BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Since his arrival, Samford head coach Scott Padgett has consistently stockpiled talent for his Bulldogs' basketball team and this season's signing class proved to be no different. Samford's 2018 group is one of the highest touted in school history and consists of Robert Allen, Jalen Dupree, Logan Dye, Steven Fitzgerald, Myron Gordon, Stanley Henderson, Jr., and Deandre Thomas, it was officially announced Thursday.
 
"This is a very big group," said Padgett. "We really tried to address some of our weaknesses with these guys and I think we've definitely filled those voids. I know that size, athleticism and toughness have all been addressed with this class. The way we play will also be a lot different from last year. We have a lot more versatility now on the offensive end, so we won't have to rely so much on spot-up shooting.
 
"Don't get me wrong, we have a lot of guys who will be able to shoot the three this year, but now if the defenders run at them, they will be able to put the ball on the floor and take it strong to the rim. We also have a lot more playmakers now than we did last season, so I believe our offensive attack will be just as strong. The difference is that we will be a lot better on the defensive end as well."
 
Robert Allen, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward from Orlando, Florida, comes to Samford from Edgewater High School where he proved to be a three-year varsity starter for the Eagles. He helped lead EHS to a pair of Final Four appearances and also exceled off the court as a 3.0 student and leader on campus.
 
As a senior at Edgewater High School, Allen averaged 11.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He also added 85 blocked shots and 44 steals.
 
"Robert is unlike any kind of athlete that we've been able to get in the past here at Samford," Padgett said. "He is a junkyard dog on the defensive end and is really long and athletic, and has the ability to guard multiple positions. Offensively, he plays like a point forward where he can really handle the ball and make plays.
 
"He's not our traditional No. 4 guy, who has been mostly a 3-point shooter. Robert can make a three, but the strength of his game is attacking the basket, crashing the offensive glass, being out in transition and being able to make the pass to the open man. What I really like is that he will be able to guard a point guard on a pick-and-roll if he were switched on him, as well as being able to guard a center, because he has great athleticism, length and toughness."
 
Jalen Dupree, a 6-foot-8, 235-pound power forward from Cordova, Tennessee, comes to Samford from Murray State University, after transferring following his sophomore season. He will redshirt the 2018-19 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules, but will be eligible as a junior with two years remaining to play for the Bulldogs.
 
Last season, Dupree started in 17 games for the Racers as a sophomore and averaged 5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He also led Murray State with 25 blocked shots and finished the season ranked second on the squad with a 56-percent shooting tally from the field.
 
Dupree was named a Tennessee District 14 3A All-District performer in high school after averaging 10 points, eight rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots per game on a team that had seven players average in the area of 10 points per game. In a matchup against Memphis HSA, Dupree proved to be just shy of a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and nine blocked shots.
 
"Jalen is a transfer from Murray State, so he'll have to sit out this season, but he's been in a lot of big games and really knows what winning is about. He was on a team last year that went to the NCAA Tournament. He has great size, but can also step out and make a three, as well as the mid-range jump shot.
 
"He has some outstanding athleticism. I would say he's a combination of Eric Adams' athleticism with a big body like Wyatt (Walker). He will bring a lot of versatility for us to where if we want to go big down the road, we can play him at the four and then have one of our other bigs at the five. I think he's going to be a big-time rebounder for us, especially in league play."
 
Logan Dye, a 6-foot-8, 235-pound power forward from Haleyville, comes to Samford as a true freshman after starring at Haleyville High School throughout his prep career. He concluded his high school career ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the state per HoopSeen. Dye was also chosen to compete in the annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Challenge.
 
Dye has quickly become one of the best low-post scorers in the South with his skill-level. He has the ability to extend his game to the perimeter and shoot with range, but the most impressive aspect of his game comes from playing with his back to the basket. He has several post moves at his disposal. 
 
"Logan will bring some big-time size and strength to the team this season," said Padgett. "He is a very highly-skilled post player who can also step out and shoot the three. He has a really good hook shot, as well as a front-facing jumper. In the post, he can power through people and really knows how to score the ball.
 
"On the defensive end, he'll be a freshman, but I think he'll definitely be able to use his size and his strength to keep guys out of the paint and to rebound the ball."
 
Steven Fitzgerald, a 6-foot-4, 205-point shooting guard from Somerset, Kentucky, will join the Samford roster this season after starring at Pulaski County High School. Rated a 4-star prospect by ESPN, Fitzgerald was also the top-ranked recruit in Kentucky.
 
As a junior at PCHS, Fitzgerald averaged 25.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest, while shooting 56.1 percent from the field. During his junior campaign, he helped lead the Maroons to a 27-8 record, as Pulaski County won the 12th Regional Tournament for the first time in 25 years.
 
