'23-24 Roster Preview - Furman
Breaking down the Furman roster for the upcoming season
The Paladins come into this season trying to follow up on a historical effort from last year. The losses of Mike Bothwell and Jalen Slawson will of course be difficult to remedy, but Furman's player development is top-notch. The Paladins have various guys that can score and play multiple positions and will lean heavily on experience from JP Pegues and Marcus Foster. The league competition may be stiffer this year, but the Paladins still have their sights set on March.
Returning Players
Marcus Foster - 6’4 G
Last Season Avgs: 29.3 min. 10.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.2 apg | Marcus Foster will look to build on last season, where he started 29 of 36 games and became a true scoring threat around the court. The Paladins lose 33.3 points per game from last year, which is where Foster will be needed most. His rebounding looked very strong throughout last year and he became a good defender as well, utilizing his long frame. Without distributor responsibilities and now stepping into a top role, Foster could very well be Furman’s top scorer this season.
JP Pegues - 6’1 G
Last Season Avgs: 31.8 min. 11.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.9 apg | Pegues came on strong at the end of last year in the SoCon Tournament and looks poised for a big breakout. Pegues’ shooting, especially off the dribble is great, which is where he will be a big factor for opposing teams. His vision is underrated, and Furman will need someone to feed the shooters like Foster, Smith, and Williams in their offensive scheme. Pegues can drive and kick or drive and finish easily as well. I look for him to play a huge role in the team’s success and raise his scoring and assist numbers even higher.
Garrett Hien - 6’9 F/C
Last Season Avgs: 21.9 min. 7.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.7 apg | Hien is a reliable big, who does his job well and can, most importantly, step out and knock down the three. However, he struggles with consistency and can get knocked around a bit inside by bigger guys. When Hien plays with intensity and goes hard on the glass at both ends, he makes the Paladins play so much better. He’ll play a pivotal role in just how far Furman can push their run of success.
Alex Williams - 6’5 G'/F
Last Season Avgs: 15.1 min. 6.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.6 apg | Alex Williams’ development is, I believe, an X-Factor for the Paladins. He’s shown terrific flashes and has size that is difficult to match. He was one of the only Paladins who didn’t look overpowered by San Diego State in the tournament. If Williams can improve his scoring consistency and continue to hustle and rebound, with his great shooting stroke, he could vie for a starting spot. I love the top range of his potential.
Ben VanderWal - 6’7 F
Last Season Avgs: 16.3 min. 4.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.4 apg | Ben Vanderwal likely outperformed most expectations for his freshman season. VanderWal is a sparkplug who draws charges, rebounds very well, and defends with vigor. He’s a guy who will see more and more playing time at the end of games and can replace some of the intensity of Jalen Slawson.
Tyrese Hughey - 6’6 F
Last Season Avgs: 11.1 min. 4.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.6 apg | Furman desperately needs depth in the frontcourt after losing Slawson to the draft and, more recently, James Repass to the portal. But I think Repass’ transfer might give a sign that Hughey was going to have a big minutes increase off the bench. Hughey’s activity on the boards is great. He can get lost at times offensively, but his finishing is smooth and his shooting stroke improved significantly from his freshman campaign.
Carter Whitt - 6’3 G
Last Season Avgs: 12.4 min. 2.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.1 apg | Carter Whitt is coming off an up-and-down season. He had some high expectations transferring in from Wake Forest, which probably didn’t help. Bob Richey promised a big offseason for Whitt, who has a tremendous eye for passing. He can get play a little fast and loose with his handle, but if he plays with a steady tempo and improves his outside range, he can be dangerous.
Davis Molnar - 6’6 F
Last Season Avgs: (Redshirt) | We really don’t know what to expect from Molnar, but Richey’s redshirt system has proven very successful. Molnar has great size if he thrives on the wing and could prove a valuable piece going forward.
Newcomers
PJay Smith - 6’0 G
Last Season Avgs (Lee Univ.): 15.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.8 apg | PJay Smith was an excellent pickup for Bob Richey, who likes to dive into the D-2 ranks. Smith was All-Conference at Lee University and played AAU basketball with JP Pegues. Smith will either start with his running mate Pegues or be a shooter off the bench. Either way, he brings a lights-out shooting stroke to a team that feeds and thrives on outside shooting. He won’t have to distribute as much as he did at Lee, and can feed off passers like Pegues and Whitt.
Eddrin Bronson - 6’4 G
Last Season Avgs: N/A (High School) | Bronson looks like the most ready-to-play freshman in this class. He played high-level competition in high school and is built well for the college game. Furman has a number of good guards though, so time will tell if he will see many minutes.
Tommy Humphries. - 6’5 G
Last Season Avgs: N/A (High School) | Humphries looks like a candidate for a redshirt in a logjammed backcourt situation. But he has the potential to be another Bothwell, Foster-type big shooting guard on the wing.
Cooper Bowser - 6’11 F/C
Last Season Avgs: N/A (High School) | Bowser is intriguing. A late commit after a high-level prep year in high school, he has all the tools of a modern big man. He is a little thin to fight big bodies in the post, but Furman has a great training program as well. In time, I think Furman will love all the skills he brings to the court.