By Justin Mathis (@J_Math23)
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A band of brothers.
One could argue that term accurately describes the 2025-26 Furman Paladins men’s basketball team. Furman got off to a 1-3 start – including a season-opening loss to eventual Big South champion High Point in Rock Hill – and dealt with an onslaught of injuries that didn’t seem like it would come to an end.
For most teams, that’s where the fight ends. But in Greenville, the ones in purple were just getting started. As the season progressed deep into conference play, those on the injured list returned. But down the stretch, the Paladins dropped four out of five games including a nine-point decision to Monday’s opponent, Southern Conference regular season champion East Tennessee State.
In front of a loud, near-capacity crowd at Harrah’s Cherokee Center, Furman took control in the first half and never relented, pulling away for a convincing 76-61 victory over ETSU and claiming its second SoCon crown in the last four seasons. It also marked the eighth SoCon championship in program history.
Furman head coach Bob Richey points to one instance in particular as the turning point in the season.
“The definition of this team could have been, ‘young team, got injured,’ he said. “That’s an excuse, or you can let it develop you. That’s what this group chose to do. We went to Spartanburg after losing four of five and played really well in front of a sold-out crowd at Wofford. What’s funny is that it all started after we had lost to ETSU at home. I think this whole thing changed after ETSU came in there and popped us in our place. We came up here and this is the best we’ve done all season. It was incredible.”
Cooper Bowser, who missed substantial time after an injury during a road game at Manhattan in December, provided his perspective of seeing the team come together in the challenging circumstances.
“It was a lot of time on the sidelines just watching those guys battle,” he explained. “Sometimes, there would be six people and some coaches out there practicing. (Tom) House was concussed, Asa (Thomas) was hurt, I was hurt, and Mason (Smith) was hurt. Just watching those guys still compete and fight down at Samford with eight players really motivated me to get back and be healthy.”
Holding a seven-point lead after halftime, Cooper Bowser finished strong at the tin while Eddrin Bronson cashed in on a fastbreak chance. Tom House drew a foul on a three-point try and made all three shots from the charity stripe, building a 50-38 lead at the 16-minute mark.
Jaylen Smith buried a jumper, along with a Brian Taylor bucket, to cut it to eight, but Charles Johnston and Alex Wilkins each canned a triple on consecutive possessions, followed by four straight Ben Vander Wal points to push the lead out to 68-53 with six minutes left at that juncture of the contest.
For Wilkins, it was pointed out by a writer that Monday marked one year to the day since he hit a game-winning shot to win a state championship in high school. However, the freshman guard revealed there was more that he dealt with in the last 365 days.
“I actually lost my grandfather around this time last year,” Wilkins recalled. “I was playing for him. This story has been written. Coach Richey has put amazing trust in me and let me get better through mistakes. God has put His hands on my life and continues to bless me. I’m just excited for what’s in my future.”
As for Cooper Bowser and House – who were part of the loss to Wofford in the 2025 SoCon championship game – they admitted that there were some emotions that fueled them, especially throughout the tournament.
“I remember how hurt the seniors were last year,” remarked House. “I knew that if we were going to get it done, we couldn’t let that s--- happen again. When you play with that pain – you see it all the time – people can accomplish great things. That’s what we did.”
“For me personally, it played a lot into my motivation,” Bowser said. “When we drove from the hotel to the arena to play Samford (Saturday), I started tearing up because the last thing I remembered is losing in Asheville. I don’t cry that much, but a wave of emotions hit me. It means the world to come out here and flip the script this year.”
Taylor scored a team-high 16 points for the Bucs, while Blake Barkley tallied 14 points and Smith finished with 10 points. As a team, ETSU outscored the Paladins in the paint, 32-30, and 19-14 in points off turnovers. Taylor, Barkley and Smith each received All-Tournament honors for the Bucs.
Bowser posted a double-double for Furman with a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds, while House tallied 13 points on 4-for-7 shooting and Wilkins finished with 12 points. Three Paladins earned SoCon Tournament recognition, led by Wilkins with Most Outstanding Player honors. Bowser earned a first-team tournament selection, and House was named to the second team.
And now, Furman (22-12) will have at least one more stop to make this season:
The NCAA Tournament.
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