February 21, 2018
By Sammy Clough
“We want Brady,” echoes the nearly sold out Timmons Arena crowd. “We want Brady!”
As the Furman Paladins close in on their 11th Southern Conference win this season in a beatdown of VMI at home, fan favorite and Furman senior Brady Schuck checks-in to the game to seal the victory.
Schuck, a senior from Folly Beach, S.C., is in his final basketball season at Furman and has had a front row seat to the Paladins’ rise as a powerhouse in the Southern Conference.
After graduating from James Island High School as a two-time conference player of the year and the Charleston Post and Courier All-Lowcountry Player of the Year, Schuck attended one semester at Brandeis University just outside of Boston.
Schuck then joined the Furman Paladins as a walk-on in 2016. While he did not see any game action in his first season in purple, Schuck still played a crucial role on the team.
“I just try to be a good teammate,” explains Schuck, “I really try to keep the mood light.”
Growing up surfing in his hometown of Folly Beach, Schuck is an easy going guy who wants to help the team any way he can.
At practice, Schuck finds his role as a scout team player, helping prepare the Paladins for each opponent that they play. On game days Schuck finds himself at the end of the bench doing whatever he can to encourage his teammates.
After spending his first three years with the Paladins as a walk-on player, Schuck received exciting news from none other than Coach Bob Richey’s young son Mac. In his first weekend back on campus entering his senior year, Richey and his son Mac surprised Schuck with a full athletic scholarship for his final season at Furman.
As the Paladins continue their increasing dominance, Schuck has found himself in more and more positions to close out games.
While the clock winds down, and Furman’s lead increases in blowout victories, Schuck’s entrances to the game becomes more and more imminent. The crowd at Timmons Arena begins to chant “We want Brady,” and it is finally time for Schuck to make his mark on the game.
Schuck has become a crowd favorite in his time at Furman, even sparking the creation of a fan account on Instagram known as “Schuck Nation”.
The Furman Paladins are in the final stretch of the season, looking to earn a bid to the NCAA tournament in March. In yet another historic season for the Paladins, the impact of senior Brady Schuck on the Paladins success in the past four years cannot be discounted.
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