SoCon Basketball: Furman, UNCG, ETSU at top in latest power rankings

LEXINGTON, VA - JANUARY 10: The Southern Conference logo on the floor before a college basketball game between the Furman Paladins and the Virginia Military Keydets at Cameron Hall on January 10, 2019 in Lexington, Virginia. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

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VILLANOVA, PA – NOVEMBER 17: Head coach Bob Richey of the Furman Paladins talks with Jordan Lyons #23 (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

3. Furman

Record: 23-6 (13-3 SoCon)

Heading into last week, the Furman Paladins were on a roll, winning seven straight games and even giving the notion that they might run away with the SoCon Basketball regular-season crown. During that stretch, Furman won many of those games by double digits.

Then, last Wednesday, they fell 75-66 to ETSU in a much-awaited showdown that was sure to provide clarity about who holds conference supremacy. That loss really hurt because it took them out of first place, but the Paladins are from finished in the SoCon.

Furman’s game against UNC Greensboro tonight is a chance for them to show that they are back on their feet and still capable of winning the league. What makes this team so special is that they are led by a great and young Head Coach in Bob Richey, and a very talented Senior leader in guard, Jordan Lyons.

Lyons leads his squad in scoring with 16.8 ppg, but beyond him, the Furman backcourt is still very strong, as Sophomore Mike Bothwell and Junior Alex Hunter average 10.5 and 8.8 ppg, respectively. In the frontcourt, Furman has two very athletic and fit forwards. Sophomore, Noah Gurley, contributes 14.2 ppg while grabbing 4.8 rpg, and Junior, Clay Mounce, scores 13.2 ppg and grabs 6.2 rpg.

The numbers these guys put up show that this team is very well-rounded and can hurt opponents from anywhere on the floor. This quality is huge and would certainly help them win the SoCon Basketball Tournament to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament.