Furman
22-13, 10-8 SoCon/6th in Regular-Season/2026 Tournament Champion
When Stephen Croone and Devin Sibley helped power Furman to the Southern Conference title game as the No. 10 seed almost 12 years ago, few could have predicted the Paladins would have sustained that winning success to now become the SoCon’s standard torchbearer over the past decade. But that is exactly what has transpired with two NCAA Tournament appearances, two NIT appearances, a top-25 ranking, and 245 wins later, the Paladins are now a program considered among the mid-major elite, year-in and year-out.
Furman now looks to become the first team since the 2014 and ’15 SoCon Tournament champion Wofford Terriers to win back-to-back SoCon titles. In a league like the SoCon, it’s become increasingly tougher to win back-to-back titles.
The Paladins welcome back a healthy amount of talent from that team that lifted the title just last season, but there are some significant losses, too. Furman’s lone All-SoCon performer — Alex Wilkins — who led the team by averaging 17.4 PPG as a true freshman last season has moved on to the University of Kentucky. Wilkins was a freshman phenom who took the SoCon by storm last season, and it was little surprise that he was named the Southern Conference MVP, performing at such a high level in the semifinal round of the tournament, as he finished that contest with 34 points in the 81-75 win over UNCG. The Mattapan, Mass., native connected on 10-of-17 shots from the field, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range.
Tom House was also a key component of the title run last season, posting 13 points in the championship game, while Cooper Bowser made a strong case for the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player honor, as he added 21 points on a near-flawless 9-of-12 shooting performance for the game. With the prospect of Furman’s three most important players offensively in the tournament having potentially moved on, it makes for an interesting transition to the 2026-27 season.
Bowser transferred to Arkansas and joins Wilkins in the SEC. Eddrin Bronson has moved on and will be a key piece for Ed Conroy’s The Citadel Bulldogs next season, while Asa Thomas, who spent one season at Furman after transferring in from Clemson, has transferred to be closer to his home state of Illinois, as he will suit up for the Illinois-Chicago Flames next season.
Ben Vander Wal graduated, and House remains in limbo, as he awaits a court ruling for the 2022-23 freshman class, as he is part of a class-action lawsuit seeking a fifth year of eligibility.
In 6-foot-11 forward Charles Johnston’s case, in the state of California, he was granted a temporary restraining order, as part of the class-action lawsuit in that state, and as of mid-September, Johnston is eligible to play in 2026-27. As a result of a stay in Ohio, House remains ineligible for that extra fifth year in mid-September. Both are currently enrolled in graduate courses at Furman for the 2026-27 school year.
Should Furman get one or both back this season, it could have a significant impact on how the season pans out for head coach Bob Richey’s Paladins. Richey, who enters his 10th year as the head coach, now has over 200 wins at Furman, reaching that total in Furman’s Senior Night, 72-51, win over The Citadel. He sits at 203 total wins as the head coach as we enter the 2026-27 season.
Though the Paladins lose potentially their top seven scorers from last season, Furman has some key pieces returning from a year ago, including a trio of players who played significant roles as freshmen last season: Cole Bowser (5.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG), Collin O’Neal (2.9 PPG, 1.4 RPG) and Abijah Franklin (4.4 PPG, 1.8 RPG).
O’Neal suffered an knee injury in a home win over Harvard in December, which kept him out for a large portion of the season. O’Neal had been one of Furman’s top performers off the bench prior to his injury and was able to enjoy his best performance in Furman’s 72-65 loss to Illinois State in the Old Spice Classic’s Imagination Bracket Championship game in Kissimmee, Fla., last season. He connected on all four of his 3-pointers and finished with 12 points off the bench in the Furman loss.
Bowser was expected to redshirt the entire season, but with some significant injuries beginning to mount, including a foot injury to his brother Cooper Bowser, had his redshirt be removed, and he became a significant role player in the front court as the season progressed. Bowser became useful as a pick-and-pop guy from the perimeter, as well as on the defensive end of the floor. The younger Bowser saw action in 20 games, including making six starts. He was a significant factor in Furman’s championship win over East Tennessee State last March, as he finished with four points, four rebounds and blocked a pair of shots off the bench.
Bowser proved to be a solid threat for the Paladins from the perimeter, as he connected on 36% (14-of-39) from 3-point range, and was also effective overall from the field, connecting on 46% of his shots from the field. Bowser is also a solid defender on the perimeter for the Paladins, and he will once again be an x-factor this season for the Paladins. He has all-conference talent.
Franklin, who should be another young player who comes into his own, especially now that he is no longer playing in the shadow of Wilkins. The former Wren HS standout was a pure scorer during his prep career and is expected to be one of several scoring options for the Paladins this coming season, and I expect he will emerge as one of the three or four double-figure scorers the Paladins will feature this season. Franklin enjoyed his best contest against Wofford, as he posted a career-high 14 points and six rebounds. Franklin also posted 11 points in a home win over Columbia International and at The Citadel. Franklin finished the season shooting 29.8% (14-of-47) and shot 63.6% (21-of-33) from the free-throw line, as well as connecting at a 35.4% (35-of-99) clip from the field.
Other glue guy types return, in Davis Molnar (DNP in 2025-26) and Mason Smith (3.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG), who both were injured last season, have worked hard to get back in the fold and both figure to add depth. Molnar is a gritty player who could add some depth underneath, while being an added force on the glass on both ends. Molnar is also a decent defender, and he’s seen his shot improve significantly this season.
The Paladins made several key additions from the transfer portal, with the most notable addition being former Western Carolina forward Marcus Kell, as he will be one of the primary impact players for the Paladins acquired through the transfer portal.
In his final season in Cullowhee, Kell helped the Catamounts to a seven-win improvement and to the doorstep of a Southern Conference championship game. In his final season with the Catamounts, Kell averaged 13.6 PPG and 4.8 RPG. However, his shooting from long range wasn’t as accurate during his final season in Cullowhee, as he finished out the 2025-26 season, with one fewer 3-pointer made (43), while shooting 29 more threes (145) than he did last season.
