UConn opens NCAA Tournament play Friday night against Furman – a team the Huskies probably do not know much about.

After all, the teams haven’t met since Nov. 21, 2015, when the Huskies defeated Furman at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn., by an 83-58 score.

Game time is 10 p.m. Friday in Philadelphia, part of East Region action. The winner will play the team that comes out on top between No. 7 UCLA and No. 10 UCF for the chance to advance to the Sweet 16.

What can the Huskies expect? Who are the key players for Furman? Here’s a primer.

Things to know about Furman basketball before the tipoff against UConn on Friday night.

Location: Greenville, S.C.
Team name: Paladins
Coach: Bob Richey (Ninth season at Furman, 203-92)
School tournament record: 2-8 in seven appearances
Most recent tournament appearance: No. 13 seed in 2023. Defeated No. 4 Virginia 68-67 in first round, lost to No. 5 San Diego State 75-52 in second round.
2025-26 record: 22-12, 10-8 Southern Conference
Last 10 games: 6-4
Scoring offense: 76.6 points per game
Scoring defense: 70.6
Scoring leaders: G Alex Wilkins, 17.7, Fr.; F Cooper Bowser, 14.0, Jr.; G Asa Thomas, 12.4, Soph.
Rebounding leaders: F Charles Johnston, 9.1, Sr.; Cooper Bowser, 6.0; F Ben Vander Wal, 5.5, Sr.; G Cole Bowser, 5.5, Fr.
Assists leaders: Wilkins, 4.7; Vander Wal, 2.3; Thomas, 1.9
3-point leaders: Thomas, 38.9%; G Collin O’Neal, 37.0%, Fr.; Cole Bowser, 35.9%

Furman finished the regular season with a 19-8 record, then won three games in the Southern Conference tournament to win its automatic bid. The No. 6 seed in the tournament, the Paladins knocked off No. 1 East Tennessee State 76-61 in the final.

Alex Wilkins, a 6-foot-5 freshman guard, was named the most outstanding player of the tournament.

Wilkins, from Mattapan, Mass., averaged 21.7 points per game in the tournament, including a career high of 34 in Furman’s win over UNC Greensboro in the semifinal. That tied a school freshman record set nearly 50 years ago (Jonathan Moore, 1976-77 season).

He also is a finalist for the 2026 Lou Henson Award, given to the NCAA Division I mid-major player of the year, and also for the Kyle Macy Award, which goes to the nation’s top Division I freshman.

Wilkins leads the Paladins in scoring and assists, while 6-foot-11 Charles Johnston pulls down 9.1 rebounds a game. And Furman also has the Bowser (not Boozer) brothers, junior Cooper and freshman Cole.

Asa Thomas is the sharpshooter for the Paladins, averaging 38.9% from the 3-point line. He’s made 79 of his 203 attempts, both team highs.

As a team, the Paladins average 8.9 made shots from long distance per game and shoot 32.7% from 3-point territory.

The No. 15 seed has knocked off a No. 2 seed 11 times, according to NCAA.com. Here is the history.

Year, Result, Score
2023, Princeton def. Arizona, 59-55
2022, Saint Peter's def. Kentucky, 85-79
2021, Oral Roberts def. Ohio State, 75-72
2016, Middle Tennessee def. Michigan State, 90-81
2013, Florida Gulf Coast def. Georgetown, 78-68
2012, Norfolk State def. Missouri, 86-84
2012, Lehigh def. Duke, 75-70
2001, Hampton def. Iowa State, 58-57
1997, Coppin State def. South Carolina, 78-65
1993, Santa Clara def. Arizona, 64-61
1991, Richmond def. Syracuse, 73-69

Anything can happen. Just look at the prominent programs on this list that have lost to No. 2 seeds.

In this case, however, it is unlikely.

Furman played only one power-conference team this season, losing to Alabama, 96-71, on Oct. 26 in Greenville. In an exhibition game. They have not seen a team that has anything close to the firepower of UConn (29-5).

For the numbers crunchers, Furman’s NET rating is 186th, its strength of schedule 209th. Those numbers for UConn are 10 and 22, respectively.

Furman finished the regular season 0-1 in Quad 1 games, 0-2 in Quad 2, 5-5 in Quad 3 and 14-4 in Quad 4.

The Huskies were, including the Big East tournament, 7-3 in Quad 1 games, 11-1 in Quad 2, 6-1 in Quad 3 and 5-0 in Quad 4.

The Quad 1 defeats came at the hands of Arizona and St. John’s (twice). Marquette gained the Quad 2 victory, with Creighton credited with the Quad 3 win againt UConn.

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