Graduate transfer Marcus Kell will join the Furman men’s basketball program for the 2026-27 season, head coach Bob Richey announced on April 29.
Kell comes to Furman after spending four years at Western Carolina University, where he played in the Southern Conference. He will have one season of eligibility with the Paladins.
“Marcus is a guy we’ve watched for a long time in this league, and we’re thrilled to have him on our side,” said Richey. “He brings toughness, versatility, and experience, and we believe he fits perfectly with how we play and who we are as a program. His ability to impact the game on both ends, along with his maturity as a graduate transfer, will make him a valuable addition to our locker room and our culture.”
Kell is a 6-foot-8 forward who averaged 13.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game as a redshirt junior last season while starting all 31 games for Western Carolina. He scored a season-high of 27 points in games against High Point and UNC Greensboro. In the Southern Conference Tournament, Kell contributed 15 points in a win over Mercer before scoring 18 points in Western Carolina’s semifinal loss to East Tennessee State University.
After playing his freshman year during the 2022-23 season, Kell redshirted the following year before returning for the 2024-25 campaign where he averaged 11.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting nearly thirty-eight percent from three-point range. During that season he scored twenty-nine points in a loss at Furman and had a career-high thirty-one points against National Invitation Tournament champion Chattanooga.
Across his career at Western Carolina—including eighty-one games played with forty-seven starts—Kell averaged just over ten points and nearly five rebounds per contest.
The team encouraged fans to check back at FurmanPaladins.com for more updates regarding additions to next year’s roster.
