John

I thought Whitesell said that in a interview that they really wanted to redshirt Skogman but it was depending on the health of Bertram and that if something happened to Mballa or Hardnett they might be forced to play Skogman. On the game my thoughts are still leaning on the positive and giving this group some time. Concerned about the play of both Johnson and Grant who many thought would be very good players because they are from decent Div 1 teams. But the fact is they did not play last year and am concerned about Johnson’s shot selection and poor team play and Grant looks like a slow player with only wanting to shoot from the outside. I am not sold on Williams at all. His overall play is still very uneven and still plays out of control. Again what he was able to do in high school is not even close to the type of players he is playing against in Div 1. All in all this group of players do not at this point seem to play as a team with way to much one on one play. Only time will tell and will keep the positive vibes coming. Go Bulls!!!!

Looking forward to both games. As usual the Buffalo News did not even mention the Women’s game!!! They are off to another great start with Fair being one of the top five scorers in the nation. Shame on you Buffalo News and both my brother and I have already called the sports editor on no/very little coverage for our teams and with more coverage for high school sports. If their was another newspaper in town we would not read the Buffalo News period. Go Bulls!!!!

A great bounce back game and Patterson has been outstanding. The concern as always has been Leipold getting out coached in many of our games when we are ahead or our big games. The kicking and punting game has been terrible all year and all you hear is we have to get it corrected!!! The kickoff game can not kick the ball into the end zone and the punting is worst then in most high school games. Why does the punter continue to use the running kick style that is terrible?? This has been the same problem since Leipold came here. This is on the coaching staff and recruiters that they can not find a capable kicker. Hope UB can have a strong game against BG and get a bowl game. Go Bulls!!!!

A very good right on comment. Just because at times we criticize after a game does not mean we do not support or care about our team and in many instances sometimes we care too much and take this game to heart. Do agree with the talent and potential part. There are teams all over the country that have talent etc. that do not have successful years. After our last few great years this is really an entirely different makeup of a team and only time will tell. Go Bulls!!!!

Wow!!! Is one word what this group of young, untested with little experience group have accomplished so far. The game was an exciting, back and forth game from start to finish. Columbia was a very good test as they had a big and athletic front line with some very good underclass players. Onwuka hurt her ankle in the 2nd quarter and we were wondering who was going to step up when UB was behind in the game. To their credit the entire team stepped up and were only down a few points. We received great improvement and games from Christie, Walters and Adeyeye who up to this point have not shown frontcourt presence in either scoring or rebounding. With the bigger Columbia frontcourt it was going to be imperative that they showed improvement in both scoring and rebounding especially with Walter’s 14 rebounds and nine points. The one turning point of the game was the defensive pressure UB applied in the 2nd half forcing 24 Columbia turnovers and getting them out of their offensive rhythm. Onwuka came back from her injury but still seemed like it bothered her. Hall had an outstanding game with 16 points shooting 4-8 from 3PT line. The player all of the UB faithful should come out to see is freshman Dyaisha Fair who has been outstanding in all games. Her court awareness,shooting and ball handling are something that can’t be taught. In some crazy thought process maybe it is a blessing in disguise that Hemphill has been out of the lineup as players like Christie, Walters and Adeyeye are getting playing time and comfortable and experience. Another positive is this coaching staff and it appears Coach Jack definitely seems to have the pulse of this team. What started out as a very uncertain forecast for this team, it looks like a very positive step forward and I hope more fans and the general public come out to see this team. Go Bulls!!!! P.S. Hope the men follow the lead of the women.

Onwuka and Fair look very, very good and I hope more fans come to see them in person. The success UB is having with only two very good players is surprising but truly they have not played any decent teams. Without Hemphill they have no good frontline players. I give coach Jack and staff a lot of credit for coaching up this group of frontline players who have a lot of improvement to make for UB to be successful once the MAC schedule begins. Columbia should be a better test as they have a bigger and more athletic frontline. Hope to see a larger crowd on Friday. Go Bulls!!!!

Do agree. It will be important to get comfortable with running good offensive sets with good ball movement and also playing good team/help defense. Even if UB has a good game they can not get too comfortable based on who they are playing. A good case in point is Williams play against Daeman where he looked in control and made some nice offensive moves. Against Dartmouth he played like he was last year. He was forcing his moves and was out of control and played terrible defense. He probably never had to play defense in high school and was head and shoulders over most of the high school players. Hope he along with the other new players can improve and play as a team. The way the game against Daeman went they probably felt it was going to be the same against Dartmouth. Looking forward to tonight’s game maybe with not many fans as the weather is not pretty. Go Bulls!!!!!

A good objective post. We lost the heart and soul of the team with the players we had last year. Carruthers was the defensive heart and soul of the team and the rest of the players followed his lead. We don’t have that with this group as of now. All the hype about how good some of these new players are will be played out as the games are played and only time will tell. You can’t teach basketball IQ. There are teams locally and nationally that are littered with players that were the best in high school and Juco that are not great players in Div 1. Again this is really a whole new group of players and former players that are in different roles and it will be interesting to see how this plays out. hope to enjoy the ride. Go Bulls!!!!

Agree Fair is a big time get for us and I can only think she did not go to a bigger school is maybe her size. She looks so poised and even when she makes mistakes or turnovers never seems to show she is out of control. I think Dillard had something to do about getting her to come to UB. Do agree with our forward/center players. Without Hemphill we have very little athleticism and experience. Both Adeyeye and Walters are overally aggressive and are in constant foul trouble. Gaba has no quickness and Christie has very little inside presence and looks like she wants to play outside. Hamilton is strictly an outside shooter with no inside or rebounding presence. Schaffer is another European player who shoots 3’s but looks overwhelmed with the game here. We have to give this group time as it is only a couple games. I really do have confidence in this coaching staff to develop some of these players but only time will tell. Go Bulls!!!!!

