If ever there were a nonleague matchup where the home power conference team could have trouble with a visiting mid-major squad, the Tuesday tilt between Samford and Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich., would be a leading candidate. Picked to win the Southern Conference at the beginning of the season, Samford (4-1) is coming off a season in which it went 29-6 and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000. The Bulldogs have high expectations again this year, with returnees Collin Holloway and Rylan Jones being named to the preseason all-conference team and Jaden Brownell (Illinois-Chicago) and Trey Fort (Mississippi State) headlining a group of transfers.
Samford has chance to prove its mettle vs. Michigan State
