2007-08 BASKETBALL HEAD COACH JIMMY
Transcription
2007-08 BASKETBALL HEAD COACH JIMMY
2007-08 BASKETBALL HEAD COACH JIMMY TILLETTE JOE ROSS MERRITT PETE HANNA CENTER CURTIS WEST TRAVIS PETERSON 2007-08 SAMFORD BASKETBALL QUICK FACTS COACHING STAFF GENERAL INFORMATION Head Coach: Jimmy Tillette (Our Lady of Holy Cross, ‘75) Record at Samford: 165-129 (10 years) Career Record: Same Associate Head Coach: Paul Kelly (Tulane, ‘87) Tenure: 11th season Assistant Coach: Lee Burgess (Samford, ‘01) Tenure: Fifth season Assistant Coach: Derrick Jones (Samford, ‘01) Tenure: Third season Director of Basketball Operations: Jay Welborn (Samford, ‘01) Office Phone: (205) 726-2920 Location: Birmingham, Ala. Founded: 1841 Enrollment: 4,507 Nickname: Bulldogs School Colors: Red and Blue Arena (Capacity): Pete Hanna Center (5,000) Press Box Phone: (205) 726-2377 Affiliation: NCAA Division I Conference: Ohio Valley President: Dr. Andrew Westmoreland Alma Mater/Year: Ouachita Baptist University/1979 Director of Athletics: Bob Roller Alma Mater/Year: Virginia Tech/1983 SPORTS INFORMATION Sports Information Director: Joey Mullins Office Phone: (205) 726-2799 Cell Phone: (205) 532-3477 Home Phone: (205) 822-3609 E-mail: [email protected] Assistant SID (MBB Contact): Zac Schrieber Office Phone: (205) 726-2802 Cell Phone: (205) 532-3476 Home Phone: (205) 532-3476 E-mail: [email protected] SID Intern: Katie Walden Office Phone: (205) 726-4005 Home Phone: (601) 942-1373 E-mail: [email protected] SID Fax: (205) 726-2545 Website: www.samfordsports.com HISTORY First Year of Basketball: 1901-02 All-Time Record: 953-1138 (.456), 89 seasons All-Time Division I Record: 428-524 (.450), 34 seasons NCAA Tournament Appearances/Last: Two/2000 NCAA Tournament Record: 0-2 Last NCAA Opponent: Syracuse, L (79-65) NCAA Midwest Regional, Cleveland, Ohio TEAM INFORMATION STARTERS RETURNING (3) PPG #42 Travis Peterson, Sr., C #5 Joe Ross Merritt, Sr., G #1 Curtis West, Sr., G 11.3 8.8 6.0 RPG APG SPG 5.0 3.4 2.5 0.6 0.6 1.2 STARTERS LOST (2) PPG #34 Randall Gulina, G #25 Jerry Smith, G 18.1 10.3 RPG APG SPG 3.4 4.7 1.2 3.8 0.8 1.1 LETTERMEN RETURNING (4) PPG #13 Bryan Friday, So., F #2 Savoy Fraine, So., F #3 Jim Griffin, So., F #11 Trey Montgomery, So., G 1.9 0.8 0.6 0.4 RPG APG SPG 0.6 0.2 1.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.8 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 LETTERMAN LOST (1) PPG #23 Jason Black, G 2.2 RPG APG SPG 2.4 1.1 0.6 REDSHIRT FRESHMEN (3) #44 Gaby Bermudez (6-4, 185, G, Miami, Fla.) #32 Andy King (6-8, 225, F, Omaha, Neb.) #21 Matt Robertson (6-7, 215, F, Birmingham, Ala.) 2006-07 INFORMATION NEWCOMERS (3) Overall Record: 16-16 Conference Record/Finish: 12-8/Fifth Postseason Results: Defeated Murray State 70-60 in OVC Tournament opening round; Lost to Austin Peay 65-55 in OVC Tournament semifinals. Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2 Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 7/3 Newcomers (Freshmen/Transfers): 3 (3/0) #10 Josh Bedwell (6-0, 170, G, Hartsell, Ala.) #4 Josh Davis (6-4, 200, G, Lubbock, Texas) #23 Matthew Friday (6-8, 220, F, Grapevine, Texas) 2007-08 Samford Basketball 2.4 1.4 2.0 www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD ROSTERS Numerical NO. NAME HT. WT. POS. 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 13 21 23 32 42 44 Curtis West Savoy Fraine Jim Griffin Josh Davis Joe Ross Merritt Josh Bedwell Trey Montgomery Bryan Friday Matt Robertson Matthew Friday Andy King Travis Peterson Gaby Bermudez 6-0 6-8 6-7 6-4 6-4 6-0 6-4 6-6 6-7 6-8 6-8 6-10 6-4 180 220 205 200 200 170 180 210 215 220 225 240 185 G F F G G G G F F F F C G CL./EXP. HOMETOWN/PREVIOUS SCHOOL Sr./3VL So./1VL So./1VL Fr./HS Sr./3VL Fr./HS So./1VL So./1VL Fr./RS Fr./HS Fr./RS Sr./3VL Fr./RS Baton Rouge, La./Redemptorist HS Granada Hills, Calif./Granada Hills HS Chicago, Ill./Marist HS Lubbock, Texas/Monterey HS Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness HS Hartselle, Ala./Priceville HS Destrehan, La./Destrehan HS Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville Heritage HS Birmingham, Ala./Briarwood Christian School Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville Heritage HS Omaha, Neb./Creighton Prep HS Glendale, Ariz./Mountain Ridge HS Miami, Fla./Belen Jesuit Preparatory School Alphabetical NO. NAME HT. WT. POS. 10 44 4 2 13 23 3 32 5 11 42 21 1 Josh Bedwell Gaby Bermudez Josh Davis Savoy Fraine Bryan Friday Matthew Friday Jim Griffin Andy King Joe Ross Merritt Trey Montgomery Travis Peterson Matt Robertson Curtis West 6-0 6-4 6-4 6-8 6-6 6-8 6-7 6-8 6-4 6-4 6-10 6-7 6-0 170 185 200 220 210 220 205 225 200 180 240 215 180 G G G F F F F F G G C F G CL./EXP. HOMETOWN/PREVIOUS SCHOOL Fr./HS Fr./RS Fr./HS So./1VL So./1VL Fr./HS So./1VL Fr./RS Sr./3VL So./1VL Sr./3VL Fr./RS Sr./3VL Hartselle, Ala./Priceville HS Miami, Fla./Belen Jesuit Preparatory School Lubbock, Texas/Monterey HS Granada Hills, Calif./Granada Hills HS Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville Heritage HS Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville Heritage HS Chicago, Ill./Marist HS Omaha, Neb./Creighton Prep HS Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness HS Destrehan, La./Destrehan HS Glendale, Ariz./Mountain Ridge HS Birmingham, Ala./Briarwood Christian School Baton Rouge, La./Redemptorist HS Head Coach: Jimmy Tillette (Our Lady of Holy Cross, ‘75) Associate Head Coach: Paul Kelly (Tulane, ‘87) Assistant Coaches: Lee Burgess (Samford, ‘01) and Derrick Jones (Samford, ‘01) Director of Basketball Operations: Jay Welborn (Samford, ’01) ROSTER BREAKDOWN BY STATE Alabama (2): Josh Bedwell (Hartselle), Matt Robertson (Birmingham). Arizona (1): Travis Peterson (Glendale). California (1): Savoy Fraine (Granada Hills). Florida (1): Gabriel Bermudez (Miami). Illinois (1): Jim Griffin (Chicago). Louisiana (2): Trey Montgomery (Destrehan), Curtis West (Baton Rouge). Nebraska (1): Andy King (Omaha). Oklahoma (1): Joe Ross Merritt (Oklahoma City). Texas (3): Bryan Friday (Grapevine), Matthew Friday (Grapevine), Josh Davis (Lubbock). BY CLASS Seniors (3): Joe Ross Merritt, Travis Peterson, Curtis West. Sophomores (4): Savoy Fraine, Bryan Friday, Jim Griffin, Trey Montgomery. Freshmen (6): Josh Bedwell, Gabriel Bermudez, Josh Davis, Matthew Friday, Andy King, Matt Robertson. 2007-08 Samford Basketball www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME OGLETHORPE (Exhibition) LINDSEY WILSON (Exhibition) at Evansville BELMONT TOWSON BREWTON PARKER at Lipscomb BIRMINGHAM BIRMINGHAM Evansville, Ind. BIRMINGHAM BIRMINGHAM BIRMINGHAM Nashville, Tenn. TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA Dec. 2 Dec. 6 Dec. 15 Dec. 18 Dec. 20 Dec. 29 at Florida State JACKSONVILLE STATE* REINHARDT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI* MURRAY STATE* at Clemson Tallahassee, Fla. BIRMINGHAM BIRMINGHAM BIRMINGHAM BIRMINGHAM Clemson, S.C. TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA Jan. 3 Jan. 5 Jan. 7 Jan. 10 Jan. 12 Jan. 17 Jan. 19 Jan. 24 Jan. 26 Jan. 29 Jan. 31 at Tennessee Tech* at Tennessee-Martin* at Jacksonville State* TENNESSEE STATE* TENNESSEE TECH* at Morehead State* at Eastern Kentucky* TENNESSEE-MARTIN* AUSTIN PEAY* at Murray State* at Tennessee State* Cookeville, Tenn. Martin, Tenn. Jacksonville, Ala. BIRMINGHAM BIRMINGHAM Morehead, Ky. Richmond, Ky. BIRMINGHAM BIRMINGHAM Murray, Ky. Nashville, Tenn. TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA Feb. 2 Feb. 9 Feb. 14 Feb. 16 Feb. 23 Feb. 28 EASTERN ILLINOIS* at Austin Peay* MOREHEAD STATE* EASTERN KENTUCKY* at ESPN BracketBuster at Southeast Missouri* BIRMINGHAM Clarksville, Tenn. BIRMINGHAM BIRMINGHAM TBA Cape Girardeau, Mo. TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA March March March March at Eastern Illinois* OVC Tournament First Round** OVC Tournament Semifinals^ OVC Tournament Championship^ Charleston, Ill. Campus Sites Nashville, Tenn. Nashville, Tenn. TBA TBA TBA TBA Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. 