Can Samford Return to 20 Wins? A 2026-27 Offseason Review
Lennie Acuff is rebuilding around Isaiah Campbell-Finch and Cade Norris. Here's everything you need to know about Samford's 2026-2027 offseason moves in the SoCon.
The Samford Bulldogs became a regular household name in the college basketball world with Bucky McMillan at the helm with four straight 20+ win seasons and a near upset over Kansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2024. After McMillan left for Texas A&M, Lennie Acuff left Lipscomb to take over as head coach of the Bulldogs last season.
In year one, Acuff led the team to an 18-14 overall record and 11-7 in the SoCon, putting them in second place in an ultra-competitive league. Now, they are looking to build on and return to a 20+ win record and the roster is shaping up to look like it has the potential to do just that.
In the era of the transfer portal, the Bulldogs have been able to retain some key players from their rotation last season while adding talent from all levels of college basketball including a budding star from Division II. Let’s take a look at what Samford’s roster is looking like for the 2026-2027 season!
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Roster Turnover
Keaton Norris (Ineligible)
10 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists
Jadin Booth (Ineligible)
21.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals
Jaxon Pollard (Ineligible)
3.2 points, 3.7 rebounds
Daijion Humphrey (TBD)
DNP ~ Injury
Kam Martin (Denver)
5.7 points, 2.1 rebounds
Dylan Faulkner (Clemson)
17.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists
Zion Wilburn (Georgia State)
4.6 points, 1 assist
As you’ll see in the coming section on returning players, the Samford Bulldogs were able to return several players from their rotation last season. They did lose their top three scorers in Jadin Booth, Dylan Faulkner, and Keaton Norris. Booth & Norris closed out their collegiate careers on a high-note. I’d be shocked if we don’t see Booth land a professional contract overseas or even within the G-League after a prolific season where he averaged 21.6 points while shooting 45.4% overall and 43.6% from beyond the arc.
Dylan Faulkner followed head coach Lennie Acuff to Samford after Lipscomb and he had his best season yet. The 6’9 forward averaged nearly a double-double while shooting a career-high 61.7% from the floor. He’ll now head to Clemson where there is no doubt he earned a big payday following his consistent development over the last three seasons.
They did lose some additional rotation players in Pollard, Martin, and Wilburn, but they did a great job of replacing them in the transfer portal. Daijon Humphrey unfortunately missed the entire season after suffering an injury prior to their first game, but he did announce recently that he was granted a year of eligibility, so we’ll see where he ends up for his final season of college basketball.
Returning Players
Cade Norris (Junior)
8.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists
Judson Bjornstad
2.3 points, 1.4 rebounds
Will Shaver
2.7 points, 2.6 rebounds
Isaiah Campbell-Finch (Sophomore)
7.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists
J.D. Gossett
DNP
Caleb Harrison
1.5 points, 1.4 rebounds
Joshua Hughes (Walk-on)
DNP
Corey Brown (Walk-on)
0.8 points, 0.6 rebounds (6.4 minutes / 5 games)
Zach Lamey (Walk-on)
4.6 points, 1 rebound (8.2 minutes / 5 games)
Cooper Davenport (Walk-on)
DNP
Guards
Isaiah Campbell-Finch (6’0)
Campbell-Finch had a phenomenal freshman season for the Bulldogs, so being able to retain him gives Lennie Acuff and his staff a large leg-up on the competition in the SoCon. He averaged 7.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 42.1% overall and 32.1% from beyond the arc. His output was a bit inconsistent, but you can expect that with a freshman knowing that with a full year of development under his belt he should be poised for a breakout in year two.
Looking at his metrics, he finished the season with a 103 offensive rating, 51.8% true shooting percentage, and 10.2 assist rate. He has some work to do at the free throw line, and I’d love to see him take another step forward with his passing game, but Keaton Norris was the go-to point guard last season. Look for a huge year out of Campbell-Finch.
Cade Norris (6’4)
Cade Norris saw a breakout year last season as a sophomore after transferring in from Illinois State. The 6’4 guard averaged 8.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 45.3% overall and 40.4% from beyond the arc. He really turned it on towards the end of the season, averaging 12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game over his last seven on the season.
