WHAT’S GOING ON, FRIENDS? I’M JULIA MITCHELL. IF YOU HEARD SOME BARKING. TONIGHT IN HOMEWOOD, IT’S BECAUSE THE DOGS WERE OUT. SANFORD HOLDING ITS DOGS AFTER DARK EVENT. GETTING HYPED FOR THE UPCOMING MEN’S AND WOMEN’S HOOPS SEASON. THERE’S A LOT OF FUN. THEY’RE GOING TO START ON THE MEN’S SIDE TONIGHT. THE BANNER WAS REVEALED FOR LAST YEAR’S SOCON REGULAR SEASON AND TOURNAMENT TITLE, ALONG WITH THE NCAA TOURNAMENT BANNER, BOTH IN HONOR OF WHAT HEAD COACH BUCKY MCMILLAN AND HIS TEAM ACHIEVED A YEAR AGO. THIS YEAR’S GROUP, THOUGH, IS DIFFERENT. JUST ONE STARTER RETURNED FROM LAST YEAR’S TEAM. THAT’S POINT GUARD RYLAN JONES. ALL EYES WILL BE ON THIS PROGRAM AFTER LAST SEASON. MCMILLAN SAYS THIS GROUP IS UNPROVEN. GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR OWN MARK. SAME PROGRAM, DIFFERENT TEAM AND THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR OWN MARK THERE. YOU KNOW, YOU’VE HEARD IT. NO CONTINUING FOR SUCCESS. RIGHT. SO THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO EARN EVERYTHING THAT THEY GET. YOU’VE ALSO HEARD THE QUOTE WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN AND YOU DO CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN, YOU CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN. NOW YOU ARE THE MOUNTAIN AND EVERYONE’S TRYING TO CLIMB YOU. AND THAT’S GOING TO BE THE CHALLENGE FOR THIS TEAM, BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT GOING TO CATCH ANYBODY OFF GUARD. THEY’RE GOING TO GET EVERYBODY’S BEST SHOT. ON THE WOMEN’S SIDE, NEXT SIX SEASONS FOR HEAD COACH CARLY KUNZ. THE BULLDOGS WENT 14 AND 16 A YEAR AGO. SEVEN PLAYERS ARE BACK FROM THAT TEAM, INCLUDING SOCON FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR KENNEDY LANGHAM. SANFORD WILL BE TESTED EARLY, KICKING OFF THE SEASON IN KNOXVILLE AGAINST TENNESSEE. BUT KUNZ LIKES WHERE THIS GROUP IS AT. THEY CAN REALLY CHALLENGE EACH OTHER, AND THAT’S IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU GOT TO BE ABLE TO GET BETTER IN PRACTICE AND THEN WALK OFF THE COURT AS FRIENDS. I THINK THIS TEAM REALLY TRUSTS EACH OTHER. THEY REALLY RESPECT EACH OTHER AND THAT’S HUGE FOR US. AND JUST YEAH, I THINK THEY’RE HUNGRY AND THAT’S EVERYTHING. AND I’M REALLY EXC
Advertisement
Samford kicks off basketball season with ‘Dogs After Dark’ event
Updated: 10:43 PM CDT Oct 24, 2024
Basketball season has arrived in Homewood. To kick off the season, Samford men’s and women’s basketball held a preseason event, “Dogs After Dark.” Fans got to come out and meet the teams, get autographs and Southern conference championship replica rings. There was also a dunk contest and a three-point shootout.The Samford men’s team is looking to build off a historic year, winning a school record 29 games, capturing a SoCon regular season and tournament title and making a NCAA tournament appearance. This will be a much different group, though, for head coach Bucky McMillan, as just one starter returns from last year’s team. Expectations are high, the Bulldogs were named the SoCon preseason favorites, but this group is ready to make its own mark. “I think this group’s really unproven, like that’s the reality. This is a completely different team, same program, different team and they’re going to have to leave their own mark. You’ve heard it, you know, continuing for success, right, so they’re going to have to earn everything that they get. You’ve also heard the quote when you’re trying to climb the mountain, and you do climb the mountain, you climb the mountain. Now you are the mountain, and everyone’s trying to climb you. That’s going to be a challenge for this team because they’re not going to catch anybody off guard; they’re going to get everybody’s best shot,” McMillan said. On the women’s side, sixth-year head coach Carley Kuhns and Samford are looking to improve off a 14-16 season. The Bulldogs return seven players from last season, including SoCon freshman of the year Kennedy Langham. With a good mix of newcomers and returns, Samford looks to build in 2024. The Bulldogs have a tough schedule, starting the season on the road in Knoxville against Tennessee. Kuhns, though, likes the way this group is coming together early.”They can really challenge each other and that’s important because you got to be able to get better in practice and then walk off the court as friends. I think this team really trusts each other, they really respect each other, and that’s huge for us. Very hungry and that’s everything and I’m really excited, I’m optimistic about what this group is going to be able to do,” Kuhns said. The men start the season on Nov. 4 at home against Mississippi College, with the women right after, Nov. 5 on the road against Tennessee.
Basketball season has arrived in Homewood.
To kick off the season, Samford men’s and women’s basketball held a preseason event, “Dogs After Dark.”
Advertisement
Fans got to come out and meet the teams, get autographs and Southern conference championship replica rings. There was also a dunk contest and a three-point shootout.
The Samford men’s team is looking to build off a historic year, winning a school record 29 games, capturing a SoCon regular season and tournament title and making a NCAA tournament appearance.
This will be a much different group, though, for head coach Bucky McMillan, as just one starter returns from last year’s team. Expectations are high, the Bulldogs were named the SoCon preseason favorites, but this group is ready to make its own mark.
“I think this group’s really unproven, like that’s the reality. This is a completely different team, same program, different team and they’re going to have to leave their own mark. You’ve heard it, you know, continuing for success, right, so they’re going to have to earn everything that they get. You’ve also heard the quote when you’re trying to climb the mountain, and you do climb the mountain, you climb the mountain. Now you are the mountain, and everyone’s trying to climb you. That’s going to be a challenge for this team because they’re not going to catch anybody off guard; they’re going to get everybody’s best shot,” McMillan said.
On the women’s side, sixth-year head coach Carley Kuhns and Samford are looking to improve off a 14-16 season.
The Bulldogs return seven players from last season, including SoCon freshman of the year Kennedy Langham.
With a good mix of newcomers and returns, Samford looks to build in 2024. The Bulldogs have a tough schedule, starting the season on the road in Knoxville against Tennessee. Kuhns, though, likes the way this group is coming together early.
“They can really challenge each other and that’s important because you got to be able to get better in practice and then walk off the court as friends. I think this team really trusts each other, they really respect each other, and that’s huge for us. Very hungry and that’s everything and I’m really excited, I’m optimistic about what this group is going to be able to do,” Kuhns said.
The men start the season on Nov. 4 at home against Mississippi College, with the women right after, Nov. 5 on the road against Tennessee.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
