GAME NOTES: Alabama A&M @ Samford (12.11.21)
Complete game release in PDF format

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Saturday's showdown at the Pete Hanna Center will a battle for Bulldog bragging rights in Alabama, as Samford Bulldogs (7-2) hosts the Bulldogs (1-8) of Alabama A&M. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Curt Bloom (PxP), Murry Bartow (Analyst) and Courtney Johnson will have the call.   

Samford and Alabama A&M are meeting for the sixth time on the hardwood on Saturday and the second straight year in Birmingham. The Bulldogs clad in red lead the all-time series standings 4-1, but the maroon wearing Bulldogs pulled off a 78-76 upset in the last meeting between the schools on Nov. 29, 2020 in Birmingham. Samford's Logan Dye scored a career-high 21 points in loss while Jalen Johnson led Alabama A&M with a game-high 28 points.

Alabama A&M opened the season with an 82-73 victory over Tennessee State but has dropped five straight, including a 56-45 loss at North Alabama on Wednesday. The Bulldogs string of losses includes setbacks at Cincinnati (89-66), UAB (86-41, and Western Kentucky (88-62).

The Bulldogs are averaging 57.2 points per game while giving up 77.0 a contest. Alabama A&M scored a season-high 82 versus Tennessee State on Nov. 9 in an 82-73 victory.   

Alabama A&M has two players averaging in double figures. Jalen Johnson, a 6-foot-7 junior forward, leads the team at 14.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Garrett Hicks, a 6-foot-0 junior guard, is turning in 13.8 points as well.  

Entering play this week, all 10 Southern Conference squads are above .500 on the season. Only one other Division I conference, the Big 12, can claim that all of its members are above .500. The SoCon is now ranked 9th among all conference's in terms of league RPI and 13th among all conference's according to KenPom. The SEC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Mountain West, Pac-12, ACC, West Coast, Southern, and American Athletic round out the top 10 in the latest RPI rankings.  


SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:
Wesley Cardet scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Jaden Campbell and Jermaine Marshall also added a pair of double-doubles to power the Samford to a 74-64 victory over Alabama State on Wednesday, Dec. 8 at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome. Campbell recorded his first double-double with 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Marshall added his fourth double-double of the year with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Samford is No. 1 in the SoCon and No. 13 nationally in turnovers forced (18.4) and steals (9.0). The Bulldogs forced a season-high 33 turnovers versus Spring Hill and 21 versus Belmont.

The Bulldogs come into Saturday's match-up averaging 78.7 points per game to rank fifth in the SoCon.

Pace of Play is a key metric for the Bulldogs, as Samford averages 84.5 possessions per game. In 2020-21, Samford led the nation at 91.0 per game.

Jermaine Marshall (6-6, 225, So.) recorded his second straight double-double and fourth this season with 12 points and 13 boards at Alabama State. He had his best game as a Bulldog versus Belmont, scoring 22 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.  He has been a force on the wing for the Bulldogs, averaging 12.9 points and a team-high 9.1 rebounds per game. His 9.1 rebounds per game are currently No. 2 in the SoCon while his 12.9 points sit No. 18.

Ques Glover (6-0, 180, So.), who did not play in Wednesday's game at ASU, has made a remarkable impact on the Bulldogs so far this year, ranking No. 2 the SoCon in scoring at 18.8 points per game while dishing out 4.6 assists a game. The Knoxville, Tenn., native, scored 22 points and dished out six assists against Belmont on Sunday. He was named to the Emerald Coast Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 21.7 points and leading Samford to the East Coast Classic Mid-Major Championship.  

Jaden Campbell (6-5, 195, Soph.) has been a reliable source of offense for the Bulldogs, averaging 11.1 points per game, ranking No. 23 in the league. The Brampton, Ontario native scored a career-high 19 points versus McNeese State and turned in his first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds at Alabama State.
 
Wesley Cardet, Jr. (6-6, 205, Fr.), one of the nation's most sought after recruits, continues to develop his game in advance of Southern Conference play. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native is averaging 10.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game after scoring a career-high 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds at Alabama State. Cardet 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.

The Bulldogs have played the first eight games of 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 due to injury.

Senior center Jacob Tryon (6-11, 220, Sr.) has scored in double figures in four games for the Bulldogs, including 10 points and five rebounds versus Belmont. Tryon had a season-high 16 points versus Mississippi College and 10 against McNeese State in the Emerald Coast Classic championship game. The Temecula, Calif., native, is averaging 7.6 points and 5.6 boards.


UP NEXT: KENNESAW STATE
The Bulldogs return to the court on Saturday, Dec. 18, as Samford hosts Kennesaw State. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.


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).