann was a member of that McNeese State team that won the Southland Conference championship, and he is an explosive athlete. He is the brother of Charlotte Hornets player Tre Mann. 

Mann enters Sunday's contest leading the team in rebounding. He was one of the best JUCOs in the country coming out before making his way to Lake Charles, LA., and has enjoyed several strong outings already in the 2025-26 season, which includes posting double figures in five out of six of the Royals' games this season, including a season-high 21 points in the 94-74 loss at Villanova. Mann has scored in double figures in each of his past four outings and shoots 49.2% (31-of-63) from the field and is an excellent free throw shooter (95.7%/22-of-23).

Rounding out the projected starters for the Royals entering Sunday's showdown at Timmons Arena will be Avantae Parker (10.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5 BLKs), who is coming off a game against UNCG in which he helped re-arrange the shot clock at Curry Arena after a ferocious dunk putback against the Spartans. 

The 6-9 junior forward played his prep basketball in the Palmetto State at Gray Academy in Columbia and originally signed to play at Georgia Southern before transferring to Queens. During his time with the Eagles, Parker made 25 starts and 50 appearances over the course of two seasons in Statesboro. 

Parker has started all six games this season, and like Furman's own Cooper Bowser, is extremely efficient under the basket, connecting on 66.7% (24-of-36) of his shots this season, with a vast majority of those being slam dunks. With five blocks on the young season, he can also act as a rim-protector on the defensive end of the floor. 

As far as the rotation utilized off the bench for the Royals, look for wing Kam Clark (2.5 PPG, 1.3 RPG), 6-9 Carson Schweiger (7.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG), 6-10 Gus Larson (4.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG), and 6-9 Maban Jabriel (5.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG) to all see quality action off the bench Sunday evening for the Royals. The Royals are one of the biggest teams the Paladins will see as a part of their non-conference schedule, with both Clark and Jabriel sporting starting experience this season. Larson transferred into Queens program from the University of California, while Schweiger came from Valpo. 

Furman Finds Offensive Efficiency to Match Defensive Intensity in Win Over Ohio Christian

Furman redshirt sophomore wing Asa Thomas

Furman 79, Ohio Christian 44

GREENVILLE, S.C.--Furman got a career-high 22 points from redshirt sophomore Asa Thomas, as the Paladins used offensive efficiency in the second half to join the defensive intensity the team had from the outset, in garnering a 79-44 win over NAIA Ohio Christian Wednesday night at Timmons Arena.

The win sees the Paladins improve to 2-3 on the young season, while the game counts as just an exhibition for the Trailblazers, as they remain 5-1. Wednesday night's game against a non-Division I foe marks the second of three that Furman will play this season, with the final one coming up on Dec. 9 against Bob Jones. Furman already defeated Columbia International (89-59) for its first victory of the 2025-26 season just last week.

Thomas finished the night connecting on 9-of-16 shots from the field, including going 4-for-11 from beyond the arc, while adding seven rebounds, three assists and one steal in just over 29 minutes of playing time for the evening.

Thomas was joined in double figures by Charles Johnston, who notched his fourth double-double of the season, with 15 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three steals and added two blocks, while Alex Wilkins finished his evening finishing in double figures for a fifth-consecutive game as a true freshman, as he posted 10 points in the Paladin win. For Johnston, his 11 rebounds marked his fifth double-digit rebounding performance of the season and also his fifth time out of five opportunities leading the Paladins on the glass.

Not to be overlooked was another extremely efficient offensive performance turned in by Cooper Bowser, who finished with eight points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting effort, which all game on dunks, as the 6-11 junior forward also added eight boards, four assists and a steal to the cause.

Furman was without senior forward and main "glue guy" Ben Vander Wal, who missed the game with a minor injury and is expected to return Sunday when the Paladins face Queens as a part of the SoCon-A-SUN Challenge.

The Trailblazers, which hung in the game throughout much of the opening half of play, were led by 5-10 guard Parker Penrod, who finished with 13 points and four assists. Penrod connected on 5-of-12 shots from the field and was 3-for-6 from long-range.

Furman finished the night with its best shooting effort of the season, connecting on 52.5% (32-of-61) from the field, which included a 29.0% (9-of-31) clip from three-point range. After starting the game 2-for-16 from three-point range, the Paladins would knock down 7-of-15 shots from long-range in the second half for what was a much-improved performance from long range. Furman did not shoot the ball well from the charity stripe, finishing the game with just 40% (6-of-15).

The Paladins played good defense throughout the game, making open looks for the visiting Trailblazers hard to come by, as Furman held its lower division opposition to just 29.6% (16-of-54) for the game, including just 29.2% (7-of-24) from three-point range. The Trailblazers also finished the contest connecting on 45.5% (5-of-11) from the charity stripe.

The Paladins finished the night holding substantial advantages in points in the paint (46-12), total rebounds (53-23), total assists (24-10), and second-chance points (19-2). Furman also finished the game with advantages in points off turnovers (14-8), fast-break points (6-5), bench scoring (20-13), and outscored the Trailblazers from the line (6-5) on four more attempts (15-11).

How It Happened:

The Paladins struggled to take care of the basketball early on in the contest, and Furman got only four shots on its first eight possessions of the night, as both the Paladins and Trailblazers went to the first media timeout of the night tied, 2-2, on baskets by Alex Wilkins for Furman and Parker Penrod for Ohio Christian. The Paladins had five turnovers before the first media timeout.

A scary moment occurred just after the first, as Trailblazers forward Landon Elmore stopped, pump faked and as he planted to go up for a shot against a defending Alex Wilkins on a breakaway layup attempt, suffered what appeared to be a non-contact, knee injury as he planted to go up for his shot attempt, and the 6-7 senior aspiring preacher from Elizabethtown, KY., suffered what appeared to be an unfortunate career-ending knee injury.

He was writhing in pain in agony and went down immediately, falling with the ball out-of-bounds to turn the ball over to Furman in the process, with 14:39 remaining in the opening half. In case you were wondering, as I was sitting there not far from the Ohio Christian bench, I heard him tell one of the Furman game operations staff, who was helping him, that he loved basketball, but his real future was in his chosen profession of being a preacher.

Thoughts and prayers certainly extended by me, as well as the entire Furman team, including head coach Bob Richey and staff, which made a nice gesture of coming over to check on the young man after the conclusion of the game.

Furman's slow start was compounded by the fact that the Paladins were without veteran Ben Vander Wal, who missed the game with a minor injury, and as a result, the Paladins looked a little out-of-sync early on. The Paladins got four points from Owen Ritger and a dunk from Cooper Bowser, but an acrobatic layup by DJ Bogay sent the two teams to the second media timeout tied, 9-9, at the second media timeout with 10:49 remaining in the half.

The Paladins would create a little distance on the scoreboard, utilizing their size, despite their shooting woes from deep, but back-to-back dunks by Bowser, as well as layups by Charles Johnston and Asa Thomas saw the Paladins create a little breathing room with a 19-15 lead at the third media timeout of the half with 6:28 to play in the first.

The Paladins would miss their first 13 shots from long range and 14 overall dating back to the UNI game before eventually making one, with Wilkins knocking down the first three at the 3:12 mark of the opening half to give the Paladins a 25-18 lead.

Furman's next three came from Tom House as time expired in the opening half to give the Paladins a 32-23 lead at the break, which was the most substantial lead of the night up to that point.

Furman would finally open up the game in the second half and its size, athleticism and talent would begin to take its toll on its undersized opposition early in the second half.

Furman, which made its final three of the opening half, to end a streak of 14-straight misses dating back to the UNI game, and a 4-of-44 effort from three over the course of 1.5 games and 17-of-91 over 2.5 games, finally seemed looked like the good shooting Furman teams that Bob Richey has normally fashioned throughout his previous eight seasons in-charge, as the Paladins knocked down their first five of six shot attempts from long-range in the second half.

That allowed the Paladins to take complete control of the game, and after Ohio Christian's Landon Brewer knocked down a three to cut Furman's lead to six, at 32-26, the Paladins commenced to go on a 22-3 run from that point, beginning with a Eddrin Bronson three from the top the key at the 18:39 mark and ending with an Abijah Franklin charity shot at the 9:41 mark, as Furman upped its lead to 25, at 54-29. Furman held the Trailblazers without a point for over seven minutes while pulling away in the process.

Furman returns to action on Sunday as part of a men's and women's basketball double-header, with the lady Paladins taking on Clemson in a game slated for a 2 p.m. tip-off at Timmons Arena, which will be followed by the men taking on Queens University as a part of the SoCon-A-Sun challenge, with tip-off set for approximately 5 p.m. EST.

