Furman Basketball 2020-21 Season Gameday Playbook

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ALEX HUNTER

Senior I Guard

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TIERRA HODGES

R-Senior I Guard/Forward

2020 FURMAN BASKETBALL

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S Men’s Basketball Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Women’s Basketball Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Bob Richey, Men’s Coach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 VAN WAGNER SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Men’s Roster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

800 THIRD AVE. 28th FL. I NEW YORK, NY 10022

Men’s Players to Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

212.699.8400

Jackie Carson, Women’s Coach . . . . . . . . . . .10 RICHARD M. SCHAPS CHAIRMAN & CEO, VAN WAGNER GROUP JOHN MASSONI CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, VAN WAGNER GROUP MIKE PALISI EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

MARK DONLEY SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT DIANA LEPORE DIRECTOR, MARKETING & OPERATIONS FURMAN ATHLETICS SPONSORSHIPS THOMAS BERRYHILL GENERAL MANAGER MITCHELL LARKIN MARKETING COORDINATOR

Women’s Roster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..13 Women’s Players to Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Coaching & Support Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 The Southern Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Furman University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Paladins in the Pros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Timmons Arena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

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BOB RICHEY HEAD COACH, 2016 - PRESENT

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ob Richey is in his fourth season as head coach of the Furman men’s basketball team and his 10th as part of the program.

During his time at Furman, Richey, who was recently listed at No. 5 in ESPN’s “Top 40 Coaches Under 40”, has guided the Paladins to a 73-26 overall record and 41-13 mark in Southern Conference play. His .737 winning percentage ranks ninth among active Division I head coaches. The Paladins have posted back-to-back 25-win seasons and claimed four straight 20-win seasons for the first time in school history.

Richey guided the Paladins to a 25-7 overall record and 15-3 Southern Conference mark in 2019-20 as the Paladins posted a school-record for victories for a second consecutive season. Furman finished the season at No. 74 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) Rankings and No. 81 in the Pomeroy Ratings. Jordan Lyons, a College Insider Mid-Major All-American, earned first team AllSoCon honors while Clay Mounce and Noah Gurley received third team all-league accolades. Lyons finished his Furman career as the winningest player in school history with 96 victories.

Under Richey’s leadership, the 2018-19 Paladins reached new heights with a school-record 25 wins, including victories over defending national 4

champion and eighth-ranked Villanova and 2018 NCAA Final Four participant Loyola Chicago. Furman finished the season with a 25-8 overall record, 13-5 league mark and earned the school's first trip to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) since 1991.

Senior Matt Rafferty, who paced the country in win shares and defensive win shares, finished the season as the only player in the SoCon to rank in the top 10 in points (17.5ppg), rebounds (9.0rpg), assists (4.3apg), steals (2.5spg), blocks (1.1bpg) and field goal percentage (61.5%). The first team AllSoCon selection also ranked among the league leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1) and free throw percentage (76.7%).

Lyons earned third team All-SoCon honors after a standout season that included a 54-point performance and NCAA record-tying 15 threepoint baskets versus North Greenville. Forward Noah Gurley garnered SoCon All-Freshman honors.

In his first season as head coach in 2017-18, Richey guided the Paladins to school record-tying 23-win season that included a then school-record 22 regular season victories. Under his leadership, Furman placed three players on All-Southern Conference teams and the 2018 senior class finished their careers with 76, now third best in school history.

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Guard Devin Sibley earned first team AllSoCon honors, while Rafferty and guard Daniel Fowler garnered second team all-league accolades.

The Paladins ranked second in the SoCon averaging 79.4 points per game and ranked third in scoring defense at 68.5 points per contest. Furman posted a 13-3 home record at Timmons Arena, including a 7-2 mark against SoCon opposition.

A native of Florence, S.C., Richey, who served six seasons as a member of the Paladin coaching staff before moving into the head coaching role, helped Furman to a school record-tying 23 total victories and 14 Southern Conference wins in 2017, while the program earned a share of its first Southern Conference regular season championship in 21 years and a trip the CollegeInsider.com (CIT) Postseason Tournament semifinals. The 2016-17 Paladins, who also won a school record 12 road games, notched back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since 1974-75, and captured postseason victories in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history.

