Furman’s 2022-23 campaign tips off on November 7 versus local rival North Greenville. The expectations for this campaign are nothing less than the SoCon title, which the Dins came very close to last year. Unfortunately, the championship and therefore a ticket to 2022 March Madness slipped through Furman’s fingers with Chattanooga’s buzzer-beater game-winning three pointer in overtime. Best believe the Paladins are looking forward to the upcoming season with optimism and a craving for revenge as three starters from the 2021-22 squad are back at Timmons.
Paladin Head Coach Bob Richey expressed his excitement about their non-conference schedule: “Our schedule has a great blend of high-major opponents, successful mid-major programs, and regional rivalries. We are also looking forward to the opportunity to play 17 games in Greenville this season,” remarked Richey.
Under Coach Richey’s reign, the Dins have accomplished a 111-46 record over the last five years. Guiding Furman to a 63-24 mark in Southern Conference play, he ranks in the top 10 among active Division I head coaches in winning percentage (.707). The Paladins posted back-to-back 25-win seasons and claimed four straight 20-win seasons for the first time in school history.
This season, we are expecting to see more of Richey magic. Mark November 11 on your calendars to witness the Paladins face off against the Belmont Bruins, ranked 79th last season by the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET). Belmont will be coming off a 25-win campaign and likely cause trouble for Missouri Valley Conference members.
Charleston’s TD Arena will host Furman a week later for the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic. The opposition here will be a challenging test before Furman faces 2021 Sun Belt Conference champion Appalachian State at home. Big Ten rival Penn State will clash with Furman in the first round of the tournament. Safe to say, the competition does not get any easier thereafter as the winner will play Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament champion Virginia Tech or C-USA member Old Dominion. The prospective foes to face in the rival are Colorado State, College of Charleston, Davidson, and South Carolina.
December is THE month all Furman Basketball enthusiasts should look forward to. Furman will first entertain 11-time Big South Conference champion Winthrop at home and then take on the ACC’s NC State at PNC Arena respectively on December 10 and 13. This will be the first meeting between the two schools since 1985 when NC State triumphed over Furman 94-56 at Reynolds Coliseum.
The Dins will conclude their non-conference schedule with two consecutive home games. Defending co-regular season WAC champion Stephen F. Austin will travel downtown Greenville to play the Dins at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on December 17. Furman Paladins will host the Anderson Trojans at Timmons Arena for the final non-conference game of the season two days later.
Furman’s Southern Conference home schedule features four Saturday games versus UNC Greensboro, Wofford, Western Carolina, and ETSU.
The 2023 Ingles SoCon Basketball Championship is scheduled for March 3-6 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, NC.
Jalen Slawson, the 2022 SoCon Defensive Player of the Year, believes the Dins are “ready to get after it.” “This whole team has put a ton of work into getting ready for practice. We all know that once practice gets here, the season will be here before we know it. We are all excited, the staff included,” Slawson said.
