1. sports
2. basketball

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