Furman Paladins men's basketball

Furman Paladins men's basketball
2025–26 Furman Paladins men's basketball team
UniversityFurman University
First season1908–09; 118 years ago
Athletic directorJason Donnelly
Head coachBob Richey (9th season)
LocationGreenville, South Carolina
ArenaTimmons Arena
(capacity: 4,000)
ConferenceSoCon
NicknamePaladins
ColorsRoyal purple and white[1]
   
All-time record1,387–1,339 (.504)
NCAA Division I tournament Sweet Sixteen
1974
NCAA Division I tournament appearances
1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1980, 2023, 2026
Conference tournament champions
1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1980, 2023, 2026
Conference regular-season champions
1974, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1991, 2017, 2023

The Furman Paladins men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Southern Conference. They are currently led by head coach Bob Richey and play their home games at the Timmons Arena.

Furman has appeared eight times in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, most recently in 2026. The team's 2023 appearance ended a 43-year absence from the NCAA tournament after their most recent appearance prior in 1980.

Season-by-season results

Postseason

NCAA Division I Tournament results

The Paladins have appeared in the NCAA Division I Tournament eight times. Their combined record is 2–8.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1971 First Round Fordham L 74–105
1973 First Round Syracuse L 82–83
1974 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game
South Carolina
Pittsburgh
Providence
W 75–67
L 78–81
L 83–95
1975 First Round Boston College L 76–82
1978 3Q First Round (1L) Indiana L 62–63
1980 10 First Round (7) Tennessee L 69–80
2023 13 First Round
Second Round
(4) Virginia
(5) San Diego State
W 68–67
L 52–75
2026

NIT results

The Paladins have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 3 times. Their combined record is 0–3.

Year Round Opponent Result
1991 First Round West Virginia L 67–86
2019 First Round Wichita State L 70–76
2025 First Round North Texas L 64–75

CIT results

The Paladins have appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) three times. Their combined record is 3W–3L.

Year Round Opponent Result
2011 First Round East Tennessee State L 63–76
2016 First Round
Second Round
Louisiana–Monroe
Louisiana–Lafayette
W 58–57
L 72–80
2017 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
USC Upstate
Campbell
Saint Peter's
W 79–57
W 79–64
L 51–77

Retired numbers

Furman has retired six jersey numbers.

Furman Paladins retired numbers
No. Player Career
25 Jonathan Moore 1976–1980
27 Nield Gordon 1951–1953
28 Frank Selvy 1951–1954
33 Darrell Floyd 1953–1956
34 Clyde Mayes 1972–1975
50 Jerry Smith 1960–1963

Notable players

References

  1. ^ "Graphic Design Guide". Retrieved April 8, 2016.