Furman added Jordan Butler out of South Carolina. The 7-foot-1 center will give the Paladins even more size than what they had with either the 6-foot-11 Johnston or the 6-foot-11 Cooper Bowser, and it will also give the Paladins an outside shooting element once again. Butler runs well and has the potential to add a rim protection element to the fold, especially both twin towers from a year ago.
In the backcourt, the Paladins will have a couple of new additions who should take on immediate responsibility are Jaxson Bell (Army) and Luka Toews (Boston College). Toews will add in some ACC experience, having started 20 games last season at Boston College, and saw action in a total of 53 games over the past two seasons with the Eagles. He is not a big-time scoring threat like Wilkins was, but he is an efficient, experienced leader. Bell was a double-figures scorer at Army, averaging 12.2 PPG and 5.0 RPG for the Black Knights last season.
The Paladins not only got talent from the portal, but also brought in some freshmen performers that figured to make an impact this season, with Jerrin Samuel and Cameron Elwer expected to play big roles right away this coming season. Samuel is maybe a better-known recruit than Wilkins was coming out of high school, and he has a chance to make every bit as much of an impact, although he won’t be asked to lead the team as the starting point guard.
With that said, he will be a player who has more of a game like that of Franklin than Wilkins. Samuel is a combo guard who can score the basketball, and he is an elite shooter and a solid perimeter defender. Samuel is a 6-foot-5 combo guard from Winder-Barrow High School, which is on the outskirts of Metro Atlanta. The three-star recruit was ranked the No. 5 in the 2026 class in the state of Georgia according to PrepHoops and as a senior in 2025-26, was named the to the GHSA All-Georgia First-Team and GHSA AAAAA Player of the Year. He averaged 27.3 PPG, 12.4 RPG and 2.6 APG. He finished his career with 1,963 points. Samuel figures to add depth at two guard behind Franklin.
Finally, Cam Elwer is one of the best young shooters in the 2025-26 class and is a record-setting scorer and shooter out of the state of Ohio. He has a quick release reminiscent of former Wofford Terrier Fletcher Magee, in that his release is so quick that his shot is nearly unguard-able. Elwer averaged 28.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.6 APG and 2.0 SPG as a senior, ranking in the top-10 nationally in scoring average as a senior. His senior season saw him named Player of the Year and was a two-time finalist for Mr. Basketball for the state of Ohio in the Division-VII classification.
Final verdict for the Paladins:
This is a Furman team that once again should be the favorite to cut down the nets in Asheville, especially if both Johnston and House are allowed to return. At the moment, it appears Johnston is going to be able to be eligible for the season with his TRO, and even if he is the only returnee to the fold as a starter from last season’s team, his rebounding and defense alone are both game-changers for the Paladins in 2026-27. With Butler, Bowser and Johnston in the paint, you can once again see the Paladins being among the best rebounding teams in the SoCon and one of the best in the nation I would assume. Anything short of 20 wins and a top-three finish in the regular season for the Paladins would likely be considered a disappointment.
East Tennessee State
23-11,13-5 SoCon/2025-26 Regular-Season Champions
Last season ETSU had a team that was its most balanced on the hardwood since the Steve Forbes era, and it’s no wonder the Bucs won 23 games, which is the most since that 2019-20 squad won a school-record 30 games en route to winning both the regular-season and tournament titles only to see the NCAA Tournament canceled all together due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ETSU had its most efficient offense in program history last season, according to head coach Brooks Savage, and will look to build upon that offensive success this season. Much of that had to do with the change in philosophy from the Bucs’ staff and how they went about getting players in the portal. Out was going after the big seven footers and trying to take guys that were questionable bigs to begin with and trying to turn those players into dominant post players in the SoCon. It’s true that the Bucs had been able to turn those players into good players in this league when Forbes was the head coach.
Just like football, however, the quality of big man that truly has size and that can be dominant in this league now is a lot different than it was then. Last season, the Bucs weren’t as big in the paint, but offensively they were as good as they have been in a long time with the additions of talents like Blake Barkley and Cam Morris III, as those two ended up being a big reason the Bucs won the SoCon regular-season crown last season.
The Bucs were dealt a tough blow in late September when Jordan McCullum, who was the leading returning scorer from the Bucs from a year ago and a player who figured to challenge for Player of the Year and would have been an all-conference performer, suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in practice. He was the lone returning starter for the Bucs heading into the 2026-27 season.
Marqus Marion is a player Bucs fans should keep an eye on this season, as the 6-foot-7 redshirt junior, who transferred into ETSU’s program from Wake Forest could turn out to be a star right away much the way both Barkley and Morris III turned out to be last season for the Bucs. Marion is athletic and will be a force on the offensive end as well and is particularly good on the offensive glass. In an early-season matchup against Michigan last season, he posted six rebounds and saw some meaningful minutes during ACC play, which included 19 minutes off the bench in an 85-77 win over Clemson last February. With McCullum now out for the year, it could be Marion’s job to lose.
Marion figures to compete to be in line to backup McCullum at the three, and it’s a position the Bucs could have quite a unique tandem at as far as depth is concerned in the upcoming season. The Skovlunde, Denmark, product not only brings a high basketball IQ and good athleticism to the front court, he also brings the skill level and shooting ability into the fold that seemingly all Europeans bring into the fold, which he combines with the good old American athleticism part of it.
Both 6-foot-9 Brayden Crump and 6-foot-7 Kendall Campbell could also prove to be impactful players in the low post for Savage’s team in the upcoming season.
Crump, who originally transferred from Elon last season, was well on his way to having a strong season before a shoulder injury cut short his season after only 11 games. Crump was a glue guy type who showed he had some ability and would have likely played a big role for the Bucs in SoCon play last winter. Now, he is likely in line to start. The 6-foot-9, 225-pound native of Morganton, N.C., has a toughness and grit about him, which Savage loves. He is also versatile in that he can play either the four or the five spot underneath. He finished the season averaging 6.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG, while shooting 50% from the field and 31.3% from beyond the arc in his limited time last season.
