The Paladins lost their top scorer, their top rebounder, and their top playmaker from last season. Nine of the 13 players on the roster have played one season or less at Furman. No wonder head coach Admin Davis calls this year "a mystery."

 

He adds a positive disclaimer, though-"I think we've got the most talent top to bottom, the most basketball savvy, the deepest team, since I've been here."

 

Indeed. Talent, savvy and depth are nice things to have on a basketball team, but despite what Davis sees in his bunch, others will no doubt predict a downswing in the Paladins' fortune.

 

Last season they relied on consummate scorer Karim Souchu (19.5 ppg), point guard Guilherme Da Luz (5.3 apg, four-year starter) and Kenny Zeigler (7.8 rpg). The Paladins won their last five regular-season games, including a victory over tournament champion East Tennessee State-a stretch during which Souchu scored nearly 26 per game.

 

So now they start anew. The leading returning scorer is 6-3, 205-pound senior forward Maleye Ndoye (5.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg), who started 16 games. He'll be joined by 6-7, 215-pound sophomore Nick Sanders (2.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg), who saw considerable action off the bench last season.

 

"Nick has a chance to be one of our leaders," Davis said. "He's worked hard on his offense, and he's a great defender and rebounder. He's been a good role guy who will score more now.

 

"Ndoye has been in the shadow of those other guys, and he could emerge for us. He's talented and he can shoot the ball. He needs consistency."

 

Tony Carter (5.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg) could become a double-figure scorer. The 6-0 sophomore guard started most of the season; he shot only 33 percent but has quickness and potential.

 

The post will be manned primarily by 6-11, 220-pound Marijan Pojatina (3.4, 2.8), a senior who shot 54 percent last season.

 

"He's added 15 pounds and done some great things to develop his body," Davis said. "He's one of the big keys for us. He had a good finish for us last year and he can be a factor. His problem had been that he wasn't strong enough and couldn't hold his position.

 

"If he can deliver 10 points and six rebounds a game, he'll be a huge factor. He's already been a factor with his shot-blocking."

 

That's basically the extent of the returning offense. The big question, obviously, is where the points will come from. Souchu was the school's No. 4 career scorer, and Da Luz was the first player in school history to get 1,000 points, 800 assists and 500 rebounds.

 

"Who's going to replace that?" Davis will ask. "No matter what the upperclassmen do, the underclassmen will have to make a huge contribution. We've got to get guys into their roles, and comfortable in their roles.

 

"Karim scored in bunches. Once he got going, he might score four or five baskets in a row, and he had learned to score four or five different ways."

 

The newcomers are led by 6-3 freshman Robby Bostain, who red-shirted last season but was impressive in practice and should get plenty of playing time, and 6-5 sophomore Ben Earle, who transferred from NCAA Division II Gordon (Mass.) College. Earle also sat out last year but practiced with the team.

 

Freshman Quan Prowell (6-8, 215) is by Davis's standards "the strongest freshman I've ever coached, pound for pound." He comes from Jordan High in Columbus, Ga.

 

Julius va de Laar from Urspring High in Heidelberg, Germany, will also provide a lift. The 6-7, 225-pound forward averaged 25 points per game as a senior, scored 46 in the South German title game, and had 55 in a regular-season game. He was also selected to the Arby's Classic All-Tournament team and was twice selected to the German high school all-star game.

 

"He's a 20-year-old freshman who sat out last year," Davis said. "He's skilled, he can pass and handle the ball, and do a lot of different things."

 

Moussa Diagne (6-8, 210) comes from Mount Olive Prep Academy and Evangel (La.) Chris Academy. Originally from Senegal, he averaged 14.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks last season and was selected to the Senegal national team along with Paladin teammate Ndoye.

 

Eric Webb (6-2, 185) from Grand Rapids (Mich.) High and Gerard Punch (6-4, 210) from Brophy High in Phoenix could also make big contributions on a team that will look deep into the roster for help. Webb scored 32 a game as a senior, while Punch got about 18 per game in workmanlike manner.

 

Davis calls Diagne "one of the best athletes I've had here, bar none, and certainly the best for his size."

 

Davis looks forward to this year's challenges.

 

"Competition in practice will be intense," he said. "It'll be an all-out war. There's not that much talent wise separating one and 13 on the roster. There are a lot of guys who can play some basketball."

 

One other possible contributor is Cedric Price (0.3, 0.5), a 6-9, 245-pound junior who has battled knee problems. If he's healthy, his size could help underneath.

 

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

 

There's no way to give the Paladins a proper appraisal until they've shown themselves on court a few games, simply because this bunch is too much the unknown quantity. As Davis says, "We could win eight, we could win 20." On paper, it shapes up more like eight, but stranger things have happened.

 

"I'm confident we have enough talent that somebody will emerge and we'll be able to play in this league," Davis said. "We've got nine unproven guys so you don't know, but none of the newcomers are physically limited.

 

"We're not rebuilding in terms of getting some talent in here, but we're young and inexperienced, and it all depends on how we mature and how quickly we gel."

 

Furman will surprise a lot of people if it reaches the top of the Southern Conference ladder this season. But then Davis would remind you he wasn't taken by surprise.

 

His early assessment: "I'm very excited about this team."

dont expect much. A few guys on my hall are basketball managers for the team. I dont know why we keep recruiting international guys, but I'm not expecting much. Not to say I'm expecting us to come in last in the SoCon....we could very well suprise some people, and who knows, maybe even end up in the big Dance...but I'm not expecting much.

 

Karim Souchu was a baller last year.