1 5 11 15 20 24 26 1 4 7 8 Home games are in BOLD CAPS - All times Central; dates and times are subject to change. * - Ohio Valley Conference game ** - First round OVC Tournament games will be held at campus sites to be announced. ^ - Games held in Nashville, Tenn., at Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gym. 2007-08 Samford Basketball www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD BASKETBALL Head Coach Jimmy Tillette amford's all-time winningest coach, Jimmy Tillette, is in the midst of his 11th season at the helm of the Bulldogs' basketball program. During his highly-productive tenure at Samford, Tillette has led the Bulldogs to a pair of NCAA Tournaments and has registered an impressive 125-74 record against conference opponents. Tillette quickly climbed the school's career wins list and rapidly became the only coach in Samford history to record consecutive 20-win seasons. In 1999 and 2000, Tillette guided the Bulldogs to 24 and 21 wins, respectively, and led his team to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. With an overall record of 165-129 at Samford, Tillette passed current LSU head coach John Brady atop the Samford victory list with a 70-61 victory over Arkansas State in the second game of the 2002-03 season. The win helped Tillette reach the top of the list in only five years, compared to six seasons for Brady. Last season, in his 10th year coaching the Bulldogs, Tillette improved his winning percentage to .561, which ranks sixth overall in Samford's 88 years of men's basketball history. Tillette earned the 150th victory of his career on Nov. 14, as the Bulldogs posted an 83-59 win at home against Tennessee Temple. With the victory, Tillette became the first basketball coach in Samford history to reach the 150-win plateau. Over the years, the Bulldogs have excelled under the tutelage of Tillette and with his guidance, Samford owns a stellar 77-23 record against conference opponents at home in Siebert Hall. During the 2004-05 campaign, the Bulldogs posted a brilliant 10-3 home record, including a solid 7-2 mark against conference opponents. As head coach, Tillette immediately made his mark on the Samford program, incorporating the Princeton-style offense, which relies on precision cuts and 3-point shooting. Under Tillette, the Bulldogs quickly distinguished themselves statistically among the nation's best, finishing third in the nation in 3-pointers made per game during the 1998-99 season. In 1999, the Bulldogs finished No. 1 in the nation in fieldgoal percentage (50.3) and second in the nation in 3-pointers made per game. During the 2002-03 season, Samford again performed well nationally, finishing third in 3-pointers made per game (9.8) and 19th overall in scoring defense (62.7 ppg). During the 2004-05 campaign, Tillette's squad concluded the season as the second-ranked team in the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage (41.9) and finished third in the country in field-goal percentage (50.3). The Bulldogs also ended the season ranked fourth in the nation in fewest personal fouls S 2007-08 Samford Basketball per game (14.7), 11th in 3-point field goals per game, 19th in free-throw percentage (74.5) and 24th in turnovers per game (12.3). Prior to becoming a full-fledged member of the Ohio Valley Conference in 2003, Samford was a perennial leader in the Atlantic Sun Conference since the 1978 campaign. In 200001, Tillette's squad set a conference record for 3-pointers made in a game (23), breaking the previous mark established by the 1995 Samford team. At the conclusion of the 2000 season, the Bulldogs ranked either first or second in a total of nine of the 15 A-Sun statistical categories. Tillette is Samford’s all-time winningest coach with 165 victories. In his first season at the helm, Tillette guided the Bulldogs, then the youngest team in Division I, to a 14-13 overall record and a 9-7 mark against A-Sun opponents. Tillette's first team featured a starting lineup that consisted of one senior and four sophomores, with the remainder of the 11-man squad being totally comprised of underclassmen. After being picked to finish third in the 1998-99 A-Sun preseason poll, the Bulldogs went on a magical run that culminated with a 24-6 www.samfordsports.com Samford University Basketball Information overall record and the school's first NCAA Tournament berth. The 24-win season was Samford's best since joining Division I in the early 1970s and came within one game of tying the school record of 25 victories set in the 1938-39 season. 77 overall record and Atlantic Sun West Division titles. Tillette is widely respected in coaching circles for his teaching of the motion offense, which had been the cornerstone of the Bulldogs' offense. Tillette also served as an assistant coach at Tulane (1990-91) under Perry Clark and at Mississippi State (1989-90) under Richard Williams. A New Orleans native, Tillette proved himself for a number of years as a head coach in the high school ranks. He led hometown De La Salle High School to an impressive 196-55 overall record over seven seasons. He was named the Louisiana High School Coach of the Year after De La Salle set a state record for wins with a 40-1 mark and won the Class 4A state championship. His first coaching job was a seven-year stint as an assistant at New Orleans' Jesuit High School. There, he served under his close friend and former Birmingham-Southern head coach Duane Reboul. Tillette, who was born April 8, 1950, is a graduate of Holy Cross College in New Orleans and earned a master's degree in history from the University of New Orleans. He has one son, Tristan, who with his wife, Kendra, have three children. Their oldest son, Shea, is four, while the couple also has oneyear old twins, Cian and Aureyn. Tillette’s Year-by-Year YEAR Tillette is in his 11th season as the head coach at Samford University. During the 1998-99 season, Tillette guided Samford to a remarkable 15-1 record in conference play, which was highlighted by a 13-game winning streak. For his efforts, Tillette was named the Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year. In 1999, Tillette's Bulldogs were preseason favorites to win the A-Sun title, but finished third in the regular season with a 12-6 conference record and a 21-11 overall mark. The 1999-00 season marked Tillette's second 20-win campaign and included groundbreaking wins over both St. John's and Alabama. The Bulldogs also rallied to win the Atlantic Sun Tournament championship and earned their second NCAA Tournament appearance. Before being named the school's 27th head coach in 1997, Tillette spent eight seasons as an assistant coach, including six years at Samford, where he helped the Bulldogs earn a share of the championship in 1995-96 and the A-Sun's West Division title in 1996-97. In Tillette's six years as an assistant coach with the Bulldogs, he was a key factor in Samford's 89- OVERALL CONFERENCE 1997-98 1998-99^ 1999-00^ 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 14-13 24-6 21-11 15-14 15-14 13-15 12-16 15-13 20-11 16-16 9-7 15-1* 12-6* 12-8 12-8 9-7 7-9 10-6 14-6 12-8 TOTALS 165-129 112-66 * Atlantic Sun Tournament Champions ^ NCAA Tournament Appearance All-Time Coaching Records WINS NAME Jimmy Tillette John Brady Earl Gartman Walt Barnes Jim Stuart Virgil Ledbetter Billy Bancroft Mike Hanks Van Washer Herman Roberson TENURE 1997-present 1991-97 1950-55 1959-63 1938-42 1955-59, 1963-65 1934-38 1981-84 1968-72 1947-50 HEAD COACH JIMMY TILLETTE W-L 165-129 89-77 71-73 61-40 58-37 56-83 50-37 46-38 46-55 42-37 PCT .561 .536 .493 .604 .611 .403 .575 .548 .455 .532 2007-08 SAMFORD COACHING STAFF Paul Kelly Lee Burgess Assoc. Head Coach Assistant Coach aul Kelly is in his 11th year at Samford University and his third full season as the team's associate head coach. On June 2, 2005, head coach Jimmy Tillette promoted him to the position of associate head coach after he undoubtedly proved to be an integral member of the coaching staff as an assistant under Tillette since the 1997-98 season. Kelly's main duties include recruiting, scouting and oncourt coaching. He also runs the trendsetting Samford summer basketball camp that draws more than 600 participants each year. Since his arrival in 1997, Kelly has been a vital part of the Samford coaching staff and was a key component in the Bulldogs' NCAA Tournament appearances in both 1999 and 2000. Prior to his tenure at Samford, Kelly spent three years as the associate head coach at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La., where he worked under the tutelage of head coach Ron Everhart. During his time at McNeese State, he oversaw the Cowboys' offensive system and directed the team's academic progress. In Kelly’s final year at McNeese State, the Cowboys finished with an impressive 18-12 