Campbell transferred into the ETSU program from Wingate and will have one year of eligibility remaining after turning in a stellar career with the Bulldogs. The 6-foot-7, 220-pound Atlanta native is athletic and a versatile scorer underneath who should make an impact right away for ETSU in 2026-27. Campbell averaged 12 PPG and 5.7 RPG in his final season with the Bulldogs, while shooting 55.8% from the field and a solid 36.7% from 3-point range.
Campbell started his career at Elon, where he played his first two seasons before playing the 2025-26 season with Wingate. Campbell was one of two Bulldog players to start all 29 games last season, which included a breakout performance in an 87-67 win over Emory & Henry, as he posted a career-high 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the field. Look for the former Elon tandem of Crump and Campbell to be in serious contention to start in the frontcourt alongside McCullum.
The final frontcourt addition to the roster during the offseason is talented freshman power forward Elton Smith, who joins the Bucs program from Columbia, S.C. He spent a year prepping at Dynamic Prep and OTE FaZe in Irving, Texas, under head coach and former NBA big man Jermaine O’Neal. He averaged 5.1 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 13.8 MPG off the bench for Overtime Elite. In his high school career at Cardinal Newman HS in Columbia, Smith was a two-time SCISA All-State selection, as well as being a 4A two-time All Region 1 performer. He helped Cardinal Newman to the 4A State title.
There is also plenty of excitement surrounding the backcourt, and the Bucs will have one of the most loyal players in the SoCon leading the way for the upcoming season, in Maki Johnson, who returns for his senior season with ETSU, having now spent all four years in Johnson City. The 6-foot-5 combo guard has steadily improved on both ends of the floor with the progression of his career, and last season started to improve the biggest weakness in his overall floor game, which is the defensive end of the floor.
Johnson finished out his junior season by averaging 5.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 1.1 SPG, appearing in all 34 games last season for the Bucs. Huntington, WVa., native has excelled as a perimeter shooting threat throughout his standout career, having connected on 127-of-342 (37.1%) of his 3-point field goals in his career. He’ll be heavily relied upon to provide backcourt leadership this coming season for the Bucs. He showed how much he could impact a game as a scorer last season, posting a career-high 29 points on nine made threes in ETSU’s lopsided win over South Alabama last season.
A player who could be one that most people are sleeping on but could be a real impact player in this league during the 2026-27 season is 6-foot-4 wing guard Trevor Hennig. Hennig will have two years of eligibility remaining, and in his sophomore season at Weber State, he logged action in 26 games, which included making seven starts.
He ended up averaging 10.0 PPG last season, scoring a season-high 20 points against West Coast Baptist, while adding 19 points against Utah State, Utah Tech and Montana State. All told, he turned in a solid sophomore campaign in what was his final one in Ogden, as he shot a solid 47.8% (18-for-60) from the field, while finishing 30.0% (18-for-60) from 3-point land last season. The one area that Hennig has probably improved most about his game during the off-season is his perimeter shooting ability.
Fellow combo guard Tyran Mason is likely the most athletic player on the team, as well as maybe being one of the most athletic guards in the Southern Conference when its all said and done at season’s end. The 6-foot-6 junior transfer from UT-Arlington is a player that reminds me a lot of former ETSU standout LeDarrius Brewer, and he turned in a solid season in his final season with the Mavericks in 2025-26, as he ended up averaging 6.5 PPG and 3.6 RPG, as he played an important role off the bench for the UT-Arlington. He could parlay his overall improvement during the offseason into a potential starting job with the Bucs as one of the combo guards in 2026-27.
Mason logged action in all 32 games last season with the Mavericks and shot a solid 46% (78-of-170) from the field but was just a 29.8% (14-of-47) shooter from 3-point range and 68.6% (37-of-54) from the charity stripe. His athleticism and ability at the defensive end of the floor will give him a real chance to find himself in a starting role.
A pair of 6-foot guards who could provide much of the backcourt scoring for the Bucs and a tandem of guards that have a chance to be a top guard duo in the SoCon in 2026-27 are both BJ Ward (SEMO) and Jayden Cooper (South Alabama). Cooper saw the Bucs up close and personal last season, as he played against the Bucs in the Jaguars’ 91-65 loss at Freedom Hall in what was maybe the best performance by the Blue and Gold all season in 2025-26.
It’s unclear whether Savage favors putting the two on the floor at the same time or alternating the two to keep always scoring fresh as well as in the game. Whatever the head ball coach of the Bucs decides to do, he knows he has a pair of elite game-changers. Ward is a senior from Saint Lous, and he was one of two SEMO players to start every game last season, finishing his final season in Cape Girardeau by averaging 10.9 PPG, 3.7 APG and 2.1 RPG. His 122 assists saw him finish the season ranking fifth in the OVC in total assists last season, while finishing sixth in the OVC in assists average per game.
Ward finished the season shooting 38.9% from the field per game, while connecting on 50-of-143 from long range last season, which was good enough for a 35% shooting clip for the season from long range. He connected on 101 threes each of the past two seasons for the Redhawks, and totaled 105 threes made in three seasons in Cape Girardeau.
In his junior season with the Redhawks just last season, Ward ended up enjoying his best game of the season in a big win over Western Illinois, finishing not far from triple-double territory, with 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Ward also had 21 points against Morehead State, while finishing with 20 points against SIU Edwardsville. All told, Ward scored double figures in 18 starts last season, garnering second-team All-OVC recognition. In three seasons in Cape Girardeau, Ward logged action in 95 games, which included making 67 starts.
Cooper is another big-time get for the Bucs, and the South Alabama transfer is not only an efficient scorer but has a high basketball IQ and doesn’t have to be a scorer to impact a basketball game. As a newcomer in a backcourt that lost the likes of a pair of double figure scorers, in Brian Taylor II and Jaylen Smith, Cooper will be a guy who is looked to instantly to provide for ETSU as a key go-to scoring option for the Bucs. In Cooper’s first season at South Alabama, he averaged just 3.8 PPG and recorded a pair of double-figure scoring performances, which included a season-high 17 points and four rebounds against Troy.