Postgame Press Conference:

 Players: Cooper Bowser and Asa Thomas

Head Coach: Bob Richey

Northern Iowa adds to Furman's Rough Start to the 2025-26 Season

 

Furman freshman guard Abijah Franklin

Northern Iowa 70, Furman 54 (Nov. 14, 2025)

CEDAR FALLS, IA--Furman connected on just 4-of-30 shots from three-point range and managed just 54 points, as the Paladins fell for the third time against NCAA Division I competition this season, as Northern Iowa evened the all-time series between the two in what was the first meeting between the two teams in 22 years, as the Panthers captured a 70-54 win over the Paladins Friday night at the McCleod Center.

With the win, Northern Iowa improved to 3-0 on the young season, while the Paladins fell to 1-3 on the young season. It’s Furman’s second double-digit setback in three games to start the season, and over last two games, the Paladins are just 15-of-75 from three-point range.

The Panthers would be led in scoring in the contest by Trey Campbell, who finished with 18 points to lead five UNI players in double figures, as the Panthers featured a well-balanced offensive output. Campbell knocked down 6-of-11 shots from the field and was 3-for-6 from three-point range and a perfect 3-for-3 from the charity stripe. Additionally, Campbell added three assists and two steals in the win.

Campbell would be joined in double figures by Ben Schwieger, who gave off the bench to add 14 points for the Panthers, while starters Leon Bond III and Tristan Smith added 13 points apiece, and Will Hornseth added 11 points and eight boards to round out the balanced offensive effort from the Panthers.

Furman was led by junior center Cooper Bowser, who posted 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, while adding four rebounds, two blocks and an assist to his overall totals for the night. Charles Johnston added a double-double of 11 points, 10 rebounds and an assist, while shooting 3-of-7 from three-point range. The rest of the team shot just 1-of-23 from long-range in the game.

True freshman point guard Alex Wilkins also finished in double figures, finishing with 10 points and four assists, as he connected on 4-of-14 shots from the field, but was 0-of-9 from three-point land.

For the game, the Panthers ended the night connecting on 46.3% (25-of-54) from the field but were just 30.0% (6-of-20) from long-range themselves. UNI did knock down 14-of-17 attempts from the charity stripe, which converted to an 82.4% clip from the charity stripe.

The Paladins finished the night connecting on just 39.3% (22-of-56) from the field and just 13.3% (4-of-30) from three-point range and were 6-of-11 from the free throw line. Furman owned advantages in points in the paint (34-30) and second-chance points (6-5), while UNI held advantages in points from turnovers (13-11), fast-break points (5-2), bench points (15-9), total rebounds (35-33), and total assists (11-10).

How It Happened:

Furman and Northern Iowa played it close to the vest early in the game, with each team struggling shooting-wise early on, and Furman jumped out to an early 8-5 lead following a pair of Cooper Bowser buckets, however, the Panthers responded with a 15-4 run to take a 20-12 lead following a nice mid-range jumper from Leon Bond III to force a Furman timeout at the 9:09 mark of the opening half.

Furman would battle back and after missing its first 10 threes of the game, finally broke the ice from long range when Charles Johnston knocked down a three in transition following a Ben Vander Wal steal, cutting the UNI lead back to five. However, back-to-back jumpers and a free throw gave the Panther a brief double-digit lead before a pair of Furman buckets by Bowser and Alex Wilkins to get the deficit back to six. However, the Panthers would take a 27-19 lead to final media timeout of the half following short jumper All-Missouri Valley Conference guard Trey Campbell.

Off the timeout, a Ben Schweiger three with the shot clock winding down was followed by a Tristan Smith hook shot in the paint extending the Panthers to their largest lead of the night, at 32-19 with just under three minutes remaining in the half. A little over a minute later, Smith’s layup extended the lead to 15 before a Charles Johnston three cut it back to 12 and that’s where the score would remain at the half, as the Panthers took a 36-24 lead into the half. Furman finished the opening half of play connecting on just 2-of-17 from three-point range in the opening half of play.

The second half would begin with a technical foul, as Furman was issued a technical foul as a result of Eddrin Bronson not being written in the official stats manual before the start of the game. That would lead to a free throw for the Panthers without any time elapsing off the clock, and increasing the Panthers lead to 13, at 37-24.

Trailing by 15 in the early portions of the second half, the Paladins would trim the Panthers lead to 10, at 45-35, following a layup by Bronson at the 11:16 mark of the second stanza. However, UNI produced its most decisive run of the night following Bronson's layup, utilizing a 10-0 run, which began with a Ben Schwieger three-pointer with the shot clock winding down and ended with an alley-oop slam from Tristan Smith off a feed from RJ Taylor, as the UNI lead ballooned to 20, at 55-35, with 8:36 remaining.

Furman could get no closer than 15 points for the remainder of the night, watching as UNI's lead would increase to as much as 23 points, at 63-40, with 4:01 left after Campbell knocked down a baby jumper in the lane.

The Paladins return to action next Wednesday night, Nov. 19, hosting Ohio Christian with tip-off for that contest slated for 7 p.m. EST at Timmons Arena.

Furman Heads to Northern Iowa for First True Road Test Friday

 

Northern Iowa senior point guard Trey Campbell

Date and Time: Nov. 14, 2025/7 p.m. EST

The Game: Furman (1-2/SoCon) at Northern Iowa (2-0/MVC)

Location and Venue: Cedar Falls IA/McCleod Center (6,500)

Coaches: Furman-Bob Richey (182-83/9th yr); Northern Iowa (376-245/20th yr)

Series: Furman leads 1-0/First meeting since Dec. of 2003

How To Watch: ESPN+

Historical Background and Overview

For the first time this season, Furman will head out for a true road test and specifically, the McCleod Center, to take on the Northern Iowa Panthers, as the Paladins start their season off in the same conference destination that they started the 2024-25 campaign, which is inside a Missouri Valley Conference venue.

Last season, the Paladins opened with their first true road test at the Curb Events Center against Belmont, where Furman would end up coming away with a 76-74 win, which was the first of a school-record tying 12 wins away from Timmons Arena last season.

The Paladins have racked up 74 true road wins over the past nine seasons, and head into a tough environment Friday night against UNI. 

As far as the series is concerned, it will mark the second all-time meeting between Furman and Northern Iowa on the basketball hardwood, with the only other meeting coming in the 2003-04 campaign, which is one that would see the Panthers post an impressive 21-10 season, including a 12-6 finish in the Missouri Valley, which was good enough for second in the MVC. The Paladins were able to post what was a 64-55 win over the Panthers on that occasion.

Much like Furman's current crop of talented freshmen, the 2003-04 team had a freshman class assembled by then top assistant Niko Medved, that could at least rival the current rookie class of talent brought in by Bob Richey and staff. 

Two of those freshmen--Robby Bostain (Duluth, GA), Quan Prowell (Columbus, GA) and Eric Webb (St. Paul, Minn), were instrumental in helping the Paladins pull out the impressive nine-point road win at West Gymnasium. Bostain led the way with a then career-high 18 points, while Prowell, who would go on to SoCon Freshman of the Year honors, finishes with 13 and Eric Webb added 11. All told, the aforementioned freshman trio combined to score 44 of the Paladins' 62 points in leading them to a huge road win. 

To Furman fans, UNI is probably more known for its football successes, with much of those coming under the direction of former head coach Mark Farley, who retired as the head coach of the Panthers last season. He took the Panthers to the FCS National title game in 2005, losing to Appalachian State, 21-16, in the national title game in Chattanooga. 

It would be the first of three titles for the Mountaineers. UNI was also the alma mater of NFL Hall-of-Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, who played for both the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl, which included winning one with the Rams in 2000. He was also the quarterback of the Cardinals when they made their lone appearance in the Super Bowl in 2009, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

UNI is widely regarded as one of the top programs to have never won the national title at the FCS level, and despite both Furman and UNI's success on the gridiron, somehow the two have not crossed paths with one another in the FCS Playoffs.

But aside from its success as a football program, Northern Iowa has also established itself as a pretty strong basketball program in the Missouri Valley Conference over the years, especially under the direction of Ben Jacobsen, who is in his 20th season as the head coach. 

The Panthers are in their 125th season as a program, and in its 124th season a year ago, the Panthers were winners of 20 games (20-13) and ended up with an impressive 14-6 record in MVC play, which was good enough for a third-place finish in what is perennially one of the toughest mid-major basketball conferences in college hoops.

Despite the strong season a year ago, the Panthers would get upset in the quarterfinals of the MVC Tournament against No. 11 seed Valparaiso, 64-63, as UNI saw its tournament run come to an end much earlier than anticipated with the setback. 

Like Furman, the Panthers were good enough to garner an invite to the NIT, where also like Furman, the Panthers would fall in the opening round of the tournament in the Lone Star State, as the Panthers were in Dallas where they would drop a 73-63 contest to the Mustangs.

Furman was, of course, in Denton for its NIT opening round clash, where it fell by an almost identical score, dropping a 75-64 contest to the Mean Green. High expectations have been a part of both programs DNA in the recent past. 