overall record and earned a share of the Southland Conference championship. Before his stint at McNeese State, Kelly spent seven years as an assistant coach at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, La., where he coached former Bulldog and All-Atlantic Sun performers, Jonathan Pixley and current Samford assistant coach Derrick Jones. In 1992, the Bears won their second straight district title and finished the season with a near-perfect 32-1 mark, advancing to the Class 5A state semifinals. Kelly played under Tillette at New Orleans' De La Salle High School before attending Tulane University, where he graduated cum laude in English in 1987. Kelly earned his master's degree in English from McNeese State in 1998. Born in Passaic City, N.J., Kelly and his wife, the former Jill Schexnaildre, have four sons: Kevin (14), Luke (12), Stephen (10) and John (6). P 2007-08 Samford Basketball ee Burgess is in the midst of his fifth full season as an assistant coach at Samford University. During the summer before the 200506 campaign, he was promoted to the team's second assistant position after handling the team's travel and film exchange duties for the previous two seasons. Burgess's current duties on the staff include scouting, on-court coaching and recruiting. In 2003, Burgess returned to his alma mater after serving as an assistant coach at both Huntingdon College and Berry College. He was a member of the Samford basketball team for a total of four seasons (1996-2000) and competed for three seasons under the tutelage of head coach Jimmy Tillette. As a freshman, Burgess played for former head coach John Brady and the Bulldogs finished with a 19-9 overall record. He was a member of Samford's NCAA Tournament teams in both 1998-99 and 1999-2000, and helped guide the team to a 78-39 overall record during his playing career. Burgess played in 28 games during his career at Samford and connected on an impressive 30 percent of his 3-point attempts as a Bulldog. Since graduating with a bachelor's of science degree in education, Burgess spent the 2001-02 season as an assistant coach under Tony Duckworth at Huntingdon College. In 2002-03, he moved to Berry College, where he served as the primary recruiting coordinator for Jeff Haarlow. Burgess played at Trinity Presbyterian High School in Montgomery, Ala., and helped lead his team to both the conference championship and regional finals. Burgess and his wife, the former Dawn Wyatt of Birmingham, were married Aug. 14, 2004. L www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD COACHING STAFF Derrick Jones Tommy Rohling Assistant Coach Strength Coach errick Jones is in his third season as an assistant coach at Samford University after spending two years at John Ehret High School in Marrero, La. Jones, who was a standout forward at Samford from 1999-01, officially returned to his alma mater on June 2, 2005. "Derrick has been a great addition to our coaching staff," said Samford head coach Jimmy Tillette. "He played on our most recent NCAA Tournament team and has a comprehensive understanding of the offense. As a graduate of Samford, he knows what it takes to succeed in this environment and he has been able to hit the ground running in our system." Jones, a key member on Samford's 1999-2000 NCAA Tournament team, joined the Bulldog coaching staff in the summer of 2005 after spending the previous two seasons as the primary assistant coach at John Ehret High School. He was also the Junior Varsity Head Coach at John Ehret where he played a critical role in developing the young talent at the high school. In just two years at JEHS, he helped revamp a team that went 13-13 during the 2003-04 season to the No. 2-ranked squad in Louisiana's talent-laden 5A level. In 2004-05, the Patriots turned in one of their best seasons in school history as they finished with a 27-4 overall record. Jones, a native of Erwinville, La., was a highly-recruited prep athlete coming out of Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, La., and played for Mississippi State during the first two seasons of his collegiate career. After leading all Mississippi State freshmen in scoring during the 1996-97 season, Jones transferred to Samford in 1998 and went on to average 13.8 points per game for the Bulldogs as a senior in 2000-01. Jones' coaching responsibilities at Samford include handling the team's travel plans, film-exchange, on-floor coaching and recruiting. Jones was married to the former Tiffany Joy Irving of Prairieville, La., on May 13, 2006, and the couple has a newborn son Nico. D 2007-08 Samford Basketball ommy Rohling returned to his alma mater in 1998 as the head strength and conditioning coach. He is now in the midst of his 10th season in that capacity. Rohling's duties include direction of the physical conditioning program for 16 the University's varsity programs. His first work at Samford was as a graduate assistant coach from 1990 to 1992, assisting with the football defensive line as well as the strength and conditioning program. Rohling was a three-year letterman for the Bulldogs under coaches Kim Alsop and Terry Bowden, playing fullback in 1985-86 and noseguard in 1987. He continued his education at Samford after his eligibility expired, earning his bachelor’s of science degree in 1990, when he moved immediately onto the Samford staff. A native of Trussville, Ala., Rohling earned four letters at Hewitt-Trussville High School from 1979 to 1982. Rohling holds a professional membership in the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist. Rohling is an avid collector of Green Bay Packers' memorabilia. He is married to the former Christine Conner Fullman, a Samford cheerleader from 1989 to 1991 and a 1992 graduate of the University. They have two sons, Christian Conner (8) and Colton Cameron (3). T www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD PLAYER BIOS Curtis West Guard, 6-0, 180 - Senior Baton Rouge, La. - Redemptorist HS 1 Creative player who finishes well over bigger opponents . . . has vastly improved his ball-handling and shooting skills since his arrival . . . tenacious on-ball defender who looks to spearhead the team's defensive attack. JUNIOR (2006-07): Started in 25 of the Bulldogs’ 32 games and earned playing time in 31 of the team’s contests . . . averaged 30.9 minutes per game and scored 6.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per contest . . . ended the season ranked first on Samford’s active leaders list with 85 career steals . . . finished tied for the team’s lead in rebounds against No. 1-ranked Florida, Morehead State and Evansville . . . led the team in assists eight times, including a career-high seven assists versus Eastern Kentucky Jan. 20 . . . tallied six double-figure scoring outings . . . scored six points in the final nine seconds of play to give Samford a thrilling 64-63 come-frombehind victory over Jacksonville State Jan. 6 . . . finished the contest with 11 points and hit the game-winning 3-pointer with one second left . . . scored a season-high 16 points against Ohio on Nov. 28 . . . suffered a few nagging injuries throughout the season including a broken nose . . . returned to action against Murray State Dec. 21, after undergoing surgery for his broken nose that he sustained in practice Dec. 1 . . . despite the injury, he started in the Bulldogs’ next two games at South Alabama Dec. 2 and Jacksonville State Dec. 7 . . . only missed one game at Southeast Missouri Dec. 19, as he was waiting for his customized face mask to arrive . . . tallied 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal and recorded his first block of the season against Tennessee-Martin Jan. 25 . . . scored 17 points in the Bulldogs’ annual Red-Blue Scrimmage . . . earned his third varsity letter. SOPHOMORE (2005-06): Played in 30 of the Bulldogs' 31 games and averaged 20.7 minutes per contest . . . acted as the team's "sixth man" and provided a scoring spark off the bench . . . averaged 5.7 points and 2.1 rebounds per game . . . recorded Samford's season-high in steals (5) against Southern Miss Nov. 28 . . . tallied CAREER HIGHS Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, at Eastern Kentucky, Jan. 21, 2006 Rebounds . . . . . . . . . . . 7, vs. Bryan College, Nov. 26, 2005 Assists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, vs. Eastern Kentucky, Jan. 20, 2007 Field Goals . . . . . . . . . . 