GAME NOTES: Kennesaw State @ Samford (12.18.21)
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Saturday's pre-Christmas clash at the Pete Hanna Center will be the final home game before the holiday break for the Bulldogs (8-2), as Samford hosts the Owls (4-6) of Kennesaw State. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Blake Gardner (PxP), Boyd Kaiser (Analyst), and Eric Biancalana (Sideline) will have the call. Samford will have a visit from Santa Claus and a number of Christmas-themed promotions as part of the game.   

Samford and Kennesaw State are meeting for the sixth time on Saturday with the Bulldogs owning a 3-2 edge in the series after last year's thrilling 65-63 victory at KSU. Samford's last win over the Owls at the Pete Hanna Center came on Nov. 12, 2018, in a 74-60 victory.

The Bulldogs are coming into the game having won two in a row and six of their last seven after a hard-fought 52-50 victory over Alabama A&M on Dec. 11 at the Pete Hanna Center. Jermaine Marshall, a 6-foot-6 sophomore from Brighton, Ala., recorded his third consecutive double-double with 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds to lead Samford while Wesley Cardet and Jaron Rillie added 11 points each.

Kennesaw State enters Saturday's game 4-6 overall after an 80-54 victory over Vorhees College last Saturday. Junior forward Demond Robinson tied his career-high with 16 points, which is also his high mark as an Owl. He finished 6-of-9 from the floor, 4-of-4 at the line, and added seven rebounds.

The Owls, who are 0-2 against Southern Conference schools this year after losses to Wofford and Mercer, are averaging 75.6 points per game while giving up 70.8 a contest. Kennesaw State scored a season-high 117 versus Carver on Nov. 15, 2021, in a 117-58 victory.   

Kennesaw State is led in scoring by Chris Youngblood, a 6-foot-4 sophomore guard from Tuscaloosa, Ala., who is averaging 13.5 points per game. Spencer Rodgers, a 6-foot-4 senior guard, is chipping in 11.5 points per game. He is also the team's leading rebounder at 5.3 boards per contest.  

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 conferences in terms of league RPI and 13th among all conferences 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
Samford is No. 1 in the SoCon and No. 18 nationally in turnovers forced (17.9) and No. 2 in steals (8.8). The Bulldogs forced a season-high 33 turnovers versus Spring Hill and 21 versus Belmont.

"Mr. Double-Double" Jermaine Marshall (6-6, 225, So.) recorded his third-straight double-double and fifth this season with 12 points and a career-high 14 boards versus Alabama A&M. The Akron transfer has been a force on the wing for the Bulldogs, averaging 12.8 points and a SoCon-leading 9.6 rebounds per game. He is one of the few players in the league that ranks in the top 20 in both scoring and rebounding through 10 games.

Ques Glover (6-0, 180, So.), who did not play last week, has made a remarkable impact on the Bulldogs so far this year, ranking No. 2 in 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 ECC Mid-Major Championship.
 
Jaden Campbell (6-5, 195, Soph.) has been a major spark for the Bulldogs, averaging 10.3 points per game, tied for No. 27 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 10.3 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.

The Bulldogs have played the first 10 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 7.2 points and 5.5 boards. His 5.5 rebounds per game rank 20th in the league.  

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.


UP NEXT: OLE MISS
Samford will conclude its non-conference schedule on Tuesday, Dec. 21, as the Bulldogs travel to Oxford, Miss., to face the Ole Miss Rebels. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. at The Pavilion and the game will be streamed on SEC Network+.


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).