Conference play has arrived in college basketball. While many teams ease into it with softer matchups, the Samford Bulldogs have done anything but. (except for those two games against Bryan and Reinhardt but those were weird weekday noon games.)

In his first season taking over for Bucky McMillan, head coach Lennie Acuff inherited a program that no longer sneaks up on anyone, and the schedule reflected it. Samford opened on the road at Tulane, traveled through Texas and Arkansas, played just two home games in November, then went to New Mexico, Mexico, and VCU before finally hosting Ivy League Cornell. The Bulldogs then open conference play with two straight road games. That is not an excuse. It is the reality of being a successful mid major program. Winning makes home games harder to schedule, and Acuff knows that is a challenge he will have to address moving forward.

Acuff’s first Southern Conference win came in impressive fashion. After a rough shooting first half, Samford rallied to defeat VMI, a program the Bulldogs have not lost to since January 2022. Jadin Booth sparked the comeback with 16 points in the second half. Dylan Faulkner delivered a career night with 25 points and 12 rebounds. Keaton Norris added a steady 11 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Cade Norris chipped in seven points and five boards.

Others will have to step up, but it was the kind of gritty, come-from-behind win that sets a tone for a new era.

Samford heads to UNC Greensboro next, but the Bulldogs return home Wednesday, January 7 at 6 p.m. With Dylan Faulkner emerging as a star, Keaton Norris providing senior leadership, and a team that clearly hasn’t backed down from anyone, this is a group worth seeing in person.

If you have been waiting for a reason to check out a Samford game, this is it.