6, vs. Ohio, Nov. 28, 2006 Free Throws . . . . . . . . . 6, at Eastern Kentucky, Jan. 21, 2006 3-point Field Goals . . . 3, vs. Jacksonville State, Jan. 6, 2007 Steals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, at Tennessee Tech, Jan. 14, 2007 Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, at Tennessee-Martin, Jan. 25, 2007 Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . 40, vs. Tennessee State, Feb. 1, 2007 WEST’S CAREER STATS SEASON 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 TOTALS GP-GS 28-2 30-0 31-25 89-27 FG-FGA 23-51 58-120 65-159 146-330 FG% .451 .483 .409 .442 3FG-FGA 8-26 17-53 26-94 51-173 2007-08 Samford Basketball 3FG% .308 .321 .277 .295 FT-FTA 20-24 39-50 31-51 90-125 FT% .833 .780 .608 .720 REB-AVG 23-0.8 64-2.1 78-2.5 165-1.9 PTS-AVG 74-2.6 172-5.7 187-6.0 433-4.9 A 20 43 63 126 ST 14 33 36 83 BLK 0 2 1 3 www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD PLAYER BIOS four double-digit scoring performances, including a 10-point, sevenrebound outing versus Sacramento State Nov. 15 . . . scored a career-high 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting versus Eastern Kentucky Jan. 21 . . . finished the game 6-of-6 from the free-throw line and grabbed four rebounds . . . led the team in rebounds with seven against Bryan College Nov. 26 . . . tallied nine points and two rebounds in a 68-43 victory over Tennessee Tech Jan. 2 . . . led Samford in assists with four against Murray State Jan. 30 . . . scored nine points and pulled down a pair of rebounds against Ohio Feb. 18 . . . played 18 minutes and finished 4-of-4 from the floor . . . logged 24 minutes off the bench against Tennessee Tech in the semifinal round of the OVC Tournament March 3 and scored nine points on 4-of-7 shooting . . . also led the team in steals (2) and added an assist . . . earned his second varsity letter. FRESHMAN (2004-05): Saw action in all 28 games and started a pair of contests at the point guard position . . . averaged 2.6 points and 11.4 minutes per contest . . . scored a career-high 11 points in the Bulldogs' OVC home-opener against Tennessee State Jan. 8 . . . logged a career-high 22 minutes and finished 2-of-3 from beyond the arc . . . made his first career start on the road against Louisiana-Monroe Nov. 27 and also started the next game at IUPUI Nov. 30 . . . handled the ball well at the point guard position and only committed 19 turnovers in 28 games . . . tallied eight points in nine minutes at Austin Peay Feb. 17 . . . played 13 minutes against West Alabama in the team's lone exhibition contest of the preseason and scored 10 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting . . . earned his first varsity letter. HIGH SCHOOL: Averaged 20.5 points, 5.1 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game for Redemptorist High School in Baton Rouge, La. . . . led his team to the 3A Louisiana State championship, where he was named the Most Valuable Player as a junior . . . earned First-Team District 7-4A and All-Metro Baton Rouge honors as both a junior and a senior . . . received First-Team All-Louisiana honors as a junior . . . named first-team all-district three times . . . helped lead RHS to a 48-18 overall record in his final two seasons. CURTIS WEST PERSONAL: Born April 29, 1986 . . . son of Janice and Curtis West, Sr. . . . only player on Samford’s roster that was not redshirted as a freshman . . . majoring in sociology. 2007-08 Samford Basketball www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD PLAYER BIOS Joe Ross Merritt Guard, 6-4, 200 - Senior Oklahoma City, Okla. - Bishop McGuinness HS 5 • 2007 Samford Most Outstanding Defensive Player Excellent 3-point shooter who thrives on physical play around the basket . . . hard-nosed defender who leads the team in floor burns . . . will be asked to increase offensive production from last season and to take on a leadership role. JUNIOR (2006-07): Received Samford’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award . . . started in 29 of the Bulldogs’ 32 games and averaged 30.4 minutes per contest . . . ended the season ranked fourth on the team in scoring with 8.8 points per game . . . averaged 3.4 rebounds per contest . . . concluded the season as the team’s active career leader in 3-point field goals with 104 . . . paced the team in scoring five times . . . also led the Bulldogs in rebounding five times . . . turned in 13 double-digit scoring performances . . . finished with career-highs in points (23), field goals (9) and 3point field goals (5) against Murray State Jan. 29 . . . scored 11 points in the Bulldogs’ upset victory at Murray State in the opening round of the OVC Tournament . . . led the team in scoring Feb. 22, as he finished with 18 points against Southeast Missouri . . . shot 7-of-12 from the field and connected on 3-of-8 of his 3-point attempts in the game . . . scored 17 points and led the Bulldogs to a 55-41 victory over Tennessee-Martin Jan. 4 . . . knocked down the game-winning 3-point shot at the buzzer to beat Jacksonville State (54-53) on Dec. 7 . . . played a career-high 40 minutes against Jacksonville State and scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half of the OVC-opening contest . . . came off the bench to score a team-high 17 points against No. 1-ranked Florida Nov. 10 . . . finished the game 7-of-9 from the field and was 3-for-4 from 3-point range . . . earned his third varsity letter. SOPHOMORE (2005-06): Started in all 31 games and averaged 26.4 minutes per contest . . . scored 5.5 points per game and averaged 2.0 rebounds per outing . . . tied a career-high with 17 points against Tennessee Tech Jan. 2 as he finished 7-of-7 from the field and 2-of-2 from 3-point range . . . also finished with 17 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds versus Berry College Nov. 10 . CAREER HIGHS Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, vs. Murray State, Jan. 29, 2007 Rebounds . . . . . . . . . . . 7, vs. Eastern Kentucky, Jan. 20, 2007 Assists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, vs. Eastern Kentucky, Jan. 20, 2007 Field Goals . . . . . . . . . . 9, vs. Murray State, Jan. 29, 2007 Free Throws . . . . . . . . . 4, vs. Evansville, Feb. 17, 2007 3-point Field Goals . . . 5, vs. Murray State, Jan. 29, 2007 Steals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, vs. Bryan College, Nov. 26, 2005 Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, at Murray State, Feb. 27, 2007 Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . 41, vs. Miss. Valley State, Dec. 27, 2006 MERRITT’S CAREER STATS SEASON 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 TOTALS GP-GS 28-10 31-31 32-29 91-70 FG-FGA 64-122 62-127 102-225 228-474 FG% .525 .488 .453 .481 3FG-FGA 26-65 29-71 50-141 105-277 2007-08 Samford Basketball 3FG% .400 .408 .355 .379 FT-FTA 16-30 16-34 28-42 60-106 FT% .533 .471 .667 .566 REB-AVG 43-1.5 62-2.0 110-3.4 215-2.4 PTS-AVG 170-6.1 169-5.5 282-8.8 621-6.8 A 29 47 44 120 ST 17 21 20 58 BLK 1 1 7 9 www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD PLAYER BIOS . . scored in double figures four times and led the team in scoring once with 17 points against Tennessee Tech Jan. 2 . . . registered a 13-point performance against Tennessee State Jan. 12 and finished 3-of-3 from beyond the arc . . . led the Bulldogs with two assists versus sixth-ranked Oklahoma Nov. 19 and with four at TennesseeMartin Jan. 5 . . . scored 11 points and grabbed a team-high five rebounds against Ohio Feb. 18 as he connected on 5-of-10 of his shots from the floor . . . tallied eight points on 3-of-4 shooting versus Tennessee Tech in the semifinal round of the OVC Tournament March 3 . . . earned his second varsity letter. FRESHMAN (2004-05): Saw significant playing time in all 28 games and started in 10 contests . . . averaged 6.1 points, 1.5 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per game . . . moved into the starting lineup on Jan. 8, and scored nine points on 4-of-7 shooting against Tennessee State . . . earned the OVC's Freshman of the Week award Feb. 7 after averaging 10.