Richey, who has served as position coach for the Paladins’ guards since joining the Furman staff prior to the 2011-12 campaign, has recruited and developed back-to-back Southern Conference Players of the Year. Guard Stephen Croone, who finished his Furman career with 1,936 points, earned consensus SoCon Player of the Year honors in 2016 before joining the NBDL’s Sioux Falls SkyForce for the 2016-17 season. Junior Devin Sibley followed Croone by earning 2017 SoCon Player of the Year honors, first team All-SoCon accolades, and first team NABC All-District laurels. Sibley was joined on both the All-SoCon squad and NABC All-District Team by fellow Richey recruit Kris Acox, who capped his career with 1,051 points and ranked among the SoCon’s top rebounders over the past two seasons.

In 2016, Richey played a key role in Furman’s return to the postseason as the Paladins fashioned a 19-16 overall record, finished third in the SoCon with an 11-7 mark, and advanced to the second round of the CIT with a buzzer-beating victory over Louisiana Monroe at Timmons Arena in first round action. Furman won a school record 14 home games, including 11 in a row, while Croone earned player of the year and first team All-SoCon accolades.

The previous season, Richey helped lead the Paladins to their first Southern Conference Tournament finals appearance in 13 years as the Paladins downed No. 2 seed Chattanooga and No. 3 seed Mercer to

advance to the league championship game.

An associate head coach for the Charleston Southern Buccaneers during the 2010-11 campaign, Richey helped CSU achieve its highest win total in 14 years in 2011. In five seasons as an assistant at CSU, he recruited five players who went on to garner All-Big South Conference honors, highlighted by the school’s No. 2 all-time leading scorer Jamarco Warren and 2013 all-league performers Saah Nimley and Arlon Harper. Richey helped the Bucs improve their conference record in each season, culminating with a squad that ranked in the top 50 nationally by averaging 74 points per game in his final season.

During his five years at Charleston Southern, Richey recruited five of the top 11 scorers in CSU history in Warren (1,968 points, 2nd all-time), Nimley (1,866 points, 3rd all-time), Harper (1,633 points, 5th all-time), Kelvin Martin (1,483 points, 8th all-time) and Jeremy Sexton (1,253 points, 11th all-time). Two of his recruits earned Big South Freshman of the Year honors in their rookie seasons, and he placed at least one player on the Big South All-Freshman squad in four consecutive seasons. Basketball analyst Jeff Goodman rated Richey as the No. 4 assistant coach in the Big South Conference in 2010, while Richey also ranked as the youngest coach on the list.

A graduate of Florence Christian School, Richey led his team to a 28-2 record and state championship his senior year. He was named the 3A State player of the year and currently holds seven school records at Florence Christian.

Richey graduated summa cum laude from North Greenville University in May of 2006 with a degree in business management. In April of 2007, he married the former Jessica Tingle and the couple have two children, Audrey Gabrielle and Robert McIntire “Mac”.

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MEET THE PALADINS 2020-21 MENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BASKETBALL ROSTER

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JAYLON PUGH

COLIN KENNEY

G I 6'0" I 173 I JR Cartersville, Ga./ Cartersville H.S.

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MARCUS FOSTER

G I 6'4" I 210 I R-FR Atlanta, Ga./ Drew Charter H.S.

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GARRETT HIEN

F I 6'9" I 205 I FR Charlotte, NC/ Concord First Assembly Academy

G I 6'1" I 172 I SO Michigan City, Ind./ Marquette H.S.

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MIKE BOTHWELL

G I 6'3" I 195 I JR Cleveland Heights, Ohio Cornerstone Christian Academy

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ALEX HUNTER

G I 5'11" I 180 I SR Raleigh, NC/ Leesville Road H.S.

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RETT LISTER

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F I 6'8" I 210 I JR Fayetteville, Ga./ Fayette County H.S.

