Oct. 20, 2011

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The 2011-12 Samford basketball season is less than a month away and the Bulldogs' senior guard Jeffrey Merritt sat down with Sports Information Director Zac Schrieber to talk about the upcoming campaign, the Samford-Merritt tradition and expectations for Southern Conference play. Here is the transcript from their Question-and-Answer Session:

You've had two older brothers play basketball here at Samford. Did you always know in the back of your mind that you would end up here?
"Samford started recruiting me my junior year. I was being recruited by other schools, but not very heavily. Coach (Paul) Kelly would come and watch my AAU games and would come to visit me in Oklahoma City. My brothers knew that it was a perfect fit for them, so I figured that Samford would be a perfect fit for me as well. It's been a great four years and I'm glad I made the right decision."

What other schools were recruiting you?
"Denver was recruiting me a little bit and actually College of Charleston was recruiting me some as well. Stephen F. Austin and Army were also recruiting me, but I never took any official visits there or anything."

In high school, didn't you compete against some pretty good players that went on to play in the NBA?
"In high school, I actually played on the same team as Daniel Orton, who is now with the Orlando Magic, and in AAU a guy that was a year younger than me was Xavier Henry, who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies."

Did you ever feel like you were obligated to come to Samford, or did you always really want to?
"I've been coming to campus since I was eight years old to watch my brothers play, so I was able to get very familiar with the surroundings and with the coaches and I always thought that it was like a family here. The players always got along and became good friends, so I thought I should go to Samford, not only to play basketball, but to get a great education and make some friends that I could have a long-lasting relationship with."

You are a member of the first Samford class to play all four years in the SoCon. Do you ever talk to your brothers about how much more difficult this league is compared to the OVC?
"We were actually talking about that this summer. We were talking about how good, top to bottom, the teams are in the SoCon. I feel like the SoCon is one of the best mid-majors in all of college basketball and that the Ohio Valley Conference is listed a little below. J. Robert was saying that the SoCon definitely has a lot better players than the OVC."

I know that Joe Ross has been able to, but has J. Robert been able to watch you play much throughout your Samford career?
"He didn't really have much time last year, because he and his wife had just had a baby boy, but the year before he was able to watch me play quite a bit. Also, this season he's going to be able to come to the home opener and to the Kentucky game."

What are your thoughts on that Kentucky game?
"It's going to be a dream to play in Rupp Arena. I never expected to be able to play there and you might as well play against the best in the country. I think it will be fun and it will be a good opportunity for our team."

You are a much better rebounder than either one of your brothers. Why is that? Is it something you actively tried to work on growing up?
"I think it's just the way it worked out. I would say that J. Robert is definitely the best shooter in the family and Joe Ross was just all-around good in everything. I feel like my athletic ability is better than both of them. I can jump a lot higher and I'm more aggressive, so I've always kept defense and rebounding in mind. Those have always been my natural strengths."

Last season, you led Samford in both scoring and rebounding. Other than winning, what personal goals do you have for yourself in each game?
"I usually just let everything come to me. My dad always tells me before the game to not force anything and to let it come to me. Once I get that first rebound or score, I'm just playing and having fun. I don't ever think about particular stats or anything. I just let the game come to me and capitalize on my opportunities."

Now that you're the senior leader on the team, do you see yourself taking a more active role offensively?
"Definitely, we're going to need that scoring and someone's going to have to step up and take those shots. I also think as leaders we need to approach the younger guys and let them know that it's fine for them to take those open shots as well. I'm planning on being more aggressive this year, especially on the offensive end of the court."

How much is the offense going to change from last year?
"We're going to be a lot more up-tempo this season. Coach (Jimmy) Tillette's letting us play a lot more freely. We're taking jump shots and pull-ups early in the shot clock and he just wants us to go out there and play. He doesn't want us bogged down thinking about the offense all the time. This gives us the opportunity to create on our own and to get off our own shot."

With Gregg going down with his injury, do these offensive changes help Devin McNeil play a better role for the team?
"This was a huge loss for Gregg. He was looking really good in the preseason, but Devin's coming in as a true freshman and he's going to step up. He'll be playing a big role for us and he has a really good feel for the game. He can drive the ball, he's quick and his main thing is to not turn the ball over. He's going to be a big addition to the team this year."

What are your thoughts on the SoCon this season and what kind of goals do you have for the team?
"I thought last year was the best that the SoCon has been since I've been playing. This year, I think it's wide open on our side. There's not that one single player in the league that you can point out that can take over a game like Andrew Goudelock did or that Stephen Curry did. I have high expectations for this team. I think that we have the ability to win our side and that's my expectation for this season."

Does it ever cross your mind that you are the last in line of the long Merritt-Samford tradition?
"It's weird. I feel like I have to prove myself a bit. I have to leave my legacy behind. I really want to win a conference title, especially because my brothers weren't able to win one, so I feel like I have to get that done. When I was coming here as an 8-year-old, I never thought that the time would come when I was a senior and I was about to graduate, but I just want to leave the Merritt legacy at Samford on a good note."

What do you want the Jeffrey Merritt legacy or mark on this program to be?
"I want it to be that I helped my team win a SoCon title and went on to play in the NCAA Tournament."

The Samford University basketball team will begin competitive play in its 2011-12 schedule Nov. 7, as the Bulldogs square off against the Berry College Vikings at 7 p.m. (CDT) in an exhibition contest to be held at the Pete Hanna Center.

2011-12 Basketball Schedule