2020-21 SAMFORD MEN'S BASKETBALL FACT BOOK

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford men's basketball team is set to begin the 2020-21 season with a home exhibition game against Greenville University on Wednesday, Nov. 25, at 7 p.m. in the Pete Hanna Center.
 
This season will mark the first for Head Coach Bucky McMillan and his staff. He comes to Samford after an ultra-successful 12-year stint at Mountain Brook High School, where he led the program to five state titles in Alabama's largest division.


 
McMillan was hired during the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning he faced more challenges than even a normal first-year coach. McMillan talked about how he put his team together in such a trying time.
 
"The first thing we did was, we hired some really good assistant coaches," McMillan said. "We got hired a week before Signing Day, and it was official two days before Signing Day. We signed some very good players."
 
The Bulldogs signed a pair of point guards, in transfer Richardson Maitre and freshman Jaron Rillie. McMillan said he thinks both players will do big things during their time at Samford.
 
"We signed a point guard, Jaron Rillie, who I think is going to be a fan favorite," McMillan said. "He is a future point guard of our program. We signed one of the leaders of our team who has great experience and is slated to play the point guard this year, and is kind of a point guard and a two-yard, in Richardson Maitre. He's just a great player, great leader and great person."
 
Freshman A.J. Staton-McCray was signed out of West Oaks Academy in Florida. McMillan said he expects Staton-McCray to have an immediate impact on the team.
 
"A.J. has a chance to be the Freshman of the Year in the league," McMillan said. "I think A.J. can, one day if he continues to improve, play at a professional level."
 
The Bulldogs also added transfers Jacob Tryon, Christian Guess, Triston Chambers and Quinn Richey to this year's squad, and McMillan had good things to say about each player.
 
"We signed Jacob Tryon, who is going to be eligible to play this year," McMillan said. "He's 6-11, and he can shoot the three. He's a smart player and a very good basketball player. We signed Christian Guess, who signed with Missouri out of high school. He's an SEC-level player, and when he is locked in, he is as good as we have, so I'm looking forward to watching him. Also, we have two really good players in Quinn Richey and Triston Chambers. These are two elite shooters, some of the best shooters I've ever seen."
 
Freshmen Luke Champion, Clay Holmes, Marcellus Vail and Grayson Walters round out the newcomers to the 2020-21 Samford men's basketball team.
 
"We brought in 12 new guys and I feel very confident that our culture is headed in the right direction," McMillan said.
 
Players returning to the team that played last season are Logan Dye, Jalen Dupree and Bryan Smith. Myron Gordon, K.J. Davis, Preston Parks and Stanley Henderson sat out last season, but return to the squad as well.
 
"Myron Gordon's talent level is outstanding," McMillan said. "When he's going, he's locked in and he's engaged, his talent on offense is phenomenal. We've been working with Myron on getting focused on doing every detail correctly. When he's detailed, he's as good as any guard you're going to see in the league.
 
"Preston Parks was the Freshman of the Year in the SoCon," McMillan said. "We had a scrimmage the other day when we played a half of basketball and Preston had 37 points in a half. And Myron, on the other team, had 30 points. The way we play fits them really well. In the up-and-down game, they are really good in transition, so they're a perfect fit for the way we like to play.
 
"It's been unfortunate that Jalen Dupree has had some injuries and some sickness," McMillan said. "He was in a really good spot, physically, and then he was out for a while. So, when J.D. gets back, he's going to really have to get his body in the shape he wants to be in, and when he does, he is a real force. He can be as dominant of a force down low as anybody in the league.
 
"Logan Dye has come a long way," McMillan said. "He's athletic and he can shoot it. He's starting to learn the system, and I think that's been the biggest challenge for him is just learning our system. It's not easy, because we play at a fast pace, so for a big, it's a little more challenging.
 
"Another piece we had sitting out who has been outstanding for us is K.J. Davis," McMillan said. "K.J. has been outstanding; he is a high-character person. He wants to do right, he's not a complainer, he does his job, and I think he is a great fit for what we're doing. He's been a joy to coach."
 
McMillan said, overall, he likes the progress his team has made so far, but they just need to keep working hard to continue improving.
 
"I think overall, we're heading in the right direction," McMillan said. "We have a long, long way to go, but we're heading in the right direction."
 
McMillan has surrounded himself with an experienced coaching staff. His staff consists of Alabama Sports Hall of Famer, special assistant to the head coach Duane Reboul, assistant coaches Tra Arnold (recruiting coordinator), Sergio Rouco and Gerald Gillion, Director of Player Development and Scouting David Good and Director of Operations and Analytics Matthew Powell.
 
"I thought it was important to bring in guys who complimented my weaknesses," McMillan said. "One of my weaknesses is, I have not been out there recruiting, so I needed to have people that could say, 'listen, this needs to be the plan.' And, from there, put me in touch with the right people, because that's what it's about. I feel very privileged that we have the people in this program that we have, for the type of people they are and the type of expertise they have."