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ROBERT SWANSON

JONNY LAWRENCE

F I 6'10" I 205 I R-FR Orlando, Fla./ Lake Howell H.S.

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JALEN SLAWSON

F I 6'7" I 218 I JR Summerville, SC/ Pinewood Prep

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JOE ANDERSON

NOAH GURLEY

G I 5'10" I 165 I JR Myrtle Beach, SC/ Myrtle Beach H.S.

G I 6'1" I 167 I SO Easley, SC / Easley H.S.

G I 6'0" I 170 I FR Maryville, Tenn./ Maryville H.S.

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BEN BEEKER

F I 6'9" I 225 I SO Hendersonville , NC/ Hendersonville H.S.

CLAY MOUNCE

F I 6'7" I 210 I SR Elkin, NC/ Mount Airy H.S.

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PLAYERS TO WATCH

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CLAY MOUNCE

F I 6'7" I 210 I SR Elkin, N.C. A third team All-Southern Conference choice, Mounce averaged 13.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in 32 appearances for the Paladins a season ago. The Elkin, N.C., native tallied a season-high 25 points in a Paladin win at Samford and scored 22 in victories over Loyola Chicago at Timmons Arena and versus The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. Mounce burst onto the nation season as a sophomore in 2018-19 when his last season dunk propelled the Paladins past 2018 Final Four participant Loyola Chicago. He also scored 26 points in a win at Big South champion Gardner-Webb and 15 in a 76-68 overtime upset of defending nation champion Villanova.

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NOAH GURLEY

F I 6'8" I 210 I JR Fayetteville, Ga. A third team All-Southern Conference selection in 2019-20, Noah Gurley started all 32 games as the Paladins totaled a schoolrecord 25 wins for the second straight season. The forward averaged 14.3 points, 4.66 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, while connecting on 53.4% of his field goal attempts, including 40.7% from three-point range.

Gurley poured in a career-best 29 points on 11-for-14 shooting in a Paladin victory over USC Upstate last season and notched his first career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds in a win over ETSU at Timmons Arena. He scored 27 at home versus UNCG and added 22 points and seven rebounds in the Paladins’ 67-66 win over Wofford at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

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JACKIE CARSON HEAD COACH, 2011 - PRESENT

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urman Hall of Famer Jackie Carson is in her eleventh season as head coach of the Paladin women’s basketball program.

Solidly entrenched as head coach at her alma mater, for which she once starred as a player, Carson has revitalized a program that suffered through five consecutive losing seasons prior to her arrival. Under her guidance the Paladins have finished below .500 in league play just once, and, in 2019-20, led them to their second 19-win campaign, finishing at 19-12 overall highlighted by an 11-3 home record.

Furman posted a 19-14 overall record, 9-5 SoCon worksheet, second place regular season finish, and an appearance in the SoCon Tournament championship game in 2018-19. In addition, Furman earned its fourth postseason berth and second Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) appearance in the Carson era.

Furman’s turnaround under Carson began almost the day she returned to campus in 2010. In her first year the Paladins, bereft of any recruiting additions and a SoCon coaches preseason No. 10 pick, started 6-3 in league play, highlighted by a home win over eventual league regular season champion Appalachian State. In winning five of its final six games to finish with 14 victories, Furman leaped from 11th to fifth place in the standings and jumped from a 416 league mark to a 10-10 SoCon ledger, making the Paladins to league’s most improved team in 2010-11.

The strides continued in year two as Furman, with only one senior starter and a host of newcomers, again won 10 league games, including a 75-61 10

triumph over Chattanooga in Greenville that halted an embarrassing series losing skid to the Mocs. In addition, the Paladins defeated Conference USA member Marshall and picked up their first SoCon Tournament victory under Carson.

In 2014, the big dividend arrived with an 18-13 season, highlighted by an 11-2 home record and second place league finish — the program’s best in over a decade. In addition, the Paladins produced two All-SoCon First Team selections for the first time since the 2004-05 campaign and landed a bid to the NIT — another program first. Those accomplishments netted Carson consensus Coach of the Year honors, making her the first person in league women’s basketball history to garner both player of the year and coach of the year accolades.