He started his career at NCAA Division-II Faulkner, where he would show his talents right away during the 2023-24 campaign, as he was voted as the Southern States Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, while also garnering first-team all-conference honors. In his rookie campaign, the Pike Road, Ala., product averaged 20.7 PPG, highlighted by a career-high 39-point effort against Dalton State.
DeCarl Payne rounds out the portal additions for the Bucs in the backcourt, as he came to Johnson City from John A Logan College, which is a program that ETSU is most familiar with, having procured talents like Devontavius Payne and Quimari Peterson to name a couple of the more prominent ones. Devonatavius is his older brother and helped the Bucs to the 2016-17 Southern Conference Tournament crown. Payne hopes to become the latest of the greats in Johnson City to come from that program to play at ETSU.
Maddox Huff redshirted last season but will be among the best perimeter shooters in the SoCon in his rookie campaign. He’ll add depth in the backcourt and will be joined by a pair of talented true freshmen combo guards, Colt Busse and Ben Maller. Busse appears to be the one that could see the most immediate action on the floor, especially with his shooting ability. Like Huff, he has a quick release and only needs a small amount of space and time to get his shot up.
Busse comes from a great region of basketball talent, as he arrives from Baltimore after a standout career at Archbishop Spalding in Severn, Md., last season. The combo guard has excellent ball handling ability to go along with his proficiency as a shooter. He helped Archbishop Spalding to a 20-14 record this past season. Busse finished his senior campaign with 73 made threes, accounting for a majority of his 115 field goals last season. Busse has a chance to be a real impact player and will join Huff and Johnson as three primary perimeter threats for ETSU in the coming season.
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Final verdict for the Bucs:
As good as Savage’s Bucs were last season, the one weakness in the end that ended up catching that team last season was depth. The Bucs will be a little less deep with the unfortunate news of McCullum’s preseason injury, but there is talent enough being brought in that it should still ensure the Bucs are in the mix once again for a title.
Samford
18-14, 11-7 in SoCon in 2025-26
If anything, Samford proved that under Lennie Acuff, it was able to not only sustain the program had achieved under the direction of Bucky McMillan but also had been able to remain a very real threat in the SoCon championship race.
Getting star guard Jadin Booth out of the transfer portal ended up being a great separator for the Bulldogs in Acuff’s first season at the helm. Booth ended up posting 40- and 34-point games, respectively, to close out his final season of college basketball.
In my opinion, he was one of the best pure shooters the SoCon has seen since Fletcher Magee. He finished his career with over 2,000 points scored. Booth ended up being the first Samford player to ever win the SoCon Player of the Year award since the Bulldogs joined the SoCon back in 2009.
Booth’s 648 points scored during the 2025-26 season would mark the third-best individual season in the history of Samford basketball during its NCAA Division-I membership, with only Craig Beard’s back-to-back seasons of 656 and 703 points in both 1983-84 and ’84-85 ranking as better individual campaigns.
An equal part of that winning formula during the 2025-26 season was forward Dylan Faulkner, who on the rare nights when Booth didn’t have his best night shooting, Faulkner was there to pick up the slack. He was a player that played bigger than his size and he was extremely adept around the basket and was outstanding on the offensive glass. He wasn’t a great free throw shooter but improved as the season went on, and by the time the Bulldogs arrived in Asheville for the SoCon Tournament, he had become a guy that you couldn’t easily foul with the hopes of him missing the mark from the line.
Faulkner was everything that Acuff said he would be when he came over from Lipscomb to join the Samford program. Faulkner ended his one season in Homewood putting up some excellent numbers, as he finished out his one season posting nine 20+point scoring outings and finished with a total of 12 double-doubles, including 11 of which came against Southern Conference competition.
While the Bulldogs lose their top three scorers from a year ago, Samford will still enter the season as one of the favorites to claim the 2026-27 crown. If there’s a more likable winner in college basketball than Acuff, I challenge you to find him. Acuff’s a proven winner, and it might not be the same type of youthful exuberance that Samford had with McMillan, but not all winning formulas are the same ones.
The Bulldogs appear to have the team build on paper that will not only put them in the mix for a run at both the regular-season and tournament titles again this season but also might even be a more talented team than they were in Acuff’s first season at the helm.
While Samford doesn’t have an individual player as talented as Booth was a year ago, but collectively it has enough scoring talent to have a more balanced attack this season. It starts with the one player who could be an instant game-changer for the Bulldogs this season, which is Cornell transfer guard Cooper Noard.
In the 2025-26 season, Noard finished out the campaign as a second-team All-Ivy League selection after starting all 28 games for the Big Red last season, averaging 18.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 2.0 APG. Noard, a 6-2, 200-pound shooting guard, finished the season shooting 50% (173-of-346) from the field, which included an impressive 37.6% (80-of-213) shooting clip from 3-point range. He finished his four years in Ithaca, N.Y., posting 228 made triples in his career at Cornell. Noard also finished his career at Cornell as an outstanding free-throw shooter, connecting at a 90.3% (84-of-93) clip from the charity stripe last season. He shot an impressive 85.2% (167-of-196) from the charity stripe.
During his four seasons at Cornell, Noard finished as a career 39.1% shooter from long range. He’s probably not as gifted as a scorer or overall player as Booth was, nonetheless, his addition late in the summer was a huge addition for the Bulldogs. Noard is currently protected by a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in the state of California and is one of the players eligible from the 2022-23 freshman class.
While Noard will be the go-to-scorer for the Bulldogs this coming season, they have a few supporting players returning from a year ago, and one of those expected to play a major role in the backcourt in 2026-27 is Isaiah Campbell-Finch. The 6-foot point guard from Tampa is quick off the dribble, and is expected to make an even bigger impact as a sophomore. As a true freshman last season, the Tampa Catholic product ended up seeing action in 20 games, which included making 15 starts, while finishing the season by averaging 6.2 PPG, 1.4 APG and 1.1 APG in 21.8 MPG.
