Two years ago, Samford nearly pulled off one of the marquee upsets of the 2024 NCAA Tournament in a nail-biter against Kansas. That game introduced millions to the feel-good story of “Bucky Ball,” a style of basketball crafted by former high school coach Bucky McMillan that emphasized full-court pressure and 3-point shooting.
Now, two years later, McMillan — beloved throughout Birmingham — is off to Texas A&M. His successor, Lennie Acuff, recently led Lipscomb to its second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
As the landscape of college basketball continues to shift, especially among mid-major programs, Acuff and the Bulldogs hope to win the Southern Conference (SoCon) title and earn another trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Here’s a breakdown of the current roster changes, according to State of the Bulldogs:
Arriving in Birmingham
G- Isaiah Campbell Finch (Tampa Catholic)
G- Cooper Davenport (Henderson County HS), preferred walk-on
G- JD Gosset (Huntsville HS), former Lipscomb signee
F- Dylan Faulkner (Lipscomb University)
F- Jackson Pollard (Queens)
G- Jadin Booth (Florida Southern College, D-II)
F- Judson Bjornstad (Union, D-II), former Lipscomb portal commit
Leaving Birmingham
G- Trey Fort (Michigan St)
G- Julian Brown (TBD)
G- Isaiah West (Belmont)
F/C- Larry Olayinka (TBD)
F/C- Jaden Brownwell – (USC)
G- Josh Holloway (Texas A&M)
C- Riley Allenspach (TBD)
G/F Luke Walls (Radford)
Returning from last year
G/F- Zion Wilburn
F/C- Caleb Harrison (Redshirt)
Graduated
G Rylan Jones
F Collin Holloway
While many expected a wave of transfers following McMillan’s departure, Acuff brought Faulkner with him — an important addition given Acuff’s key role in his development when the pair were at Lipscomb.
In addition to Faulkner, adding Pollard is valuable, with Acuff highlighting him as a high-level player when Queens nearly upset Lipscomb in the ASUN semifinal. Throw in a scorer in Booth, who averaged 21 points per game and is also a career 41% 3-point shooter, and there is some hope of him taking over the Rylan Jones role.
It’s also possible that Allenspach returns, as he remains uncommitted to another school.
No matter how you look at it, building a tournament team in year one with a nearly new roster is a tall task. But if anyone is equipped to keep the momentum going in Birmingham, it’s Acuff.