The success continued the following year as the Paladins went 19-14 and secured the program’s first bid in the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) Tournament.

In 2017, the Paladins dealt Chattanooga, the eventual SoCon Tournament champion, their first league loss of the season with a 65-48 triumph in Greenville, halting the Mocs’ seven-game winning streak, and in 2018 Furman notched its first season sweep of Chattanooga since 2002 on the way to a second round appearance in the WBI. That Carson could quickly transform Furman’s basketball fortunes may have surprised many but not those who know her and appreciate her talent and commitment to recruiting, on-the-floor coaching, preparation, intensity, execution and overall passion

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for the game. It is those same qualities, underscored by a deep and abiding dedication to her players and to their athletic and intellectual development, that has many fans of the purple and white sold on the future of Paladin women’s basketball.

After bringing in a solid recruiting class in her first year that included 2011-12 SoCon Freshman of the Year forward Brittany Hodges, Carson’s second recruiting haul stoked the embers of excitement by including 2012-13 SoCon Freshman of the Year forward Holli Wilkins, who graduated as Furman’s fifth all-time leading scorer. Among the newcomers featured in her third class was standpoint point guard Whitney Bunn, a consensus three-time All-SoCon selection who blew away Furman’s assist standards on the way to brilliant career that saw her finish as the Paladins’ fifth all-time leading scorer (1,538 points) despite suffering a career ending injury seven games prior to season’s end.

In 2017-18, Furman produced three All-SoCon performers for only the second time in program history. The trio included forward Cierra Carter, who finished her career as the program’s 10th all-time leading scorer (1,383 points) and fifth in rebounding, guard Le’Jzae Davidson, and forward Celena Taborn.

Davidson concluded her Furman career as the program’s all-time 3-point leader and third in scoring with 1,753 points.

Four Paladins collected All-SoCon recognition in 2018-19, with Davidson and Taborn garnering All-Conference laurels, Milicia Manojlovic an All-Freshman Team citation, and Kaitlyn Duncan to the five-player SoCon All-Defensive Team.

All told during Carson’s tenure Furman has produced 15 All-SoCon performers, nine All-Tournament players, two Freshmen of the Year and nine SoCon All-Freshman Team selections.

During Carson’s five-year tenure at James Madison, the Dukes posted a 125-40 record (.758), including a 74-16 mark (.822) in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), and advanced to postseason tournament play each year. The string of postseason berths included NCAA Tournaments in 2007 and ‘10, as well as Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) appearances in 2006, ’08, and ’09.

In 2009-10 the Dukes went 26-7 overall and 16-2 in CAA action en route to league regular season and tournament championships. Among the noteworthy wins were triumphs over nationally 13th-ranked Virginia (75-73), Georgetown (79-76), and Virginia Tech (66-59).

In 2007, her second season on staff, James Madison posted a 27-6 slate and advanced to the NCAA Tournament after a regular season that featured wins over Clemson and Wake Forest.

It was during her time at James Madison that Carson gained notoriety on the national level with a

“Rising Star” Award, presented to five associate or assistant coaches by BasketballScoop.com and ONS Performance in recognition of recruiting, player development, team development/scouting, leadership, and administration.

Prior to going to James Madison, she spent two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Bucknell (2004-05). In her short tenure there she played a key role in recruiting Patriot League All-Rookie Team honorees Hope Foster and Kesha Champion, who went on to garner league player of the year and defensive player of the year honors, respectively, while leading the Bison to a 20-11 campaign and Patriot League crown in 2007.

One of the finest players in Furman women’s basketball history, she led the Paladins in scoring and rebounding and earned First Team All-SoCon honors and team MVP accolades as a sophomore, junior and senior. The standout forward was named SoCon Player of the Year in 1998 and 1999, and served as team captain her final two seasons. She also garnered three SoCon Academic Honor Roll tabs.

Many of her statistics rank among the finest ever posted by a Paladin, including points (1,920/2nd), points per game (16.8/4th), rebounds (1,057/2nd), rebounds per game (9.3/7th) and blocks (99/4th).

