UB92

Some MAC schools dream of moving to the B1G, but those are pipe dreams. They really have zero shot of happening. Other MAC schools are dealing with some combination of decreasing state appropriations, increased costs and caps on tuition to raise more revenue. Athletics is under more and more scrutiny to identify how they will lower costs. The MAC, like most other G5 conferences, is trying to survive as the difference between the haves and have nots increase. So where does that leave UB? Well...certainly losing the sports we did during the last few years is not the best sign, of course. It helps to consolidate, but that tells you the tough choices that need to be made. If UB were to set their sights on the AAC, it would come with more exposure and more travel expenses (and maybe not as successful). But it would also come with more revenue opportunities and a bigger national profile. It should be something to aspire to and I would hope our AD/President is working in that direction. Of course, I would love UB to be in the B1G. They profile so well as a B1G school, but they don't bring enough to the table to get in at this point. I get that...but I can always hope. Now...getting national recognition in college athletics always helps. Whether it is Tyree running fast at the combine, Mack getting traded and being a dominant player, the team playing well in football and, of course, the never-ending articles about Oats and the upstart Bulls (and being in the Top25 for many weeks now). This makes us attractive to other conferences. Just have to keep doing more. Owing to the time scales, it seems like change takes a long time. But this is what it looks like for UB athletics. It wasn't going to happen over one game or one season. It is sustained change over several years. We are going through the change now. For those who are younger and have no knowledge of UB sports in 2000 or so...your perspective is so different. I can find threads that I was involved with on this board where I complain that, every year, UB would get beaten up by Miami football with scores like 55 - 10. Seemingly every year. For many on this board who don't remember that -- it's good! That time is long gone. But for me, it is all part of the story. Just like that 5 - 23 basketball season I remember from about 15 years or so ago where we didn't win a road game all year (and won 2 conference games). I contrast that with now. It's been a long time coming. But think about Northern Illinois. They haven't played in the MAC Championship game in basketball since 1982. Heck -- Bowling Green has played in the championship game once since it started in 1980 and lost. That's a fan base that tries to see light and hope that "this is the year". (BTW, we need to remove all of hope of that on Senior Night). Go Bulls!

In a different year, we lose that game. But we have enough this year to get out of Oxford with a win. Did not have that last year. Graves has been such an important player this year. On a different note, they guy that Jordan trains with during the summer (that UCF guard who announces the games)...he needs to take Segu with him this summer. And...Segu needs needs needs to hit the weight room. Maybe if he was in a bottom 3rd conference he could get by, but he is in a top 3rd conference. He needs to get stronger to fight through on defense and offense

What about when a player calls himself a dog?

Lock...until they aren't. I believe nothing from what this site says, especially in the new era of the NET. UB has to finish strong. That starts with their next game...on the road. Go Bulls. PS: An at large bid for UB is another program milestone. That's why, I feel, it is so important for UB to achieve this milestone. Before you can do it consistently, you have to do it the first time.

Then he has to do the little things...find the open guy, deflect passes on defense, rebound aggressively and drive to the basket on offense. He is not hitting outside shots...so, go inside. But yes...he has a lot of shots that seem to go in and out from outside.

You say "bot traffic", I say "fans getting on the UB bandwagon!"

This is a tough game for UB. Akron really played hard on defense for most of the game...heck, it was still only a few points at the end. After the feast of the last two games, I wonder what type of effort UB will be able to muster on a Tuesday night (following the high of last Friday with that crowd). Certainly the road games in Oxford and Athens, since they are on the road, will get their attention. But this one...is a bit of a trap. The betting line is down to 13. This is going to be a dogfight, in my opinion. Even the best and bluest blood teams go through ups and downs during the season. After all, these are college kids. UB doesn't have that sort of history of expectations. Working in their favor, however, is their senior-laden team. We will see how it goes.

Here is an article about the NET: https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2018-08-22/net-rankings-what-know-about-college-basketballs-new-tool At the end of the day, we don't really know how much NET will factor into the seeds. Probably only to catch an outlier here or there.

The Akron game a few weeks ago was tight for most of the game. They play aggressive defense and did some nice things offensively with screens to get open layups. Other than that, they just don't have the firepower on offense to keep up. I am interested to see how UB tries to attack Akron's defense and how UB will defend the screens. The latter is important when incorporating less experienced defenders (i.e. Segu, Williams) into the player rotation.

After looking at the teams and the rankings within various bracket predictions, our ceiling is probably not higher than a 5. Perhaps if we get good traction in the pools that may put a 4 in play (i.e. MACC, gaudy record, etc.)