All told, Campbell-Finch found his way into double figures on nine occasions last season, which included his top performance of the season against Texas Southern, as he would lead the Bulldogs to an overtime win in that contest. He ended the game with a career-best 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field to go along with a 3-for-5 effort from 3-point range. His best string of performances came in late November and early December, when he posted a trio of double figure scoring games, which started with a 12-point performance in a win over Georgia State in Cancun, and that would be followed by 12- and 10-point performances in consecutive losses to Utah Valley and VCU.
Cade Norris is a 6-foot-4 combo guard who turned in a strong first season with Samford last season, and by the end of the season, he found his way into the starting rotation for the Bulldogs. Norris has all-conference potential as a wing coming into the season and is really coming off a strong finish to the 2025-26 season. The 6-foot-4 junior started 22 out 23 games he played in last season, finishing his first season in the Bulldog Red and Navy averaging 8.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 2.2 APG, while also shooting an impressive 42.7% (32-of-75) from 3-point range, while connecting on 45.7% (64-of-140) from deep.
Norris, who is the younger brother of Keaton Norris, who has now graduated, posted 14 games in double figures in his first season after transferring in from Illinois State. Norris turned in his best performance of the season after starting and logging 38 minutes in what was a crucial 78-75 win at The Citadel last season. He posted 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, including a 3-for-5 effort from 3-point range.
He is versatile, plays both wing guard or small forward and has the potential to find himself on one of the all-conference teams by the end of the season. Norris is the leading returning scorer for the Bulldogs, and was on a good run form to close the season, finishing out the campaign with five double-figure scoring games in his final seven games, including 11 points in the 86-81 tournament loss to Furman.
Judson Bjornstad and Will Shaver round out the returning players that saw significant action in the lineup for the Bulldogs last season. The 6-foot-8 Bjornstad saw action in 15 games, with one start for the Bulldogs last season. He finished the season averaging 2.0 PPG and 1.2 RPG, with his best performance of the season coming in a non-Division I win over Reinhardt, as he posted 16 points in 23 minutes of action.
Shaver was still a bit of a project when he arrived at Samford, and that was even after having spent some time at both UAB and North Carolina before his arrival in Homewood. The 6-foot-10, 265-pound native of Birmingham had some really good performances for the Bulldogs last season, however, for the most part, was an inconsistent performer.
The former four-star recruit finished the season averaging 3.0 PPG and 2.8 RPG, while shooting 51.1% (24-of-47) from the field and saw action in 22 of 32 games for the Bulldogs in his first season. Shaver posted a pair of double-figure scoring performances last season, with the best of those coming in the 77-73 home loss to Furman, as he finished with 15 points in just 13 minutes off the bench against the Paladins. Shaver finished the night connecting on 5-of-9 shots from the field, including making the only 3-pointer he put up.
JD Gossett also returns to the fold in the backcourt after redshirting the 2025-26 season and will add depth to the backcourt as a combo guard. The 6-foot-5 native of Huntsville, Ala., helped his team to a No. 2 finish in the state of Alabama as a senior, and averaged 15.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 4.0 APG, while shooting a blistering 63% from the field as a senior back in 2024-25 at Huntsville High School.
Joining Noard as newcomers for the Bulldogs this season will be both Win Miller (Belmont) and Ty Davis (Creighton) will both add to the backcourt and could obviously carve out a starting job, with the Bulldogs losing the likes of Keaton Norris, Kam Martin, and Zion Wilburn from its backcourt of a year ago. Miller joins the Bulldogs after spending the previous three seasons in Nashville playing for Belmont, where he played 76 games and averaged 7.1 MPG over the course of his career with the Bruins. He finished out his three seasons with Belmont by scoring a total of 144 points and dished out 42 assists, while shooting better than 40% from 3-point range this past season.
Davis is another 6-foot-4 point guard and rounds out the backcourt contingent from the portal heading into the upcoming campaign for the Bulldogs. Davis returns to Birmingham after having spent his first couple of seasons in Omaha, playing for Creighton where he saw action in 61 games, scoring 65 points and dished out 60 assists, while playing 9.3 minutes per game.
He is a pass-first point guard, and he will give the Bulldogs some size and versatility at the point guard spot heading into the 2026-27 season. He has a tremendous basketball IQ, with good vision and feel for the game, according to Acuff.
Brandon Fussell (Montevallo) and Najimi George (New Haven) are two more newcomers who have a chance to contribute right away, with Fussell adding elite shooting from a lower level in much the same way Booth was able to do last season. Fussell averaged over 17 PPG and 4.0 APG over the course of his career at Montevallo and could factor in at point guard. He is a career 39% shooter from 3-point range (133-of-342) in his career at Montevallo. Fussell comes off a 2025-26 season, which saw him average 18.5 PPG and 3.0 RPG.
In his most recent season at New Haven, George completed the campaign by averaging 11.2 PPG, as he saw action in 30 games, including starting 29 of those games. George finished the season shooting 41% (117-of-287) from the field, which included shooting 28% (30-of-108) from 3-point range. Though he struggled as a perimeter threat this past season, George is a versatile, three-level scorer.
After the 2025-26 season, George posted double figures in 20 of the 30 games he logged action in this past season, including a string of scoring in double figures in 11 out of 12 games. George got a strong start to the campaign, scoring 14 points against eventual national runner-up UConn, while posting his best performance of the season against Wagner, having posted 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field in what was an 80-74 win against the Seahawks.
According to Acuff, George is an athletic, multiple position wing, who brings a lot to the table on both ends of the floor. He is rangy athletic and is a good perimeter defender that is tough to shoot over. He is a three-level scorer that will add versatility on the wing.
Acuff managed to add a pair of players in the front court that could have quite the impact this coming season for Samford, as a pair of 6-foot-11 players join the fold, with one coming from the transfer portal, while the other comes to Samford from the high school ranks.
Braedan MacVicar will come in and compete right away for time at center. A native of Port Royal, Nova Scotia, he spent three seasons with the Chanticleers and ended up appearing in a total of 50 games with the Teal and Black, starting 16 of those contests as a true freshman, averaging 6.1 PPG and shooting 35% from 3-point land and 83% from the charity stripe in his rookie campaign. MacVicar saw action in 24 games this past season, averaging 2.6 PPG and 2.0 RPG, connecting on 29.6% (16-of-54) from 3-point range and 68.6% (11-of-16) from the free throw line. All told, MacVicar started 16 out of 50 games in his two seasons in which he played in Conway.