She scored a school record 37 points against Middle Tennessee State her junior year, and her 724 career free throws and 52 double-doubles (points/rebounds) are still program standards, as are her 12 SoCon Player of the Week scrolls.

Honored as Furman’s 1999 Edna Hartness Female Athlete of the Year, she was inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005 in her first year of eligibility and in November of 2009 became only the third player in program history to have her jersey (No. 22) retired.

Following graduation in 2000 with a degree in health and exercise science, she played for professional teams in Belgium and Israel for two years before entering the coaching ranks.

Carson and husband, Rob, who serves as Associate Athletics Director for Academic Success Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement, have two daughters — Londyn Elaun Carson and Lathyn Ellea Carson.

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MEET THE PALADINS 2020-21 WOMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BASKETBALL ROSTER

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MADDIE GRIFFON

EVIE DEPETRO

JARYA OUTTEN

TATE WALTERS

G I 5'5" I SO Copperas Cove, Texas Copperas Cove H.S.

G I 5'9" I FR Knoxville, Tenn.

Carter H.S.

G I 5'5" I SR Fort Myers, Fla. Fort Myers H.S.

G I 5'9" I FR Buford , Ga. Buford H.S.

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JAEYDEN HILL-MIMS

F I 5'7" I FR Greenville, S.C. Greenville Senior H.S.

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KENNEDY GRIER

G I 5'4" I FR Charlotte, N.C. Charlotte Country Day School

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GRACE VAN RIJ

G/F I 5'9" I R-SR Covington, Ga. Alcovy H.S.

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TYAH HUNTER

VOULA KOILIA

G I 6'0" I SR Hopewell, Va. Hopewell H.S.

G I 5'8" I FR Athens, Greece Moraitis H.S.

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TIERRA HODGES

F I 6'2" I JR Knoxville, Tenn.

Bearden H.S.

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BEATRIZ MATEO

GREYSON BOONE

AALIYAH IRIZARRY-PEREZ

G I 5'4" I JR Madrid, Spain SEK El Castillo

G I 5'9" I JR Greenville, S.C. Wade Hampton H.S.

F I 6'0" I FR Oviedo, Fla. The Masters Academy

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NATALIE WILSON

SYDNEY JAMES

CYAN DYKE

CELENA TABORN

F I 5'9" I JR Evans, Ga. Greenbrier H.S.

G/F I 6'0" I FR Ocala, Fla. West Port H.S.

G/F I 5'11" I FR Los Angeles, Ca. Bishop Montgomery H.S.

F I 6'3" I SR Sidney, Ohio Sidney H.S.

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PLAYERS TO WATCH

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CELENA TABORN

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F I 6'3" I SR Sidney, Ohio Taborn earned Preseason All-Southern Conference honors in 2019-20…Averaged 8.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game…Led the conference in field goal percentage (.671)…Ranked fourth on the team in scoring…Scored in double figures 12 times…

Recorded her only double-double of the season, 15 points and 10 rebounds, in a conference road win at East Tennessee State…

Scored a season-best 17 points twice in non-conference play at Gardner-Webb and versus Elon…Finished with 16 points in 24 minutes of playing time during a win over Wofford in the quarterfinals of the SoCon Tournament.

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TIERRA HODGES

G/F I 5'9" I R-SR Covington, Ga. Hodges was a First Team All-Southern Conference selection last season by the media and Second Team by the coaches…Averaged a double-double of 11.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game…Led the team in rebounding and ranked second in scoring…Compiled a team-leading 15 double-doubles…Led the SoCon in rebounding and was 14th in scoring…

Scored in double figures 22 times and pulled down 10 or more rebounds in 19 games…Poured in a career-best 21 points in a home win over Georgia State…Grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds in the regular season finale versus Wofford…Dished out a career-high of seven assists in a road win at Gardner-Webb…Tabbed SoCon Player of the Week three times and SoCon Player of the Month once.

