Greenville, S.C. -- Marcus Foster, Colin Kenney and Jonny Lawrence will join the Furman men's basketball program for the 2019-20 season, it was announced during the November signing period by second-year Paladin head coach Bob Richey.

"All three of these players fill immediate needs for us on the court with an interior player with skill, another point guard, and a bigger perimeter player," said Richey. "They also all three have the qualities that we look for when trying to determine how hard a player will work when they arrive in our program. They have great support systems, they work very hard in the classroom, and they carry a strong desire to improve. We are excited about all three of them joining us this summer."

Foster, a native of Atlanta, Ga., poured in 20 points per game while adding seven rebounds and three assists per contest as a junior for Drew Charter High School. The 6-foot-3 guard played his AAU ball for GA Canes.

"Marcus is a long perimeter player that will be able to play positionless in our offense," said Richey. "At 6' 4 and a 6'10 wingspan, his length will be a great quality for us to add on the perimeter. He is also very young for his class and with a commitment to development, his ceiling will be very high. His combination of size and play-making ability will be great assets for our program. Off the court, he is another focused individual that takes his academics very seriously."

"Marcus is a phenomenal young man," said James Williams, head coach at Drew Charter. "He's worked hard get to where he is and made a commitment to basketball. What you are seeing is the fruit of his labor. He is a trailblazer here at Drew, and when he steps foot on Furman's campus, I believe he will become an even better basketball player and young man. I am so proud of him."

Kenney, a 6-foot-1 guard, earned Indiana Junior All-Star honors a year ago after averaging 21.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game for Marquette Catholic High School.

"Colin is a player that we found in the July evaluation process and liked him more and more every time we watched him play," Richey said. "His competitiveness is contagious, he can really shoot the ball, and he plays the game the right way. He knows how to score the ball from all levels of the floor but at the same time can really see the game from the point position. We've always valued players that carry a chip on their shoulder, and Colin definitely plays with that mentality."

The Michigan City, Ind., native enters his senior season ranked third on his school's all-time scoring list.

"You get out of life what you put into it, and Colin has put a lot into basketball and his academics," said Marquette High School head coach Fred Mooney. "He will now receive a top tier education from Furman University and continue playing the game he has a passion for and is really really good at. Colin is as good of a citizen as he is an athlete. I'm proud to be his basketball coach, and I told the coaches at Furman, that they are getting an outstanding young man from a great family."

Lawrence, a 6-foot-9 forward, averaged 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots as a junior at Lake Howell High School. The versatile big man shot 40% from the three-point line for the Silverhawks.

"Jonny checks a lot of the boxes that we look for in our student athletes," said Richey. "On the court, he has great size and the ability to shoot it from the perimeter. His combination of skill, size, and feel for the game makes him a great fit in our style of play. Off the court, he has great drive to excel in all walks of life. The quality that sticks out the most to me with Jonny is his desire to constantly improve. He was very intrigued with our commitment to player development in the recruiting process and those players usually do very well."

"The Furman coaching staff did a phenomenal job in recruiting Jonny Lawrence throughout the entire recruitment process," said Q6 All-Stars coach Reggie Tucker. "Furman is gaining a very skilled and versatile forward whose best basketball is in front of him. His dedication to the sport and academics will be a great asset to the Furman program. Jonny has made a huge impact on the Q6 All-Star program and we are looking forward to his continued success at Furman."

Furman returns to action on Thursday night when it hosts the North Greenville Crusaders for a 7 p.m. tip-off at Timmons Arena before traveling to Philadelphia, Pa., to face eighth-ranked Villanova at 5 p.m. Saturday on FS2.

Furman Basketball Newcomers
Player    Pos.    Ht.    Hometown    High School
Marcus Foster    G    6-4    Atlanta, Ga.    Drew Charter H.S.
Colin Kenney    G    6-1    Michigan City, Ind.    Marquette H.S.
Jonny Lawrence    F    6-9    Orlando, Fla.    Lake Howell H.S.

What They're Saying About...

Marcus Foster
"Marcus is a very long, skilled, athletic player who has great versatility on both sides of the ball. His development throughout the past 12 months is just a glimpse of both the type of player and person Furman is getting. Marcus has the ability to play and defend multiple positions, which will fit Furman and its (position-less) style of play very well."

Eric Wallace
Florida/Georgia Hoops Report


Colin Kenney
"Colin has been somewhat under the radar from a recruiting standpoint because he never played on one of the three major shoe company tours (Nike, Adidas, Under Armour) during the grassroots season. He's a highly skilled, fluidly athletic, and tough-nosed guard who has a really nice jump shot with range. He plays with a great motor and a poise that helps him consistently produce each time he takes the floor."

Brandon Bradley
Owner/Publisher
Scouting Indiana


Jonathan Lawrence
 "Lawrence is a skilled forward with inside/outside ability. He can stretch the floor with his shooting range beyond the arc and is big and athletic enough to be productive in the paint. The Lake Howell High School product is also a high-level student with a high basketball IQ. With continued physical development, Lawrence has an opportunity to be in impact player in the SoCon."

Eric Wallace
Florida/Georgia Hoops Report




Jordan Caskey, Furman Sports Information