Norris’ efficiency showed through his metrics. He finished the season with a 121.4 offensive rating which was 296th overall and a 60% true shooting percentage which was 256th. He also featured a 12.0 assist rate, 12.5% defensive rebounding percentage, and a 39.4 free throw rate. Don’t be shocked if he emerges as one of the most important players on this roster entering year three.
J.D. Gossett (6’5)
Gossett did not play last season and is in fact listed as a sophomore according to Samford’s official roster, so he’s not technically a redshirt freshman. He was one of two incoming freshman last season out of Huntsville, which finished as the number two team in the state the year prior. It’s hard to say what his role will look like this season, but we may potentially see him in a depth position.
Forwards
Judson Bjornstad (6’8)
Bjornstad spent his freshman season at Union before transferring to the Division I level last year. He appeared in 24 games, starting one, while averaging 8.8 minutes per game. During that span, he averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds per game while shooting 34.8% overall and 28.6% from beyond the arc on 21 attempts. The majority of his production came against their non-division one opponents where he put up 16 points with 6 rebounds against NAIA Reinhardt.
Will Shaver (6’10)
Shaver has had a bit of a wild journey. He started his career at North Carolina, before transferring to UAB for two seasons, then spent last season for Samford. He is technically a redshirt-senior at this point, but he’s appeared in 60 games throughout his career. Last year, he appeared in 30 games while averaging 9.7 minutes. The 6’10 forward/center averaged 2.7 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 47.6% overall and knocking down four of his 12 attempts from three-point.
Caleb Harrison (6’9)
Harrison appeared in 13 games as a freshman and averaged 1.5 points with 1.4 rebounds while shooting 60% from the floor. The Huntsville native saw the majority of his production come against their non-division one opponents, including six points with seven rebounds and two assists against Reinhardt. Look for him to see some more opportunities coming into his sophomore season.
Walk-ons
Joshua Hughes, Corey Brown, Zach Lamey, and Cooper Davenport are all walk-ons so you can expect a similar level of production this coming season. Although, shoutout to Lamey for his 14 points against the Reinhardt Eagles last season!
Roster Additions
Brandon Fussell (Montevallo ~ DII)
17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.1 steals
Win Miller (Belmont)
2.9 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.6 assists
Ty Davis (Creighton)
1.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Najimi George (New Haven)
11.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Braeden MacVicar (Coastal Carolina)
2.6 points, 2 rebounds
Lawson Lee (Freshman)
Guards
Brandon Fussell (6’1)
Fussell did nothing but absolutely dominate at the Division II level. As a freshman, he averaged 16.6 points with 3.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Fast forward to his junior year last season, he averaged 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.1 steals while shooting 44.8% overall and 38% from three-point on 171 attempts. If you take out his first six games of the season where it took him a bit to get going, his three-point shooting percentage jumps to 41.4% on the year.
Fussell should most likely slot into either the starting lineup or a role where he is the first player off the bench. He has the ability to be a leader on the court, in which there is a void with Keaton Norris gone. He’s obviously prolific on the offensive end, and when he’s hot from the floor there is little you can do to stop him. Look for him to become a fan favorite quickly.
Win Miller (6’3)
The Alabama native spent his first three seasons with the Belmont Bruins where he appeared in 75 games and started one. Last year, he averaged 2.9 points with 0.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 8.7 minutes per game while shooting 39.3% overall and 40.5% from three-point. Roughly 60% of his shot attempts came from beyond the arc, so he’s a bit of a three-point specialist which will give Acuff and his staff a great option off the bench to provide a spark when needed. Look for him to average 15+ minutes per game this season.
Ty Davis (6’4)
The former number one prospect coming out of Alabama was listed as a three-star and committed to Creighton over Oregon, Northwestern, Ole Miss, and many top-tier mid-major programs like Belmont, High Point, and more.
He appeared in 61 games and started in 13 over the last two seasons for the Bluejays including 12 starts coming last season. He averaged 1.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 11.2 minutes per game while shooting 29.7% overall and 20% from three-point on 20 attempts.
He’ll be looking for a larger opportunity with the Bulldogs this year to give himself a chance to breakout and put up large numbers. Don’t be shocked if you see him played 25 minutes or more per game this season.
Najimi Goerge (6’4)
The 6’4 guard spent his last two seasons with the New Haven Chargers, following the team as they transitioned to the Division I level last year while joining the NEC. He appeared in 30 games and averaged 11.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 40.8% overall and 27.8% from three-point. Against #4 UConn, he had 14 points with four rebounds in their first Division I game.
