Samford Men’s Basketball Preview: Part II
Let’s continue our preview of this 2023-2024 Samford basketball team going over each reserve along with the schedule outlook.
Reserves
Guard - Jaden Campbell (Senior)
Campbell could also possibly start on this team so this is why I have him listed first here. Two years ago Jaden was a consistent knock down shooter, shooting 39% from three. Last season, that number dipped down to 33%. This year I fully believe that he can get back to that consistent outside shooting. He is extremely athletic and can jump out of the gym. If Campbell can be better on the defensive end, he will definitely have a major role on this team.
Forward - Nathan Johnson (Graduate)
Johnson came to Samford last year from UMBC. Last year, he started 14 straight SoCon games after only starting once prior. I feel like near the end of last season he lost confidence in his game. Nathan’s minutes dropped from mid-February on as well but he is a consistent player when on. He can stretch the floor and knock down an open three and is big enough to guard most wings. It will be interesting to see what Nathan Johnson we get this season.
Guard - Dallas Graziani (Sophomore, Nova Southeastern transfer)
Graziani played last season on the undefeated Division II national champions at Nova Southeastern. That team was stacked as the whole starting five is now playing division one basketball. Dallas, an undersized guard who is every bit of 5’8”, while also having heart over height, is an elite distributor of the basketball and consistently last season racked up high assist numbers. He finished second in the country with 241 assists and 85 steals. Graziani also shot over 39% from three-point land. He’s only a sophomore but look for him leading the second unit and excelling.
Center - Zach Loveday (Senior, Baylor transfer)
Loveday was a member of the 2021 Baylor national championship team and is a former top-100 recruit. I will take any highly-rated former recruit who is coming from a Power 5 team. I really do not know what to expect but a center who is 7’0”, you work with that. As a left-handed shooter myself, I am always partial to those guys. We will all find out together what kind of player Loveday will be.
Guard - Brody Boyer (Senior)
Brody is a guy who came over Eastern Florida State College last season and saw limited action in 16 games. It will be interesting to see whether Boyer can crack the rotation this upcoming year. Brody shot 35 percent from three when he did see action. Look for him to fill the Quinn Richey role as someone who can come off the bench and knock down some outside shots.
Guard - Chandler Leopard (Graduate, Auburn transfer)
Leopard is a preferred walk-on transfer from Auburn. In talking with the Samford staff, they rave about his shooting ability from beyond the arc. I attended a practice recently and after he was pulling out the shooting gun getting extra shots up. Whether that translates into playing time or not is my question.
Guard - Josh Holloway (Freshman)
Finally getting to the three freshman guys leading off with Holloway who comes from Oak Hill Academy. This Samford staff is excited on who Holloway can become as he gets older in this system. He is every bit of 160 pounds so getting gains in the weight room will be essential as he grows in this program. Holloway certainly is not afraid of anyone (google him and Ja Morant) and his confidence will serve him well as he fights to get minutes this season.
Guard - Lukas Walls (Freshman)
Walls comes in from Webb School in Knoxville and had a great year with his AAU team in Pro One Basketball where he averaged 16 points per game. Lukas comes to campus with good size at 6’5” and 203 pounds. He was the Samford staff’s number one target in this most recent recruiting class.
Center - Riley Allenspach (Freshman)
Allenspach was a big win for this staff after he decommitted from Western Kentucky. He is a former 4-star recruit by ESPN. Another potential stretch five who fits the mold of what this staff looks for in their bigs. I am not sure what his playing time might look like but he is definitely the most decorated high school big man that Samford has had. Definitely don’t be surprised if he is out there in game one against Zach Edey and #3 Purdue.
Schedule Outlook - Non-Conference
Last season, Samford started with two home games against Division II opponents. This year is quite the change up starting with road games at Purdue and VCU. The Purdue Boilermakers were a number one seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and return the National Player of the Year in C Zach Edey. Purdue famously lost to Farleigh Dickinson in the first round and Samford could recreate that game plan to find success.
FDU had the second-highest pressure rate in the country per Evan Miya last season. Right behind FDU in that category was Samford. Samford’s ability to force turnovers and being able to limit Purdue’s three-point shooting just like FDU did, will be key in this matchup.