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COACHING & SUPPORT STAFF MEN’S BASKETBALL

BOB RICHEY Head Coach

TYLER ECKSTEIN Video and Analytics Coordinator

JIMMIE WILLIAMS Assistant Coach

JON D’ANGELO Director of Operations

TIM JOHNSON Assistant Coach

DANIEL FOWLER Director of Recruiting

JEREMY GROWE Assistant Coach

MATT ALDRED Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach

JUSTIN GAMES Staff Athletic Trainer

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

JACKIE CARSON Head Coach

PIERRE CURTIS Associate Head Coach / Recruiting Coordinator

STEPHANIE OWENS Staff Athletic Trainer

KRISTA BEECHY Assistant Coach

N’TAEZHA DAVIS Director of Operations

ESSENCE BAUCOM Assistant Coach

BONNIE JOHNSON Administrative Assistant for Men’s and Women’s Teams 15

THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE

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he Southern Conference, which is in its 99th season of intercollegiate competition in 2019-20, is a national leader in emphasizing the development of the student-athlete and

in helping to build lifelong leaders and role models.

The Southern Conference has been on the forefront of innovation and originality in developing creative solutions to address issues facing intercollegiate athletics. From establishing the first postseason college basketball tournament (1921), to tackling the issue of freshman eligibility (1922), to developing women’s championships (1984), to becoming the first conference to install the 3-point goal in basketball (1980), the Southern Conference has been a pioneer.

The Southern Conference is the nation’s fifth-oldest NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association. Only the Big Ten (1896), the Missouri Valley (1907), the Pac-12 (1915) and the Southwestern Athletic (1920) conferences are older in terms of origination.

Academic excellence has been a major part of the Southern Conference’s tradition. Hundreds of Southern Conference student-athletes have been recognized on CoSIDA Academic All-America and all-district teams. A total of 20 Rhodes Scholarship winners have been selected from conference institutions, most recently in 2012-13, when former Wofford volleyball player Rachel Woodlee earned the prestigious award.

The conference currently consists of 10 members in six states throughout the Southeast and sponsors 22 varsity sports and championships that produce participants for NCAA Division I Championships. The league added rifle, becoming just the second Division I conference to sponsor the sport, in 2016-17, and added women’s lacrosse for the 2017-18 campaign.

The Southern Conference offices are located in the historic Beaumont Mill in Spartanburg, South Carolina. A textile mill that was in operation from 1880 until 1999, Beaumont Mill was enovated in 2004 and today offers the league first-class meeting areas and offices as well as a spacious library for storage of the conference’s historical documents.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE CODE OF SPECTATOR CONDUCT The Southern Conference and the NCAA are committed to promoting good sportsmanship by student-athletes, coaches, and fans. We request your cooperation in supporting the studentathletes and officials in a positive manner. Profanity, derogatory comments, or other intimidating actions directed at student-athletes, officials, team representatives, or other fans will not be tolerated and are grounds for removal from the facility. The Southern Conference appreciates your cooperation in creating a safe and positive game environment. Those in attendance should report any act violating this policy to game management or security personnel. Thank you.

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FURMAN UNIVERSITY

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urman University is the oldest, largest and most selective private institution of higher learning in South Carolina.

Founded in 1826 by the Baptist Convention of South Carolina as the Furman Academy and Theological Institution, Furman today is an independent, coeducational liberal arts college of 2,600 students located on a spacious 750-acre campus in Greenville.

Named for Richard Furman, a prominent pastor in Charleston, South Carolina, and a leader in Baptist higher education, the institution moved three times in its early years before being chartered as the Furman University and settling permanently in Greenville in 185-. Eight years later, its theological department became the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, which eventually moved to Louisville, Kentucky. Between 1920-32, the university included a law school, but for most of its history, it has been a liberal arts college.

In 1933 Furman was coordinated with the

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nearby Greenville Woman’s College, which was founded by South Carolina Baptists in 1854 as Greenville Baptist Female College. The two schools operated under one administration but on separate campuses in downtown Greenville until 1961, when the current physical plant on the outskirts of town was completed and the two campuses were united. The university and the South Carolina Baptist Convention severed ties in 1992.