Since its inception as a basketball program back the early 1900s, the UNI Panthers have registered over 1,400 wins in now what is its 125th season of basketball, and have made one more NCAA Tournament berth than Furman has in its 118-year history of basketball, as the Paladins have won just shy of 1,400 times (1,388) in its rich basketball history. 

Overall, the Panthers have made a total of 19 postseason appearances in various tournaments, won four MVC regular-season titles, five MVC Tournament crowns and have totaled exactly 1,427 wins in the program's history. 

Former Northern Iowa guard and current Colorado State Head Coach Ali Farokmanesh

One of the more memorable moments from UNI lore is the 2009-10 Panthers team, which was led by Ali Farokmanesh, who hit a late three to seal one of more memorable "March Moments" in tournament history, leading the Panthers to a 69-67 win over the No. 1 seeded Kansas Jayhawks as the No. 8 seeded Panthers made a run to the Sweet Sixteen before eventually seeing the magic carpet ride come to an end with a 59-52 loss to Michigan State, in what was a great tournament for fans of mid-major basketball.

Farokmanesh's heroics were part of one of the greatest teams in program history, and the 30 wins are only the second-best win total for the program in its decorated basketball history, as UNI would post a 31-4 record, which included a 16-2 mark in the MVC some five years after Farokmanesh's history-making shooting effort vs. Kansas. 

However, that 2014-15 Panthers team won just one postseason game, knocking off No. 12 Wyoming in the opening round as the No. 5 seed, with a 71-54 opening round win. The Panthers would eventually get bounced from the tournament with a 66-53 loss to defending national champion Louisville in the Round of 32.

Farokmanesh is now the new head coach of Colorado State after former Furman head coach and assistant coach in two different stints--Niko Medved--assumed the head coaching position at Minnesota during the off-season. Instead of taking Farokmanesh with him to Minneapolis, he left him in Colorado Springs to assume the head coaching post for the Rams.

As for UNI's Ben Jacobsen (376-245), he has been the head coach on the two best teams in program history and is to no one's surprise also the most successful head coach in program history.

Previewing the Panthers:

Entering Friday night's contest against the Paladins, UNI has gotten off to a 2-0 start to the season, having posted wins over Cal State Northridge (W, 86-57) and South Dakota State (W, 65-58), as the Paladins will mark UNI's third home game to start out the 2025-26 season. 

The Panthers came into the season with three returning starters to the fold, with senior guard Trey Campbell (10.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 5.0 APG), senior guard Max Weisbrod (7.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG) and 6-8 forward Ben Schwieger (10.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG) highlighting the list of veterans returning for the 2025-26 season. If you include junior guard RJ Taylor (2.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG) and redshirt junior wing Leon Bond III (17.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG), there are a full five Panthers returning to the fold that have starting experience, and like Troy, the Panthers are a team that enters Friday night's clash against the Paladins with a wealth of overall experience returning to the fold.

That meant that, like with Furman, who returned seven regulars from the rotation from a team that won 25 games a year ago, there would also be some lofty expectations for a UNI team that had so much continuity and leadership returning off a team that won 20 games and made an NIT appearance last season. So, it was of little surprise when the Panthers were selected to finish second overall in the preseason Missouri Valley Basketball poll. 

It all starts with Campbell for the Panthers. The senior point guard will be the third really good point guard the Paladins will have faced this season, with each NCAA Division I point guard having been a challenge thus far. High Point brought in Rob Martin from SEMO, and his quickness gave the Paladins fits in the opener, while Troy's Cooper Campbell was a difference maker and a shot-maker in the Trojans win at Timmons Arena last Friday night. 

Martin scored 22 points in the opener to lead the Panthers to a 97-71 win in the season opener in the Field of 68's Opening Day Marathon, while Campbell's 21 points and timely perimeter shooting was enough to power the Trojans to a 64-61 win over the Paladins last Friday at Timmons Arena. 

It all starts with Campbell, of course, who is UNI's Rob Martin and Cooper Campbell all rolled into one. In fact, as good as HPU's Martin or Troy's Campbell were, UNI's Trey Campbell might be even better than those two. 

Through the first two games this season, Campbell is averaging 10.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 5.0 APG, with five turnovers in the first couple of outings for the Panthers in 2025-26. Campbell comes off a 2024-25 season in which he was a third-team All-Missouri Valley selection at guard for the Panthers and appeared and started all 33 games for UNI, averaging 11.3 PPG in 29.5 minutes-per-game. 

As a perimeter threat, there were none better than Campbell last season shooting the basketball for UNI, as he finished the season connecting on 72 threes and shot 42.9% from downtown last season (72-of-168). Campbell did struggle a little last time out in the win over South Dakota State, as he went just 2-of-12 from the field and finished with just seven points against the Jackrabbits. 

It was a rare off shooting night for the senior point guard and included in that 2-of-12 effort against the Jackrabbits was just 1-for-5 from three-point range in the win. It was the 100th game in a UNI uniform for the senior point guard, and it also marked his 65th-consecutive start. 

In the 29-point win in the opener against Cal State-Northridge, Campbell finished with 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting from the field, including a 3-for-9 effort from long-range. 

Helping share the double-figure scoring load with Campbell so far this season are wing Leon Bond III and forward Tristan Smith (13.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG). Bond and Smith have been the Panthers leading scorers through the first couple of outings this season. Smith is a 6-5, 230-lb graduate transfer from Concordia (Neb.), which is an NAIA program that he helped lead Concordia to the second round of the national tournament last season, and it was a 2024-25 season that would see Smith set a school record for points in a season at Concordia, posting 677 total points for the season. Smith averaged 20.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG and 4.2 APG during his final season at Concordia.

Through his first two games as a Panthers player, he has posted 10 and 16 points, respectively, and is a combined 9-of-15 shooting (60%) from the field in his first two games at UNI. He was impressive the last time out in UNI's win over South Dakota State, posting 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and was 8-for-11 shooting from the charity stripe in the game. 

During his final season at Concordia, Smith racked up 12 double-doubles and blocked multiple shots in 18 games. He has one block in two games so far this season but is an excellent on the defensive end of the floor.

Bond III is one of the returning veterans for the Panthers and through two games, he's been the most reliable scoring option, at 17.0 PPG. Bond opened the season with 23 points against Cal State Northridge, which came on a 9-of-14 shooting effort, including a 5-for-8 shooting performance from three-point range. In UNI's most recent outing against South Dakota State, Bond added 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, including a 2-for-4 effort from three-point range. 

Bond has proven to be the Panthers most prolific three-point threat through the first two outings this season, as he connected on 7-of-12 shots from long-range, which converts to a blistering 58.3% shooting clip in two games. 

The 6-5 redshirt junior wing is coming off a 2024-25 campaign, which saw him start 21 contests for the Panthers, averaging 9.6 PPG and 4.4 RPG, shooting an impressive 55.6% from the field. He would suffer a season-ending injury to cut his season short, scoring in double figures six times before an injury would ultimately cut his season short. Last season was Bond's first for the Panthers after spending his freshman season (2023-24) at Virginia. Bond appeared in 24 games for the Cavaliers as a redshirt freshman, averaging 4.3 PPG and 2.8 RPG. He redshirted the 2022-23 in Charlottesville, which also happened to be the Furman team that UVA lost to in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, 68-67.

Bond showed he could be a prolific scorer last season in a 104-76 non-conference win over Montana, as he posted 37-point effort on 12-of-15 shooting from the field, including going 4-for-5 from three-point range and a perfect 9-of-9 at the charity stripe. He also added three rebounds, two steals and a block in 35 minutes of work in the 28-point win over the Grizzlies in the mid-December win last season.

Sophomore forward Will Hornseth (8.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG) and 6-4 senior guard Max Weisbrod round out what appear to be the projected starters for the Panthers heading into Friday night's contest. Hornseth is in his second season in Cedar Falls, and the 6-8, 230-lb native of De Pere, Wisconsin, saw action in every game last season for the Panthers, and was a highly efficient post presence, but wasn't a big-time scorer, averaging just 5.0 PPG last season. However, he managed to post an impressive 68.3% shooting clip from the field last season for the Panthers. 

All told, Hornseth logged action in 33 games, with one start last season, averaging 14.7 MPG. His 68% shooting clip last season for UNI was remarkable, and a single-season record, as he finished the campaign with 165 total points, and scored a season and career-high 12 points in what was a 79-68 win over Missouri State last season.

So far this season, Hornseth has started both outings against Cal State Northridge and South Dakota State and matched his career-high of 12 points last time out against the Jackrabbits, as he finished with 12 points in 32 minutes of floor time. Hornseth connected on 6-of-9 shots from the field, adding four rebounds and a pair of blocks. It was arguably the best all-around performance of Hornseth's UNI career. About the only thing Hornseth struggled to do was shoot free throws, as was 0-of-3 from the line against South Dakota State. In two games this season, Hornseth has picked up where he left off a year ago, connecting on 72.7% (8-of-11) of his shots from the field.