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in a pair of conference wins over Tennessee Tech Feb. 3 and Austin Peay Feb. 5 . . . tallied 12 points, five rebounds and finished 5-of-6 from the field against Austin Peay, including a last-second 3point shot that forced overtime . . . scored 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting versus eventual conference champion Eastern Kentucky Jan. 22 . . . led the team in rebounding in both games of the team's home-and-home series against Austin Peay by finishing each contest with five . . . paced the Bulldogs with four assists on the road versus Eastern Illinois Jan. 27 . . . scored in double figures four times and finished the season sixth on the team in points per game (6.1) . . . earned his first varsity letter. 2003-04: Redshirted. HIGH SCHOOL: Finished as a First-Team 5A All-State performer at Bishop McGuinness High School . . . averaged 19.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game . . . member of two Oklahoma state championship teams . . . also led BMHS to the state quarterfinals as a senior. JOE ROSS MERRITT PERSONAL: Born March 8, 1985 . . . son of Paul and Suzy Merritt . . . father played football at Panhandle State College . . . older brother J. Robert also played basketball at Samford and was named the 2005-06 OVC Male Athlete of the Year . . . oldest brother John Paul was one of the final two suitors featured on the 2005 season of ABC's hit TV show The Bachelorette . . . majoring in business management. 2007-08 Samford Basketball www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD PLAYER BIOS Travis Peterson Center, 6-10, 240 - Senior Glendale, Ariz. - Mountain Ridge HS • 2007 Samford Rebound Award-Winner • 2006 All-OVC Preseason Team • 2006 OVC All-Tournament Team 42 Talented center with unique perimeter skills . . . has worked hard to improve both his 3-point range and his low post game . . . can score with either hand around the goal . . . has a knack for making the big shot. JUNIOR (2006-07): Received Samford’s 2007 Rebound Award for leading the team with 159 rebounds at an average of 5.0 per game . . . named to the Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference team . . . started in all 32 games for the Bulldogs and finished the year ranked second on the team with 11.3 points per contest . . . played an average of 32.4 minutes per game and compiled 78 assists and a team-high 36 blocks . . . finished the season ranked second in the OVC with an average of 1.1 blocks per game . . . led the Bulldogs in rebounding 17 times and in assists eight times . . . finished the season with a pair of 20-point outings and 22 double-digit scoring performances . . . averaged 12.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in OVC play . . . scored a season-high 23 points versus Eastern Kentucky Feb. 13 as he finished with a 9-of-13 shooting performance from the floor and added a team-high seven rebounds . . . tallied 21 points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds against Eastern Kentucky Jan. 20 as he played a career-high 40 minutes . . . finished with 17 points in the Bulldogs’ 55-44 victory at Murray State Dec. 21 . . . scored 16 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds in the Bulldogs’ 68-65 win over Tennessee Tech Jan. 2 . . . registered his best performance of the season Feb. 24 as he finished with 15 points, five boards, four assists and a steal against Eastern Illinois . . . helped lead the Bulldogs to an 80-66 win against Ohio Nov. 28 as he tallied 14 points, a game-high six rebounds, a season-high five assists and two blocks . . . tallied 12 points in the Bulldogs’ 70-60 victory at Murray State in the opening round of the OVC Tournament . . . finished with 11 points and five rebounds against No. 1-ranked Florida Nov. 10 . . . concluded the season as Samford’s active career leader in points (723), rebounds (286) and assists (179) . . . paced all scorers with 29 points and eight assists as he led the Blue team to an 88-67 victory CAREER HIGHS Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25, vs. Eastern Kentucky, Feb. 14, 2006 Rebounds . . . . . . . . . . . 11, at Eastern Kentucky, Jan. 21, 2006 Assists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, vs. Tennessee Tech, Jan. 14, 2006 Field Goals . . . . . . . . . . 10, vs. Eastern Kentucky, Feb. 14, 2006 Free Throws . . . . . . . . . 6, at Tennessee-Martin, Jan. 5, 2006 3-point Field Goals . . . 4, at Tennessee Tech, Jan. 14, 2007 Steals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, vs. Morehead State, Jan. 18, 2007 Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, vs. Southeast Missouri, Feb. 22, 2007 Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . 40, vs. Eastern Kentucky, Jan. 20, 2007 PETERSON’S CAREER STATS SEASON 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 TOTALS GP-GS 15-0 31-30 32-32 78-60 FG-FGA 5-13 126-258 133-284 264-555 FG% .385 .488 .468 .476 3FG-FGA 2-6 45-110 52-149 99-265 2007-08 Samford Basketball 3FG% .333 .409 .349 .374 FT-FTA 2-2 50-80 44-60 96-142 FT% 1.000 .625 .733 .676 REB-AVG 8-0.5 119-3.9 159-5.0 286-3.7 PTS-AVG 14-0.9 347-11.2 362-11.3 726-9.3 A 3 98 78 179 ST 2 23 20 45 BLK 1 35 36 72 www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD PLAYER BIOS in the Bulldogs’ annual Showcase Scrimmage . . . also led the team in scoring with 19 points in Samford’s 2006 Red-Blue Scrimmage . . . earned his third varsity letter. SOPHOMORE (2005-06): Started at center in 30 of the Bulldogs' 31 games and averaged 29 minutes per contest . . . finished third on the team in 3-point field-goal percentage at .409 (45-of-110) . . . averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game . . . named to the 2006 OVC All-Tournament team . . . led the OVC in assist/turnover ratio (2.88) and was ranked fourth in the conference in blocks per game (1.1) . . . also finished ninth in the OVC in assists per game (3.45) during conference play . . . led the team in scoring against Eastern Kentucky (Feb. 14) as he tallied a careerhigh 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting . . . also shot 3-of-6 from 3point range . . . turned in a 23-point performance on 8-of-12 shooting versus Morehead State (Feb. 16) . . . scored a game-high 22 points and added five rebounds against Austin Peay (Jan. 28) . . . recorded the first double-double of his career as he finished with a team-high 21 points and a career-high 11 rebounds versus Eastern Kentucky (Jan. 21) . . . the 11-rebound performance proved to be Samford's best of the season . . . led the team with 35 blocked shots and posted all but 12 of the Bulldogs' 47 blocks . . . scored in double figures 15 times, including all three games of the 2006 OVC Tournament . . . tallied four 20-point performances . . . led the team in scoring eight times and in rebounding four times . . . paced the Bulldogs in assists 11 times . . . earned his second varsity letter. FRESHMAN (2004-05): Earned playing time in 15 of the team's 28 games . . . averaged 5.8 minutes per contest . . . suffered a preseason leg injury that set him back in the rotation for playing time . . . posted five points on 1-of-2 shooting against Notre Dame (Dec. 30) . . . grabbed a season-high two rebounds versus Tennessee Tech (Feb. 19) . . . made his collegiate debut at IUPUI (Dec. 28) . . . connected on a 3-point basket against Tennessee State (Feb. 24) . . . blocked three shots in nine minutes of exhibition play versus West Alabama (Nov. 8) . . . was one of only five players in the OVC listed at 6-10 or taller . . . earned his first varsity letter. TRAVIS PETERSON 2003-04: Redshirted. HIGH SCHOOL: Averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds per game under the tutelage of head coach Drew Tutt at Mountain Ridge High School . . . shot 55 percent from the floor and 80 percent from the charity stripe throughout his prep career . . . an Honorable Mention All-State Team member and First-Team AllNorthwest Region member as a junior . . . was selected to play in the Arizona Prep Showcase that featured the top-40 high school players in the state . . . started at point guard before going through a six-inch growth spurt late in his prep career. PERSONAL: Born May 18, 1985 . . . son of Randy and Karen Peterson . . . father played basketball at California Lutheran . . . majoring in business management/marketing . . . at 6-10, is the tallest player on Samford's roster. 