GAME NOTES--SAMFORD AT FURMAN (PDF)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford men's basketball team (10-2, 0-0 SoCon) will open Southern Conference with a game at the Furman Paladins (8-5, 0-0 SoCon) Wednesday, Dec. 29, at 6 p.m. (CT) at Timmons Arena. The game can be seen live on ESPN+ with Bryant Lambert (PBP) and Terrence Oglesby (Color) calling the action. Live stats will also be available at FurmanPaladins.com.
 

• Samford and Furman are meeting for the 31st time, with Furman holding a 21-9 advantage in the series. The teams met once last season, with the Paladins taking a 78-64 win on Feb. 17, in Greenville, S.C.

• The Bulldogs are coming into the game having won four in a row and eight of their last nine after a thrilling 75-73 victory at Ole Miss at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion last Tuesday night. Ques Glover led Samford with 21 points. Jermaine Marshall had 13 points and 11 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season. Ole Miss was led by Daeshun Ruffin with 17 points.

• Samford has been led in scoring so far this season by sophomore guard Ques Glover, who ranks third in the Southern Conference with an average of 19.3 points per game. Glover leads the SoCon in free throw percentage (.898) and ranks fifth in assists (4.2 apg.).  Jermaine Marshall leads the league in rebounding, grabbing 9.3 boards per contest.

• Furman is off to an 8-5 start to the season after a 75-61 victory over Presbyterian Dec. 21 at Timmons Arena. Furman has played a tough non-conference schedule, including an 80-72 overtime win at Louisville. The Paladins also played close games in losses at North Carolina and Mississippi State.

• The Paladins have been led offensively by Alex Hunter, averaging 17.6 points per game. Jalen Slawson is scoring 16.2 points per game, and he leads the team in rebounding, averaging 8.3 boards per game. Slawson also leads Furman in assists, dishing out 3.9 assists per game.

• Samford is averaging 76.7 points per game while giving up 72.1 entering Wednesday night's game at Furman.

• Furman is scoring 80.1 points per game, while allowing 74.1 points per contest. The 80.1-points-per-game average ranks second in the Southern Conference behind The Citadel's 81.9 average. The Paladin's scoring defensive average of 74.1 points per game ranks ninth in the 10-team league.

 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS

• Samford is No. 1 in the SoCon in turnovers forced (16.4) and No. 2 in the league in steals (8.3). The Bulldogs forced a season-high 33 turnovers versus Spring Hill.

• SoCon teams combined to win six games against Power 5 conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Pac-12) teams during the non-conference portion of the 2021-22 season. The six wins is the most the league has accumulated against those conferences since also winning six games in the 2012-13 season.

• Hard work and dedication create luck on the court and entering Southern Conference play, KenPom.com ranks Samford No. 1 in Luck with a +.317 rating. For more on the data analysis visit https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankLuck.

• Pace of Play is a key metric for the Bulldogs, as Samford averages 72.5 possessions per game. In 2020-21, Samford led the nation at 91.0 per game.

• Mr. Double-Double Jermaine Marshall (6-6, 225, So.) recorded his sixth double-double this season with 13 points and 11 boards in Samford's 75-73 win at Ole Miss last week. The Akron transfer has been a force on the wing for the Bulldogs, averaging 12.4 points and a SoCon-leading 9.3 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 11 games.

• Ques Glover (6-0, 180, So.) has made a remarkable impact on the Bulldogs so far this year, ranking No. 3 the SoCon in scoring at 19.3 points per game while dishing out 4.2 assists a game. The Knoxville, Tenn., native, scored 21 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists in last week's win at Ole Miss.

• With last Tuesday's 75-73 win at Ole Miss, the Bulldogs moved to 5-0 in games decided by three points or less.

• The Bulldogs are 8-0 when leading at halftime this season and 7-0 on the year when controlling the opening tipoff.

• Jaden Campbell (6-5, 195, Soph.) has been a major spark for the Bulldogs, averaging 10.7 points per game, ranking 25th in the Southern Conference. 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.

• Samford's bench has outscored the opposition seven times this season, leading to a 7-0 mark in those contests.

• 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 9.2 points, and 4.0 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.

UP NEXT

• After opening Southern Conference play at Furman Wednesday night, the Bulldogs will play their first home SoCon game on January 1, when Samford hosts The Citadel. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. in the Pete Hanna Center, and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+. Samford picked to finish eighth in the annual SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll with The Citadel tabbed to come in ninth.

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).