Berry vs Samford prediction: Samford tunes up Cooper Noard and a rebuilt frontcourt against Berry
With Dylan Faulkner gone to Clemson, Samford's second exhibition is about who replaces his inside production, not the final score.
- Samford should control a listed exhibition at home while Lennie Acuff keeps testing a deep rotation, as he did with 12 players on Oct. 13.
- Watch Samford's frontcourt: Dylan Faulkner, who averaged 17.2 points and 8.6 rebounds last season, left for Clemson, and the Bulldogs have to replace his rebounding and rim protection.
- No spread or total has posted. The listing as an exhibition may mean none will, and tip time is unsettled between 6:30 PM ET and 8 PM.
A second dress rehearsal
Samford has already had one test run. The Bulldogs beat Alabama A&M 71-61 in an Oct. 13 exhibition, jumping to a 10-2 lead early on a Cooper Noard three. Noard, a fifth-year guard from Cornell, led the way with 15 points. Acuff played 12 players and said the team "subbed an awful lot."
Berry arrives as a listed exhibition opponent from the SAA, coached by Matthew Richter, who won the conference title in 2025-26. Little else about this season's Vikings is public. Tip time is also unsettled: listings show both 6:30 PM ET and 8 PM at Pete Hanna Center.
Life after Faulkner
The biggest question for Samford sits in the paint. Faulkner averaged 17.2 points and 8.6 rebounds last season and shot 61.7% from the floor. He blocked 1.5 shots a game, and the team ranked 310th of 365 in block rate last season even with him.
Samford's August release listed only two returning starters, Cade Norris and Isaiah Campbell-Finch. Norris made 40.4% of his threes last season, and Campbell-Finch scored 7.4 points a game. Samford was picked fourth in the SoCon preseason poll, with Furman first, and Noard made the Preseason All-SoCon team.
What last season's identity suggests
Last season's 18-14 team was built on taking care of the ball and living behind the arc. Its turnover rate of 13.3 per 100 possessions ranked 9th nationally, and it took threes on 46.5% of its shots, 39th most in the country. It also cleaned its own glass, ranking 12th in defensive rebound rate, but rarely chased offensive boards.
The weak spot was the line: Samford made just 68.9% of its free throws, 301st nationally. With Faulkner gone and a new rotation forming, an exhibition is a chance to see whether those habits carry over.
Key players
- Cooper Noard (Samford): Led Samford with 15 points in the Oct. 13 exhibition win over Alabama A&M and was named Preseason All-SoCon.
- Cade Norris (Samford): Shot 40.4% from three last season while starting 31 games.
- Isaiah Campbell-Finch (Samford): Averaged 7.4 points in 23.4 minutes a game last season.
Numbers that matter
| Faulkner's scoring last season | 17.2 | Points per game Samford must replace after its top interior player left for Clemson. |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rate rank last season | 9th | Samford's ball security was among the best in the country and anchors its style. |
| Free throw % last season | 68.9% | Ranked 301st nationally, a weakness worth watching with a new rotation. |
| Exhibition result | 71-61 | Samford's Oct. 13 win over Alabama A&M, its only game action so far. |
Berry vs Samford: quick answers
When is Berry vs Samford?
Monday, November 2, 2026 at 6:30 PM ET.