Lawson Lee is the lone freshman newcomer brought in by Acuff and staff for the 2026-27 season, and he comes to Homewood after helping lead Battle Ground Academy to a 31-8 record and a berth in the state title game. The 6-foot-11, Franklin, Tenn., product could be an impact player right away this coming season for the Bulldogs this season and could be part of a “twin towers” duo in the paint along with the addition of MacVicar. He is another highly skilled performer who can dribble, pass and shoot. He was named All-State, All-Region and was a finalist for Mr. Basketball in the state of Tennessee. Lee averaged a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Final verdict for the Bulldogs:
Samford is a program that has proven it is more than Bucky Ball, as good as that era was and as much as we enjoyed it, Lennie Acuff showed he could sustain that momentum by helping put the Bulldogs in position to win the SoCon once again in February, as the Bulldogs reeled off wins in eight of their final nine games entering the SoCon Tournament. I expect the Bulldogs will only be better in year two under Acuff. Don’t be shocked if Samford is cutting down the nets for a second time in four years in Asheville in early March.
Wofford
19-13, 11-7 SoCon/T-2nd
Year two under Kevin Giltner figures to look a lot different in Spartanburg than it did in year one, but one thing that won’t change is Wofford’s winning standard, which it re-established last season. It’s weird to think that you’d have to re-establish a winning culture for a Wofford program that had just come off its own title run under the direction of head coach Dwight Perry. Perry, who was rather unceremoniously dispatched due to a minor violation a little over a month out from the season, has since resurfaced as an assistant on Brook Savage’s staff at East Tennessee State.
In some strange world, the 2024-25 season for Wofford probably makes sense to some. Whatever side of that fence you’re on, you can’t take away the achievement of winning the conference tournament no matter how lackluster and underwhelming the regular-season might have been. Except for the regular-season win at Saint Louis, the non-conference slate for the Terriers and really the conference regular-season slate, save maybe the 19-point win at Furman and a win at ETSU, the regular season was forgettable.
That didn’t matter in the SoCon Tournament, as Perry’s Terriers reeled off wins over ETSU (W, 79-67), VMI (W, 81-61) and Furman (W, 92-85) in the SoCon Tournament to become the first No. 6 seed to ever cut down the nets at the end of the historic tournament. Perry’s Terriers would go on to a decent showing as a No. 15 seed in the NCAA Tournament, dropping a 77-62 decision to No. 2 Tennessee in Lexington, Ky., to bow out of the tournament.
It was a quiet offseason until it wasn’t in mid-August, which was when Perry and staff were suspended on paid leave pending an investigation into the allocation of NIL funds and on/off campus living situations of both freshmen and incoming players from the transfer portal. There is apparently a rule that all first-year students at Wofford must have on-campus housing, and that includes student athletes. The men’s basketball program failed to honor this basic rule, and that ended up being more costly than most would have anticipated.
It was probably an offense that, at worst, garnered a suspension and was not fireable one. But that’s just my opinion. Is there more to it? Was Director of Athletics Scott Kull looking for a reason to start anew? Those are questions that I can’t answer, but what I can tell you is that given the situation, Giltner was absolutely the perfect hire.
Giltner had to deal with being a first-time head coach, managing to keep a roster intact and install his vision and tactical schematics in a little over a month’s time. Giltner’s coaching ability and leadership were very apparent for all to see during the regular season. The Terriers, who were picked ninth in the preseason, finished tied for second, with an 11-7 league mark, which included a 19-13 overall record.
Unfortunately, the Terriers probably sputtered to the finish line more than Giltner and staff would have liked, but the flag had been planted and the new era of Wofford basketball under Mike Young’s former right-hand man seemed more positive than when Perry took the Terriers to the NCAA Tournament a year earlier if you can believe it.
One thing that Giltner’s team had last season was an offensive identity, and that wasn’t always apparent when Perry was in charge. With that, Wofford’s toughness at times came up short where I think Perry’s teams really excelled to a certain extent. Especially when it came to play on the defensive end of the floor, as well as having that desire to rebound. That was seemingly what Wofford did best under Perry. Giltner also has expressed in the preseason how important his staff is to the whole mix, especially Jeremiah Samarrippas, who is someone that Giltner calls an “elite” offensive coach.
While Perry’s team was tougher in 2024-25 to the naked eye in some ways, I think it’s unfair on the same hand to judge Giltner’s team in his first season on the job with such a short time to prepare for the season, and I would be willing to bet that is a much different story in 2026-27 than it was in 2025-26.
The 2026-27 season will involve rebuilding without the three top scorers from a year ago, however, Giltner has assembled quite a recruiting class to go with another talented crop of newcomers for the new season, which feels a little more like his first season in charge, having had a full offseason to recruit and to install some of his team winning philosophy.
One thing is for sure: the Terriers will look a lot different offensively. Wofford loses its top three players to major programs, with Kahmare Holmes set to continue his career at DePaul, while both Nils Machowski and Cayden Vasko are set to join UConn and Central Florida, respectively, next season. That leaves just four core players who were part of the team last season, with only three of those seeing time on the floor, as Cannon Richards sat out the season with an injury, as he saw action in only two contests the entire season.
The other two core players who return to the fold include Chace Watley, who acclimated to the fold incredibly well in his first season with the Terriers, and he’ll be one of the go-to-scorers heading into the season. Watley is a player who will see much of what Wofford wants to do built around him next season. The 6-foot-2 guard ended up appearing in all 32 games last season, logging a total of 15 starts and was the first man off the bench in the other 17 games of the season. He led Wofford’s freshmen on the roster in scoring, averaging 9.7 PPG and is the leading returning scorer off of last year’s team.