Weisbrod is kind of like UNI's version of Ben Vander Wal, or the Panthers version of the ultimate "glue guy." Weisbrod does all the dirty work for the Panthers, whether it be diving after a loose ball on the floor, or taking a charge. Weisbrod moved into the starting lineup late in the 2024-25 season after Leon Bond III suffered what would prove to be a season-ending injury. 

The 6-4 senior guard transferred into UNI prior to last season after spending two seasons at Northern Michigan after helping his former program to its first regular-season conference title since 1992-93 season, which included an appearance in the Division II NCAA Tournament, starting all 30 games during the 2023-24 season.

In his first season with the Panthers, Weisbrod appeared in all 33 games, including making starts in the final 12, averaging 5.9 PPG (195 points), 1.9 RPG (63 rebounds) and 1.5 APG (52 assists), while posting 0.5 SPG (17 steals). 

Along with being a glue guy and excellent defensive presence for the Panthers, Weisbrod also excels as a perimeter shooter, and he's connected on a blistering 41.0% (48-of-117) from three-point land in his two seasons with the Panthers. 

Much like Campbell, Weisbrod is a player that the Paladins must be aware of at all times from the perimeter, as Furman has to find a way to limit the open looks Weisbrod gets from long-range to have a shot to pull off a huge true road win Friday night. 

Weisbrod connected on 46 triples last season and finished out the campaign scoring in double figures six times, including a season-high 18 points in one of the most impressive wins of the 2024-25 season for the Panthers--an 83-69 triumph over a Bradley team that was receiving votes in the AP Top 25 poll--and in that game Weisbrod posted a 6-for-9 effort from the field, including a 5-for-7 effort from three-point land. 

In the first two games this season, Weisbrod has posted six and nine points, respectively, in contests against Cal State Northridge and South Dakota State, nearly doubling his minutes from the opener against the Jackrabbits, as he logged 30 minutes of floor time against South Dakota State. Weisbrod finished 3-of-4 from the field, including 2-of-3 from three-point range in the seven-point win. He also added four rebounds, two assists and a steal in the win for the Panthers. 

The Panthers have featured roughly an eight-man rotation in the first couple of games this season, with 6-8 forward Ben Schwieger, 5–11-point guard RJ Taylor, and 6-5 junior forward Kyle Pock () all seeing key minutes off the bench through the first two games this season for the Panthers.

Schwieger was a reliable option as a "sixth man" off the bench for the Panthers in both games this season. He's been an impact player ever since arriving as a transfer from Loyola Chicago prior to the 2024-25 season. He entered the 2025-26 season on the MVC Preseason Watch List and is coming off a season in which he saw action in all 33 games for the Panthers, including having made 25 starts.

Schwieger averaged 9.9 PPG last season, scoring a career-high 328 points in a single-season. Like Weisbrod and Campbell, Schwieger is an effective threat from three-point range, connecting on 30-of-82 shots from long-range a year ago, while connecting on 49.2% (118-of-240) a year ago. 

Schwieger opened the season with 13 points, five rebounds and three assists in the opener against Cal State Northridge, while following that up with seven points, five rebounds and one block in 23 minutes of work against South Dakota State last time out. Through the first two games, Schwieger is shooting 58.3% (7-of-12) from the field and 33.3% (1-of-3) from long range.

The one real interesting player for the Panthers is RJ Taylor, who is a player that saw his 2024-25 campaign cut short due to an Achilles Tendon tear just eight games into the campaign. He provides added support as a backup behind Campbell at the point. Like Schwieger, Taylor was also a member of the preseason MVC Preseason Watch List and started all eight games before that unfortunate injury brought his season to a premature end. 

Taylor is one of UNI's better on-ball defenders as well, and posted five points, two rebounds, and one assist in 13 minutes off the bench against Cal State Northridge, while posting a steal and a rebound in eight minutes of work against South Dakota State.

Through two games this season, the Panthers are averaging 75.5 PPG while surrendering 57.5 PPG, shooting a combined 50% (56-of-112) from the field and 39.2% (20-of-51) from three-point range, while limiting foes to just 37.9% (39-of-103) from the field and just 25.6% (11-of-43) from three-point range. The Panthers currently rank 101 in KenPom's latest rankings (as of Nov. 13, 2025) and are projected to defeat the Paladins, 76-67, on their home court with a 79% chance of winning the game. 

While I am not surprised the Panthers are projected as heavy favorites, it is a little surprising that the Panthers are nine-point favorites, which is the largest projected victory of any foe Furman is projected to lose of its 10 KenPom predicted losses remaining on the 2025-26 schedule. 

Noting the Paladins:

--Furman has not shot the ball well from three-point range, connecting on just 28.4% (27-of-95) from long-range through the first three games of the season, including an 11-of-45 effort from long-range last time out vs. Columbia International in what was a 30-point win (89-59) over the NAIA foe. The Paladins have also shot the ball at just a 42.6% (78-of-183) through the first three games.

--The Paladins have turned it over 48 times in comparison to 45 assists through the first three outings. By comparison, the Paladins had just 40 turnovers and 52 assists through the first three games last season. However, there was a substantial improvement last time out, with just nine turnovers after having posted 39 of their 48 turnovers in the first two games of the season in losses to High Point (L, 71-97) and Troy (L, 61-64). 

--Furman has 74 true road wins over the last nine seasons, including tying a school record with 12 true road wins last season. The 74 true road wins over the past nine seasons ranks fifth in the country behind only Vermont (87), Belmont (85), UC Irvine (79) and UNCG (76). 

--After committing 39 turnovers and allowing opponents to shoot a combined 50.4% in the first two games of the season, Furman rebounded nicely in the win over Columbia International, holding its NAIA foe to 38.5% shooting for the game, turning it over just nine times in the 89-59 win over the Rams. 

--Furman's dynamic freshman guard Alex Wilkins has posted 11, 16 and 26 points in his first three games as a Paladin, with his 26-point effort against Columbia International marking the most point scored by a true freshman Devin Sibley dropped 26 points on Feb. 14, 2015, in a 66-59 road loss at ETSU.  The true freshman and four-star recruit out of Mattapan, Mass., is averaging 17.7 PPG, 4.0 APG, shooting 40% (6-of-15) from three-point range, and is a perfect 9-of-9 from the charity stripe through the first three games of the season. 

--Through three games this season, Furman has shot 12 more free throws (54-42) as compared to the first three games last season, and that has included seeing the Paladins score six more points (38-32) from the charity stripe this season, shooting 70.7% (38-of-54) through the first three games this season.

--Furman has won 224 games since the start of the 2015-16 season, which is more than any team in the SoCon over that same span. 

--Furman enters ranked 162 (as of Nov. 13, 2025) in the latest KenPom rankings

Furman's Probable Starting Five

G Alex Wilkins (17.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 4.0 APG)

G Tom House (5.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG)

F Ben Vander Wal (6.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG)

F Cooper Bowser (9.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 SPG)

C Charles Johnston (10.3 PPG, 10.7 RPG)

Furman Notches First Win of 2025-26 Against NAIA Columbia International

 

Furman junior forward Cooper Bowser

GREENVILLE, S.C.--Furman true freshman guard Alex Wilkins scored 26 points to lead five in double figures, as the Paladins picked up their first win in the refurbished Timmons Arena, with an 89-59 win over NAIA Columbia International Monday night at Timmons Arena. 

The win sees the Paladins improve to 1-2 on the young season, while it counts as just an exhibition for Columbia International, who remained at 3-2 on the season under eighth-year head coach Tony Stockman. The Rams are a member if the Appalachian Athletic Conference, and Stockman was a three-point specialist during his career at both Clemson and Ohio State (2000-05). Both of Furman's "inaugural wins" in different eras inside Timmons Arena have come against non-Division I competition.

On Dec. 30, 1997, Furman officially opened Timmons Arena with a 72-69 win over now defunct NCAA Division II program Northeastern Illinois. Furman's 89-59 win over Columbia International some 28 years later marks the first win following the facility's 40-million-dollar upgrade, as the Paladins improved to 3-0 all-time against the Rams and 258-109 in the history of facility, as the Paladins played their 367th home game in the facility in Monday night's triumph. The Paladins are now 110-20 at Timmons Arena since the start of the 2015-16 season. 

Furman's talented rookie guard, Alex Wilkins, connected on 9-of-17 shots from the field and finished 4-for-9 from three-point land, as well as posting a perfect 4-for-4 effort at the line. Additionally, the native of Mattapan, MA., added two assists, two steals and a pair of boards.

Wilkins' 26 points was the highest by a Furman freshman in over a decade, as it was the most by a Paladin rookie since former talented rookie guard and 2014-15 SoCon Freshman of the Year Devin Sibley scored 29 points on Feb. 14, 2015, in what was a 66-59 road loss to East Tennessee State.

