ETSU Aims for 20th Win Against Samford

The Bucs, on a four-game win streak, have a chance to reach a milestone victory on Saturday.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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East Tennessee State University's men's basketball team has a chance to earn its 20th win of the season on Saturday when it faces Samford. The Bucs, who are 19-7 overall and 11-2 in the Southern Conference, are on a four-game winning streak. ETSU coach Brooks Savage has guided the team through a three-year process to reach this point, after the Bucs struggled early in his tenure.

Why it matters

ETSU's potential 20th win would be a significant milestone, as the program has not achieved that feat in several years. The Bucs' success this season has them leading the Southern Conference standings, putting them in position to potentially earn an NCAA Tournament berth.

The details

In the teams' previous matchup on January 17, ETSU edged Samford 76-75 on a last-second tip-in by Blake Barkley, who had a career-high 26 points and 11 rebounds. The Bucs have been balanced offensively, with six players scoring 20 or more points in a game this season. ETSU leads the Southern Conference in scoring defense, allowing just 67.6 points per game.

  • ETSU and Samford will play on Saturday, February 12, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
  • On January 17, 2026, ETSU defeated Samford 76-75.

The players

Brooks Savage

The head coach of the ETSU men's basketball team, who has guided the program through a three-year process to reach this point.

Blake Barkley

The ETSU player who had a career-high 26 points and 11 rebounds in the team's previous win over Samford.

Jadin Booth

The Samford player who leads the team with a 20.9 points per game average.

Dylan Faulkner

The Samford player who averages 17.3 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game.

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What they’re saying

“We've taken some big steps. It started that first year when we went on the road and beat Davidson, beat East Carolina. We started 1-5 (in the SoCon) then we rallied, got hot the end of the year and made the championship. Last year, finishing third 7-2 on the back half, another step. This year to take another step during the regular season, try to get our 20th win Saturday. The accolades have improved as we've done something that hasn't been done around here a while.”

— Brooks Savage, Head Coach, ETSU (johnsoncitypress.com)

“We can kind of compare it to the 2020 team. We had eight guys that year that led the team in scoring at some point. We've got plenty of plenty of weapons, plenty of good players. When we're really playing together, cutting, playing on balance, we're tough to beat.”

— Brooks Savage, Head Coach, ETSU (johnsoncitypress.com)

“We're hanging our hat on the defensive end of the floor. On basketball, if you don't value the ball in terms of shot selection and turnovers, if you don't get back in transition defense, play five on five, you don't defensive rebound, you got no shot. So when you do those things, you know, we're pretty good.”

— Brooks Savage, Head Coach, ETSU (johnsoncitypress.com)

What’s next

The winner of Saturday's game between ETSU and Samford will take a step closer to securing the Southern Conference regular season title.

The takeaway

ETSU's potential 20th win of the season would be a significant milestone for the program, showcasing the team's growth and development under coach Brooks Savage. The Bucs' balanced offensive attack and stifling defense have them poised for a potential NCAA Tournament berth.