For the first time since 2000, the Samford University men’s basketball team is dancing.

On Monday afternoon, the top-seeded Bulldogs won their first Southern Conference tournament title, beating No. 7 seed East Tennessee State 76-69. The victory ensured Samford will participate in the NCAA Tournament for only the third time in program history.

Confetti fell from the ceiling of Harrah’s Cherokee Center as head coach Bucky McMillan celebrated with his team. Four years prior, the scene would have been unimaginable. Hired in 2020, McMillan’s first Samford squad won just six games during the COVID-shortened season.

“We played as a ten-seed my first year here. We came in here and lost by 35-40 points to Mercer [in the conference tournament], and I remember we had to recruit players for my first recruiting class and convince guys we could win this league,” reminisced McMillan in the postgame presser.

McMillan was the head coach at Birmingham’s Mountain Brook High School from 2008 to 2020. In that time, the Spartans won six AHSAA championships and never posted a losing record. McMillan’s teams also produced two current NBA players.

Despite his history of winning, Samford’s hire of McMillan was considered a gamble. Few high school head coaches hired directly to the college ranks have succeeded.

It was a risk Martin Newton, Samford’s Athletic Director, was willing to take.

“I wanted someone with head coaching experience, someone who can ignite the Birmingham and Samford community, someone who is aligned with the values of our university. I feel like he can do it,” Newton told Sports Illustrated in 2020.

“I dang sure wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Martin Newton, our athletic director,” McMillan said after signing a seven-year contract extension last summer.

“I came here to Samford because I saw his vision for the program. He wanted a program that could one day be great, and that’s what we’re on course to do.”

An emotional Samford AD Martin Newton with Bucky McMillan after the Bulldogs lock up the NCAA tourney bid. pic.twitter.com/njBioegCmw

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 12, 2024

McMillan’s tenure in Homewood has been successful beyond even generous expectations.

In the last four years, the Bulldogs have won a total of 77 games, including 29 this season, by far the best stretch in the history of Samford basketball. With Monday’s victory, McMillan’s squad now boasts the one accomplishment that had eluded them thus far: a March Madness appearance.

The coach’s confidence never wavered, even after a shaky start to his tenure.

“I said in that press conference [after the 2020 Mercer loss] that we’d win this league, that we’d get to the top of this league, that we’d win this tournament. And we did it,” said McMillan.

“Pretty good for a high school coach,” the Samford men’s basketball Twitter account joked after the game.

Pretty good for a high school coach 🏆#BuckyBall | #AllForSAMford pic.twitter.com/nCihOZ9RjH

— Samford Men's Basketball (@SamfordMBB) March 12, 2024

After the big win, McMillan emphasized how much Samford’s upperclassmen bought into the culture he instilled.

Graduate student Rylan Jones racked up four assists and 1.7 steals per game throughout the tournament. Transferring from Utah State, the point guard was named the SoCon Newcomer of the Year in his first year at Samford.

“When I called [Jones] up he’s got all these options, he could go to Notre Dame, Gonzaga, all these other schools. I said bro, you come here with me you’re going to have the most fun you’ve ever had in your life,” said McMillan. 

“He rolls here with us, and he says ‘You know what? I’m in.’ And I said, ‘How special would it be to do something that has never been done before?’ He comes here, wins two championships here, and has Samford in the tournament.”

In his third year as a Bulldog, Jermaine Marshall was injured for much of the season but returned to drop 23 points and eight rebounds in the SoCon championship game.

“I had to talk [Marshall] into coming home, he went in the portal after we won six games. He’s from Birmingham, Alabama. He could’ve gone to different spots. I said you come here, me and you together, we’ll put us on the map. We’ll do it for Birmingham,” McMillan said.

Junior forward Achor Achor, a first-team All-SoCon selection, averaged 21.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game during the conference tournament. The Australia native was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. 

“I had to go on a dang two-seater plane to go get [Achor]. I thought I was going to die!” McMillan laughed. “I saw it in this dude, man. I saw who he was. And now you look at him, he’s the most valuable player in this entire tournament.”

“I’m so proud to do it with this group,” McMillan continued. “I told someone earlier today that I’ve never wanted a team to win a championship more than this team right here. In a day and age where there’s a lot of ‘me’ going on, we had so many upperclassmen come in and buy into roles that would equal winning.”

Samford now turns their attention to the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Projected to be a 13 seed, the Bulldogs’ first opponent will be revealed on Sunday, March 17. The selection show will be televised on CBS and will air from 5:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. CST.

Charles Vaughan is a sports analyst and contributing writer for Yellowhammer News.