Furman Preview (on The Road to Asheville)

Furman Paladins at Western Carolina Catamounts Pregame Preview

The Furman Paladins (19-11, 10-7 SoCon) travel to face the Western Carolina Catamounts (13-15, 9-8 SoCon) in a Southern Conference matchup on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. ET in Cullowhee, N.C., at the Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center. This late-season game will impact tournament seedings, with Furman sitting currently in third place in the SoCon standings and Western Carolina in sixth.

Team Overviews

Furman enters on a two-game win streak, boasting a balanced offense averaging 76.3 points per game (164th nationally) while allowing 69.8 (75th). The Paladins shoot 47.2% from the field and excel in rebounding (38.6 per game), led by a strong interior presence. They've gone 7-4 on the road this season, showing resilience away from home.

Western Carolina rides a five-game win streak, improving their conference standing after a rocky start. The Catamounts average 78.7 points per game (120th) but give up 78.3 (300th), highlighting defensive vulnerabilities. They're solid at home (9-3) and rebound well (38.4 per game), but their 4-12 road record underscores inconsistencies. Key non-conference losses to Cincinnati and Duke exposed perimeter weaknesses.

Key Players to Watch

For Furman:
-Alex Wilkins (G): Leads with 17.7 PPG, 5.0 APG, and shoots 45.1% from the field, including 29.9% from three. His playmaking (1.2 AST/TO ratio) drives the offense.
-Charles Johnston (F): Averages 10.2 PPG and 9.2 RPG, providing rebounding edge (2.3 offensive boards). His 48.5% FG efficiency anchors the paint.
-Cooper Bowser (G): Contributes 6.1 RPG and defensive stops, key in recent games.

For Western Carolina:
-Cord Stansberry (G): Tops scoring at 14.0 PPG on 36.6% shooting, with 3.9 RPG. His 80.9% FT accuracy shines in close games.
-Julien Soumaoro (G): Adds 13.6 PPG and 2.1 APG, shooting 45.5% overall.
-Samuel Dada (F): Grabs 7.4 RPG, bolstering the boards alongside Abdulai Fanta Kabba (5.9 RPG).

Recent Form and Matchups

Furman has won 7 of the last 10 meetings, holding a 58-32 all-time edge. However, Western Carolina snapped a 3 game losing streak with an overtime win in Greenville in January. The Paladins' rebounding advantage (38.6 vs. WCU's 38.4) could decide possession battles, while Western Carolina's 33.7% three-point shooting might exploit Furman's 32.0% allowance from deep.

Keys for Furman: Limit turnovers (12.2 per game) and capitalize on second-chance points (11.0 offensive rebounds).

For Western Carolina: Limit turnovers and force Furman's 3-point attempts (28.1 per game at 32.0%) into misses and leverage home crowd energy.
Prediction: Expect a close, high-scoring affair, but the Cats complete the sweep of the Paladins

A Furman win secures a stronger position (#3 seed); a WCU win (their sixth straight) could vault them to No. 4 thanks to the 2-0 sweep over Furman and strong tiebreakers vs. ETSU.