The move to the new campus served as the catalyst for Furman’s ongoing transformation form a primarily regional college to one of the leading liberal arts institutions in the country.

Today Furman offers majors and programs in 40 subjects and is one of the select group of colleges that quality for a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s most prestigious academic honorary society. Ninety-six percent of the faculty hold doctorate or the terminal degree of their field, and the student body comes from 47 states and 47 countries.

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ADMINISTRATION DR. ELIZABETH DAVIS UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

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lizabeth Davis became Furman University’s 12th President on July 1, 2014. Under her leadership, the university has instituted The Furman Advantage, a distinctive vision for higher education that combines learning with immersive experiences outside the classroom, creating a personalized pathway that prepares students for lives of purpose, successful careers and community benefit. The groundbreaking effort was launched in October 2016 with a $47 million grant from The Duke Endowment.

President Davis is a member of the Council of Presidents, an advisory group of college and university chief executives who provide guidance to the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges on issues of governance in higher education. She is also a member of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Board of Directors.

Dr. Davis serves on the Board of Directors of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce and is an honorary member of the Board of Governors of the Commerce Club. She is a member of the Greenville Rotary Club, American Council on Education’s Women’s Network Executive Committee, and the South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission. She has been recognized by Greenville Business Magazine as one of Greenville’s “50 Most Influential People.”

Dr. Davis has addressed numerous organizations in the Upstate since arriving at Furman, and she has also spoken throughout the U.S. on issues involving higher education, university leadership and financial management. She has been quoted in national media, written op-eds for The Greenville News, University Business and other publications, and done many interviews on radio and television on the subject of higher education.

Before coming to Furman, Dr. Davis spent 22 years at Baylor University in Texas, where she most recently held the position of Executive Vice President and Provost. In addition to being a member of the accounting faculty at Baylor, she also served as Vice Provost for Financial and Academic Administration, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Business Programs, and Acting Chair of the Department of Accounting and Business Law. Before beginning her higher education career, she spent three years at Arthur Andersen & Co. in New Orleans.

Dr. Davis received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Baylor in 1984 and earned her Ph.D. from Duke University in 1992. She and her husband, Charles, have two children, Chad and Claire.

JASON DONNELLY D I R E C T O R O F AT H L E T I C S

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ince arriving at Furman as Director of Athletics in August 2019, Jason Donnelly has brought a new energy and excitement to Furman Athletics with an emphasis on a first-class student-athlete experience and enhanced alumni and external engagement strategy. Under Donnelly’s leadership, Furman Athletics strives to inspire, educate and develop outstanding student-athletes through a culture of excellence, prestigious liberal arts and sciences education, and nationally competitive athletics programs.

Jason came to Furman from Villanova University, where he most recently served as senior associate athletics director and executive director of athletics development (2015-2019). He was responsible for leading the Villanova Athletics Fund, managing fundraising and external support for all 24 varsity sports. During that time, he helped raise more than $120 million for Villanova Athletics, including three consecutive record-breaking fundraising years representing a 330% increase in dollars raised.

Jason joined Villanova in 2005 as assistant men’s

basketball coach and director of basketball operations. He later became special assistant to head coach Jay Wright and was a key contributor to Villanova’s historic basketball success, including the Wildcats’ NCAA Division I national championship wins in 2016 and 2018. He also served as director of athletics development (2013-2015).

He has also been a teacher and basketball coach at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia, as well as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team at Muhlenberg College, his alma mater. He also served as director of basketball operations for USA Basketball at the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil.

A native of Colonia, New Jersey, Jason graduated in 1999 from Muhlenberg, where he played varsity basketball. He has a Master’s of Public Administration from Villanova. Jason and his wife, Rachel, have three children—Aidan (10), Raeyln (8) and Allister (4).