2007-08 Samford Basketball www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD PLAYER BIOS Savoy Fraine Forward, 6-8, 220 - Sophomore Granada Hills, Calif. - Granada Hills HS 2 • 2007 Samford Practice Hard Award-Winner Long and rangy wing player who has put on good weight since his arrival . . . has a quick first step to the goal and the ability to finish over defenders . . . working to improve his ball-handling and to increase his 3-point production. FRESHMAN (2006-07): Earned Samford’s 2007 Practice Hard Award . . . played sparingly in six of the Bulldogs’ 32 games and averaged 2.0 minutes per appearance . . . scored the first two field goals of his collegiate career Feb. 17 as he finished with a careerhigh five points at home against Evansville . . . turned in a perfect 2-for-2 outing from the floor and finished 1-for-1 from beyond the arc . . . earned a minute of game action against Wright State Dec. 28 and pulled down the first rebound of his career . . . played in the first game of his collegiate career Nov. 22 against No. 15 Arizona . . . logged two minutes in the contest . . . earned his first varsity letter. 2005-06: Redshirted. HIGH SCHOOL: Averaged 18.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, 6.0 blocks and 2.3 assists per game under head coach Sean Collyer at Granada Hills High School . . . named Second-Team All-Los Angeles in 2005 . . . finished his senior season ranked third in California in blocks per game (6.0) . . . earned both first-team all-league honors and second-team all-area accolades . . . led GHHS to the championship game of the city tournament in 2005 . . . member of the National Honor Society. PERSONAL: Born Dec. 17, 1986 . . . son of Phyllis and Bill Fraine . . . father ran track at Compton Community College . . . has a seven-foot wingspan . . . undeclared major. CAREER HIGHS Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, vs. Evansville, Feb. 17, 2007 Rebounds . . . . . . . . . . . 1, vs. Wright State, Dec. 28, 2006 Assists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Field Goals . . . . . . . . . . 2, vs. Evansville, Feb. 17, 2007 Free Throws . . . . . . . . . 0 3-point Field Goals . . . 1, vs. Evansville, Feb. 17, 2007 Steals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, vs. Evansville, Feb. 17, 2007 FRAINE’S CAREER STATS SEASON 2006-07 TOTALS GP-GS 6-0 6-0 FG-FGA 2-4 2-4 FG% .500 .500 3FG-FGA 1-2 1-2 2007-08 Samford Basketball 3FG% .500 .500 FT-FTA 0-0 0-0 FT% .000 .000 REB-AVG 1-0.2 1-0.2 PTS-AVG 5-0.8 5-0.8 A 0 0 ST 0 0 BLK 0 0 www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD PLAYER BIOS Jim Griffin Forward, 6-7, 205 - Sophomore Chicago, Ill. - Marist HS 3 Willing to do whatever is required to help the team win . . . possesses great court vision . . . has worked hard during the off-season to increase strength and to improve his 3-point shooting . . . solid decision-maker and tough competitor. FRESHMAN (2006-07): Stepped in as the backup center and earned significant playing time in 31 of the team’s 32 games . . . averaged 8.5 minutes per contest and pulled down an average of 1.0 rebound per game . . . proved to be a force on the offensive boards as nearly half of his rebounds came on the offensive end of the court . . . tied a career-high with four points in 18 minutes of play against Towson Nov. 16 . . . also finished the game with a 2for-2 performance from the free-throw line . . . tallied three rebounds, three assists and four points in only 14 minutes of play against Tennessee Temple Nov. 14 . . . played in the first collegiate game of his career Nov. 10, on the road against No. 1-ranked Florida . . . finished the contest with three points and two rebounds in 15 minutes . . . scored three points against Southeast Missouri Feb. 22, as he finished a perfect 3-for-3 from the freethrow line . . . tallied three rebounds and two assists in only six minutes of play against South Alabama Dec. 2 . . . tied his careerhigh with three assists against Southeast Missouri Dec. 19 . . . finished with 19 points, nine assists and three 3-point baskets in the Bulldogs’ annual Showcase Scrimmage . . . earned his first varsity letter. American High School Students. PERSONAL: Born July 25, 1986 . . . son of Marge and John J. Griffin . . . older sister Meg played volleyball at DePaul University . . . older brother John played basketball at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa . . . majoring in physical education. 2005-06: Redshirted. HIGH SCHOOL: Averaged 10.2 points and 6.6 assists per game in four years at Marist High School under the guidance of head coach Gene Nolan . . . led MHS to a 50-9 overall record during his final two seasons . . . three-year starter and team captain . . . helped guide his prep squad to back-to-back Illinois High School Association Regional Championships . . . finished his career ranked second in school history in assists (321) . . . named to the East Suburban Catholic League All-Star Team . . . member of the National Honor Society . . . named a Who's Who Among CAREER HIGHS Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, at Towson, Nov. 16, 2006 Rebounds . . . . . . . . . . . 3, at South Alabama, Dec. 2, 2006 Assists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, at Southeast Missouri, Dec. 19, 2006 Field Goals . . . . . . . . . . 1, vs. Eastern Illinois, Feb. 24, 2007 Free Throws . . . . . . . . . 3, vs. Southeast Missouri, Feb. 22, 2007 3-point Field Goals . . . 0 Steals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, vs. Southeast Missouri, Feb. 22, 2007 Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, at Towson, Nov. 16, 2006 GRIFFIN’S CAREER STATS SEASON 2006-07 TOTALS GP-GS 31-0 31-0 FG-FGA 6-20 6-20 FG% .300 .300 3FG-FGA 0-8 0-8 2007-08 Samford Basketball 3FG% .000 .000 FT-FTA 8-14 8-14 FT% .571 .571 REB-AVG 31-1.0 31-1.0 PTS-AVG 20-0.6 20-0.6 A 26 26 ST 4 4 BLK 0 0 www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD PLAYER BIOS Trey Montgomery Guard, 6-4, 180 - Sophomore Destrehan, La. - Destrehan HS 11 Efficient ball-handler and passer who can play either guard or forward . . . has great speed and a nose for the ball . . . finishes well in the paint . . . will be expected to take on a bigger role this season. uncle Edgar Charles, Jr., played football at Tulane . . . majoring in exercise science. FRESHMAN (2006-07): Saw action in 24 of the Bulldogs’ 32 games and averaged 3.0 minutes per contest . . . tied a career-high with two points against Evansville Feb. 17 as he also played a career-high 10 minutes in the game . . . scored the first points of his collegiate career Dec. 21 as he knocked down a pair of critical free throws on the road against Murray State . . . pulled down a career-high two rebounds in the Bulldogs’ 70-60 victory over Tennessee State Feb. 1 . . . tallied two points against Jacksonville State Jan. 6 as he recorded the first field goal of his career . . . finished with a rebound and an assist in Samford’s 55-41 victory over Tennessee-Martin Jan. 4 . . . played in the first collegiate game of his career Nov. 10 as he logged six minutes of action against No. 1ranked Florida . . . finished the season with 10 points and six rebounds and shot 4-of-5 from the free-throw line . . . earned his first varsity letter. 2005-06: Redshirted. HIGH SCHOOL: Averaged 13.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game en route to being named First-Team All-River Parish at Destrehan High School . . . earned the prestigious 2005 Most Valuable Player award of Louisiana's St. Charles Parish . . . named team captain and led the Wildcats to the state playoffs as a senior . . . earned first-team all-district honors and led his prep squad to a 24-12 overall record in arguably the most talented basketball district in Louisiana . . . garnered First-Team All-6-5A honors as a senior . . . four-year member of the National Honor Society . . . graduated with an Academic Honors Diploma . . . also lettered in soccer at DHS. PERSONAL: Born Jan. 26, 1987 . . . son of Pearson and Sedera Montgomery . . . father played football at Prairie View A&M . . . CAREER HIGHS Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, vs. Evansville, Feb. 17, 2007 Rebounds . . . . . . . . . . . 2, vs. Tennessee State, Feb. 1, 2007 Assists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, vs. Southeast Missouri, Feb. 22, 2007 Field Goals . . . . . . . . . . 1, vs. Evansville, Feb. 17, 2007 Free Throws . . . . . . . . . 2, at Morehead State, Feb. 15, 2007 3-point Field Goals . . . 