SoCon Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

By Joey Loose | Aug 25, 2023

Mar 23, 2019; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Wofford Terriers guard Fletcher Magee (3) leads his team in a huddle before their game against the Kentucky Wildcatsin the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

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SoCon Basketball Furman Paladins guard Jordan Lyons Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

17. Jordan Lyons

A 5’11 combo guard from Peachtree City, Georgia, Lyons found a home at Furman and was part of significant success for the program. He originally joined the Paladins in 2016 under head coach Niko Medved but became an even more important weapon after Bob Richey took over the program.

The Paladins won the SoCon regular season title in a freshman year where Lyons came off the bench. His big step forward happened as a junior where he’d average 16.2 points and 2.3 assists a game, including a mind-blowing 54-point effort against North Greenville early in the season. He was good for greater than 16 points a game as a senior, including a 40-point game at VMI, helping Furman to a second straight 25-win campaign.

Lyons secured All-SoCon honors for those productive final seasons, including the First Team nod for his senior season. He was an important part of Furman winning nearly 100 games during his time on campus, emerging as one of the league’s most consistent scorers as well. Lyons had decent metrics on both sides of the ball, sitting among the league leaders in points, steals, and free throws while clearly showing his breakout ability on a nightly basis.