Greenville, S.C. – Furman was predicted to finish in second place by both the Southern Conference men's basketball coaches and media, while guards Mike Bothwell and Alex Hunter were selected to the preseason all-conference team, it was announced on Tuesday at the 2021 SoCon Basketball Media Day presented by Ingles.

The Paladins received two first-place votes in the coaches poll and three in the media poll to receive the second place projection. Furman tallied 71 points in the coaches poll and 220 in the media poll. Chattanooga has been picked as the favorite by both the coaches and media to win the SoCon in 2021-22.

The Paladins were one of four teams, along with ETSU, Mercer and Chattanooga, to have two players selected preseason All-SoCon.

A senior from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Bothwell was a first team NABC District 21 and second team All-SoCon selection last season. He led Furman in scoring with 15.6 points per game while adding 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Bothwell started in all 25 games and ranked in the top 10 for the SoCon in scoring, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and steals. He scored in double figures 21 times highlighted by 20 more points in six contests. Bothwell scored a career-high 32 points in the Paladins' 78-66 victory over ETSU at Timmons Arena. He began last season scoring at least 20 points in three of his first four games and posted double-digit scoring efforts in the final five games of the year.

Hunter, a fifth year from Raleigh, N.C., compiled a career year for Furman in 2020-21 averaging 11.1 points per game while starting in all 25 contests. He finished the year fourth on the team in scoring and was first in assists averaging 3.6 per game. Hunter ranked in the top 10 for the SoCon in assists, 3-point field goal percentage and 3-point field goals made and led the conference in assists-to-turnover ratio at 2.7. He scored in double figures 13 times highlighted by 20 or more points twice. Hunter set a new career-high with 23 points during the Paladins' 78-64 victory over Samford in Greenville. He added a 22-point scoring performance in the second game of the season when Furman defeated USC Upstate 91-63 at Timmons Arena.

The Paladins tip off their 2021-22 campaign on Tuesday, November 9 hosting North Greenville at Timmons Arena.

Furman returns 12 letterwinners from last year's team highlighted by three starters in Bothwell, Hunter and Jalen Slawson. The Paladins finished the 2020-21 season with a 16-9 overall record and was third in the SoCon with a 10-5 mark.

Season tickets for 2021-22 Furman Basketball are on sale now at www.furmanpaladins.com and start at $135. Secure your seats now as the Paladins battle for a Southern Conference championship and a return to the postseason. 

SoCon Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Chattanooga (7), 77
2. Furman (2), 71
3. ETSU, 59
4. Mercer (1), 58
5. Wofford, 49
6. UNCG, 45
7. VMI, 32
8. Samford, 24
9. The Citadel, 23
10. Western Carolina, 12
 
SoCon Men's Basketball Preseason Media Poll
1. Chattanooga (18), 254
2. Furman (3), 220
3. Wofford (1), 191
4. Mercer (2), 190
5. ETSU, 186
6. UNCG (3), 160
7. VMI, 104
8. The Citadel, 74
9. Samford, 57
10. Western Carolina, 49
 
Preseason All-Southern Conference Team
Hayden Brown, R-Sr., F, The Citadel
Ledarrius Brewer, R-Jr., G, ETSU
David Sloan, Sr., G, ETSU
Mike Bothwell, Sr., G, Furman
Alex Hunter, 5th, G, Furman
Neftali Alvarez, R-Jr., G, Mercer
Felipe Haase, R-Sr., F, Mercer
David Jean-Baptiste, Gr., G, Chattanooga
Malachi Smith, So., G, Chattanooga
Jake Stephens, Sr., C, VMI

Preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year
Hayden Brown, R-Sr., F, The Citadel