0 Steals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, vs. Southeast Missouri, Feb. 22, 2007 Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, vs. Evansville, Feb. 17, 2007 MONTGOMERY’S CAREER STATS SEASON 2006-07 TOTALS GP-GS 24-0 24-0 FG-FGA 3-21 3-21 FG% .143 .143 3FG-FGA 0-8 0-8 2007-08 Samford Basketball 3FG% .000 .000 FT-FTA 4-5 4-5 FT% .800 .800 REB-AVG 6-0.3 6-0.3 PTS-AVG 10-0.4 10-0.4 A 4 4 ST 3 3 BLK 0 0 www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD PLAYER BIOS Bryan Friday Forward, 6-6, 210 - Sophomore Grapevine, Texas - Colleyville Heritage HS 13 Accurate 3-point shooter and bouncy athlete who owns a wide variety of post moves . . . expected to provide stability and determination in the front court . . . has a quick first step to the goal. • 2007 Kevy McInnis Award-Winner PERSONAL: Born Feb. 3, 1987 . . . son of Tracy and Lee Friday . . . grandfather, father and mother all played basketball at Texas Wesleyan . . . younger brother Matthew is a freshman on Samford’s basketball team . . . majoring in business management. FRESHMAN (2006-07): Earned playing time in 29 of the team’s 32 games and averaged 8.1 minutes per contest . . . was typically the second player to come off the bench and scored an average of 1.9 points per game . . . recipient of the 2007 Kevy McInnis Award, which is named after the former Samford player who tragically lost his life in a car accident . . . the award is given annually to the player that best exemplifies leadership both on and off the court, possesses the desire to achieve, and devotes his time to both church and community service . . . logged a career-high 19 minutes and tied a career-high in points (8) against Eastern Illinois Feb. 24 . . . also scored a career-high eight points in 12 minutes of action in the Bulldogs’ key road victory over Southeast Missouri Dec. 19 . . . turned in a 3-for-3 shooting performance from the field and a 2-for2 outing from beyond the arc . . . scored five points and grabbed a rebound in 17 minutes of action against Evansville Feb. 17 . . . tallied five points in a 2-for-3 outing from the floor at OVC-rival Austin Peay Jan. 27 . . . came off the bench to score five key points against Eastern Kentucky on Jan. 20, as he was 2-of-3 from the floor . . . saw the first playing time of his collegiate career Nov. 14 against Tennessee Temple . . . earned his first varsity letter. 2005-06: Redshirted. HIGH SCHOOL: Averaged 12.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game under the tutelage of head coach Greg Gober at Colleyville Heritage High School . . . earned back-to-back all-district honors following his final two seasons . . . led CHHS to a trio of bi-district championships . . . was recognized as a team captain in 2005 and earned the team's Offensive Player of the Year award . . . helped guide his prep squad to the 2004 regional finals for the first time in school history as a junior . . . led his team to the first of two area championships in 2004. CAREER HIGHS Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, vs. Eastern Illinois, Feb. 24, 2007 Rebounds . . . . . . . . . . . 2, at Morehead State, Feb. 15, 2007 Assists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, vs. Tennessee Tech, Jan. 2, 2007 Field Goals . . . . . . . . . . 3, at Southeast Missouri, Dec. 19, 2006 Free Throws . . . . . . . . . 2, vs. Eastern Illinois, Feb. 24, 2007 3-point Field Goals . . . 2, vs. Eastern Illinois, Feb. 24, 2007 Steals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, vs. Ohio, Nov. 28, 2006 Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, at Eastern Illinois, Feb. 3, 2007 Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, vs. Eastern Illinois, Feb. 24, 2007 FRIDAY’S CAREER STATS SEASON 2006-07 TOTALS GP-GS 29-0 29-0 FG-FGA 22-53 22-53 FG% .415 .415 3FG-FGA 9-28 9-28 2007-08 Samford Basketball 3FG% .321 .321 FT-FTA 3-6 3-6 FT% .500 .500 REB-AVG 16-0.6 16-0.6 PTS-AVG 56-1.9 56-1.9 A 10 10 ST 4 4 BLK 1 1 www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD PLAYER BIOS Matt Robertson Forward, 6-7, 215 - Redshirt Freshman Birmingham, Ala. - Briarwood Christian HS 21 Athletic post player who will provide an additional strong presence around the goal . . . has the ability to make 3-point baskets and is working hard to improve his overall skill level. 2006-07: Redshirted. HIGH SCHOOL: Senior team captain at Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham, Ala. . . . earned Shelby County AllTournament Team honors as both a junior and a senior . . . named the Most Valuable Player of the 2005 Shades Mountain Christmas Tournament . . . named a Scholar Athlete of the Week by The Birmingham News . . . earned all-area honors in 2006 . . . scored the game-winning free throws to defeat second-ranked Talladega High School as a senior . . . also lettered in football and was the team captain his freshman and senior seasons . . . Student Council Vice President as a sophomore and junior . . . earned all-state academic honors in both 2005 and 2006 . . . member of the National Honor Society . . . graduated with an Honors Diploma. PERSONAL: Born Oct. 24, 1987 . . . son of Greg and Jennifer Robertson . . . father played football at Georgia Tech . . . undeclared major. CAREER HIGHS Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Rebounds . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Assists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Field Goals . . . . . . . . . . 0 Free Throws . . . . . . . . . 0 3-point Field Goals . . . 0 Steals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 ROBERTSON’S CAREER STATS SEASON 2006-07 TOTALS GP-GS FG-FGA REDSHIRTED FG% 3FG-FGA 2007-08 Samford Basketball 3FG% FT-FTA FT% REB-AVG PTS-AVG A ST BLK www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD PLAYER BIOS Andy King Forward, 6-8, 225 - Redshirt Freshman Omaha, Neb. - Creighton Prep HS 32 Skilled 3-point shooter who can take care of the ball . . . will be expected to provide depth at the center position on both ends of the floor . . . has a fundamentally sound offensive game. 2006-07: Redshirted. HIGH SCHOOL: Competed at Creighton Prep High School in Omaha, Neb., where he averaged 11.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a senior in 2005-06 . . . earned All-Nebraska Honorable Mention honors in both 2005 and 2006 . . . helped guide CPHS to the 2005 state championship game . . . named to the All-Omaha Honorable Mention team as both a junior and senior . . . three-year letterwinner and team captain at CPHS . . . also lettered in baseball . . . earned academic Second Honors and Effort Honors. PERSONAL: Born Sept. 6, 1987 . . . son of Kathy O'Malley and Tracy King . . . undeclared major . . . chose to attend Samford for the opportunity to play at the highest college level. CAREER HIGHS Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Rebounds . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Assists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Field Goals . . . . . . . . . . 0 Free Throws . . . . . . . . . 0 3-point Field Goals . . . 0 Steals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 KING’S CAREER STATS SEASON 2006-07 TOTALS GP-GS FG-FGA REDSHIRTED FG% 3FG-FGA 2007-08 Samford Basketball 3FG% FT-FTA FT% REB-AVG PTS-AVG A ST BLK www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD PLAYER BIOS Gaby Bermudez Guard, 6-4, 185 - Redshirt Freshman Miami, Fla. - Belen Jesuit Preparatory School 44 Big guard who possesses true point guard skills . . . has a pass-first mentality with the ability to both penetrate the ball and make perimeter shots . . . smart defender with a competitive personality. 2006-07: Redshirted. HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year starter at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami, Fla. . . . ranked one of the top Florida players in the class of 2006 by PowerBasketball.com . . . earned Second-Team All-Dade County honors by the Miami Herald in 2005 . . . led BJPS to a pair of district championships and a 67-22 record as a starter . . . averaged a triple-double in the 2005 Florida State Tournament with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists per game . . . holds BJPS records in career assists (732), season assists and single-game assists (16, vs. Bishop Kenny in Dec. 2004) . . . named to the 2004 Pope Pius X All-Tournament team held in Atlanta, Ga. . . . earned BJPS's Most Valuable Player award in both 2005 and 2006, and received the Coach's Award in 2004 . . . named a team captain as both a junior and senior . . . nearly averaged a double-double during his prep career by scoring 8.1 points and adding 8.3 assists per game . . . also tallied 5.2 rebounds per contest . . . connected on 49.0 percent of his attempts from 3-point range . . . played for the Miami City Ballers, the sixth-ranked AAU team in the nation . . . also played for the Elite Hoops and Florida Elite teams. PERSONAL: Born March 30, 1988 . . . son of Paul and Maria Bermudez . . . his cousin Effie Silva played soccer at Wesley College . . . undeclared major. CAREER HIGHS Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Rebounds . