In some ways, Niko Medved is a great planner.
The fourth-year Furman men's basketball coach put together a young roster for the 2014-15 season, and his freshmen accounted for almost half of the team's points per game. The Paladins struggled early in the season but turned the corner late and rode a wave of momentum to the Southern Conference championship game, where they lost a close decision to Wofford.
Last season, the Paladins took another step, winning 19 games and participating in the CollegeInsider.com tournament. They've already matched that win total this season and are 12-2 in the league, good for first place. They're streaking, having won nine straight.
"I'm a process person," Medved said Tuesday. "I knew at a job like Furman, I had to build it with recruiting young players. They were going to have to take their lumps and go through it, but they had high character and young talent.
"The run two years ago propelled us. We got better and better as the year went on and gained more confidence, and that's a testament to the kids. It's been fun to see."
Medved and his wife, Erica, are expecting the couple's first child this week. The birth could happen Saturday, when the Paladins end a stretch of five games in 10 days with a home game against UNC Greensboro.
In addition, Furman is trying to fend off a tough SoCon field for the top seed in the conference tournament, which begins two weeks from Thursday in Asheville, N.C. The Paladins lead East Tennessee State by a game in the loss column and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and UNCG by two games.
The Paladins still have a game at ETSU, Saturday's visit from the Spartans and the regular-season finale against Wofford, which is 8-6 and handed the league leaders one of their two losses, so Medved's focus besides on his wife is trying to keep the team rolling down the stretch.
"We're trying to get better," he said. "I know it sounds cliché, but it's true. We want to keep our head down, focus on what we need to do. Our goal is to be peaking when we head to Asheville. We've been playing well and we're in a great position now, but there's a lot of work left to be done and we've got to continue to get better."
UTC women in control
The UTC women hold a half-game lead over Mercer for first place in the SoCon standings, but it's a little more than that.
The Mocs (15-9, 9-1) have swept the season series with the Bears, with the two wins by an average of 19 points, so UTC would have to lose two of its remaining four games - two of which are at home, where it hasn't lost in conference play since the 2010-11 season - to relinquish the top spot headed into the conference tournament.
UTC's one SoCon loss was at Furman, which is 6-4 in the league.
The Mocs' Jasmine Joyner, who had 18 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks in a 70-62 win at ETSU last Friday, was named player of the week. She made all but one of her nine shots and both free throws.
It was her second SoCon honor of the season and sixth of her career.
Magee men's POW
Wofford's Fletcher Magee was named SoCon men's player of the week after averaging 31 points per game in the Terriers' 1-1 week.
He played 56 out of 60 minutes in their four-overtime win over Samford on Thursday and scored 36 points, 26 of which came in overtime. He added 26 in the eight-point loss to UTC on Saturday, making 10 of his 19 shots.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.