STAFF REPORT

A win by the Furman University men's basketball team on Wednesday night would earn the Paladins a share of the Southern Conference regular-season title.

That in itself likely would mean little when the NCAA Tournament selection committee gathers March 5 to make its final March Madness decisions; its automatic berths go only to conference tournament champions. But to the Paladins, it would mean plenty. Furman hasn't held claim to the regular-season title in 26 years.

The task won't be easy. The Paladins (20-9 overall, including 13-3 in SoCon games) will be playing at East Tennessee State (22-6, 12-3), the team right behind them in the standings. The Buccaneers have won their past four games and eight of their past nine and have climbed to No. 11 in the CollegeInsider.com Top 25, a ranking of Division I programs outside of the Power 5 conferences. Furman is No.16 in that poll.

The Paladins won the teams' meeting in Timmons Arena on Jan. 19, but ETSU has won the past three times they've played in Johnson City, Tennessee.

If Furman prevails at ETSU, it will be in command of the SoCon race. A win at home against Wofford in the regular-season finale on Saturday would then give the Paladins the No. 1 seed in the SoCon Tournamen, and an automatic berth into the National Invitation Tournament should they not qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Note: The Paladin Club will host a watch party at American Burger Company on E. McBee Avenue, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.