Bulldogs Finalize Men's Basketball Signing Class
5.20.26 | Men's Basketball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford men's basketball team has finalized its 2026-27 signing class. The Bulldogs added six newcomers, one freshman and five transfers to their squad that finished with an 18-14 record in the first season under head coach Lennie Acuff.
We are excited to introduce the six young men that we have added to our 2026-27 roster. I am confident that they will each fit well with the returning players we were fortunate enough to retain from last year. Our priority will always be to put together a team that values Samford University and who wants to be here for the right reasons.Head Coach Lennie Acuff
As we build our program, we would like to continue to recruit high school players. With that in mind, we were thrilled to sign Lawson Lee from Battle Ground Academy (Franklin, TN.) in the early signing period last fall. Lawson went on to validate our belief in him with a great senior year. We also recognize the importance of being effective in navigating the transfer portal in today’s ever-changing college basketball landscape. We added five transfers that we identified throughout the process that we believe can help us compete in the always challenging Southern Conference right away and who will be tone setters in our locker room. The success we have had in putting together this year’s class is a direct result of the tireless work of our assistant coaches … Kip Owens, Will Acuff, Peyton Mattingly and Ryan Donohoo. They did an incredible job throughout the entire process. We were also able to recently add two new staff members, William Small and Jake Delaney, who helped us down the stretch in securing a couple of key late additions to our 2026-27 team. While we are encouraged with the team we have assembled, we realize that everyone in the SoCon has done an excellent job in the portal and the league will once again be highly competitive from ttop to bottom. Our focus now turns to the summer and making the most of time together in June and July.”
Lawson Lee joins the Bulldogs after averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds per game during his senior season. He helped lead Battle Ground Academy to a 31-8 record and a berth in the state championship game. The Tennessee native was named All-State, All-Region, and a finalist for Mr. Basketball.
"We were fortunate to sign Lawson in the early signing period last fall. Lawson is a highly skilled center with great feel for the game. His ability to dribble, pass and shoot at 6’11” is perfect for how we like to play and allowed him to have a tremendous year while leading BGA to the state championship game. We are thankful to bring in a high school player with a high upside who has been well coached and is accustomed to winning.” - Lennie Acuff
Brandon Fussell comes to Samford after spending his first three seasons at Montevallo. He played in 71 games for the Falcons where he was an immediate starter and averaged over 17 points and 4 assists per game in his career. The Alabama native is a 39 percent shooter from three, and scored a season-high 29 points against West Florida this past year.
“Brandon has produced at an extremely high level for three years at Montevallo. He brings a combination of toughness, skill, and shot making that will translate to this level. We have had a lot of success with Division II transfers, and I am confident that Brandon Fussell will be the next name on that list. He plays the game the right way and competes with an edge that will enable him to elevate to the Division I level immediately.” - Lennie Acuff
Ty Davis returns home to Birmingham after spending the past two seasons at Creighton. He appeared in 61 games in the Big East, where he scored 65 points and had 60 assists while playing 9.3 minutes per game. Davis was a three-star recruit and the number one player in the state of Alabama after his career at Mountain Brook HS.
“Ty is a true point guard with good size at 6’4” who possesses a tremendous basketball IQ. Having watched him throughout his tremendous high school career at Mountain Brook and the past two years at Creighton, you can’t help but to be drawn to his leadership skills and how he makes the game easy for everyone on the floor. His feel for the game along with his winning DNA will be impactful in our program from day one.” - Lennie Acuff
Win Miller joins the Dogs after three seasons at Belmont. The Alabama native appeared in 76 games for the Bruins where he played 7.1 minutes per game. He scored 144 points and had 42 assists while shooting 40 percent from three this past season.
“Win is a highly skilled combo guard who will impact how we play in a variety of ways. He shoots the 3 at a high level and has a floor game that enables him to excel at any of the perimeter positions. His versatility along with the understanding of what wins will be a huge asset for us immediately. We will benefit from Win’s experience of winning at a high level at Belmont along with his stellar career at Vestavia Hills.” - Lennie Acuff
Samford adds Braedan MacVicar after he spent three seasons, playing in two, at Coastal Carolina. He appeared in 50 total games and started 16 as a true freshman where he averaged 6.1 points per game. In his first year with the Chants, he shot 35 percent from three and 83 percent from the line while recording 23 blocks.
“Braedan is a unique post player because of his ability to stretch the defense with elite 3-point shooting. At 6”11”, he can impact the game with his passing along with is ability to play inside and out. His size will also give us added rim protection on the defensive end. We will benefit greatly from his three years of competing in the Sun Belt Conference. Braedan is the perfect complement to our returning post players.” - Lennie Acuff
George signed with the Bulldogs after spending the past two seasons at New Haven. He scored over 11 points per game this past season for the Chargers, including a season-high 21 points against Wagner. He in 57 games and started 47 over the past two seasons, playing over 1500 minutes.
“Naj is an athletic, multiple position wing who brings a lot to the table on both ends of the floor. His production at the Division I level at New Haven will benefit us immediately. We are excited about his ability to score the ball in a variety of ways as well create opportunities for his teammates. His energy, effort and explosiveness jumped out to us every time we turned on the film.” - Lennie Acuff
The Bulldogs add the six newcomers to nine returners, including regular starters Isaiah Campbell-Finch and Cade Norris, and bench contributors Judson Bjornstad and Will Shaver.
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