Jan. 6, 2008

By: Nat Newell, Indianapolis Star

Indianapolis, Ind. -- Chris Toler hadn't heard of Furman University when it began recruiting him this summer, but that just meant he and the school had something in common.

The 6-foot-9, 225-pound North Central center/forward is only beginning to learn just how far he can take his game.

"This summer (in AAU ball) was the beginning for (my improvement as a player)," said Toler, who signed with Furman, a Division I school in Greenville, S.C., in November.

"I started doing well, and a lot of people graduated (at North Central) to give me an opportunity to continue to play well (this season)."

Once Toler learned about Furman, he realized it's a perfect fit.

It has a strong academic reputation, and he can study kinesiology in pursuit of his goal to be a physical therapist. He enjoyed the picturesque campus on his official visit in September, liked the fact it's a small school with 2,600 students -- nearly 1,000 fewer than North Central -- and liked that the coaches kept in contact throughout recruiting.

Toler, who also considered Lipscomb and East Tennessee State, started for the Class 4A state runner-up last season but averaged just two points and three rebounds per game. His averages are up to 8.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks for the Panthers (5-2).

"He's improved every year, and his upside is phenomenal," said North Central coach Doug Mitchell. "As he's gotten stronger, he's gotten better. A lot of big guys in high school take time to develop, and (Toler) is very, very athletic. He's a great student, so (Furman) is great match academically."

Furman, which competes in the Southern Conference, has a strong basketball tradition that dates to the 1950s. Frank Selvy, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers, led the country in scoring in 1952-53 and `53-54 and set the NCAA record by scoring 100 points in a game in 1954.

Furman has won from 14 to 17 games the past six seasons, including a 15-16 mark in coach Jeff Jackson's first season, but currently is 0-11 with one senior and two juniors on the roster. Furman also signed 6-8 Neil Duval, Southlake, Texas, and currently has only three players 6-8 or taller. Two of them are juniors.

"We are excited about the addition of Neil and Chris to our program," Jackson said in a statement. "We really wanted to replenish and improve our front line, and we have been able to do that. They are true student-athletes in the Furman tradition and have the added bonus of playing in high school programs that are exceptionally well coached."