Seating for basketball events reduced

Timmons Arena will be a little cozier this winter.

In an effort to create a rowdier, more intimate atmosphere for home basketball games, fan seating has been reduced from 5,000 to approximately 2,000. Large curtains have been raised to eliminate seating in most of the upper-deck and non-courtside areas.

Last year, the average attendance for a home men's basketball game was 1,385, with fans spread throughout the arena.

"This will get the fans closer to the floor and more involved in the action," says Sports Information Director Hunter Reid. "It will create a more favorable home court advantage."

The men's basketball team has been picked by Southern Conference head coaches to win the league's South Division. The men, who posted a 17-14 record last year and lost the tournament championship game to Davidson, return three starters and nine lettermen, including guard Guilherme Da Luz and forward Karim Souchu, both of whom were named to the coaches' 10-man preseason all-conference team.

The Lady Paladins, 17-12 overall and 11-7 in the SoCon a year ago, return three starters, including all-league performers Orion Wake and Deshara Shealey.

Both Shealey and Wake, along with sophomore Kim Lawrence (9.8 points per game in 2001-02), were tabbed preseason all-conference by the league's coaches.

Furman employees and their immediate family can receive complementary tickets to Furman basketball games.