Joining Wilkins in double figures for Furman were junior Cooper Bowser and true freshman guard Abijah Franklin, who added 11 points apiece, while Charles Johnston added a double-double, finishing with 10 points, 10 rebounds and dished out four helpers. Johnston has now posted double-figure rebound totals in each of Furman's first three games of the season. Asa Thomas added 10 points off the bench for the Paladins.

Franklin, who prepped at nearby Wren High School, posted his career-high 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field, including 1-of-5 from long-range, and was 2-of-3 at the charity stripe. The Greenville product also added four rebounds and two assists to the cause. 

Junior 6-11 forward Cooper Bowser finished a perfect 5-of-5 from the field, including four powerful dunks, while adding seven boards, three steals and an assist. 

Columbia International finished the game with one player in double figures, as Will Kelly finished the game with 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting from the field and 1-of-7 shooting from three-point range. Kelly, a senior guard from Belmont, N.C., also was solid from the charity stripe, as he finished 7-of-9 from the free throw line.

The Paladins finished the night connecting on 44.3% (31-of-70) for the game, including just 24.4% (11-of-45) from three-point land. The Paladins finished a solid 69.6% (16-of-23) from the charity stripe.

The Rams finished the night connecting on 38.5% (20-of-52) from the field and 25.0% (7-of-28) from three-point land. Columbia International was a solid 80.0% (12-of-15) for the game from the free throw line.

The Paladins posted a substantial advantage on the boards, out-rebounding the Rams, 51-26, in the game, including 21-4 on the offensive glass, which led to an identical margin in second-chance points (21-4). Furman also posted advantages in the following categories: points in the paint (38-16), fast-break points (18-4), bench scoring (30-18), total assists (19-7), and points from turnovers (20-12).

How It Happened

Furman came out and established momentum early and by the time the first media timeout arrived, Alex Wilkins had already got going with nine of the Paladins’ first 15 points, highlighted by an early 4-of-4 effort from the free throw line. Cooper Bowser, who scored three early points, highlighted that with an emphatic two-handed stuff off a steal. The Paladins took a 15-7 lead into the first media timeout with 15:56 left in the opening half.

A pair of Abijah Franklin foul shots gave the Paladins their first double-digit lead in the reimagined Timmons Arena, at 17-7. By the time the second media timeout had arrived, the Paladins had extended their lead to 23-7 lead, on a pair of Ben Vander Wal free throws, and layups by Charles Johnston and Wilkins.

Franklin added a three and a pair of layups to his four early points, while Bowser powered home another pair of dunks off a Columbia International turnover and off an offensive rebound, as the Paladins had extended their lead to 24 by the final media timeout of the opening half, leading 39-15 with 3:55 to play in the opening half.

That would be the margin as the two teams headed into the half, with Wilkins able to score 19 of his game-high 26 points in the opening half, as Furman carried a 49-25 lead to the half. Despite struggling from beyond the arc in the opening half of play, connecting on just 31.6% (6-of-19), the Paladins still managed to shoot at a 50% clip (15-of-30) from the field in the opening half, while holding the visiting Rams to just 34.8% (8-of-23) in the opening 20 minutes of basketball. Another good sign of Furman’s offensive aggression was its 16 first-half free throws, as the Paladins connected on 13 of them (81.3%), outscoring the Rams by nine at the line (16-7) on six more attempts (16-10) in the opening 20 minutes.

All told, the Paladins would hold the Rams without a field goal for a 10:32 stretch in the opening frame, helping Furman build what would eventually build that 24-point halftime edge. During that stretch, Furman was able to put together a 24-1 run to take complete control of the game. Five different Paladins scored, as Furman assumed a 21-point lead, at 29-8.

In the second half, it was more of the same for the Paladins, although the Rams did manage to cut the 16 points on a Zach Everly jumper at the 12:57 mark of the second half, getting Columbia International to within 58-42. 

That would be, however, as close as the Rams would be able to get for the remainder of the night, as the Paladins built their largest lead of the night off to that point off a Wilkins steal and two-handed flush, which was part of a 22-10 run, which saw the Paladins build a 28-point advantage, at 80-52, with 6:10 remaining.

After Tre Kirk answered with five-straight points on a three and a short jumper in the paint to get the Rams back to within 23, at 80-57, with 4:33 remaining, Furman used a 9-2 spurt close the game, highlighted by  Gunnar Lewis and Eddrin Bronson three-pointers, while Mason Smith had a dunk and a free throw to account for Furman's final nine points of the game, which capped a 30-point win.

Furman will return to action on Friday night, traveling to Cedar Falls, Iowa to face off against Missouri Valley Conference foe Northern Iowa. Tip-off for that contest is set for 7 p.m. EST.

Postgame Press Conference

Charles Johnston (left) and Alex Wilkins (right)

Head Coach Bob Richey

Troy Holds Off Furman In Timmons Arena Reboot

 

Furman true freshman guard Alex Wilkins

GREENVILLE, S.C.—Cooper Campbell scored 21 points to lead three Troy players in double figures, as the Trojans led by as many as 15 points early in the second half, but had to hold off Furman for a 64-61 win before 2,207 fans on-hand Friday night at the newly refurbished Timmons Arena.

The loss sees the Paladins drop to 0-2 overall, while Troy improves to 2-0 with a pair of wins over teams that won 24 and 25 games last season, respectively, in Kent State and Furman.

Campbell finished his night by connecting on 8-for-13 from the field, including 5-of-9 from three-point range, while posting five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Campbell was joined in double figures by both preseason All-Sun Belt selection Thomas Dowd, who posted 11 points, six rebounds and three blocks, while teammate Victor Valdes finished the night with 11 points and five boards.

Like Troy, Furman was highlighted by three players in double figures, with talented freshman Alex Wilkins able to overcome four turnovers in the opening 10 minutes to score a team-leading 16 points and added eight assists, including not turning the ball over for the final 30 minutes to help the Paladins get back into the game and nearly pull off the come-from-behind win. 

Wilkins finished 6-of-15 shooting from the field, while included a 1-for-3 effort from three-point range and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the charity stripe. Along with his eight assists, Wilkins also added two rebounds to go with his other totals.

Eddrin Bronson added 14 points and added a pair of steals off the bench for the Paladins, while Cooper Bowser rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points, eight rebounds, one steal and one block. Charles Johnston led the Paladins with 10 rebounds, while Asa Thomas added nine points off the bench.

The Trojans finished the night connecting on 41.1% (23-of-56) from the field and 30% (9-for-30) from three-point land, while Furman finished the game connecting on 39.3% (22-of-56) from the field and 37.5% (9-of-24) from three-point land. Troy connected at a 69.2% (9-of-13) from the free throw line, while Furman was 66.7% (8-of-12) from the charity stripe for the game. 

Troy finished the contest with advantages in points from turnovers (22-10), points in the paint (28-26), and fast-break points (16-9). The Paladins finished holding advantages in bench scoring (26-10), total rebounds (36-33), second-chance points (9-7) and total assists (13-10).

How It Happened:

Troy came out and held Furman scoreless on its first five possessions, and much like it did against Kent State, when it took a 16-3 lead. Against the Paladins, Troy assumed a 15-3 lead.

Led by Alex Wilkins, Furman would put together a 17-5 run to get back to within a possession at 23-20 on a three-point play the old fashioned way midway through the half, however, the Trojans closed the half on a 16-3 run to take a 36-23 lead into the halftime locker room.

The Trojans scored 18 of their 36 points off Furman's 13 first-half turnovers, as well as shooting 50% (14-of-28) from the field in the opening half to build a 13-point lead. 

In the second half, Thomas Dowd scored on a strong two-handed stuff and a free throw, while Cooper Campbell knocked down one of his five threes of the night to give the Trojans their biggest lead of the game and spark the Trojans to a strong start to the second half with a 42-27 lead with 16:57 remaining.

A 15-2 run by Furman, which started with an alley-oop slam off a feed from Alex Wilkins and ended with a three pointer from the right elbow off another Wilkins helper, helped the Paladins slice Troy's lead to four, at 44-40, with 11:25 left. A Wilkins jumper in the paint following a rebound off his own miss got Furman even closer on its next possession, at 44-42, with 8:50 remaining.

As is did for much of the night when the Paladins drew close on the scoreboard, the Trojans seemingly always had an answer, and an Austin Cross triple six seconds later gave Troy just enough breathing room, extending its advantage back to five, at 47-42.

Campbell would connect on another three four minutes later to keep Troy's lead at five, despite the Trojans best efforts, they couldn't shake loose of the hard-charging Paladins. A Bronson corner three off a feed from Tom House got Furman to within two with 4:25 left, and following a missed hook shot by Theo Seng in the paint, Wilkins tossed another beautiful lob to Bowser, who slammed it with authority, tying the game, 55-55, with 3:32 left. 