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Assists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Field Goals . . . . . . . . . . 0 Free Throws . . . . . . . . . 0 3-point Field Goals . . . 0 Steals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 BERMUDEZ’S CAREER STATS SEASON 2006-07 TOTALS GP-GS FG-FGA REDSHIRTED FG% 3FG-FGA 2007-08 Samford Basketball 3FG% FT-FTA FT% REB-AVG PTS-AVG A ST BLK www.samfordsports.com 2007-08 SAMFORD TRUE FRESHMEN 4 Josh Davis Guard, 6-4, 200 - Freshman Lubbock, Texas - Monterey HS Superb athlete with eye-catching speed . . . has the ability to finish above the rim . . . excellent shooter and ball-handler who is capable of playing several different positions . . . possesses a physical toughness that will help his transition to the college game. HIGH SCHOOL: Averaged 17.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists as a senior . . . earned first-team all-region honors for the second consecutive season as voted on by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches . . . named First-Team All-South Plains as both a 10 Josh Bedwell Guard, 6-0, 170 - Freshman Hartselle, Ala. - Priceville HS Phenomenal shooter and scorer . . . possesses a tremendous amount of basketball skill and savvy, along with an outstanding work ethic and a real passion for the game . . . has the ability to both make 3s from very deep range and to score off the dribble . . . excellent passer with a quick first step to the basket. HIGH SCHOOL: Named a two-time first-team all-state performer by the Alabama Sports Writers’ Association . . . averaged 24.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game as a senior . . . three-time first- 23 junior and senior . . . recognized as the 2006 South Plains Player of the Year . . . member of the 2007 Academic All-State team . . . earned a pair of first-team all-city honors as a junior and senior . . . named the 2006 City Player of the Year . . . also played wide received in football and ran the 110-meter hurdles on the track team at Monterey High School. team all-area honoree . . . finished his senior year with a 39.3 shooting percentage from 3-point range . . . shot 88.0 percent from the free-throw line and scored over 2,200 points in his high school career . . . named the 2006 Northeast Regional Most Valuable Player . . . set the 2006 Northeast Regional scoring record with 43 points . . . named a 2007 Alabama 4A Player of the Year finalist and was selected to play in the Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Game. Matthew Friday Forward, 6-8, 220 - Freshman Grapevine, Texas - Colleyville Heritage HS Excellent post defender . . . possesses a tremendous amount of offensive basketball skills for someone his size . . . expected to be a natural fit for the University and the basketball program. HIGH SCHOOL: Averaged 11 points, seven rebounds, four blocks, four assists and three steals per game as a junior at Colleyville Heritage High School . . . a four-year varsity starter at CHHS . . . named the district’s 2006 Defensive Most Valuable Player . . . earned three-consecutive first-team all-district honors . . . a two-year team captain . . . led CHHS to three-straight district championships and 2007-08 Samford Basketball the 2004 area championship . . . earned the team’s Heart and Hustle Award in 2004 and received the CHHS Defensive Award following the 2005-06 season . . . was Samford’s first commitment of the 200708 recruiting class. PERSONAL: Older brother Bryan is a sophomore on Samford’s basketball team. www.samfordsports.com 2006-07 Samford Basketball Samford Combined Team Statistics (as of Aug 06, 2007) All games RECORD: ALL GAMES........... CONFERENCE.......... NON-CONFERENCE...... OVERALL (16-16) (12-8) (4-8) HOME (9-4) (7-3) (2-1) AWAY (6-10) (5-5) (1-5) NEUTRAL (1-2) (0-0) (1-2) |---TOTAL---| |---3-PTS---| |----REBOUNDS----| ## Player GP-GS Min--Avg FG-FGA Pct 3FG-FGA Pct FT-FTA Pct Off Def Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------34 GULINA, Randall.... 32-31 1067 33.3 184-400 .460 80-214 .374 131-164 .799 30 78 108 3.4 61 2 37 51 1 27 579 18.1 42 PETERSON, Travis... 32-32 1036 32.4 133-284 .468 52-149 .349 44-60 .733 32 127 159 5.0 79 4 78 64 36 20 362 11.3 25 SMITH, Jerry....... 32-32 1183 37.0 102-207 .493 30-95 .316 94-122 .770 21 129 150 4.7 62 1 121 77 1 34 328 10.3 05 MERRITT, Joe Ross.. 32-29 973 30.4 102-225 .453 50-141 .355 28-42 .667 26 84 110 3.4 81 3 44 39 7 20 282 8.8 01 WEST, Curtis....... 31-25 957 30.9 65-159 .409 26-94 .277 31-51 .608 27 51 78 2.5 62 2 63 44 1 36 187 6.0 23 BLACK, Jason....... 32-11 626 19.6 25-64 .391 4-16 .250 15-29 .517 28 50 78 2.4 50 2 34 23 4 20 69 2.2 13 FRIDAY, Bryan...... 29-0 236 8.1 22-53 .415 9-28 .321 3-6 .500 3 13 16 0.6 17 0 10 11 1 4 56 1.9 02 FRAINE, Savoy...... 6-0 12 2.0 2-4 .500 1-2 .500 0-0 .000 0 1 1 0.2 1 0 0 1 0 0 5 0.8 03 GRIFFIN, Jim....... 31-0 262 8.5 6-20 .300 0-8 .000 8-14 .571 15 16 31 1.0 46 0 26 14 0 4 20 0.6 11 MONTGOMERY, Trey... 24-0 72 3.0 3-21 .143 0-8 .000 4-5 .800 3 3 6 0.3 8 0 4 3 0 3 10 0.4 TEAM............... 29 58 87 2.8 0 7 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Total.............. 32 6424 644-1437 .448 252-755 .334 358-493 .726 214 610 824 25.8 467 14 417 334 51 168 1898 59.3 Opponents.......... 32 6424 718-1545 .465 178-507 .351 320-438 .731 292 664 956 29.9 495 14 349 319 67 163 1934 60.4 TEAM STATISTICS SAM OPP --------------------------------------------------SCORING.................. 1898 1934 Points per game........ 59.3 60.4 Scoring margin......... -1.1 FIELD GOALS-ATT.......... 644-1437 718-1545 Field goal pct......... .448 .465 3 POINT FG-ATT........... 252-755 178-507 3-point FG pct......... .334 .351 3-pt FG made per game.. 7.9 5.6 FREE THROWS-ATT.......... 358-493 320-438 Free throw pct......... .726 .731 REBOUNDS................. 824 956 Rebounds per game...... 25.8 29.9 Rebounding margin...... -4.1 ASSISTS.................. 417 349 Assists per game....... 13.0 10.9 TURNOVERS................ 334 319 Turnovers per game..... 10.4 10.0 Turnover margin........ -0.5 Assist/turnover ratio.. 1.2 1.1 STEALS................... 168 163 Steals per game........ 5.3 5.1 BLOCKS................... 51 67 Blocks per game........ 1.6 2.1 WINNING STREAK........... 0 Home win streak........ 1 ATTENDANCE............... 21161 86523 Home games-Avg/Game.... 13-1628 16-4136 Neutral site-Avg/Game.. 3-6781 SCORE BY PERIODS: -----------------------------Samford....................... Opponents..................... 1st 2nd OT ---- ---- ---829 1056 13 841 1085 8 Total ---- 1898 - 1934 DATE -----------11/10/06 11/14/06 11/16/06 11/22/06 11/28/06 12/02/06 *12/07/06 *12/19/06 *12-21-06 12/27/06 12/28/06 12/29/06 *01/02/07 *01/04/07 *01/06/07 *01/11/07 *01/14/07 *01/18/07 *01/20/07 *01/25/07 *01/27/07 *01/29/07 *02/01/07 *02/03/07 *02/10/07 *02/13/07 *02/15/07 02/17/07 *02/22/07 *02/24/07 02-27-07 03/02/07 at at at at at at at vs vs at at at at at at at at at vs OPPONENT -------------------#1 Florida TENNESSEE TEMPLE Towson #15 Arizona OHIO South Alabama Jacksonville State Southeast Missouri MURRAY STATE Mississippi Valley State Wright State #17 LSU TENNESSEE TECH TENNESSEE-MARTIN JACKSONVILLE STATE Tennessee State Tennessee Tech MOREHEAD STATE EASTERN KENTUCKY Tennessee-Martin Austin Peay MURRAY STATE TENNESSEE STATE EASTERN ILLINOIS AUSTIN PEAY Eastern Kentucky Morehead State EVANSVILLE SOUTHEAST MISSOURI EASTERN ILLINOIS Murray State Austin Peay W/L --L W L L W L W W W W OT L L W W W L L W W W L L W W L L L L L W W L SCORE ----54-79 83-59 62-69 57-86 80-66 54-59 54-53 65-64 55-44 64-59 50-61 45-60 68-65 55-41 64-63 41-59 59-73 66-53 55-46 71-66 48-66 51-57 70-60 53-48 50-52 38-46 58-71 65-69 67-70 71-45 70-60 55-65 ATTEND -----11798 1341 1030 13220 1879 2420 2187 2684 2426 8755 8522 8983 1312 1361 1830 1207 2604 1810 1129 2394 4257 3277 1583 3194 2173 2300 2409 1141 1173 1152 3066 3067