Keep winning and good things happen. #22 would be my guess. Go Bulls.

Remember -- Oats is not just interested in salary. I am sure he can double his salary this off-season for some team that comes calling. He wants the dedicated practice facility and, I believe, he wants to be in a conference that doesn't require him to win 30 games to get an at-large bid. So...sure...he'll be the highest paid b-ball coach in the MAC...but that is only a starter. I believe he needs to see evidence of a plan for the practice facility and, perhaps, a plan for next steps outside the MAC. In Lunardi's latest Bracketology, there are 4 AAC teams in the field. I think that a plan to get to the AAC would be very attractive to keep Oats in the fold as we move forward.

I am a lucky charm. All three times I have made the trip to cleveland to see UB in the finals, they have won. The other times...I didn't go...and we lost. As it stands now, I am free that Saturday night. Barring something unforeseen, I will be there (with my son...he is also a lucky charm) to root the Bulls on to a conference tournament championship. I still think back to that first championship, by the way. Only until they had it up by a good number under 1 minute did I feel safe. I enjoyed that minute...that's a memory I will hold forever (like the MACC win vs. Ball State). I really, really, really hope everyone is enjoying this "season for the ages". Sure...we want to be Gonzaga of the East, but I hope everyone is enjoying what we have now and this historic season. Go Bulls!

If our NET ends up below 20, we are probably going to be in fine shape. We need to keep winning. That gaudy record, plus some high profile wins and all of the love from the media will help seeding, in my opinion. It is good we are still in the top-25 for the reasons mentioned.

While nothing is a given, I would hope we see some Fagan, Bertram, Segu and Williams. Collectively, they average 8.3 minutes a game. I would like to see this foursome combine for 40 minutes tonight. Go Bulls.

I don't necessarily want to be the contrarian, but this is a bit of apples and oranges. "Oats better than Hurley"...at what, just coaching (x and o)? Recruiting? Dealing with people? Name recognition? Connection to HS? Connection to the NBA? They each have their strengths. It was always a given that Hurley would leave, so we used him to get name recognition and he used us to parlay his way to a P5. If he has good success at ASU, he'll be back to the east coast in no time. Maybe not a P5, but a strong, well-established east coast team. At any rate, Oats has a chance of staying. And for that, I am thankful...since you kind of need that stability to build a program.

Is it normal for the Bulls to stay on the road for these many days in prep for the game? Does it help? At any rate, every game we are getting a team's best...with a big push for fans to attend (except Akron...) The guys must be used to it by now. We have to figure out how to be sharper on passes and make the extra (safe) pass instead of all of the turnovers. If we lose because guys missed open shots...you live with it. If we lose because guys hit crazy, well-guarded shots on the other end...you live with it. At the end of the day, you can only play your best, but the other team has something to do with it. In this game, I want UB to commit 100% on defense and rebounding...and limit turnovers. Who cares about the offense -- it will take care of itself if you do the other thing. If UB wins, I believe it will come in under the total number. They have to make Toledo earn every basket. It is nice to be known for a high powered offense, but the reality is that it is a transition offense. However, UB has some very strong defenders and that is where they can shine tonight. Play the whole clock. Go Bulls!

When you think about it, the G5 teams are now (via the transfer portal) the minor leagues for the P5. I am sure there are many, many guys that the P5 want to offer coming out of HS, but for one reason or another cannot at the time (e.g. no scholarships left, some part of their game/tape gives them pause, maybe a concerning off-the-field issue, etc.) So they play in the MAC or the Sun Belt...and start...and perform well. P5 has people graduating at that position and now you have three years of a guy that has shown (albeit at the G5 level) that he can likely compete in P5. If they ever waive the "wait out a year" penalty...watch out. Half a team will be in the transfer portal. We are slowly watching G5 go away. They may have to make a decision to go P5 (not likely, even if given the opportunity) or go FCS. The popularity of that transfer portal, I think, is a watershed moment in the history of G5. Imagine you are Charlie Jones or Tyler Mabry in the transfer portal. How are you going to come back to the locker room? Everyone (the coaches, the assistants, the staff, the players, etc.)...thinks that you are exploring other options because you "don't like it here" (however you want to define "like"). Who wants to "go to war" (or whatever cliches people use about sporting events) with a guy when they are not 100% committed (actions, not words). Certainly people look a little sideways at the grad transfer stuff, but whatever...they guy was there long enough to get a degree and it was a smaller number. The more I think about the transfer portal, the worse I feel. The urgency, if UB wants to have a nationally recognized football and basketball sports program, is at hand to try and move to a P5 conference. But that's for another thread.

