yildizoglu-vs-wcu
Paul Bouis

Men's Basketball

VMI takes on Furman at home in midweek tilt

LEXINGTON, Va. – After defeating two Southern Conference opponents in a row for the first time in three years, the VMI basketball team returns home to look to continue the momentum Wednesday night when the Keydets face Furman University at 6 p.m. at Cameron Hall.
 
Broadcast Information
Watch on ESPN+  |  Live Stats  |  Tickets | Game Program

Quick Hits
* The Keydets (8-11, 2-4) are coming off a huge 75-70 win on the road at rival The Citadel this past Saturday as junior Rickey Bradley, Jr. led the way with 29 points, just one away from his career high. The win marked VMI's second straight SoCon victory, which had not happened since the 2021-22 season
*Bradley was named the SoCon Player of the Week Monday after averaging 21.5 points per game last week, including 29 at The Citadel and 14 against Western Carolina
* The Keydets are one of the best free throw shooting teams in the league and rank third in the SoCon at 74.6 percent
* VMI runs a high-scoring offense that ranks fifth in the SoCon in points per game at 76.3 ppg spurred by 11.7 offensive rebounds a game, fourth-best in the league. On the other end of the court, the Keydets rank third in the league in steals at 8.2 per game
* Tan Yildizoglu directs the offense and averages 4.5 assists per game, third-best in the league
* TJ Johnson ranks fifth in the league in minutes per game at 31.6. One of VMI's top defenders, he is averaging 1.3 steals per game to rank sixth in the league
*  Augustinas Kiudulas ranks fifth in the league in offensive rebounds per game at 2.2 and sixth in overall rebounds per outing at 6.4. He is presently ninth in the conference in scoring with 15.4 ppg
* AJ Clark is fifth in the league in steals per game at 1.5 and sixth in assist/turnover ratio at 2.7
* Rickey Bradley, Jr. ranks third in the SoCon in minutes per game at 31.8 and seventh in points per game at 15.5
 
A win over Furman would ...
-- Improve VMI to 9-11 on the season and mark the Keydets' third straight league win, which has not happened since the 2021-22 season
-- Snap a five-game losing skid to the Paladins
-- Be VMI's first win in Lexington over the Paladins since January 1, 2022, a 76-67 VMI victory
-- Be VMI's 38th all-time win against the Bulldogs
 
About Furman (15-4, 3-3)
The Paladins look to bounce back from a close 75-71 loss to Chattanooga this past Saturday and improve their conference record to 4-3 on the year when they face the Keydets Wednesday night. Furman opened league play with a dominant win over Western Carolina but has lost three of the last five conference games.
 
PJay Smith ranks among the conference leaders in scoring averaging 16.6 ppg and is one of the top three-point shooters in the SoCon with 56 treys on the year. Nick Anderson is also averaging double figures in scoring at 12.6 ppg. Cooper Bowser is the top rebounder at 5.0 boards per game while Smith also leads the team in assists with 55 thus far.
  
All-Time Series History vs. Furman (37-71)
In a series dating back to 1938, the Keydets look to pick up their 38th all-time win against Furman and snap a five-game losing skid to the Paladins. VMI last claimed victory over Furman on January 1, 2022, a 76-67 VMI win at Cameron Hall.
 
Last Time Out: VMI 75, The Citadel 70 –Saturday, Jan. 18 – Charleston, S.C.
The VMI basketball team took down The Citadel for the second time in three years at McAlister Fieldhouse as the Keydets earned a 75-70 SoCon victory Saturday afternoon in Charleston, South Carolina.
 
VMI's victory is significant in that it marked the Keydets' second league victory in a row, which had not happened in three years since the 2021-22 season. It was VMI's second win over the Bulldogs in three tries and improves VMI's record in the all-time series to 61-62, which VMI will try to even when the schools meet again in Lexington on February 8.





 
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Players Mentioned

AJ Clark

#5 AJ Clark

G
6' 4"
Sophomore
Rickey Bradley, Jr.

#1 Rickey Bradley, Jr.

G
6' 2"
Junior
Augustinas Kiudulas

#11 Augustinas Kiudulas

F
6' 8"
Sophomore
Tan Yildizoglu

#30 Tan Yildizoglu

G
6' 4"
Sophomore
TJ Johnson

#44 TJ Johnson

F
6' 6"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

AJ Clark

#5 AJ Clark

6' 4"
Sophomore
G
Rickey Bradley, Jr.

#1 Rickey Bradley, Jr.

6' 2"
Junior
G
Augustinas Kiudulas

#11 Augustinas Kiudulas

6' 8"
Sophomore
F
Tan Yildizoglu

#30 Tan Yildizoglu

6' 4"
Sophomore
G
TJ Johnson

#44 TJ Johnson

6' 6"
Sophomore
F