Furman basketball in 2023 NCAA Tournament: What to know about Paladins
Furman found out its dance partner.
The Paladins, seeded No. 13 in the South Region, will face No. 4 seed Virginia in a 12:40 p.m. game Thursday in Orlando, Florida.
Here are three things to know about Furman basketball:
Furman basketball believes in sharing
Furman averages 17.1 assists per game, eighth-most in the country, and three players have more than 100 for the season. Sophomore guard JP Pegues has 135, senior forward Jalen Slawson has 110 and senior guard Mike Bothwell has 102. In a 94-63 win against VMI, Furman had 30 assists on 36 baskets. Carter Whitt, a sophomore backup guard, had 10 assists in that game.
Furman basketball had bid snatched away
Furman’s victory against Chattanooga in the Southern Conference championship game for the automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament helped heal some wounds from last season. The Paladins lost an overtime heartbreaker, 64-63, to Chattanooga on a 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Mocs earned a No. 13 seed for the NCAA Tournament and nearly upset No. 4 seed Illinois, falling 54-53.
Furman’s Frank Selvy owns scoring record
The Division I record for most points in a game is owned by Frank Selvy from Furman. He scored 100 against Newberry on Feb. 13, 1954. It was declared Frank Selvy Night to honor the senior who led the nation in scoring for two years and coach Lyles Alley’s instruction was to pass the ball to Selvy and let him shoot. Selvy, 89, native of Corbin, Kentucky, was inducted last fall into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
LEFT OUT: Dick Vitale: Clemson basketball should be in NCAA Tournament ahead of NC State
TOP SEED: South Carolina women's basketball gets top seed in March Madness, faces Norfolk State in round 1
GARDNER-WEBB': Gardner-Webb basketball a 15-seed in 2023 NCAA women'tournament, will face Utah in March Madness
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Furman in 2023 NCAA Tournament: Meet Paladins of March Madness