19

PALADINS IN THE PROS

Dakota Dozier ’14, Minnesota Vikings Stephen Croone ’16 Yambol (Bulgaria, NBL)

MEN’S BASKETBALL Maleye N’Doye ’04

F

BBC Nyon (Switzerland, SBL)

George Brozos ’08

F

Gefyra (Greece, B)

Amu Saaka ’11

F

Somouha (Egypt, Superleague)

Brandon Sebirumbi ’12

F

Moron (Spain, LEB Silver)

Stephen Croone ’16

F

Yambol (Bulgaria, NBL)

Kris Acox ’17

F

KR (Iceland, Dominos League)

Devin Sibley ’17

G

Island Storm (Canada, NBL)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

20

Brittany Hodges ’15

F

Olivais/ UrgiCentro-SAN Combra (Portugal)

Holli Wilkins ’16

F

Alba Iulia (Romania)

Le’Jzae Davidson ’20

G

KBF Bashkimi (Serbia)

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MEN’S SOCCER Shea Salinas ’08

MF

San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)

Alec Kann ’11

GK

Atlanta United FC (MLS)

Walker Zimmerman ’13

D

LAFC (MLS)

Kyle McLagan ’18

D

Fram Reykjavik (Iceland, Leng judeild)

Laurence Wyke ’18

MF

Atlanta United (MLS)

FOOTBALL Philip Kreidler ’87

Scout

Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL)

Kavis Reed ’95

General Manager/Interim Head Coach

Montreal Alouettes (CFL)

Dakota Dozier ’14

OG

Minnesota Vikings (NFL)

MEN’S GOLF Brad Faxon ’83

Champions Tour

WOMEN’S GOLF Betsy King ’77

LPGA Tour (Hall of Fame)

Beth Daniel ’78

LPGA Tour (Hall of Fame)

Laura Wearn ’13

Futures Tour

Taylor Totland ’17

Futures Tour

Haylee Harford ’19

Futures Tour

Natalie Srinivasan ’20

Futures Tour

Laura Wearn ’13

Kris Acox ’17 KR (Iceland, Dominos League)

21

TIMMONS ARENA

F

urman University and its basketball programs entered a new era in 1998 with the opening of Timmons Arena, the school’s on-campus, multi-purpose facility.

The 100,000 square-foot arena, which seats just over 2,500 people for basketball and 6,000 for concerts and other school and community activities, currently serves as the home of the university’s men’s and women’s basketball programs and women's lacrosse program.

In addition to featuring two regulation-size basketball courts, the facility includes offices, recently renovated locker room facilities, offices for sports information, a complete sports medicine facility, and a 7,000 square-foot strength and conditioning center that serves the university’s entire 20-sport intercollegiate athletics program.

Arena seating is chair-back style and is collapsible to allow the available floor space to be used for a variety of activities. The facility also boasts two new state-of-the-art 26' x 10' videoboards, which were dedicated in honor of former Paladin great Frank Selvy prior to the 2018-19 season.

The lead gift of $4 million for the facility was provided by longtime Furman supporters William R. Timmons, Jr. ‘49, Jean Timmons Pelham ‘42, and Charlie and Kitty Wells ‘48 Timmons. Bill, Jean, and

22

Charlie are children of the late William R. Timmons ‘14.

At the time of facility dedication, Bill Timmons, chairman of Greenville’s Canal Insurance Company, longtime university trustee, and recipient of an honorary degree from Furman, recalled that his family’s association with the university dated back from his father’s enrollment in 1910. His father’s brother, Charles Edward Timmons, Jr., also attended Furman before volunteering for World War I, during which he was killed in action.

The construction of Timmons Arena eased overcrowding in Alley Gymnasium and in the Herman W. Lay Physical Activities Center (PAC), which currently serves as the home of the department of health and exercise science, student recreational and intramural sports, and fitness center.

The decision to move forward with the arena was driven by the closing of Memorial Auditorium, the downtown Greenville facility that served as Furman’s basketball home for 38 years.

Located just southeast of the home stands at Paladin Stadium, Timmons Arena features a main entrance and wings made of brick, with the rear constructed of split face block and insulated metal panels. Stanmar Inc. of Stanbury, Mass., which specializes in constructing athletic facilities, was the designer and builder at a cost of $10.9 million.

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