Samford Preview: Senior Night

The Mocs Senior Night is Saturday night. Jahmal Burroughs, Omar Wattad, Ricky Taylor, and Keegan Bell will all be playing their final home game.

Regardless of how bad the Mocs have played this year, the seniors have been a special part of this basketball program. Keegan Bell holds a Mocs record with the most assists in the history of the program. Ricky Taylor has scored over 1000 points. Wattad was an All SoCon performer last year. Burroughs has been an important effort player on each of the last two years.

I hope that everyone turns around and really applauds the seniors.This is a night to celebrate these seniors and put all the other stuff behind for this night. It's time to honor them. They have earned that.

This game is critical for the Bulldogs. A win by the Bulldogs earns them a bye in the SoCon Tournament.

The first time the Mocs and Bulldogs played, the Mocs were 3-2 in SoCon play. Samford was 0-4 in the SoCon at the time. Samford's win that day turned the tide on both team's season. Samford has gone 8-5 since then. The Mocs have gone 1-11 since then. What a monster turnaround by the two teams.

Drew Windler is the leading scorer on the Bulldogs. He is averaging 14.2 points per game. Windler really had a huge game against the Mocs in their first meeting. He is shooting 43% from three point range.

Freshman Raijon Kelly and Tyler Hood both have provided the Bulldogs with a huge lift heading into the SoCon Tournament. Hood is second on the team in scoring, while Kelly is second on the team in assists. Kelly has been a big key to the Bulldogs getting going this well.

KEYS TO THE GAME:

--Rebounding. The Mocs will need to rebound exceptionally well in order to win this game.
--Patience. The Mocs are an impatient team playing the Bulldogs, the team you have to be the most patient against in the whole SoCon.
--Emotions. It's Senior Night. Sometimes emotions run high on senior night. With the season the Mocs have had and the emotions that the seniors are likely to have, can they harness that in this game?

LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG

--The Mocs seniors will all have their moments on Saturday night.
--Windler will have his moments to, as will both freshman for the Bulldogs.
--The Mocs future will be on display too, as Jared Bryant will have a big game. (How's that for an out of nowhere prediction?)
--Mocs 65, Samford 61. The Mocs are going to be lead by their seniors, and Bryant and Z Mason are going to have good games (gut feeling). In the end, it will be a couple of big plays from Wattad, Bell, and Taylor that will put them over the top. Mocs come up with one final home win.

GO MOCS!