"Most people around here will recognize Steven's last name," Padgett said. "His sister Samantha plays on the women's team here, so we've known him a long time. We've literally been recruiting him since he was a freshman in high school, because he played on the Louisville Magic program that we've recruited a lot. He's a guy that can really score the ball. He was a 3,000-point scorer in high school and proved to be one of the top scorers in the state of Kentucky.
 
"What Steven brings is a guy who can really shoot the ball, but he's 6-foot-4, so he can also compete and play physical on the defensive side as well. When he puts the ball down on a drive, he has the strength to finish at the rim through contact. He also gets to the free throw line a lot, and when he gets there he makes them."
 
Myron Gordon, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard from Bordentown, New Jersey, comes to Samford from Harcum College where he spent the previous two seasons starring for the Bears. He closed out his illustrious two-year career at the school ranked fourth all-time in scoring with 1,023 career points.
 
Gordon also finished his time at Harcum College ranked sixth in career assists with 252 and eighth in steals with 111. Last year alone, he set the school's single-season record in points (647) and points per game (23.1).
 
"Myron reminds me a lot of Darius Jones-Gibson in that he is very explosive on the offensive end, especially with the quickness of his first step," said Padgett. "I think that Myron can shoot the three better than Darius did, but can also get to the free throw line a lot. Last year, in junior college, he led the nation in free throw attempts and free throws made. He shoots 87 percent from the free throw line and gets there often.
 
"He was the sixth leading scorer in the country last year with over 23 points a game, but still averaged five assists, so he's also a playmaker. I think he's a true combo guard in that he can definitely excel at either the one or the two. For us, we'll look for him to be more of a scorer, but there will also be times when we'll need him to run the point as well. He has really good length and athleticism for a guard, so he can play above the rim and is active defensively."
 
Stanley Henderson, Jr., joins the Bulldogs out of Middle Georgia Prep where he averaged 16 points, 13.5 rebounds, three assists and two blocks per game. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound small forward is a native of Jonesboro, Georgia, who possesses dynamic leadership skills and proved to be the Team Captain at Middle Georgia Prep.
 
Henderson, Jr., also finished his high school career as the all-time leading rebounder and shot-blocker in program history. Additionally, he led the Lions to the Georgia Prep Championship.
 
"Stanley will bring us some more versatility, as well as some great toughness, athleticism and strength," Padgett said. "He's a guy that I can see playing a lot of the three and the four. He's an outstanding offensive rebounder and is great in transition. He has a very quick first step to the rim, but can also step out and make the three.
 
"Stanley is really good on the defensive end and will add a lot of versatility for us as far as being a good shut-down defender. He will fill a key role for us in that he's great defensively and can also rebound the ball off the glass."
 
Deandre Thomas, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound shooting guard from Richmond, Virginia, comes to Samford from the Millwood School where he shined as a high-energy, long and athletic guard for the Bobcats during his prep career.
 
A true competitor, Thomas possesses the ability to get downhill in the half-court set and can take a bump as he rises up at the rim. He's a good rebounder from the guard position and has the ability to be a terror on the defensive end. Thomas boasts an advanced skillset and uses his speed and quickness extremely well. 
 
"Deandre is probably the most versatile guy on the team in that he can play the point guard position through the three," said Padgett. "He's big enough and athletic enough to play the three, and is skilled enough and smart enough to play the point. His natural position on day one will probably be two guard, but he's very competitive on the defensive end of the floor and has a really good mid-range pull-up jumper. He has worked hard to become a really good shooter.
 
"Deandre has been coached well and possesses a very good basketball mind, so I could see him playing point guard for us down the road. He's also very unselfish and really likes to get his teammates involved on the offensive end of the court."
 
Samford's seven highly-touted signees this season will join returning letterwinners Stefan Lakic, Kevion Nolan and Josh Sharkey on the team's 2018-19 roster. The Bulldogs will also boast the incoming talent of transfers Brandon Austin and Ruben Guerrero, as well as redshirt freshmen Luke Touliatos and JT Mumber, who will all be eligible to compete this season.
 
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2018-19 Samford Basketball Signees
 
Name, Pos., Ht., Wt., Cl., Hometown/Previous School
Robert Allen, F, 6-8, 200, Fr., Orlando, Fla./Edgewater HS
Jalen Dupree*, F, 6-8, 235, Jr., Cordova, Tenn./Murray State
Logan Dye, F, 6-8, 235, Fr., Haleyville, Ala./Haleyville HS
Steven Fitzgerald, G, 6-4, 205, Fr., Somerset, Ky./Pulaski County HS
Myron Gordon, G, 6-3, 180, Jr., Bordentown, N.J./Harcum College
Stanley Henderson, Jr., F, 6-6, 210, Fr., Jonesboro, Ga./Middle Georgia Prep
Deandre Thomas, G, 6-4, 190, Fr., Richmond, Va./Millwood School
 
*Will redshirt the 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer rules