On Friday November 10, Samford travels to VCU. VCU was ranked #2 in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll. The Rams have a new coach in Ryan Odom who came over from Utah State. VCU is one of five teams (Purdue, VCU, Merrimack, Louisiana, Texas Southern) on Samford’s schedule that won their conference’s regular season in 2022-2023. VCU is a whole new team who brought in 8 new players. Odom brought over G Max Shulga and F Sean Bairstow from Utah State who will lead this team. Shulga had 19 games scoring in double figures last season.
VCU is another great litmus test for this Samford team and will cap off an interesting first week for the Bulldogs.
Samford had a stretch last season where they went on the road in five straight games and went 0-5. Combine that with losing two home games to Louisiana Tech and NAIA school Tennessee Southern, it was obviously a rough time. Ques Glover suffered his knee injury and the team was struggling to find their identity without him.
This year, Samford has nine straight home games starting with Mississippi College and ending with Belmont, who is always a quality squad. KenPom projects Samford to dominate this stretch winning each game even with tough games against Louisiana and Belmont. Then the Bulldogs close out 2023 and the non-conference slate with two road games at Valparaiso and Texas Southern.
AJ Staton-McCray against ETSU, Image Courtesy of Samford Athletics
SoCon Outlook
Samford was picked to finish 4th by the SoCon coaches and tied for second with the Western Carolina Catamounts in the media poll. On January 3, 2024, the Bulldogs start the SoCon slate against the team that eliminated them last season, the Chattanooga Mocs. Gone is star Jake Stephens but UTC coach Dan Earl returns G Honor Huff who sat out last season after transferring from VMI. Earl also brought in another former player in Florida G Trey Bonham who awaits approval for his waiver among other transfers. What a way to start SoCon play.
The next marquee game will be in Cullowhee against this year’s trendy pick to win the SoCon in Western Carolina. WCU returns four of their top 5 leading scorers and have Preseason Player of the Year in G Vonterious Woolbright. This game will be on CBS Sports Network and a perfect showcase for Western who will not be challenged until the Bulldogs come to town. Samford won both matchups against the Catamounts last season.
A week later will be another huge road contest against Furman. The Paladins beat Samford twice last year and just were an overall bad matchup for the Bulldogs. Jalen Slawson and Mike Bothwell are gone but returning is G JP Pegues who hit the buzzer beater in the NCAA Tournament game against Virginia. G Marcus Foster also returns and D2 Lee University transfer G PJay Smith they have high expectations for.
Samford gets the return trip of Western Carolina on Valentine’s Day which will be on ESPN2 or ESPNU. Furman then comes to Homewood on February 21st.
The top half of this conference will be extremely exciting to watch as I have not even mentioned UNCG who return the Langley twins and F Mikeal Brown-Jones. A very good team could finish 5th in this conference. The top half of this league is that good and is also a great 3-point shooting league. Four teams shot over 35% from behind the arc in conference play as Samford led the way at 37.5%. Most teams also played high-paced basketball which adds even more to the intrigue and excitement of this league.
Jermaine Marshall knocking down a 3, Image Courtesy of Samford Athletics
Season Prediction
As mentioned earlier, this Samford season will be full of excitement. What does Bucky Ball look like in year four? We can talk about this team being more of a cohesive unit but who will be that guy with the shot clock running down to hit that shot. Most times Ques Glover was that guy but he is not here anymore. Does Achor Achor make that leap that Bucky McMillan is saying he will? What improvement on the offensive end do we see from AJ Staton-McCray? These questions are what come to mind for me first.
Where do I see this team finishing? The absolute floor for this team, I believe, is finishing in fourth place. Finishing any lower than that, someone had to get seriously injured. Can I see this team winning the league outright? I do. If everything I have talked about comes together, this team can win the conference and get into the NCAA Tournament. I think this team will ultimately finish second in the conference and I see Furman, unfortunately, winning this league again. I know by now to not doubt a Bob Richey coached team until proven wrong.
KenPom has projected a 3-way tie at the top with Furman, Samford, and UNCG. Samford is projected to finish 21-10 and 10-6 in SoCon play. I could definitely see that so I will just go one win lower. Samford will get to 20 wins which will be the first time in school history that Samford has reached the 20-win total in three straight seasons.
Does this team get to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 24 years? What a story that would be and a way to show the world, Samford basketball has made it. To quote Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith, “They wrote me off but I ain’t write back though.”
#BuckyBall is back everyone, we made it.
“And Here. We. Go.” - The late Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight, circa 2008.
