By MONTE DUTTON

I went through college in a period of little unrest. I read about the 1960s and watched it all on TV as a boy, but the biggest threat to the Furman campus in the late 1970s and early 1980s was the invasion of Citadel cadets the night before the football game.

As Merle Haggard sang, Football’s still the roughest thing on campus, and the kids here still respect the college dean.

This, too, shall pass. And recur.

“History repeats itself, and that’s one of the things wrong with history,” said Clarence Darrow.

The most dangerous aspect of society from right through the middle to left is that we increasingly demonize that with which we do not agree. Everybody’s mad on all sides.

This is familiar in sports, and it’s mostly harmless.

My team is made up wholly of Jesus-loving student-athletes of character and goodwill. Your team was recruited of cutthroats smuggled across the border with evil intent.

Old lyrics of Tom T. Hall occur to me as, coincidentally, they resonate in every corner of my life.

Well, this is just another Peyton Place, and you’re all Harper Valley hypocrites.

Every mile or so a sign proclaimed that Christ was coming soon, and I thought, well, man, He’d sure be disappointed if He did.

The tide is turning. Previously, most of the news regarding Furman men’s basketball concerned who was leaving: J.P. Pegues to Auburn, Marcus Foster to Xavier, Alex Williams to Duquesne and Carter Whitt to Belmont.

Head coach Bob Richey announced the signing of Mason Smith. The 6-7 forward from Huntersville, N.C., averaged 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists at Davidson Day School.

He helped lead the Patriots to a 24-7 record and the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 2A state championship.

“We are excited to add a player of Mason’s caliber to our program,” said Richey, who is entering his eighth season as Furman’s head coach. “With Mason, we are adding a high-character person with an elite academic background. Mason’s ability to shoot the basketball, coupled with his size and athleticism, has us extremely excited about his upside as a player.”

Further additions to Furman’s roster are be announced shortly.

Harris Barth made the men’s golf All-Southern Conference team.

“Harris works hard and has gotten better each year, and this award is very well deserved,” said Furman head coach Matt Davidson. “I couldn’t be prouder of him. He was named to the all-freshman team last year and now chosen all-conference, so I can’t wait to see Harris continue to work and improve over the next few years!”

A sophomore from Atlanta, Ga., Barth recorded a 72.30 stroke average over 27 rounds this season.  He had three top-11 finishes in nine events, including an eighth-place finish with scores of 70-72-70=212 at last week’s SoCon Championship.

Southern Conference Player of the Year

Mats Ege, R-Sr., ETSU

Co-Freshmen of the Year

Jenson Forrester, ETSU

Kelvin Hernandez, UNCG

Coach of the Year

Jake Amos, ETSU

All-Conference

Matthew Dodd-Berry, So., ETSU

Mats Ege, R-Sr., ETSU

Algot Kleen, Jr., ETSU

Harris Barth, So., Furman

Tobias Jonsson, Sr., Mercer

Symon Balbin, Sr., UNCG

Randall Hudson, Sr., UNCG

Paul Conroy, Sr., Chattanooga

Samuel Espinosa, Sr., Chattanooga

John Houk, Sr., Chattanooga

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