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The madness has already begun.
It didn’t take long for the first upset of the men’s NCAA Tournament, as No. 13 Furman took down No. 4 Virginia on game-winning shot with 2.4 seconds left to advance to the second round in the South Region.
The 68-67 win marked a hot start to Furman’s long-awaited return to the Big Dance, as it not only was over 40 years ago since it was in the tournament, but over 45 years since its last win in it.
The grand stage of the NCAA Tournament has put Furman in the spotlight. Here’s what what to know about the school and its basketball team:
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Where is Furman?
Furman University is a private school located in Greenville, South Carolina. It was founded in 1826, and is named after Baptist leader Richard Furman. It has an enrollment of 2,500.
Notable alumni include former U.S. Soccer midfielder Clint Dempsey and WWE star Xavier Woods.
Furman … Paladins?
Furman has one of the most unique nicknames in college sports: the Paladins.
The American Heritage College Dictionary defines a Paladin as a “paragon of chivalry” or “a heroic champion.” A Paladin was also one of the 12 legendary peers or knightly champions in attendance on the court of Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, in the 8th century.
Dictionary.com says a Paladin is also “any knightly or heroic champion” or “any determined advocate or defender of a noble cause.”
Furman says prior to 1961, only the basketball team went by Paladins, while other sports had other nicknames. It became the official nickname for all sports in September 1961.
What to know about Furman’s basketball team
Furman had one of its best seasons en route to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1980.
Furman finished the regular season at 24-7, and a first-place finish in the Southern Conference with a 15-3 conference record. Senior forward Jalen Slawson was named the consensus Southern Conference Player of the Year, and made the conference’s first team along with senior guard Mike Bothwell.
With a No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, Furman won its three games to take the conference tournament title and an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
First tournament win since 1974
Furman’s win over Virginia was its first tournament win since 1974, when the tournament only had 25 teams. That year, they defeated South Carolina before losing their next two games to finish fourth in the region.
With the win over Virginia, Furman now has all-time tournament record of 2-7.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.
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