Jan. 4, 2008

Greenville, S.C. - By Bart Wright, Greenville News

Of all the college basketball teams that ended 2007 on a winning note, there may not have been another that welcomed a victory more than the Furman University men's team.

It was the only one this current Paladins team had in the calendar year, though that statistic doesn't come as a complete shock to anyone who has taken a look at the composition of the roster.

It's a construction project, not unlike the renovated Timmons Arena facility in which they play, which now feels more like a basketball arena and less like a multipurpose facility suited for school plays and Boy Scout Jamborees.

First, a facility for basketball; next, a team for the facility. That's the goal for second-year coach Jeff Jackson.

Oh yeah, and now he might have to think about guarding against big heads after Furman played hard down the stretch, overcame an early eight-point deficit in the second half and beat Southern Conference opponent Western Carolina 64-60 on Thursday night.

That's two in a row and 2-11 for the season.

"I know the record doesn't indicate it, but if people watch us, they'll see a team that plays hard, has some talent and gets better each game," Jackson said. "We want to compete for championships here and this group might be the building block in that process."

The Paladins start four freshmen Jackson recruited, but apart from the newcomers and walk-ons, the only tangible assets from the last three recruiting classes are redshirt sophomore Tony Anderson and juniors Alex Opacic and Stanley Jones.

These are the kind of things that often happen in basketball programs that haven't had a recent run of success and have had a coaching change.

Against Western Carolina, the Paladins led most of the first half, fell back early in the second half then scrambled back and played it close all the way.

Freshman Jordan Miller scored Furman's third consecutive 3-point basket for a 60-57 lead inside the final two minutes that the Paladins hung onto the rest of the way.

The victory moved Furman into fifth place in the South Division of the SoCon with a 1-3 record after the Citadel lost at home to Elon.

"You know what?" said Jackson, "It's been kind of interesting; I like this team, I really enjoy coaching them. Five of our top seven are freshmen and they've learned from game to game.

"We will be successful," he said. "Will it be this month? Next month? Next year? I can't answer that, but if you've seen them from the start, you could see what I'm talking about; they get it, they don't get down on themselves and they're in a process that just has to take place."

They call it experiential knowledge. It can't be measured or weighed or quantified in any way you can detect from the outside, but it can be felt. It comes from the inside out, from head to toe and it can only be acquired through the experience of trying and failing and trying again until one day you "get it."

"There's a kind of thrill in doing this because everything they do is new," Jackson said. "It takes a while for them to learn how we practice, what we expect from them and what they expect of themselves and then they get into a game and it starts all over again.

"We have kids who have played 30 minutes for us who really haven't had that experience," he said. "high school games are 32 minutes and you don't usually play the entire game, so when you're out there for 30, playing at a higher level than you've had to play before, it's gonna' take some time."

As an example, Clemson has a couple of freshmen guards who are going to be in some significant situations this season, but coach Oliver Purnell has the luxury of veteran players around the kids who can take the pressure off the youngsters. The kids get to sit and watch and gradually learn, but at Furman, there aren't enough bodies to pick up the slack.

These guys are involved in a group learning process.

"It's a great feeling," Miller said. "We're staying positive, the coaches are staying positive, we're all picking each other up.

"It's all inside, that's where the learning's coming from. I can't explain how much better we are now than before our first game this year, but it's a great thing to be a part of, it's lots of fun."

Especially when you're on a winning streak.