The website Three Man Weave predicts a 4th place finish for the Paladins this year. They have ETSU as the favorite - "First Tier " - followed by UNCG, Wofford, Furman, and Samford as the "Second Tier." Those teams are followed by Mercer, Western Carolina, Chattanooga, The Citadel, and VMI in the standings.
Jordan Lyons was picked 1st team all-SoCon and Noah Gurley 2nd team. UNCG's Isaiah Miller was picked pre-season POY. ETSU had 4 players on the three all-SoCon teams. UNCG's freshman point guard Keyshawn Langley was pre-season newcomer of the year.
The writer seems to feel the Paladins have to prove something on offense this season because Rafferty was key to the offense last year -
"Despite returning four starters, Furman may struggle to replicate last season’s success without do-everything star forward Matt Rafferty, the team’s only true big and also its best passer. Bob Richey realized he had a gem in Rafferty, and he ran nearly all of the Paladins’ offensive action through him, whether that was via post ups or handoffs in the high post. He propped up an otherwise-pedestrian offense..."
He likes the defense though -
" It should be noted that Furman also had the SoCon’s best defense last year, as the Paladins’ disciplined man-to-man smartly avoided conceding free points at the line while disrupting offensive flow and forcing a high percentage of isolation possessions. Mounce, Gurley, and Slawson can all protect the rim a little bit, and junior Tre Clark will garner minutes due to his defense, even if he continues to turn the ball over at an alarming rate on the other end. Plus, Richey found ways to weaponize the quickness of his tiny guard duo, rather than letting them be repeatedly picked on and turned into liabilities. "
His conclusion:
"As incredible as Wofford’s seniors were (Magee and Jackson), Rafferty may have been the single most important player in the SoCon last year. Even without him, Richey has the pieces to maintain Furman’s defensive success, and if he finds a way to re-work the offensive attack, Furman will remain a dangerous contender."
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On the other hand, Blue Ribbon Basketball magazine is out and picks Furman 2nd behind ETSU. They quote Bob Richey as praising the team's unselfish ball movement and active, aggressive defense. Richey talks up the contribution Jalen Slawson can make and mentions freshmen Marcus Foster and Jonny Lawrence as possible contributors.
Jordan Lyons was picked 1st team all-SoCon and Noah Gurley 2nd team. UNCG's Isaiah Miller was picked pre-season POY. ETSU had 4 players on the three all-SoCon teams. UNCG's freshman point guard Keyshawn Langley was pre-season newcomer of the year.
The writer seems to feel the Paladins have to prove something on offense this season because Rafferty was key to the offense last year -
"Despite returning four starters, Furman may struggle to replicate last season’s success without do-everything star forward Matt Rafferty, the team’s only true big and also its best passer. Bob Richey realized he had a gem in Rafferty, and he ran nearly all of the Paladins’ offensive action through him, whether that was via post ups or handoffs in the high post. He propped up an otherwise-pedestrian offense..."
He likes the defense though -
" It should be noted that Furman also had the SoCon’s best defense last year, as the Paladins’ disciplined man-to-man smartly avoided conceding free points at the line while disrupting offensive flow and forcing a high percentage of isolation possessions. Mounce, Gurley, and Slawson can all protect the rim a little bit, and junior Tre Clark will garner minutes due to his defense, even if he continues to turn the ball over at an alarming rate on the other end. Plus, Richey found ways to weaponize the quickness of his tiny guard duo, rather than letting them be repeatedly picked on and turned into liabilities. "
His conclusion:
"As incredible as Wofford’s seniors were (Magee and Jackson), Rafferty may have been the single most important player in the SoCon last year. Even without him, Richey has the pieces to maintain Furman’s defensive success, and if he finds a way to re-work the offensive attack, Furman will remain a dangerous contender."
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On the other hand, Blue Ribbon Basketball magazine is out and picks Furman 2nd behind ETSU. They quote Bob Richey as praising the team's unselfish ball movement and active, aggressive defense. Richey talks up the contribution Jalen Slawson can make and mentions freshmen Marcus Foster and Jonny Lawrence as possible contributors.
