CBB Rank 2025: No. 71, Furman Basketball

After an up-and-down season for Furman basketball, they come into this season with a lot of returning talent, and the SoCon tournament on their minds.

The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Furman basketball.

Last season started off great for Furman. They started the season 13-1, with their only loss being at Kansas on the road, and looked poised to dominate conference play. That was far from the case, as they found themselves at 7-7 in conference play in mid-February and the five seed in the conference tournament. Seeding didn’t matter when it came to the tournament, making it to the final before losing to Wofford.

They lose their top two scorers from last year, but return pretty much everyone else. It’s a lot of scoring to replace, but they have guys who are more than capable of doing so. With the chemistry they have, especially at the mid-major level, they’re more than capable of not just starting hot, but finishing hot as well and becoming one of the most dangerous mid-major programs in the country.

Head coach: Bob Richey (10th season at Furman, 10th season overall)

2024-25 record: 25-10 (11-7)

2025 postseason finish: Lost to North Texas in first round of NIT

Notable departures: 

• PJay Smith (17.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.9 APG)
• Nick Anderson (14.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.3 APG)
• Garrett Hien (7.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.5 APG)

Notable non-conference games: 

• vs. Richmond (Nov. 27)

Projected Rotation

PG: Eddrin Bronson (6-4, 185, So.)

2024-2025 stats: 5.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.4 SPG, 54.2 FG%

SG: Asa Thomas (6-7, 200, So.)

2024-2025: 1.2 PPG, 0.2 APG, 0.2 RPG, 2.3 MPG (Clemson)

SF: Tom House (6-7, 200, Sr.)

2024-2025 stats: 7.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.4 SPG, 40.6 3P%

PF: Ben VanderWal (6-7, 210, Sr.)

2024-2025 stats: 5.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.7 SPG, 54.2 FG%

C: Cooper Bowser (6-11, 215, Jr.)

2024-2025 stats: 8.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.6 BPG, 45.3 FG%, 86.3 FT%

6: Charles Johnston (6-11, 225, Sr.)

2024-2025 stats: 5.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.7 APG, 38.8 3P%

7: Davis Molnar (6-6, 215, Jr.)

2024-2025 stats: 3.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.1 APG, 51.1 FG%, 90.0 FT%

8: Mason Smith (6-7, 200, So.)

2024-2025 stats: 2.9 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 0.6 APG, 7.8 MPG

9. Owen Ritger (6-9, 218, Fr.)

Furman Basketball team MVP: Cooper Bowser

There’s no clear MVP with PJay Smith gone, but Bowser could be next in line. He is the leading returning scorer, and also led the team in both blocks per game and field goal percentage. Bowser averaged 1.6 blocks per game, which included a stretch of nine in two games. He also shot an impressive 64.6%, which increased to 69% in the conference tournament last year.

Don’t expect him to become a 20 PPG scorer, but if he can get up to double digit scoring with that efficiency, while still being a high level shot blocker makes him a dangerous player. At 6’11, he’s tough to match up with physcially, making him a huge threat in his conference.

Furman Basketball make-or-break player: Eddrin Bronson

Bronson had a solid freshman campaign, averaging about 5.6 PPG in 20 minutes a game. There were a lot of growing pains, most notably a 32.7 FG%, but there were some flashes too. Against #1 Kansas on the road, he scored 14 points and made four threes. In the NIT game against North Texas, he scored 15 points in 21 minutes on 6-6 shooting.

With PJay Smith and Nick Anderson both gone, and Furman not doing much in the portal to strengthen the guard position, they’ll look to him to step up in his sophomore year. He should start and see his minutes go up, and without a lot of depth at the guard position, they’ll lean on him to carry that load. This team is very tall too, so he could have a size advantage in some games, which could help.

There’s always the other side, where he doesn’t take that leap and Furman struggles at the guard position. This could put them at a serious disadvantage against some of the other conference opponents and leave them in a less than desirable position.

Key analytic: Three point rate

Furman took a LOT of threes last year. That total was 1007, making them have the fourth highest three point rate in the country. Smith and Anderson had over 200 attempts, and 74% of Tom House’s shots last year were threes. This is how Richey goes; he’s finished in the top 20 in three point rate every year since 2017-2018.

It’ll be interesting to see if he can keep that strategy. House will definitely continue his shooting prowess, and Johnston can make them at a high rate, but after that, they lack options. Bronson made 37, but shot under 30%. Bowser didn’t make any. Asa Thomas could be that weapon, but we don’t have the tape to know. If you love threes though, this is your team, because year in a year out, you know that you’ll get the same product.