Greenville, S.C. – Furman guards PJay Smith Jr. and Nick Anderson garnered All-Southern Conference honors and forward Cooper Bowser was selected to the league's all-defensive team in voting by the SoCon's 10 head coaches, it was announced on Wednesday afternoon.

Smith earned first team All-SoCon accolades after averaging 17.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per contest during the regular season. The senior from LaVergne, Tenn., ranks seventh nationally with 3.34 three-point makes per game and 14^th in the country in total three-point baskets (97). His 97 triples are just 16 short of Alex Hunter's school-record 113 three-point baskets, which the former Paladin achieved during the 2021-22 campaign. Smith is the reigning SoCon Player of the Week after scoring 26 points and hitting the game-winning three with 1.1 seconds remaining in Furman's 78-75 victory at Wofford on Saturday.

Anderson, a graduate student who joined the Paladin program this season after four years at Barry University, averaged 14.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per contest in his lone season in Greenville. The 6-foot-3 guard, who was named to the All-SoCon Third Team, elevated his performance in conference play with 16 points per game in 18 SoCon contests. He poured in a season-high 30 points in Furman's overtime victory over Western Carolina o February 5 and scored 24 in a January home win over Samford.

Bowser contributed 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore this season while leading the SoCon with 1.6 blocked shots per game. The Woodbridge, Va., product posted a pair of double-doubles on the season, including a career-high 17 points to go with 12 rebounds in a win over Seattle in Las Vegas, Nev. He totaled 16 points in a win at Samford and recorded a career-best five blocked shots in Furman's home win over Mercer.

The No. 5 seed Paladins (23-8) open play in the SoCon Men's Basketball Championship on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. when they face the No. 4 Samford Bulldogs (22-9) in quarterfinal round action at the Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville in Asheville, N.C. Click here to purchase tickets to witness Furman chase a league championship and NCAA Tournament bid in Asheville.

SoCon Tournament Bracket
 
All-Southern Conference Men's Basketball Teams

Malcolm U. Pitt Player of the Year
Quimari Peterson, Sr., G, ETSU
 
Newcomer of the Year
Frank Champion, Sr., F, Chattanooga
 
Sixth Man of the Year
Josh Holloway, So., G, Samford

Defensive Player of the Year
Karon Boyd, Jr., F, ETSU
 
Anton Foy Coach of the Year
Dan Earl, Chattanooga
 
First team
Quimari Peterson, Sr., G, ETSU
Jaden Seymour, Sr., F/C, ETSU 
PJay Smith Jr., Sr., G, Furman
Kenyon Giles, Jr., G, UNCG
Honor Huff, Jr., G, Chattanooga
 
Second team
Rylan Jones, Gr., G, Samford 
Trey Bonham, Sr., G, Chattanooga 
Bash Wieland, Gr., G, Chattanooga 
Frank Champion, Gr., F, Chattanooga
Corey Tripp, Sr., G, Wofford
 
Third team
Nick Anderson, Gr., G, Furman
Donovan Atwell, Jr., G, UNCG
Trey Fort, Sr., G, Samford
Rickey Bradley Jr., Jr., G, VMI
Kyler Filewich, Sr., C, Wofford
 
All-Defensive team
Karon Boyd, Jr., F, ETSU 
Cooper Bowser, So., F, Furman
Josh Holloway, So., G, Samford
AJ Clark, So., G, VMI
Justin Bailey, Jr., G, Wofford