GAME NOTES: Maryville @ Samford (11.9.21)
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Bulldogs (0-0, 0-0 SoCon) of Samford University tipoff the 2021-22 campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at the Pete Hanna Center against the Scots (1-0) of Maryville College. Tipoff is set for 7 PM and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Curt Bloom and Boyd Kaiser on the call. The Bulldogs and Scots are meeting for the second time in series history with Samford owning a 1-0 edge in the standings. The two teams haven't met on the hardwood since the 1961-62 season, an 85-68 Samford victory at the WCU Classic in Cullowhee, N.C.

Bucky McMillan enters his second season as head coach of Samford Men's Basketball. The Bulldogs went 6-13 during the COVID-19 plagued 2020-21 season, his first at Samford. Prior to taking over the program, McMillan, a former USA Today National HS Coach of the Year, won 332 games and five AHSAA Class 7A championships during his 12 seasons as head coach at Mountain Brook High School.  


SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:
• The Bulldogs will open the season without two key returners from last year's squad in A.J. Staton-McCray (6-5, 190, Fr.) and Logan Dye (6-9, 240, Jr.). The duo is out indefinitely. Staton-McCray, a Charlotte, N.C., native, averaged 10.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game en route to being named to the All-SoCon Freshman Team. As a junior, Dye, a Haleyville, Ala., native, played in all 19 games, averaging 9.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

• Pace of play is the name of the game for the Bulldogs, as Samford ranked No. 1 in the nation a year ago in Possessions Per Game with 91. #BuckyBall is built around tenacious defense that creates numerous offensive opportunities in transition.

• Senior guard Richardson Maitre (6-3, 180, Sr.) is back after missing half of the 2020-21 season due to injury. The Montreal, Quebec, Canada, native saw action in 15 games, all starts at guard, before an injury derailed his season. Maitre averaged 6.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.

• Freshman guard Jaron Rillie (6-3, 185, Fr.) is set to make big strides in his second season with the Bulldogs. The Santa Barbara, Calif., native saw action in all 19 games in 2020-21, making six starts at point guard. He proved to be one of the most reliable freshmen in the SoCon, averaging 5.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. At one time, he led all NCAA Division I freshman point guards in field goal percentage, finishing the year shooting 61.7 (37-60) while also making 48.1 (13-27) of his 3-point attempts.

• Florida transfer Ques Glover (6-0, 180, So.) will play a major role for the Bulldogs this season at point guard. The sophomore from Knoxville, Tenn., appeared in 51 games for the Gators, averaging 3.6 points per game. Glover scored a career-high 10 versus No. 6 Tennessee, during his two seasons in Gainesville with the Gators. Prior to UF, the lightning-quick guard starred at Knoxville, Tenn., powerhouse Bearden High School, where he was named the Knoxville News Sentinel's Player of the Year in 2018, averaging 21 points per game while leading BHS to its first TSSAA Class AAA state championship.

• Hueytown native and Akron transfer Jermaine Marshall (6-6, 225, So.) is excited about his return to The Magic City. The 6-6 forward played previously at NJCAA power Florida Southwestern State Junior College where he played in 29 games while averaging 10.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Prior to signing with Florida Southwestern State, Marshall starred at Hueytown High School, averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior, finishing his career with the Golden Gophers scoring more than 1,000 career points.

• One of the nation's most sought after recruits, Wesley Cardet, Jr. (6-5, 185, Fr.) is set to make his debut for the Bulldogs this week. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native, was the No. 60 ranked player in the nation and No. 13 at his position by Rivals at West Oaks Academy in Orlando, Fla., for coach Kenny Gillion. The four-star combo guard, who averaged 18.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game during his time at West Oaks, is one of the highest-rated student-athletes to ever sign with Samford Men's Basketball. As a senior, Cardet, Jr., averaged 16 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and shot 51-percent from the floor. He received more than 17 scholarship offers from power five or mid-major programs before signing with coach McMillan and the Bulldogs.


FACE THE FOE: MARYVILLE:
• The Scots opened their 2021-22 season with an 87-65 victory over Johnson College on Friday, Nov. 5. Myles Rasnick finished with 24 points and Chase Ridenour added 16 to lead Maryville. 

• Maryville (1-0) enters tonight's game at Samford ranked No. 23 in the latest D3Hoops.com Top 35 Poll.

• Maryville finished the 2020-21 campaign 10-2 overall and 8-2 in USA South play in Raul Placeres' first season as head coach.

• The Scots averaged 78.6 points per game last year and return J.R. Sanders, who averaged 14.7 points per game to lead Maryville in scoring a year ago.

• Felix Uadaile, a junior from Hampton, Ga., also returns for the Scots after averaging 10.9 points and a team-leading 8.3 rebounds per game.

• Maryville finished the 2020-21 season with a 3-0 re- cord against Covenant College. Samford defeated Covenant, 98-73, for coach Bucky McMillan's first career win with the Bulldogs on Dec. 1, 2020 at the Pete Hanna Center.


UP NEXT:
The Bulldogs return to the Pete Hanna Center on Thursday, Nov. 11, as Samford hosts Spring Hill College. Tipoff is set for 7 PM.


FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS:
For the latest news and information on Samford Men's Basketball, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordSports (Facebook), @SamfordMBB (Twitter), and @SamfordMBB (Instagram).