Guest blogger, DM, gives us a Furman Preview

I started out Wednesday night thinking that a sweet tea and a burger would be enough to pull the 'Cats through. As a Time Warner customer, MASN isn't an option for me at present, but my local watering hole has a DirecTV package. I thought, I'll walk up the street, grab dinner, watch the game and get to bed early.

Turns out the 'Cats needed me to contribute a sweat tea, a burger, several adult beverages, my vocal chords, the dry armpits of my t-shirt, and my early bedtime to pull off a victory at UNCG. Tense times. I'm just glad I could be of service.

Of course, Curry's BMOC-worthy 41 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals didn't hurt things either. It took every ounce of that stat line to overcome UNCG's 69.6% first-half shooting clip. Do you remember turning to look at a friend or loved one during that game to say "Has anyone ever shot this well?" Ironically, I did that 41 times in the opening period. When a team drops 9-12 on you from 3-point land, it pays to pinch yourself awake from that nightmare.

For Furman on Saturday, we'll need to hit on a few more cylinders. Though they haven't been a conference force this year (at 4-11 in SoCon play), the Paladins are coming off an upset of UNCG on their home floor on February 10th -- and they've had good rest…5 full days of it.

Here's your Furman breakdown:

Leading Scorer (10.7 pts/gm):
#41 Alex Opacic (Jr.) - 6' 10" Forward

3-point Threat (40% -- 50 for 125):
#1 Justin Dehm (Fr) - 6' 1" Guard

Big Men:
#41 Alex Opacic (Jr.) - 6' 10" Forward
#33 Noah States (Fr.) - 6' 8" Forward
#14 George Brozos (Sr.) - 6' 6" Forward

Last Game:
69 - 59 WIN at home against UNCG

Prose:
Though Opacic doesn't often start (or didn't against UNCG), he'll get 25-odd minutes per game and will make you pay. Freshman guard Justin Dehm will throw it up from anywhere and averages nearly 4 assists per outing. Look for Brozos (coming off a double-double) and States to play pronounced roles as well.

Hoping to see Sander back on the floor Saturday to help corral the 6' 10" beast. Go 'Cats.