'23-24 Roster Preview - Samford
Breaking down the Samford scholarship roster for the upcoming season
Bucky McMillan and crew are looking to continue to improve and expand on their shared regular season title, but disappointing tournament stretch. The Bulldogs lost multiple key players, but have filled the roster with both experienced and young transfers with potential. The returning players are reliable pieces that will try to lead the program to the promised land: March Madness.
Returning Players
Jermaine Marshall - 6’6 F
Last Season Avgs: 24.9 min. 13.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.1 apg | If Jermaine Marshall was the glue guy and X-factor last year, he’s now stepping into a new role as the star player. My expectations for Marshall are sky-high: the All-conference third-teamer should be a preseason first-team guy with a legitimate chance to go for Player of the Year. The versatile forward scored double digits in the final 7 games of last season including 27 points and 8 rebounds in the Bulldog’s tournament loss. There aren’t many holes in his game. If Marshall keeps up his intensity and high percentage 3 pt. shooting, Samford won’t need to worry about him performing at a high level.
AJ Staton-McCray - 6’5 G/F
Last Season Avgs: 22 min. 8.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.6 apg | Staton-McCray is one of the most versatile players in the conference. He missed all but 3 games his true sophomore year to injury, and came into last season without skipping a beat. A streaky scorer, any big games from him on that end will be welcome additions, but his rebounding consistency from the wing is what really sets him apart. I see Staton-McCray as the X-factor this year for Samford.
Jaden Campbell - 6’5 SG
Last Season Avgs: 19.9 min. 7.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.3 apg | Campbell comes into the year as a pivotal piece if Samford wants to ride its rising course into the tournament. He is a capable shooter, but often inconsistent (33% last year), and shot a much higher percentage on more minutes his freshman year. Campbell should be due for a minutes increase again with the departure of Ques Glover and Bubba Parham. If his shooting consistency goes back up, along with asserting himself at the defensive end again (1.5 steals per in ‘21-22), Samford should have themselves a 3-and-D piece to help their championship aspirations.
Achor Achor - 6’9 F/C
Last Season Avgs: 14.4 min. 6.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.6 apg | Achor played a pivotal backup role last year for the Bulldogs performing with relatively good efficiency from the rim and defensive presence. This year, Achor should be able to trust his instincts even more and play his more natural position at the 4, with Samford adding two centers, Allenspach and Loveday. This should keep him out of foul trouble and help him earn more minutes after the graduation of Logan Dye.
Nathan Johnson - 6’7 F
Last Season Avgs: 19.6 min. 4.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.6 apg | One of only a couple of true wings on the team, Johnson looked comfortable when he was slotted in the starting lineup. His ability to stretch the floor and defend his position is what will make him valuable for this upcoming season.
Brody Boyer - 6’4 G
Last Season Avgs: 7.6 min (16 games). 2.1 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.6 apg | Boyer has good size at the guard position but has not found himself in the rotation. With a strong, guard-heavy transfer and freshman class, I’m not sure how much that will change.
Additions
Garrett Hicks - 6’0 G
Last Season Avgs (Alabama A&M): 31.9 min. 12.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.7 apg | Hicks is an important addition in the backcourt for a Bulldog team that suddenly lacked experience there with the departures of Parham, Glover, and Rillie this offseason. Hicks started all four years at Alabama A&M and brings a significant shooting stroke to Birmingham, shooting 40% last year. He also shows up defensively, grabbing more than a steal a game in every prior season. Experience matters and Hicks brings that to his new team.
Zach Loveday - 7’0 C
Last Season Avgs (Baylor): 3.0 min. 0.9 ppg, 0.5 rpg, 0.0 apg | Loveday transferred down from Big 12 power Baylor, likely looking to play some real minutes and be a contributor from day one. This Samford team lacked size coming into the offseason, but Loveday will bring that. He was a top 100 recruit out of high school in 2020 and has the size few SoCon teams see consistently. Samford bet on pedigree here and hope to see it pay off.
Rylan Jones - 6’0 PG
Last Season Avgs (Utah State): 19.7 min (13 games). 4.2 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 3.3 apg | Jones brings more experience to the Samford backcourt, with hopes to stay away from injury troubles that plagued his last season. He seems like a guy capable of running the offense and is solid from beyond the arc, at 35.7% last season. Jones will be a solid piece as Bucky McMillan retools his bench for this year.
Dallas Graziani - 5’7 PG
Last Season Avgs (Nova Southeastern): 31.6 min. 11.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 6.7 apg | As a redshirt freshman, Graziani started all 36 games and won a Division II national championship at Nova Southeastern. At 5’7, it will remain to be seen if his height can translate to the next level, but his youth and potential, along with an eye for playmaking are something to look out for this year.
Riley Allenspach - 6’10 C
Last Season Avgs: N/A (High School) | Allenspach is a 3-star prospect out of North Carolina, and held offers from multiple other SoCon programs. He is a good rim protector, with good movement on defense. He looks like a willing passer from the post and it will be interesting to see how he develops.
Joshua Holloway - 6’2 PG
Last Season Avgs: N/A (Highschool) | You may have heard of Joshua Holloway as the teen who got mixed up in some business with Ja Morant. But aside from that, he is a fearless shifty point guard with a good shooting stroke. Coming from Oak Hill, he’s faced high-level competition, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it doesn’t take him long to find his way into games.
Lukas Walls - 6’5 SG
Last Season Avgs: N/A (High School) | Walls has a good shooting stroke and terrific size and build for his position. He looks to be someone who will come into his own and could be an important piece in the future for Samford.