He’s a physical guard who isn’t afraid to fight for boards. In conference play, he finished with a 12.4% defensive rebounding percentage, and he drew on average 3.8 fouls per game which was 23rd best in the NEC. As a results, he had a 38.5 free throw rate which was 14th best. He developed into an offensive weapon as the year went on, finishing with a 22.3% possession usage in the NEC and a 22.7% shot percentage meaning he took nearly a fourth of their shots when he was on the court. From inside the arc in conference play he shot 50.4%.
Braeden Macvicar (6’11)
Macvicar spent his last two seasons with Coastal Carolina, but saw his playing time slashed in half last season. His freshman year, he appeared in 26 games while starting 16 and averaged 6.1 points with four rebounds per game. Last year, he appeared in 24 games while starting none and averaged just 7.2 minutes. He still averaged 2.6 points with two rebounds in that limited playing time while shooting 30% overall.
The Chanticleers made a huge jump from 10-22 and 329th overall in KenPom to 19-13 overall and 247th in KenPom last year. As a result, Macvicar was left out with a smaller role, so he’ll be looking for a higher impact at Samford this coming season. His metrics from his freshman season were very promising. He finished with a 108.4 offensive rating, 16.4% defensive rebounding percentage, and a remarkable 4.6 block percentage which was 208th in the nation. If he can tap back into that, Acuff might have found a diamond in the rough to help replace Dylan Faulkner.
Centers
Lawson Lee (6’11)
Listed as a three-star recruit, Lee spent his senior season of high school at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee. This is exactly the kind of kid I could see ending up at Lipscomb when Acuff was the coach, so it’s no surprise that he ended up at Samford. I’m assuming there was a connection there already given that Franklin is less than 30 minutes away from Lipscomb.
Anyway, Lee has a ton of potential. He is a high-octane offensive weapon with size and he’s a strong rebounder already. Sometimes when you have a tall player coming out of high school they need to bulk-up, but Lee is already stout and is listed as 220 pounds. I think Lee is going to have a promising collegiate career and you’ll be seeing him plenty on the court this season for the Bulldogs.
Lee held offers from Georgia Southern, North Alabama, Middle Tennessee, UT Martin, and Jacksonville.
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Expectations
This isn’t a veteran heavy team with just five seniors, two of which are walk-ons. While losing their stars Jadin Booth and Dylan Faulkner who combined for 55.4% of the team’s shots when on the court is difficult, they’ve done a great job finding replacements and retaining young talent that is ready to take another step forward in Isaiah Campbell-Finch and Cade Norris.
Looking at the guard play, Cade Norris will return in the starting lineup. My guess will be that his efficiency ratings will drop slightly because he’ll most likely end up taking more than just six shots per game like he did last season. Then you have Campbell-Finch, who is going to need to develop more on his playmaking. With a year under his belt, he didn’t have to step up with Keaton Norris last year, but now he can compliment with newcomers Ty Davis & Brandon Fussell. Combine Norris with Campbell-Finch and Fussell and you have the replacements scoring-wise for Jadin Booth.
The largest question for me is one that carries over from last season and it’s their lack of height. For example, Dylan Faulkner was just 6’9 and essentially played the center position with Will Shaver providing minutes as well. Shaver is back this season, so he is already familiar with Acuff’s system and he has an opportunity to step up in a larger role. He had a 23.1% defensive rebounding percentage and a 6% block percentage in 9.7 minutes. If he bumps up to 15-20 minutes and can see just a light regression in those metrics, he can provide a large impact. However, Acuff did bring in two additional options with Braeden Macvicar & Lawson Lee, but keep in mind that Macvicar saw minimal playing time last season for Coastal Carolina and Lee is an incoming freshman. Macvicar did provide some strong metrics as a freshman, so if he can tap into that more this season I’ll feel better about their depth.
Overall, I firmly believe that Samford is a team to keep an eye on this season. With Cade Norris & Isaiah Campbell-Finch looking to step up, Najimi George, Brandon Fussell, and other rotational players like Win Milley and Ty Davis coming in, this is a roster that can be dangerous in the SoCon. Don’t be shocked when they are towards the top of the conference.