Furman had three shots at taking the lead, missing a pair of layups in the paint and pretty good look at a three from Tom House allowed the game to remain tied. It appeared Furman might get a fourth chance to take the lead, however, after Charles Johnston rebounded a missed Cooper Campell three, Campbell stepped in front of Bowser's outlet pass and converted a layup off the steal to put the Trojans back up two, at 57-55, with 1:19 remaining. 

Following a Bronson missed 15-footer, Victor Valdes hit a dagger three from the top of the key to give the Trojans 60-55 lead with 31 seconds left. 

Furman's Asa Thomas and Charles Johnston connected on a pair of threes in the final 12.1 seconds, but Theo Seng and Thomas Dowd went 4-for-4 from the line to close out the 64-61 road win. 

Furman returns to action at Timmons Arena on Monday night, hosting Columbia International in a 7 p.m. contest at Timmons Arena. 

Postgame Press Conference:

(Head coach Bob Richey)

Furman Officially Opens Timmons Arena With Test Against Troy

 

When: Friday Nov. 7, 2025, 7 PM

Who: Furman (0-1/SoCon) vs. Troy (1-0/Sun Belt)

Where: Timmons Arena (2,750)/Greenville, S.C.)

Coaches: Furman-Bob Richey (181-82/9th yr); Troy-Scott Cross (104-87/7th yr)

Series: First-ever meeting between Furman and Troy

Opening Tip: Furman (0-1) returns to the hardwood Friday night in search of some answers as well as hoping the 97-71 loss to High Point in the Field of 68 Marathon was just an aberration and a substantial loss to a good team rather than warning signs of anything deeper.

One thing is for sure, the Paladins can't afford to dwell on the 26-point setback to open the season, as the Paladins get ready to face another quality opponent Friday evening with the Troy Trojans (1-0) slated to be the first official opponent in the newly refurbished Timmons Arena. 

Unlike Furman's 96-71 loss to No. 13 Alabama in its only official exhibition game, there was a much more uneasy feeling about Furman's 2025-26 team coming out of the season-opening loss to High Point in the Field of 68's Opening Day Marathon than there was in the exhibition loss to the Crimson Tide.

It's rare to see another mid-major program beat Furman but such a substantial margin, and the way they were able to do it was force a young Furman team to do "un Furman-like" things, with the primary concern being the amount of times the Paladins turned the ball over in the loss to the Panthers.

There were 22 of them to be exact, which led to a 25-3 differential in points from turnovers in favor of the Panthers. The Panthers had 17 steals in the game, while the Paladins only had one and forced only six High Point miscues. But as concerning as that was, it wasn't the only concern to emerge in the opening game for Furman.

The other concerns include some un-Furman-like shooting percentages, with the Paladins able to connect on just 43.9% (25-of-57) from the field for the game, while finishing just 26.9% (7-of-26) from three-point range in the opener. 

The Paladins also didn't shoot it well against the Crimson Tide, finishing that contest by connecting on just 35.1% (26-of-74) from the field in the game, including posting just a 25.0% (9-of-36) effort from three-point range. There were far more positives in the 96-71 setback to the Crimson Tide, including turning the ball over just nine times and pulled down a total of 19 offensive rebounds in the game.

But maybe it was more of a positive result against the Crimson Tide than it was against High Point simply because a program that is on the same level as you are, like High Point, shouldn't beat an elite mid-major like Furman has laid claim to being over the past decade under head coach Bob Richey. 

While some of that is true to say, there's also always some perspective. The first thing is college basketball is in a way different universe now than it was when Bob Richey took over the program as the head coach in 2017-18. In fact, the 26-point loss to the Panthers to open the season was against a team that has anywhere from a 2.5-3 million dollar roster of players. 

High Point is a mid-major program without football, however, has plenty of wealthy donors and a president that isn't scared to spend money on athletics and basketball in particular, to help take the program to the highest level possible, despite being a mid-major program, which plays in the Big South Conference.

The Paladins might have not played well, but it's not as if High Point and its highly paid roster of talent didn't have a lot to do with that. The other thing to keep in mind is that while Furman is talented, it also is young in the backcourt.

Furman has to get several things right before entering conference play on New Years Day against, and it has to play better on both ends of the floor. While the shooting wasn't great in the loss, it was only bested by the fact that Furman's defense was equally as concerning, as the Paladins allowed the Panthers to connect at a 58.0% (40-of-69) clip for the game, and that included a 45.0% (9-of-20) effort from three-point range. 

High Point finished the night by owning advantages in the following categories: points in the paint (52-36), points off turnovers (25-3), total rebounds (41-28), steals (17-1), second chance points (12-9), fast-break points (14-4), total assists (17-13) and bench scoring (38-19). Furman owned advantages in free throw attempts (19-15) and points from the line (14-8). 

Furman's 22 turnovers against High Point were its most since turning it over 22 times in a 117-110 double-overtime loss to Tulane on Dec. 14, 2023. It ranks as the most turnovers for a Furman team in regulation since Dec. 19, 2020, when the Paladins turned it over 23 times in an 87-71 loss at Winthrop. 

In fact, it 262 games under Bob Richey prior to Monday night's season opener, the Paladins had only had seven games in which they turned it over 20 or more times, finishing 2-5 in those games. The only two wins came against South Carolina State (Dec. 3, 2022) and USC Upstate (Nov. 28, 2020). Furman's 22 turnovers in regulation was bested only once in Richey's tenure as head coach, and it ironically came in Rock Hill, as the Paladins finished with 23 turnovers in an 87-71 loss at Winthrop on Dec. 19, 2020. With Monday night's loss to High Point, the Paladins fell to 2-6 in games in which they have turned it over 20 or more times in 263 contests under head coach Bob Richey.

Furman hopes to recapture some of the magic that Timmons Arena has provided since it opened in 1997, as the Paladins have posted a 257-108 mark in all games played in the facility, and that includes a 109-19 mark in the facility from the start of the 2015-16 season through the 2023-24 campaign.

The loss to High Point offers a bit of unfamiliar territory for the Paladins, which opened with a loss to a season for the first time under Bob Richey, as well as the first time since opening the campaign with a 73-71 setback at Presbyterian. Interestingly, in that 2016-17, Furman rejuvenated their season the next time out in the state of Alabama, taking down a good UAB team, 84-74, ending the Blazers' 26-game homecourt winning streak in the process. 

With that said, Furman now turns its focus to reigning Sun Belt Champion Troy in what will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs. It is a difficult way to re-open Timmons Arena, but each of these tests are designed to get the Paladins ready for what will be another grueling SoCon slate, which will begin on Dec. 31, with a visit from the Mercer Bears. 

Previewing the Trojans: Troy is another program that is not only one of the best in mid-major basketball, but like High Point, has a good, winning culture inside the Sun Belt. 

Unlike Furman, Troy got its season started off in strong fashion, getting a solid win over a good Kent State team, 103-97, in overtime on the road as a part of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. 

The Trojans are under the direction of Scott Cross, who is in his seventh season leading the Trojans after unceremoniously being fired for after 12 years at the helm of UT-Arlington, which he helped reach an NCAA Tournament in 2008 and coached the Mavericks from 2006-18. 

Cross was apparently fired for unmet expectations at Arlington, however, the Mavericks haven't reached the NCAA Tournament since reaching the NCAA Tournament under Cross in 2008. As for Troy, they have been a contender at the top of Sun Belt in most every season under Cross. 

In fact, the Trojans' trip to the NCAA Tournament last March marked the first time Troy had reached the NCAA Tournament since doing it in 2017--a year prior to Cross' arrival--as the Trojans faced the Duke Blue Devils in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, dropping what was an 85-67 decision to the Blue Devils. 

Last March, the Trojans returned to the NCAA Tournament under Cross' leadership, and after finishing in a four-way tie for first in the Sun Belt along with Arkansas State (13-5), James Madison (13-5), and South Alabama (13-5), the Trojans then went and knocked off Old Dominion (W, 75-59), James Madison (W, 79-60) and Arkansas State (W, 94-81) in the championship game in New Orleans to cut down the nets at the Superdome. 

It marked the third trip to the NCAA Tournament in program history, and first in eight years, as the Trojans would face off against the Kentucky Wildcats in opening round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 14 seed. The Trojans would hang with the No. 3 seeded Wildcats for a while before the Wildcats' talent and depth won out in Milwaukee, as the Wildcats ended up posting a 76-57 win over the Trojans. The loss to the Wildcats saw the Trojans finish the season with an impressive 23-11 overall record.

As it is for most programs around the country in this new NIL/transfer portal era, a new season usually means a mostly new roster of players, and that's certainly the case for Troy, which returns just one starter from a year ago. 

