The Paladins worked the portal and got four quality guys, who will all fight for starting spots. Take a look below for a recap on the outgoing guys and previews on the new portal pickups.
Outgoing Transfers
Unfortunately in this era, success means the high majors come calling to poach the best guys from the mid-major squads. Furman has really competitive NIL relative to the SoCon, but the money being thrown around at the top of the sport is really hard to compete with. Furman will lose its two top performers to the portal, Alex Wilkins and Cooper Bowser, both of whom will be getting 7 figure deals at high major schools. The Dins were able to table a competitive offer for Wilkins, but at the end of the day, you can’t tell a teenager and his family to pass up on the chance to make a life changing amount of money before even leaving school. Wilkins will have his pick of the litter which, in the end, reflects well on the program for getting an unranked guy into a position like that. Furman will also lose the services of Eddrin Bronson and Asa Thomas. Neither are likely to move to a high major, but for some guys a new environment is needed, and for Asa, he’ll have a chance to move closer to home if he chooses, after two years in the Upstate.
Returners
Furman has a lot to replace, losing its top 7 guys in minutes played. The strong freshman class from last season helps, with Cole Bowser, Abijah Franklin, Collin O’Neal, and Owen Ritger ready to jump in. Furman will also have Mason Smith and Davis Molnar returning after season ending injuries during the year. The Paladins have also signed two freshmen, Jerrin Samuel and Cameron Elwer, who will receive their chance to perform in year 1.
Past Portal Success
Furman has had a great track record with finding both immediate production and multi-year guys from the portal, especially from the D2 ranks. Bob Richey and his staff have brought in 7 transfers during the “Portal Era”, all who have been productive in different ways:
Conley Garrison (D2 Drury University): 9.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 42% 3PT
Carter Whitt (Wake Forest): 7.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals
PJay Smith (D2 Lee University): 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.6 steals, 41.6% 3PT
Nick Anderson (D2 Barry University): 14.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 39.5% 3PT
Tom House (Florida State): 8.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists
Asa Thomas (Clemson): 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 38% 3PT
Charles Johnston (D2 CSU Monterrey Bay): 9.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists
Commits
Marcus Kell (Western Carolina): Kell committed April 12th as the first commit in the cycle. A more in-depth look at him here:
Luka Toews (Boston College): Luka committed on April 15th after a visit to campus. He was a high major starter and brings lots of experience. More about him here:
Jaxson Bell (Army): Bell committed on April 26th. He was the second-leading scorer at Army and a great guard rebounder. More on him here:
Jordan Butler (South Carolina): Bell committed on April 27th after visiting campus. He’ll bring true 7 foot size to the interior. More on him here:
Coach Richey’s track record speaks for itself and we should see some great contributions from portal guys next year.
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