Furman graduated its two best players, Mike Bothwell and Jalen Slawson, but seven of the nine leading scorers return.
That was enough for the Paladins to be picked as the favorites to defend the Southern Conference men’s basketball championship in voting by both coaches and media.
J.P. Pegues and Marcus Foster made the preseason all-league team.
Furman received 8/10 first-place votes in polling of the league’s coaches to place atop the poll ahead of UNC Greensboro, Western Carolina, Samford and Chattanooga rounding out the top five. The Paladins claimed 8/17 first-place votes from the media and were followed by Western Carolina and Samford in a tie for second place in the preseason poll.
Last season Furman finished with a 28-8, claimed the SoCon regular-season title with a 15-3 league mark, captured its first SoCon Tournament title since 1980, and shocked No. 4 seed Virginia, 68-67, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Orlando, Fla., last March.
Even the March Madness loss aged well. San Diego State subsequently lost in the national finals.
Leading the list of head coach Bob Richey’s returnees are Foster and Pegues. A senior from Atlanta, Ga., Foster averaged 10.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game a year ago while shooting .361 from behind the arc. He reached double figures 20 times as a junior, including scoring a career-best 25 points in a victory at Mercer.
Pegues, a junior from Nashville, Tenn., contributed 11.9 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game last season. The guard earned SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors and drilled the game-winning three with two seconds remaining in Furman’s upset of Virginia. Pegues averaged 21 points per game during the Paladins’ run to the SoCon title in Asheville last March.
Furman is set to open the 2023-24 season at Timmons Arena on Monday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. versus North Greenville.
Coaches Poll
| Team (1st-place votes) | Total |
| 1. Furman (8) | 80 |
| 2. UNCG (1) | 68 |
| 3. Western Carolina | 62 |
| 4. Samford | 61 |
| 5. Chattanooga (1) | 53 |
| 6. Mercer | 38 |
| 7. ETSU | 34 |
| 8. Wofford | 24 |
| 9. The Citadel | 21 |
| 10. VMI | 9 |
Player of the Year
Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
All-Southern Conference team
Marcus Foster, R-Sr., G, Furman
J.P. Pegues, Jr., G, Furman
Jalyn McCreary, R-Sr., F, Mercer
Mikeal Brown-Jones, Sr., F, UNCG
Keyshaun Langley, Gr., G, UNCG
Jermaine Marshall, Sr., F, Samford
Honor Huff, So., G, Chattanooga
Tre Jackson, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Russell Jones Jr, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Vonterius Woolbright, Sr., G, Western Carolina
Media Poll
| Team (1st-place votes) | Total |
| 1. Furman (8) | 153 |
| T2. Western Carolina (4) | 134 |
| T2. Samford (1) | 134 |
| 4. UNCG (2) | 126 |
| 5. Chattanooga | 107 |
| 6. ETSU (1) | 89 |
| 7. Mercer (1) | 77 |
| 8. Wofford | 54 |
| 9. The Citadel | 41 |
| 10. VMI | 20 |
Tate Walters is back on the Southern Conference’s preseason all-conference rankings after missing all of last season to injury.
Preseason All-Southern Conference team, and the Paladins were picked fifth in the poll of league coaches at the conference’s annual basketball media day, held at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville.
Walters, a redshirt junior, was among 10 players selected to the league squad. Two seasons ago she established herself as one of the SoCon’s top performers, earning all-conference honors after averaging 12.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while totaling a league high 137 assists. In addition, she shot 37.3 percent from 3-point range — second best in the league — and was a first team SoCon All-Tournament pick after leading the Paladins to the championship game.
A native of Buford, Ga., Walters is among a cast of five returning Paladins with notable starting experience set to take the court under first-year head coach Pierre Curtis. Two years ago she recorded 32 starts and counts 52 starts in her two seasons of play with the Paladins.
Officially Furman has three returning starters off its 2022-23 squad: redshirt sophomore guard Jaelyn Acker (11.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg), senior wing Sydney James (8.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg), and junior forward Jada Session (8.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg). Acker was named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team last year.
Like Walters, redshirt sophomore guard Niveya Henley returns after sitting out the 2022-23 season due to injury. She logged 15 starts two seasons ago, averaging 4.0 ppg and 2.6 rpg en route to making SoCon All-Freshman.
The Paladins’ most significant loss was consensus all-league forward Grace van Rij (13.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg).
Furman tips off its season on Nov. 7 when it plays host to UNC Asheville.
Coaches Poll
1. ETSU 39 pts (4)
2. Chattanooga 38 pts (2)
3. Mercer 31 pts (1)
4. Wofford 26 pts
5. FURMAN 20 pts
6. UNCG 19 pts
7. Samford 17 pts
8. Western Carolina 6 pts
Media Poll
1. Chattanooga 88 pts (5)
2. ETSU 85 pts (5)
3. Wofford 84 pts (3)
4. Mercer 68 pts
5. Samford 43 pts
6. UNCG 42 pts
7. FURMAN 37 pts
8. Western Carolina 21 pts
Furman which has never lost to UNC Asheville, produced a season high in goals en route to a 4-2 men’s soccer victory over the Bulldogs in Asheville. Dylan Lane had two assists. Charlie Boone, Lloyd Wamu Snell, Christian Kraus and Tommy Redhead had the Furman (8-4-3) goals. UNCA is 7-5-2.
With four of the top eight finishers, the 53rd Furman Intercollegiate fell to the Paladins for just the fourth time. …Ross Funderburke and Trey Diehl delivered four birdies in the final three holes to enable Furman (-20) to win by one stroke over Chattanooga. Texas A&M (-10), James Madison (-7) and Richmond (-7) rounded out the top five.
Freshman Maddie Massie netted the equalizer in the 60th minute to help Furman (7-4-6, 3-1-5) earn a 1-1 draw versus Wofford (4-10-4, 2-5-2) in the regular season finale for both teams Sunday afternoon at Snyder Field in Spartanburg. The fourth-seeded Paladins take on fifth-seeded UNC Greensboro on Friay at the SoCon tournament on Friday in Cullowhee, N.C. … East Tennessee State took the top SoCon seed in men’s tennis with a 2-0 verdict over the Paladins in Greenville.
Furman (15-6, 6-4) won its third straight volleyball match with a 3-1 decision over Western Carolina (6-14, 3-6). Lauren Haynes, Mary Beth Headley, and Emily Navarro all compiled double-doubles to pace the Paladins.
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Nightrider's Lament 