Furman's mantra under Bob Richey has been a culture founded on offensive precision and execution. For Cross' Troy Trojans, it's defensive mentality, grit and toughness that has been the recipe for success in his time as head coach at both Arlington and now at Troy. 

That was the key ingredient in the Trojans run to the NCAA Tournament last March, but it's not the only thing the uber-athletic Trojans have done well under Cross, as Troy has been an excellent offensive rebounding team under Cross, as well as one that shoots the ball extremely well from the charity stripe. 

At the Sun Belt's preseason basketball media day last month, the Trojans were selected to finish fourth off of last season's 23-11 record and Sun Belt Tournament and shared regular-season title. 

Troy's 2025-26 roster is not only once again athletic, but it appears to be a better shooting team than the one that went on to win the Sun Belt Conference title a year ago. One glance at the stats sheet seems to back up the claim that this Trojans team might have more pure shooters than that championship team of a year ago, as the Trojans connected on 52.4% (33-of-63) of its shots in the season opener, including a 46.2% (12-of-26) clip from three-point range in the season-opening win over the Golden Flashes.

The leading returnee for the Trojans from last season's team is 6-8 junior forward Thomas Dowd (19.0 PPG, 13.0 RPG), who is coming off a solid opening act to the season against Kent State, which saw him finish the game with 19 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two steals in 35 minutes of floor time. Dowd was the lone Troy player selected to the preseason all-conference squad.

In the opener against the Golden Flashes, Dowd connected on 7-of-14 shots from the field, which included a 2-for-5 effort from three-point range. As a sophomore last season, Dowd found his way into double figures on 15 occasions, which included nine in the final 11 games of the 2024-25 season. Dowd was key for the Trojans in Pensacola in the tournament, garnering all-tournament honors after averaging 14.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.0 SPG, and 1.3 BPG, showing he is a complete player that does the job on both ends of the floor. 

Dowd's 43 triple led the Trojans last season, and he finished the campaign connecting on 42.0% from the field, but just 29.9% from three-point range. He's a player that the Paladins will have to be aware of from the perimeter, but more importantly a guy to be aware off on the offensive glass, as he led the Trojans with three of those in the road win over Kent State.

Teaming with Dowd underneath the basket will be graduate student Theo Seng (24.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG), who got his 2025-26 season off to a flying start with his performance in the season-opening win over Kent State, as the 6-9 center finished with a team-leading 24 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, including a 2-of-5 effort to match Dowd from three-point land. In addition to his 24 points, he also added four rebounds, a steal and a block to the Trojans cause in the opener.

Seng is in his third season in the Troy program, and after backing up Dowd in the paint last season, finds himself starting alongside him this season for Scott Cross' team. Similar to Dowd, Seng is a stretch four that is versatile enough to hurt teams with his ability to shoot from the perimeter. He is also skilled and takes good care of the basketball. 

The graduate student appeared in all 30 games last season for Troy, logging one start and averaging 14.3 MPG, while shooting 42.4% from the floor and 30.9% from three-point range. He shattered his previous career-high of 18 points in a home contest against Arkansas State last season by going for 24 in the opener vs. the Golden Flashes.

Rounding out the projected starters underneath the basket for the Trojans will be 6-7 junior forward Victor Valdes (23.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 6.0 APG), who was Troy's second-leading scorer in the season opener, adding 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field and was 2-of-5 from three-point range against the Golden Flashes, and like Seng, ended up with a career-high in the win.

Valdes hails from Monterrey, Mexico, and would make a former Mexican star like Oklahoma's Eduardo Najera proud, as well as national pride for that type of performance in the opener. Like Seng, Valdes is poised to see his role increase for the Trojans this season. In addition to his 23 points, Valdes also dished out six assists, snagged three rebounds and recorded a pair of steals. For what Valdes lacks in overall athleticism, he makes up for in basketball IQ, as well as his ability to use his 6-7, 235-lb frame positionally to his advantage in the paint.

Rounding out the projected starters for the Trojans heading into the second game of the season are backcourt brothers, in point guard Cooper Campbell (19.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 8.0 APG) and shooting guard Cobi Campbell (10.0 PPG, 3.0 APG, 2.0 RPG). Cobi Campbell redshirted last season after having hip surgery and transferring in from North Idaho College, and the two Campbells, who were playing their first collegiate game on the floor together shined, as the two combined for 29 points and both ended up in double figures, which must've been a special moment for their father, Scott Campbell,  who is an assistant on the sidelines for the Trojans.

Cooper Campbell finished his contest off against the Golden Flashes by matching Dowd's scoring total, as he added 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 from three-point range, as well as adding on a 4-of-6 effort from the charity stripe. He also added a team-leading eight assists, six rebounds and added a team-best three steals.

Cobi Campbell played his first game in over a year, and his debut at the NCAA Division I level ended up being pretty impressive, as he added 10 points, three rebounds and an assist.

Redshirt freshman guard Austin Cross (3.0 PPG)  saw 18 minutes off the bench and is the son of head coach Scott Cross. He added three points in the opener, connecting on 1-of-5 from the field and 1-of-3 shots from long-range in the road win. 

The only other player to see double-digit minutes in the season-opening win for Troy was 6-5 sophomore forward Kerrington Kiel (2.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG) who saw 14 minutes off the bench and scored two points on 1-of-2 shooting from the field.

Kiel, who is an extremely athletic player, found his way onto the floor in 30 games last season, with a pair of starts. He finished the season averaging 1.4 PPG. Kiel turned in his best performance of the season and career against Louisiana Monroe last season, as he finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds in a career-high 28 minutes of floor time.

All told, Troy's starting five scored 95 of their 103 points in the season-opening overtime triumph over the Golden Flashes and truthfully, only go about seven deep. However, those seven players can all score and affect the game in a variety of ways, and like Furman, most of the offensive prowess for the Trojans resides in the frontcourt, though Cooper Campbell is one of the best players in the Sun Belt even though he wasn't recognized on any of the preseason all-conference teams, which mostly relies heavily on last season's numbers.

Campbell's ability to create off the dribble is very similar to what Furman encountered in the season opener against High Point point guard Rob Martin, although maybe not quite as quick. 

The stats sheet reveals that the Trojans shot the ball extremely well from all areas of the floor in the season-opening win, connecting on 52.4% (33-of-63) from the field and 46.2% (12-of-26) from three-point range, which offensively, are Furman-like numbers.

Defensively, the numbers were also solid, limiting the Golden Flashes to just 38.0% (30-of-79) from the field and 38.7% (12-of-31) from three-point range, as the three-point shot was able to keep the Golden Flashes in the game most of the way, even though the Trojans led the contest for over 39 of the 40 minutes in regulation. Kent State did manage to take one lead in the game, with just under a minute-and-a-half left, as Rob Whaley Jr. connected on a three to give the Golden Flashes a two-point, 86-84, lead.

However, the Trojans showed the grit and toughness of a team with some championship pedigree, as Cooper Campbell went coast-to-coast and to score a layup in heavy traffic in a high-pressure situation to tie the game, 87-87, with just one second left, sending the game to overtime.

Both Cooper Campbell and Theo Seng scored seven points apiece and combined for 14 of the Trojans' 16 total points in the extra session to lead them to the win. It looked as though the Trojans might coast to the road win against a team, which won one more game than Troy did a year ago, as the Trojans jumped out to a 16-3 lead in the opening five minutes of the game. But Kent showed why they are a perennial power in the MAC, and forced Troy to outscore them 16-10 in an extra five minutes of basketball to ultimately emerge with the Trojans' first win of the 2025-26 season.

If there is one weakness that perhaps Furman can exploit in the opener, it might be rebounding. The Golden Flashes outrebounded the Trojans 28-23, which included 22 offensive boards, which they converted into a 23-10 advantage in second-chance points, allowing them to obviously keep in touch with the Trojans on the scoreboard, despite struggling to shoot the ball well in spots. However, shooting the ball at a 38.8% clip from three point range on 12 makes is also a solid performance and also one that kept the Trojans within striking distance throughout.

Noting Furman:

G-Asa Thomas--Came off the bench to score 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting from the field and 2-for-3 from three-point range and has been Furman's most prolific three-point shooter through the exhibition game and season opener against High Point. The Clemson transfer has connected on 6-of-12 threes combined in the exhibition loss to Alabama (3-of-9) and the season-opening loss to High Point (2-of-3). It was obvious he was at the top of the scouting report for both Alabama and High Point, as he struggled to find any opening whatsoever to get a shot off. If there's a guard that has to step up and score for Furman, Thomas is absolutely one of those guys. This all can't be laid at the feet of three freshmen to do. That's too much pressure, and so Thomas absolutely has to manage some of that scoring load if possible.