He would end up enjoying one of his best games of the season on his birthday, against ETSU which was Feb. 1, 2026, in a game that had to be moved back due to a snowstorm. Although tip-off time had to be moved back until 7 p.m., and the no spectators were allowed outside of the students already on campus, it didn’t phase Watley in the least, as the young guard went on to have one his best performances of the entire season despite the 86-72 setback. The Minneapolis native went on to finish the contest with 19 points, as he knocked down 6-of-15 from the field, but struggled overall from the perimeter, going just 1-for-6 from long range. Watley also finished that contest against the Bucs a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
Watley finished the season connecting on 39.8% (100-of-251) from the field and connected on 30.6% (30-of-98) from 3-point range. He finished the season with 15 double-figure scoring performances and will be a candidate for all-conference accolades heading into the 2026-27 season.
Brian Sumpter will most obviously be another focal point of the 2026-27 Terriers, and I think he’s going to make quite the jump from year one to year two in the lineup for Wofford. His athleticism is elite, and I look for him to develop into an impactful player this season on both ends of the floor.
Sumpter is coming off a strong freshman season and should make a clear jump in year two. The rising sophomore from Columbia logged action in 31 games for the Terriers this past season, starting 21 of those contests, and finished the season averaging 6.6 PPG and 4.9 RPG. His best performance of the campaign came in a 21-point, 11-rebound contest in his second-career game against Milwaukee. He also recorded a career-high 14 rebounds to go along with 10 points in Wofford’s big 74-70 win in Greenville.
He ended up connecting on an impressive 59.9% (85-of-142) of his shots from the field and his 39 blocks accounted for the fourth-most in school history. Sumpter wasn’t a 3-point threat in his first season for the Terriers, or at least not yet, as he finished the season connecting on just 16.7% (2-of-12) from long range last season. Sumpter also finished the campaign connecting at 61.5% (32-of-52) from the free-throw line.
Luke Flynn returns as the most veteran performer on this roster heading into the 2026-27 campaign, and he will be the unquestioned glue guy for the Terriers this coming season, and there was a noticeable effect when Flynn suffered an injury that kept him out for the second half of Southern Conference play. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound guard is entering his junior season and his presence on this team might be the biggest piece to a hopeful championship winning puzzle. He comes off a 2025-26 campaign, which saw him average 5.6 PPG and 3.3 RPG, while shooting 33.8% (26-of-77) from 3-point range, while shooting 33.0% (34-of-103) from the field. Flynn started 18 of 21 games for Wofford last season and has totaled 19 starts in 55 games over the course of two seasons in a Terriers uniform.
He finished his sophomore season with four double-figure scoring performances, highlighted by 16 points on 4-for-8 shooting from the field, including going 3-for-6 from 3-point range, in a 94-86 win over Bellarmine. The 16-point effort against the Knights marked a career-high scoring performance for Flynn. For the season, Flynn totaled 119 points, 81 rebounds, 25 assists, 14 steals and one block.
Rounding out the returning Terriers from a year ago include rising senior guard Davis Miller and junior guard Grayson Collins, as both saw only limited time last season for the Terriers. Collins logging action in eight games, while Miller finished the season having appeared in six contests. Cameron Lowe will help immediately offset the losses underneath in the backcourt, and the 6-6, 215-pouns redshirt junior will add versatility and size heading into the upcoming campaign. Lowe transferred into the Terriers program from Division-II Black Hills State in South Dakota.
While at Black Hills State, Lowe was the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year following a 2025-26 season, which saw him average 17 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 2.7 APG, as he helped the Yellow Jackets to a 30-5 overall record and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Division II tournament. In addition to garnering his conference’s Player of the Year honor, Lowe was also named an NABC Division II All-American.
He finished the 2025-26 season by scoring in double figures in 29 of 35 games, which included scoring a career-high 31 points in an 85-63 win over Colorado Mesa. In that contest, Lowe was able to finish the game a near-flawless 12-of-15 from the field, which included a 70% (7-of-10) shooting night from 3-point land.
Lowe finished the season with 14 games in which he scored 20 or more points this season, including that 31-point performance. He connected on 39.5% (92-of-233) of his 3-point field goals in his final season at Black Hills State, while finishing the season with a 47.5% (209-of-440) from the field.
His ability to score and his size and versatility will key Giltner in the coming season. Lowe is especially good in that he can score at all three levels and can post in the paint and score on the low block. He can also play multiple positions, allowing the Terrier coaching staff to have multiple lineup options.
Another potential difference-maker in the backcourt in the 2026-27 season could be 6-foot guard Jacob Daniels, who comes to Wofford from Division-II member Lander, where he helped the Bearcats all the way to the championship game of the Division II NCAA Tournament. Lowe was recognized as a preseason All-SoCon selection in the league’s virtual media day conducted by the Field of 68 last week.
The rising sophomore will have three years of eligibility remaining, and he was an impact player for the Bearcats in his rookie season of playing college basketball, starting 34 of 36 games for Lander. He finished second on the team in scoring average, posting 13.6 PPG and 5.6 APG. He also finished the season with a season-high 201 assists, while also pulling down 3.3 RPG. Daniels was named the Peach Belt Freshman of the Year for the 2025-26 season.
He will likely challenge for a significant role at point guard but can also play off the ball. He scored in double figures on 29 occasions last season, including scoring 20 or more points on six different occasions. His best performance came in a game against the quarterfinals of the Peach Belt Tournament, as he posted 23 points and 10 assists to register a double-double, while also grabbing six rebounds to flirt with a triple-double.
Daniels was also outstanding on the defensive end of the floor in the 91-81 win, registering three steals. His 23-point performance came as the result of a 9-for-12 shooting outing. He shot an impressive 54.7% (185-of-338) for the season, but struggled as a perimeter shooter, finishing the season at just 28.9% (28-of-97). Daniels also connected at a 70.5% (93-of-132) clip from the free-throw line in his only season at Lander, helping the program to its most wins in its history, as the Bearcats finished the 2025-26 season 30-6.
