Sunday, March 26, 2023
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Samford Crimson
weather forecast
  • News
  • Sports
  • Arts and Life
  • Opinion
  • COVID-19
    • CDC
    • AL Public Health
    • WHO
    • Samford Updates
  • About
    • Staff
  • News
  • Sports
  • Arts and Life
  • Opinion
  • COVID-19
    • CDC
    • AL Public Health
    • WHO
    • Samford Updates
  • About
    • Staff
No Result
View All Result
The Samford Crimson
No Result
View All Result
Home Sports

McMillan enters year two with stellar recruiting class

by Davis Domescik
October 5, 2021
in Sports
0
McMillan enters year two with stellar recruiting class
0
SHARES
288
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin

Bucky Ball is locked and loaded for year two.

On April 6, 2020, Samford Athletic Director Martin Newton hired Bucky McMillan, an enthusiastic, energetic and proven winner known nationally for his coaching at  Mountain Brook High School. His hiring created immediate excitement, especially for  fans who were familiar with Birmingham-area high school athletics. 

This year, much of the excitement comes from the incoming recruiting class for the Bulldogs, which consists of three impact transfers and a four-star recruit. 

Wesley Cardet Jr., a 6-foot-6-inch freshman small forward from Orlando, Florida, is probably the most talented recruit Samford has ever signed. He is ranked in the top 100 by 247sports for 2021 basketball recruits nationwide and chose Samford over Alabama, Florida, Illinois and others. 

Cardet plays above the rim on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor and is a threat from deep as well. His talent will likely allow him to be an impact player from the very beginning of this season. 

While Cardet could still possibly take time to develop into a premiere Southern Conference talent, McMillan has added several proven transfers to complement Cardet. 

As for NCAA Tournament experience, Cooper Kaifes, a 6-foot-4-inch shooting guard, has transferred to Samford from Loyola-Chicago. Kaifes shot a ridiculous 46.5 percent from three-point range in his freshman year with the Ramblers. His shooting from beyond the arch is a much-needed piece in the offense, considering that the Bulldogs finished last in the SoCon for three-pointers made (151). 

The two other transfer additions, Ques Glover and Jermaine Marshall, could be equally as impactful for the Bulldogs. Glover is a 6-foot guard who transferred from the University of Florida. The Tennesee-native averaged 21 points-per-game in high school, and could potentially be a standout guard on McMillan’s offense. He had limited playing time while at Florida, but still appeared in 51 games over two years. 

Birmingham-native Jermaine Marshall is a 6-foot-6-inch forward who has transferred back to his hometown from the University of Akron. The sophomore began his college career at a Florida junior college, where he nearly averaged a double-double and led his team to a 29-1 record. Marshall may not immediately be a starter, but his athleticism on both ends of the court could be a huge impact for the Bulldogs for the next few seasons. 

“We’re just really excited to get going, and we have big expectations for this team,” said returning sophomore guard, Marcellus Vail. Along with plenty of Samford fans, Vail is excited to finally play in front of a packed Pete Hanna crowd after a COVID-riddled 2020.

“We’ve been having really good practices and a good preseason,” he added. “We’re just getting ready to go and excited to have fans in the gym.”

Overall, the Bulldogs are set to have one of the most exciting seasons in program history. McMillan, now with a year under his belt, is set to bring a historically talented recruiting class, experienced playmakers and classic “Bucky Ball” energy to 2021. The Bulldogs have not made the NCAA tournament since the 2000 season, and their quest for glory will begin on Nov.9 against Maryville in the Pete Hanna Center. 

Davis Domescik

Sports Editor

Tags: bucky ballbucky mcmillanCooper Kaifessamford basketballSoCon basketballWesley Cardet
Next Post
Samford Soccer red hot in early conference play

Samford Soccer red hot in early conference play

Recommended

Samford debate team beats Harvard, others at season opener

Samford debate team beats Harvard, others at season opener

2 years ago
Spring campaign begins for Women’s Soccer

Spring campaign begins for Women’s Soccer

3 weeks ago

Popular News

    The Samford Crimson

    © 2019 The Samford Crimson

    Navigate Site

    • News
    • Sports
    • Arts and Life
    • Opinion
    • COVID-19
    • About

    Follow Us

    No Result
    View All Result
    • News
    • Sports
    • Arts and Life
    • Opinion
    • COVID-19
      • CDC
      • AL Public Health
      • WHO
      • Samford Updates
    • About
      • Staff

    © 2019 The Samford Crimson

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password?

    Create New Account!

    Fill the forms bellow to register

    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In