G-Tom House--Tom House is another potential breakout player for the Paladins this season and he was a preseason all-conference selection. Against High Point, House got the start after not starting in the exhibition game against Alabama. He posted eight points on 3-of-9 shooting from the field and 2-for-8 from three-point range. He also finished with three rebounds and turned it over twice. House was one of Furman's best players down the stretch during the 2024-25 season and became the first play in program history to finish a perfect night shooting from three-point range when he posted a 6-for-6 performance in a 19-point effort in Furman's Bon Secours Wellness Arena finale against The Citadel last season. He also posted a career-high 26 points in a late-season win over Mercer, while finishing with a 21-point effort in Furman's 95-78 SoCon Tournament win over Samford last March. House added 11 points off the bench in Furman's exhibition loss to Alabama.

G-Collin O'Neal--Collin O'Neal might already be one of Furman's best on-ball defenders this season, and that became evident in the first game against Alabama, when Labaron Philon had trouble getting the ball down hill against his physicality and strength. After a strong defensive effort in 12-and-a-half minutes of action against the Crimson Tide, as he finished with four points, two assists and one rebound against the Crimson Tide. That earned him a little more time on the floor against High Point, which he transitioned by being Furman's primary backup point guard ahead of Eddrin Bronson. O'Neal posted just over 18 minutes of action against the Panthers Monday night finishing with four rebounds, two points, one assist and three turnovers. O'Neal's hustle and effort on the defensive end will likely earn him more and more time on the floor, and it wouldn't at all be shocking to see him earn his first start against Troy on Friday evening. 

G- Alex Wilkins--Was responsible for six of Furman's 22 turnovers in Monday night's loss, but looked solid with 10 points and two assists and only one turnover in the 96-71 exhibition loss to No. 13 Alabama, fouling out of the contest against the Crimson Tide with 12:23 left. He finished with 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the and 1-of-3 from long-range, adding a pair rebounds and two assists against High Point. Wilkins is a four-star recruit out of Boston, MA, playing his prep basketball at Brooks Academy.

G--Eddrin Bronson--A supremely talented sophomore looking to capture the form he had at the end of last season when he led Furman offensively in its loss at North Texas in the NIT, as he posted 15 points on a 6-of-6 shooting performance, including 3-for-3 from three-point range. Bronson, who went into the off-season as Furman's starting point guard, has since lost that starting job to Alex Wilkins and has struggled to find his shooting form in the exhibition vs. Alabama and vs. High Point in the season opener. In six-and-a-half minutes vs. High Point, Bronson had one rebound and two turnovers, without taking a shot. In the exhibition loss to Alabama, he finished 0-of-5 from the field and 0-for-2 from three-point range in 13:29 of floor time and scored one point. To me, Bronson is a player that is supremely talented but has yet to figure out his role within this team. He's one of the best on-ball defenders on the roster, and when all else is not going right, it's my opinion that he should focus his efforts on doing that as well as he can and the other facets of his game will slowly, but steadily improve. It's important for him as a player to embrace that defense first mentality to regain confidence, and that will carry over to other aspects of his game.

G-Abijah Franklin--Baba Franklin might be Furman's most exciting player on the roster, and the local three-star product and South Carolina Mr. Basketball out of Wren High School might be the most talented player on the entire roster. However, like Wilkins, Franklin is young and still looking to gain confidence in his game at the Division I level, especially on the offensive end. His effort in both games so far has been great, and when he's on the floor at the same time with Alex Wilkins, Furman has a different type of offensive potential. At points in the game against High Point, Furman played some of its best basketball in the game with both Franklin and Wilkins in the game. On one break, Wilkins through a lob to Abijah, which was a little underthrown and Franklin would be fouled, but the creativity and the ability to pull that off between a pair of electrifying young guards was fun to see. It was a moment when both forgot they were freshmen and just had some fun like they would on either other court in America and forgot about fear and the fear of making mistakes. Franklin scored one point and dished out four assists, two rebounds and one point in 10:26 off the bench against Alabama, while playing almost 19 minutes and posting six points, four rebounds, three assists and one turnover in the loss to the Panthers. He's doing a lot of good, and despite just 2-of-15 from the field and 0-of-6 from three-point range, I expect Franklin's time to only increase as the season moves forward. He'd even be a player I'd consider starting vs. Troy.

F-Ben Vander Wal--Vander Wal is the best "glue guy" in the Southern Conference and the senior and lone remaining player that played in a game as a part of that 2022-23 title team that returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 43 years has played well in Furman's first two games this season, with a strong performance in the exhibition loss to Alabama and in the season opener against High Point. He's one of Furman's leaders, and he has now seen action in 101-career games with Furman, having posted 48 starts. In 34 minutes against High Point, Vandy finished 4-of-6 from the field and was 3-of-4 from the free throw line, as he finished the contest with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, one block, one turnover and one drawn charge. In 30 minutes against Alabama in the exhibition, Vandy posted seven points, six rebounds, five steals, two assists, one turnover and a pair of drawn charges. He's another of Furman's best defensive performers and best rebounders. As Bob Richey often says of him, he's a player that just has "winning DNA."

F-Cooper Bowser--Junior forward Cooper Bowser is Furman's other preseason all-conference selection and is coming off a season in which he led the SoCon in blocks with 57 last season, and came into the season as Furman's leading returning scorer, averaging 8.3 PPG and 4.6 RPG last season. Bowser had a great performance in Furman's exhibition game against Alabama, as he finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and was 6-of-7 from the field in 33 minutes of action. In the 2025-25 season opener against High Point, Bowser was not at his best, as posted six points, nine rebounds, four assists and three turnovers in just over 33 minutes against the Panthers. Bowser has to be a more consistent scorer in the paint this season, and he needs to string games together with double-figure scoring totals. His most impressive attribute so far in what limited action we've had is that he's improved as a passer and his hand strength on rebounds has improved, although he did lose a couple of 50-50 balls on challenges against the Panthers on Monday night. Overall it could shape up to be a really big season for the Woodbridge, VA. product.

C--Charles Johnston--Charles Johnston has easily been Furman's most impressive player so far, posting back-to-back double-doubles in both the exhibition game against Alabama, as well as the season-opener against High Point. Following a 14 point, 12-rebound effort in 30 minutes of floor time against the Crimson Tide, The 6-11 junior from Sydney, Australia added a 16-point, 12-rebound effort in the loss to High Point in 27:45 of floor time. Johnston battled both knee and back issues last season, playing limited minutes as a result. This season, he's 100% and he's shown he could be a real difference-maker this season in the paint. Along with Bowser and Vander Wal, Furman perhaps has the top frontcourt in the SoCon. 

The Bottom Line: Furman has to have its guard play settle into an identity. It has to establish a go-to-scorer, whether that be House, Thomas or even guys like Wilkins or Franklin. Otherwise, it's going to be tougher to establish the deeper we get into the season.  Furman doesn't have to win this game vs. Troy, but they need to figure it out on both ends of the floor and look the part of a conference title contender. Furman especially needs to be much better defensively, as stops were few and far between in the opener against High Point. Offensively, there has to be an established go-to-guard. Furman's front line is just fine.

Notable games against Sun Belt Foes at Timmons

Nov. 19, 2014: Furman 84, Appalachian State 65

--Furman faced off against in recent former SoCon rival for the first time since the App State knocked Furman out of the SoCon Tournament in 2012, as the Paladins got a then career-high 14 points and 10 rebounds from Kris Acox, while juniors Larry Wideman and Stephen Croone added 10 and nine points, respectively in what was a comprehensive win over the Mountaineers. 

Mar 15, 2016 CollegeInsider.com Tournament First Round (CIT): Furman 58, Louisiana Monroe 57

--Daniel Fowler beats the buzzer with a putback jumper off a missed layup attempt and Furman knocks off Lousiana-Monroe, 58-57 in a Timmons Arena instant classic game. The win marked the 11th-straight at Timmons Arena, as Furman improved to 14-1 on its home floor and established a new school record for home wins in a single-season. Furman went on an 11-0 run less than two minutes after having trailed 57-47 with 1:53 left.

Mar. 19, 2016 CollegeInsider.com Tournament Quarterfinals (CIT) Louisiana-Lafayette 80, Furman 72

--Kasey Shepherd led the way for the Ragin' Cajuns, scoring 18 points as Louisiana Lafayette built as much as an 18-point first half lead and held off the Paladins in the second half to end Furman's 2015-16 breakthrough season under then head coach Niko Medved. It was also the end of Stephen Croone's Hall-of-Fame Paladin career, as the 2016 SoCon Player of the Year scored 29 points in his final game with the 'Dins to finish ranked fifth in Furman history with 1,936 career points. 

Dec. 10, 2021 Furman 73, App State 65

--Furman placed three in double figures, as Mike Bothwell added a team co-leading 16 points to become the 49th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone in a career. Jalen Slawson, who was fresh off the school's first triple-double in program history against Winthrop, also added 16 points, as Furman connected on 49% from the field in what was a fiercely competitive game.