Busting Brackets
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NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga widens lead at top, Furman enters AP Top 25

By Holden Walter-Warner

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 21: Josh Perkins #13 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs drives the baseline during the second half of the game against the Duke Blue Devils at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 21, 2018 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 21: Josh Perkins #13 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs drives the baseline during the second half of the game against the Duke Blue Devils at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 21, 2018 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /
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VILLANOVA, PA – NOVEMBER 17: Alex Hunter #10, Clay Mounce #45, Jordan Lyons #23 and Jalen Slawson #20 of the Furman Paladins celebrate their 76-68 overtime win over the Villanova Wildcats at Finneran Pavilion on November 17, 2018 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
VILLANOVA, PA – NOVEMBER 17: Alex Hunter #10, Clay Mounce #45, Jordan Lyons #23 and Jalen Slawson #20 of the Furman Paladins celebrate their 76-68 overtime win over the Villanova Wildcats at Finneran Pavilion on November 17, 2018 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

3. Welcome to the big time, Furman

The Furman Paladins were due for their big moment weeks ago when they knocked off the defending national champions on Villanova’s own court.

This week was a much more ho-hum affair for the Paladins, but still enough to push them over the edge in the voters’ eyes.

Furman played just one game this week and they needed double-overtime to edge Western Carolina, one of the league’s bottom feeders in their Southern Conference opener.

Nothing can dull the shine of this amazing accomplishment for the Paladins.

For starters, this is the first time Furman has ever made the AP poll. For a small school in Greenville, South Carolina – a program that hasn’t even made the NCAA Tournament since Jimmy Carter was president – this generates more positive press than the program could ever imagine.

Kicking the can down the road, however, the question is whether or not the Paladins can remain in the AP Top 25 for the long haul.

The win over Villanova will get them plenty of mileage, but Furman only has one more game against a major conference opponent on their schedule, albeit a big one at LSU before Christmas.

The Southern Conference is also strong, with teams like Wofford, UNC Greensboro, and The Citadel ready to demonstrate this league is better than ever before.

Nothing can take this from Furman, though, and they deserve it.