Madness is in the air as the college basketball postseason is underway, monopolizing the attention of the sports world as it does every March.

However, as 68 teams prepare to take the national stage and battle one another for a national championship, the remaining 277 teams in Division 1 are left to reflect on the past season, reviewing what went wrong and what went right before looking ahead to next season.

This is exactly what Coach Jeff Jackson and the Paladins are doing now, following an end to a grueling and disappointing season full of misfortune.

Chosen to finish ninth out of a total of twelve teams in the Southern Conference preseason coaches poll, the Paladins may not have had the highest expectations heading into the season had but hoped to at least make some noise in conference play.

What the Paladins did not expect for the season was the uphill battle they would face as injuries to key players deprived their roster of talent and experience.

The injury plague that characterized the Paladins 2012-2013 campaign hit key players at critical points in conference play and kept vital roster players Jordan Loyd, Dominic Early, and Keith Belfield out of commission for the entirety of the season.

There were even times during the season where it seemed as though more players on the bench were dressing up than dressing out for a game.

Despite a tenacious and persistent effort, the debilitating obstacle of a deprived roster took a major toll on the Paladins performance this season, as they finished with a 7-24 record overall, including a 3-15 record in Southern conference play.

Despite finishing dead last in the conference on a ten game losing streak that extended over the entire month of February, the Paladins were able to bounce back in the Southern Conference tournament in Asheville, edging out Samford 55-51 in an dramatic and exciting win.

Hope of winning the SoCon tournament and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament were extinguished in the quarterfinals, however, as the Paladins were shut down by a hot Appalachian State team that would go on to give eventual SoCon champion Davidson a run for their money.

While it seems as though the season was anything but a success, there were a number of bright spots and stand out efforts worth commemorating as we look ahead to the future of the Furman basketball program.

Senior big man Colin Reddick was undoubtedly the team MVP this season, leading the team in scoring (12.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.2 rpg). His contribution, along with the leadership of senior veterans Bobby Austin (7.3 ppg) and Bryant Irwin (6.4 ppg) will be missed next season.

Even with the departure of these key players, Furman basketball has a lot to look forward to next winter. Redshirt junior Charlie Reddick showed flashes of brilliance this season and will undoubtably serve an even bigger role as a scorer for the Paladins next year in his brother’s absence.

In the wake of the injuries, freshman who logged heavy minutes this season showed glimpses of brilliance as well.

None of these freshmen were more promising than point guard Stephen Croone, who has shown signs as a premier court general, averaging nearly ten points and four assists per contest.

These returning players will look to avenge a woeful 2012-2013 season next year, and will be joined by a group of fresh new faces next season, as the recruiting class of 2013 looks to have an even greater impact on the team’s success. Now all we can do is wait and hope.