I agree there should be no panic mode after one game. Before the season there were many positive vibes about all our new players but only time will tell if they will become good div 1 players. Maybe there was more positive vibes about this team because of our last few years of success. Johnson and Grant did not have good stats on their former teams and Mballa was not a first tier player or TT. You never know how Juco’s are going to perform against better Div 1 talent. Not sold on Williams as a Div 1 player as he showed no progression from last year as he forced shots on the offensive end and was as bad on defense as he was last year. Segu showed promise but only time will tell. Whitesell showed little during the game and seemed overwhelmed at times. I do believe this team will need some time along with the coaching staff to become comfortable and gain some confidence to play as a team. Even if they have a good game against Div 111 Nazareth it will not be a good barometer on how we will play against Div 1 teams. Our family will be with this team every step of the way. Go Bulls!!!!!

After talking to my family one and only one more comment. Honesty and integrity are the cornerstones of our life. When my wife died of cancer 4 years ago our family became passionate outgoing basketball fans at UB. For 20+ years before that we were always at games but more in the silent majority type. For your information some of my family were in counseling and these last five years have been the most exciting and compelling of all. We have met and talked to many at UB in administration and made many friends that will last a lifetime. Our entire family and some friends have been to Cleveland the last five years and were on the floor celebrating with both teams when they won the MAC. We have sent more notes of thanks to coach’s and administrators alike and will have these as memories that will last for the rest of our lives. A large number of our family are UB graduates and alumni and will continue to voice their opinions on what is right and wrong at UB and in our community . Our family want to thank many on the site for their insight and different perspectives on a variety of sports related subjects. As we know there are always ups and downs in sports and in life in general we hope there will still be good times at UB.

How dare you criticize me and bring my wife into this display. Because I do not agree with opinions on the site you think I should be in counseling.All that was stated is we have lost our enthusiasm for UB and college and pro sports because of the outrageous money and the way fans get treated. We can’t do anything about the world being out of control but we can control our own lives with honesty, integrity, responsibility and accountability. As I sign off hope there are many of you that can still enjoy sports and put all the emotion and personal feelings aside.

I am not endorsing anything. How did signing that extension work out for you???? It is how Oats went about it. Be honest with fans, don’t sign an extension if you don’t plan on being here. If you read my comments in its entirety you will see where we are coming from. I guess being honest and upfront with people only applies if not in sports.

Don’t worry and I am sorry. Our family had a summit and decided that our opinions ar out there and there is nothing else really to say. Besides we are not planning on visiting Alabama any time soon.

AS always all you fickle people don’t get my point of anger and disappointment. I have been told that sports is now a business and how everybody can’t see how Oats sold us a line of bullcan’t See the forest for the trees. Our family have followed local sports with all the ups and downs than you have probably experienced in your lifetime. Cancelling season tickets and not going to games has been going on forever for a variety of reasons. DWho do you think you are to say good riddance. Our family have been local college and especially UB for over 50 years and had our children go to UB. We can all have our opinions and we got screwed when we had as good ting going. Life is unfair and we will survive without following sports that is now a business.

What the hell happened????? Did not you hear sports is no longer sports it is a business and you go wherever the money is as long as you get your dream job .

Don’t agree. He would be a homer for St. Bona. He failed miserably at Siena. If he can/t make it in the week MAAC he should stay in the SEC. Maybe Oats can sign him and they can talk about their accolades when they were local. You know how the good old boys club works.

You might be right on that topic. If we hire a coach other than Hodgson that has no clue on recruiting for the MAC he can do what Reggie did. Bring in walkons and players no one else wants and the coach can use the excuse - it is hard to recruit players to UB!!!!!!

Agreed it is what it is. I wonder if all the coaches that left their programs after they had success did what Oats did???? Building up everyone’s hopes with all his talk about UB and knowing he was leaving as soon as he got his dream job. It will be interesting how Oats handles any adversity when the team sticks up the joint. When he was a Romulus I believe he had nothing but success and when he was here he had nothing but success. What’s his sales job going to be if they are losing and getting slaughtered in the SEC???? We seen what happened against TT. He got out coached and could not make adjustments. Oh, wait a minute his thoughts were on his dream job!!!!!

I am sure told him how nice the weather is in Alabama and how cold it is in Buffalolike he said when he got off the private jet. Really don’t know exactly what kind of player he is but maybe he will be like O’Field who left with Hurley. He did not play for two years and left for JUCO ball I believe.I usually end my comment with Go Bulls!!! Not anymore. What is the war cry or chant they do at Alabama. Oats said in his press conference He loved the students and their war cry or student chant??????

Al the attributes from others about his coaching in a good analysis. But as a person many of us have lost all respect for him because of his words and actions during this affair. I am sure he can talk to Saban and learn how to be sarcastic and belittle anyone who tries to ask a question. But then again why would you want to hire anyone with honesty and integrity but as so many have tried to explain this is just a business so let’s not get personal and emotional. I am sure the Alabama sports scene is alive and well and in 4/5 years you can start over again with the same rhetoric.our family have no agenda and we not follow or promote behavior from people who think they are god’s gift to mankind!!!!!

Alnutt is in the same boat as Oats. If he fails here and he is on his way he will take the next job offer with more money and trample over tha fans like Oats.