SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Furman guard Mike Bothwell has been named the Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week presented by GEICO for all contests from Dec. 22 to Jan. 4 after averaging 18.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals and shooting 64 percent from the floor in wins over Chattanooga and Mercer to open league play. The award is selected by the league office.
 
The Paladins, who entered last week ranked No. 5 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, downed the only other two SoCon squads in the poll, handing then-No. 13 Chattanooga its first loss of the season on Dec. 30 before toppling then-No. 11 Mercer three days later.
 
Bothwell opened his week with a game-high 22 points, seven rebounds and a blocked shot in the Paladins’ 77-73 road win over the Mocs, who brought a 9-0 record into the tilt. Bothwell, who added two assists, was 9-for-15 from the floor (60 percent) and 4-for-6 from the free-throw line (67.7 percent), with all four of those free throws coming in the final 30 seconds of the tight affair.
 
The junior from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, turned in an all-around solid performance in Furman’s 83-80 home win over the Bears, scoring 15 points and adding five rebounds, five assists and a career-best six steals. Bothwell went 7-for-10 (70 percent) from the floor, including hitting one of his two 3-point attempts. The win pushed the Paladins’ win streak at Timmons Arena to 18 games.
 
The Paladins (8-3, 2-0 SoCon), who rose one spot to No. 4 in this week’s mid-major poll, are back in action Saturday when they host VMI (6-5, 1-1) at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
 
Other nominees: Tyler Moffe (The Citadel), Ledarrius Brewer (ETSU), Ross Cummings (Mercer), Isaiah Miller (UNC Greensboro), Myron Gordon (Samford), David Jean-Baptiste (Chattanooga), Greg Parham (VMI), Matt Halvorsen (Western Carolina) and Storm Murphy (Wofford).
 
2020-21 Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Players of the Week presented by GEICO
Dec. 1     Neftali Alvarez, R-So., G, Mercer
Dec. 8     Myron Gordon, R-Sr., G, Samford
Dec. 15    Myron Gordon, R-Sr., G, Samford
Dec. 22    Malachi Smith, R-So., G, Chattanooga
Jan. 5      Mike Bothwell, Jr., G, Furman