Rounding out the key additions made in the backcourt from the transfer portal is 6-foot-6 wing guard Chris Arias, who arrived in Spartanburg following two seasons with the Jacksonville Dolphins in the Atlantic Sun. The lanky, athletic wing saw action in 30 games in the most recent season for the Dolphins, averaging 7.3 PPG and 2.3 RPG, as well as shooting 36.1% from 3-point range (43-of-119), and was 41.0% (139-of-340) from the field. He was selected to the preseason All-Atlantic Sun team and will be most remembered for his game-winning 3-pointer to beat VMI last season in Lexington, which made the SportsCenter Top 10 Plays. That three was part of a career afternoon for Arias, who finished with a career-best 24 points in the win. He will be another player that can reliably hit the outside shot for Giltner’s Terriers if called upon to do so in the upcoming season.
The only addition via the transfer portal to the frontcourt is a pretty big one…literally. UVA-Wise transfer center Evan Ramsey has two seasons of eligibility remaining. The 7-foot, 250-pound native of Abingdon, Va., started all 31 games he logged action in last season for the Terriers, finishing out what was an impressive campaign by averaging 14.1 PPG and 7.8 RPG to go with 57 blocks.
Ramsey is a legitimate rim protector and finished out the 2025-26 season with a pair of six-block games for the Cavaliers. Ramsey was a big reason why the Cavaliers finished with its most wins (20) since making the jump to the Division-II level. Ramsey was a All-SAC First Team selection in 2025-26. He will also be an impact player in the paint on both ends for Wofford, as he will contend for a starting spot. Ramsey posted his best game of the 2025-26 season in a 91-83 loss to the Trojans, as he posted 24 points and 13 rebounds, as he finished 8-of-13 from the field and was 8-for-9 from the charity stripe.
All told, Ramsey finished his redshirt sophomore season by posting double-figure scoring efforts in 27 outings and posted seven double-doubles last season. Ramsey also finished the 2026-27 season connecting on 58.1% (162-of-279) and was a 73% (192-of-264) from the free-throw line. In his redshirt freshman campaign for the Cavaliers, Ramsey averaged a double-double, as he posted 14.5 PPG and 10 RPG en route garnering All-SAC Second Team plaudits. Like the 2025-26 season, Ramsey proved to be an impact player on the defensive end of the floor in his redshirt freshman campaign, as he blocked 50 shots as a rookie.
Much like the 2025-26 signing class for Wofford, the 2026-27 class is one that appears to be, at least on paper, one of the top freshmen signing classes in the SoCon once again this season.
Headlining the list of five newcomers is 6-foot-9, 270-pound freshman big man Cutter Sisk out of Hendersonville, Tenn. Sisk was the first signee of the current 2026-27 class, as he inked his official letter of intent last November, having already reached the 1,000-point and 500-rebound plateau before his senior season at Beech High School. He was a Class 4A “Mr. Basketball” finalist and a district/region MVP. He led Beech High School to its first state title since 2009, hitting a buzzer-beater against Lebanon in the state title game as a junior, finishing off his junior campaign in dream fashion. Because of his high basketball IQ and tremendous skill as a power forward, Sisk garnered the nickname “Baby Jokic,” which is a reference to Denver Nuggets star power forward Nikola Jokic of course.
After averaging a double-double as a junior, Sisk finished out his final season as a prep averaging 23 PPG and 10 RPG, as he led the Buccaneers to the brink of a second-straight state title, which came up just short in the state quarterfinals. He scored 33 of his team’s 52 points in what was a 55-52 loss to Bearden. “Baby Jokic” Sisk showed us all he could in Wofford’s, 78-76, exhibition loss to Virginia Tech, posting 20 points and six boards in the narrow loss to the Hokies. Sisk will offer the perfect complement in the paint to guys like Sumpter and Ramsey, and I think and expect to see Sisk to get some significant playing time in his rookie campaign for the Terriers because of his size and overall strength in the paint.
The other four freshman additions came in the backcourt, with some impressive signees highlighting the newcomers in the backcourt, with Jhett Carter and Jyi Dawkins among those that could join Sisk in making an immediate impact for the Terriers this coming season. Dawkins had originally committed to play for Western Carolina in the fall, but then decommitted and found his way to Wofford, where he could make an impact with his ability to score at all three levels on the floor. Dawkins, a three-star recruit, was one of the nation’s top scorers in his final two seasons with Ben L. Smith High School in Greensboro, choosing Wofford over other offers from Campbell, North Carolina A&T, UNC Greensboro and Cleveland State.
He will give the Terriers an athletic combo guard who can score in a variety of different ways, and it sets up for him to be one of the top freshmen in the SoCon next season. His 32.6 PPG last season ranked him 14th nationally in scoring in his final season as a prep. He added 13.1 RPG and 5.2 APG as a senior. Dawkins is unequivocally a player who has a chance to be a game-changer for Wofford as soon as the 2026-27 season.
Set to join up alongside Dawkins will be Jhett Carter, who is another 6-foot-5 combo guard who will have a chance to come in and be a difference-maker as well in the backcourt for the Terriers. During his high school career at Hargrave Military Academy, the Titusville, Fla., native finished his career with 1,790 points, 814 rebounds, and 238 steals, showing his all-around game.
Carter is versatile enough to play either a third guard spot, or at small forward. He chose Wofford over offers from East Carolina, Georgia State, Ohio, Albany, Hampton and Holy Cross. Carter is known for his defensive capabilities and was named All Elite Prep League Defensive Team in each of his final two seasons, as well as being a First-Team All-EPL selection following the 2025-26 campaign.
Jemon Price and Misho Kalinov round out the talented freshman signing class for the Terriers. Price is a 6-foot-2 guard out of Westfield High School in Virginia, garnering 6A State Player of the Year honors as a senior following a 2025-26 season, which saw him average 18.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 2.5 APG. In his senior season, he scored 20 or more points nine times on the season, which included a season-high 32-point outing.
Final verdict for the Terriers:
With back-to-back strong recruiting classes, it’s not hard to believe that Wofford could be in line to be title contenders in Kevin Giltner’s second season at the helm in Spartanburg. The Terriers have put together back-to-back strong recruiting classes, and with more mature players coming aboard out of the portal, it won’t be shocking to see Wofford competing for both regular-season and tournament titles this coming season.