Truthfully, what the heck is going on? I can see (obviously) KJ and Tyree, but Jones and Mabry? And, I believe, we lost both line coaches. Perhaps this transfer portal is the new normal...

Back from the game. A few observations. 1. Not a lot of energy in the crowd. Most of it was manufactured noise. 2. Jump rope as a halftime show? Those kids didn't really take it to the next level as promised. 3. If you are going to give away free tuition, at least make sure the person can reach the backboard from midcourt. I don't even know if it made the 3 point line. 4. Akron's size (bulk and height) made McRae and Perk less effective inside. 5. The turnovers are mostly a result of forcing and bad decisions. They have to really value the ball more. It is near RW levels. 6. Bravo foul shooting. Hit some front parts of 1 and 1. Perk and CJ were particularly strong. It may very well have been a different outcome if they miss some 1 and 1 shots. 7. The flexibility of Caruthers was on full display tonight. He hit some highly contorted shots. And he got some important boards. 8. Williams...happy birthday. I hit a 3 in front of the Akron bench and then earn a T. Your present was the ire of Oats. He was hot. I hope some of his teammates get on him for that. This isn't HS anymore. 9. Segu keeps getting important minutes. Needs some more bulk on him. It is physical driving the lane. Full marks to Graves for getting beat up while going inside. Graves is going to shine next year. 10. A table full of NBA scouts were at the game. 11. Refs were a bit overwhelmed at parts tonight. Called some things that were not fouls and missed a few more obvious ones. Oats rode the refs tonight. He looked Hurley-esque at some points...but without the Hurley baggage. On to Toledo. Go Bulls!

C'mon. The Bonnies game was a "shut up" game to their arrogant fans, clearly. Even Oats got in on it after the game with his tweet. Who knows the level of intensity UB will bring, but Akron will bring the intensity. UB has to match it right from the gate. They can't be down 27 -12 going 1 - 9 from 3 and Perk is on the bench with 3 fouls while Harris has 5 turnovers. The guys have to play with the intensity and poise that ranked teams need to play with on the road. I drove to the campus earlier and picked up my tickets. The UB fans at the game...please, please, please...be as loud as possible all game. The Akron fans tend to be older and they have trouble drawing students. So...50 loud UB fans can make an impact. Go Bulls.

I worry about this game. Is UB a great team or a good team that had a nice run at the beginning of the season. If UB is a great team, they win by 13. I fear that, maybe, UB is only a good team. At various points in the season I have thought they were a great team, but I am now beginning to doubt myself. They lost that game @ NIU where they had to hit a 3-late just to tie. Then they survived against KSU, especially clamping down in the last 4 minutes. It could have gone either way. After a predictable beat down of BSU at home, they went on the road again and were outplayed severely in the second half...especially on the turnovers. Then they started out very slow at home vs. CMU, but outclassed them in the second half. Now they take a trip to Akron. The Zips have won all of their home conference games this season and all of their home games, total, save for a one-point loss to Marshall. The Zips want to keep us in the 50s, so expect fouls, hard rebounding and tough defense. As I mentioned in another thread, we really embarrassed them last year at home. Playing strong against the ranked Bulls team would really give them an idea of how far they have come since the Dambrot exodus. So...are we a great team...who shrugs off all I have written above, scores a lot in transition, hits threes and plays tight D on our way to a 13 point win? Or are we a good team (now) with players who are hurting/slumping and have a big struggle tonight on the road? I've seen plenty of UB games where we get run out of the gym at Akron when they start hitting threes in transition. I want to believe we are a great team. Go Bulls!.

The point about the blue paint...I can't agree enough. Blue and white should be all over campus.

Yes...I mean, as we have seen (and already know about the MAC), winning on the road is hard and...there are good teams in this league that can beat you on any given night. I watched that Akron beat down last year. The game started with an 11 - 0 UB run. Akron made it 11 - 2 and that was the closest they got the entire game. Pretty much it was close to 30 minutes of garbage time. It was early in the conference season, so Akron certainly had a lot of growing to do (and they have). But I doubt they have forgotten that game from last year -- it was embarrassing to watch if you were a Zips fan. Akron plays tough at home and we are going to have to grind this one out. I don't believe we will make it into the 70s in this game, so this will revert to being a typical UB/Akron game on the road (last year was an aberration). When the games are tough, grind-it-out affairs, foul shooting becomes so important. Our guys are going to be in for a battle on Tuesday.

We shouldn't overthink this (watch the whole thing...it could fit in a 2 minute break). It is the George Mason band.