Game Notes

MADISON, Wis. – The Samford University basketball team will play its final nonconference game of the 2012-13 regular season Saturday as the Bulldogs are slated to meet the Wisconsin Badgers for the first time in school history. The contest is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. (CST) and will be held at the Kohl Center (17,230).
 
Saturday's game will be provided locally on the radio at ESPN 97.3 FM The Zone and fans will also be able to follow along via Live Stats.
 
Samford (3-10) heads into the contest riding the positive momentum of a key 75-62 road victory at UT Martin on Dec. 19. In their first win of the season away from home, the Bulldogs finished with five players scoring in double figures.
 
Samford was led offensively versus UT Martin by junior Will Cook's 18 points and seven rebounds. Additionally, Raijon Kelly and Tim Williams each finished in double figures for the 13th straight game with 16 points apiece. The Bulldogs also received 11 points and seven rebounds from Clide Geffrard, Jr., as well as 10 points, five rebounds and five assists from Stanley, Wis., native Connor Miller.
 
Against UT Martin, the Bulldogs' 56.5 shooting percentage was their best performance of the season since shooting 51.4 percent in a 57-48 Southern Conference-opening victory against Georgia Southern on Dec. 1.
 
UT Martin was limited to a 32.3-percent shooting mark in the second half as the Bulldogs' defense held the Skyhawks to a 10-of-31 outing in the final period. Samford also forced UT Martin into 17 turnovers. The Bulldogs capitalized on the Skyhawks' miscues and outscored UT Martin, 21-17, in points off turnovers.
 
Wisconsin (8-4) enters Saturday's contest in the midst of a two-game winning streak. After losing at Marquette on Dec. 8, the Badgers have defeated both Green Bay and Milwaukee.
 
Wisconsin boasts three players averaging double digits in scoring this season and is being led by senior center Jared Berggren's 13.7 points per game. The Badgers are also receiving an average of 12.1 points per contest from junior guard Ben Brust and 11.3 points from senior forward Ryan Evans.
 
Wisconsin is only allowing opponents to score 56.8 points per game this year and the Badgers are only averaging 9.5 turnovers per outing.
 
Saturday's game will mark Samford's first all-time meeting with Wisconsin and only its fourth contest against a Big Ten opponent in school history. Of the current members of the Big Ten, the Bulldogs have only faced Ohio State and Purdue. Samford has been defeated by Ohio State twice and owns an 0-1 all-time record against the Boilermakers.
 
The Bulldogs have already faced one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the nation this season. Three of Samford's 13 out-of-conference games have been against opponents ranked in the top-25, and Wisconsin opened the season ranked as the No. 17 team in the nation. Two of the Bulldogs' 2012-13 opponents started the year ranked in the top 10.
 
On Nov. 15, the Bulldogs played in Louisville, Ky., and were defeated by the No. 2-ranked Louisville Cardinals, 80-54. Just two days later, Samford squared off against the 16th-ranked Memphis Tigers at the FedExForum and nearly pulled off the upset, 65-54.
 
On Dec. 4, Samford played at No. 19-ranked Kentucky and suffered an 88-56 defeat in front of 21,221 fans against the defending national champions at Rupp Arena. On Saturday, the Bulldogs will face off against a tough Wisconsin team. The Badgers opened the season ranked No. 17 in the nation.
 
Samford's 2012-13 roster is not only one of the youngest in the SoCon, but one of the youngest in the nation as well. A total of nine of the Bulldogs' 13 players are underclassmen this season, and Samford is just one of two teams in the SoCon that doesn't have a single senior on its roster.
 
The 2012-13 Bulldogs are comprised of four juniors: Cook (G), Gregg Wooten (G), Hamilton Bailey (G) and Tony Thompson (G). Samford also boasts a talented sophomore class this season in Brandon Hayman (G), Miller (G), Kelly (G) and Tyler Hood (F).
 
Last season, Samford's Kelly and Hood were both named to the prestigious SoCon All-Freshman Team. Despite last year's successful freshman class, the Bulldogs' 2012-13 incoming freshman class might be just as good, if not better. This year's talented freshman class includes Russell Wilson (PG), Geffrard, Jr. (F), Mike Fitzpatrick (G), Jaylen Beckham (PG) and Williams (F).
 
The Bulldogs have made at least one 3-point field goal in 638-consecutive games. The last time that Samford did not make a 3-point basket was on Jan. 19, 1991, against UTSA.
 
Following Saturday's game at Wisconsin, the Samford University basketball team will next be in action Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs resume SoCon play against the Chattanooga Mocs in a key league battle to be held at the Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, Ala.

Game Notes