Big 4 Hoops Blogger

UB/Canisius Highlight Video On Saturday evening, I was able to cover my first UB game since moving back to Buffalo in November. I put together a small little highlight video while sitting on press row. I hope you take the chance to check it out as well as read my recap article. I'm hoping to come out with more content like this throughout the year as long as I'm able to attend games depending on my work schedule. Hope you enjoy! (PS: I didn't get the dunks but I have some decent clips in there)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone here on UB Fan! It's been a season full of gifts for Bulls fans across the country. Big 4 Update: Buffalo shines in national spotlight In this week's Big 4 Update, I write about how Buffalo took advantage of their opportunity in the national spotlight, why their win over Syracuse was important to the program moving forward and where I expect them to land in the polls following their loss to Marquette. Check it out and let me know what you think!

It was a great effort by the UB women! They played hard but unfortunately couldn't put it together offensively. They forced up a lot of three's and struggled to generate solid looks. That said, they did a great job defensively, keeping in the game. Stanford struggled to get anything going the entire afternoon. It was great seeing a big-time opponent come to Alumni Arena and see a solid crowd show up.

That's my thought process as well. We won't know the quality of the WVU win until the end of the season around tournament time. Regardless of how it turns out, it was a tremendous comeback that kick started the Bulls current run. Without it, UB wouldn't be ranked and definitely wouldn't be receiving all of the hype they're currently getting. In the end, I think it'll turn out to be a very good win, but not the Top 25 quality road win we all originally thought.

It's amazing seeing all of the exposure they've been getting lately. I had the same reaction as you when I saw Nate Oats headlining the NCAAM tab on ESPN. It's a great time to be a UB fan! Hopefully, they can keep it up and pick up another win tonight at Syracuse.

I'm looking for some suggestions as well. I'll be heading to the game with a few friends. I know Dinosaur BBQ is amazing but we already have one in Buffalo. Was trying to find some other go-to spots.

LINK: Big 4 Basketball Update: Buffalo vs. Syracuse Preview In my special edition of the Big 4 Basketball Update, I preview No. 14 Buffalo's matchup with Syracuse. I breakdown the keys to the game, their recent series history and talk with Johnathan Snyder regarding what it'll take for UB to pull off the win. In the article, you'll also see highlights from last year's game (ACC Network Highlights) and sound from CJ Massinburg, Nick Perkins and Nate Oats from earlier in the week. Prediction: Buffalo 81-77

LINK: Big 4 Basketball Update: Buffalo vs. Syracuse Preview In my special edition of the Big 4 Basketball Update, I preview No. 14 Buffalo's matchup with Syracuse. I breakdown the keys to the game, their recent series history and talk with Johnathan Snyder regarding what it'll take for UB to pull off the win. Prediction: Buffalo 81-77

LINK: Big 4 Update: Buffalo ready for primetime matchups Guys, I'm sorry spamming this message board with all of these links but I wanted to let you know that I had a special guest for this week's Big 4 Podcast. I was joined by Villa Maria College assistant basketball coach, Johnathan Snyder. Many of you have seen his work on Queen City Sports, Bull Run and Snyder's Big 4 Talk in the past. He's the person who broke the Shannon Evans transfer news after he decided to head to Arizona State. In this podcast, we discuss the magical ride UB has been on this season towards the end. On TUESDAY MORNING, I'll be releasing another podcast focused exclusively on previewing Buffalo/Syracuse. Make sure to check that out. I'll have an article, podcast with John with predictions from both of us. This is more of a teaser article with updates on all four of the Big 4 schools but Tuesday will be much more UB specific. Twitter: @Mike_Bundt

In my latest podcast, I sat down with CJ Massinburg, Nick Perkins and Nate Oats to preview the upcoming Syracuse game. I have an article with the whole podcast transcribed as well if you'd rather read than listen. LINK: Talking with the Bulls: Syracuse Preview Find me on Twitter: @Mike_Bundt

In the article linked above, I preview their matchup against Southern Illinois and bring up a few interesting facts including how this is UB's first non-conference home-and-home series since splitting with Niagara during the 1996-97 season when the Bulls were still playing in the Mid-Continent Conference coached by Tim Cohane.

As most of you already know, I've been blogging a bunch about the Big 4 this year for From the 300 Level. With my schedule at my new job officially set, I was able to attend UB practice for the first time since moving back to Buffalo earlier today. I spoke with Nate Oats, CJ Massinburg and Nick Perkins. I have a bunch of content set to come out throughout the next week starting with my Southern Illinois game preview: No. 14 Buffalo set for rematch against Southern Illinois I'll have my normal weekly Big 4 update/podcast on Sunday with sound from Oats, Massinburg and Perkins, plus a Syracuse preview and some Marquette talk later in the week. In addition to that, I love tweeting about UB hoops. If you have a Twitter account, give me a follow and reach out to me at: @Mike_Bundt

No. 14 Buffalo set for rematch against Southern Illinois I had a chance to drop by UB practice on Friday afternoon and speak with Nate Oats, CJ Massinburg and Nick Perkins. In the article linked above, I preview their matchup against Southern Illinois and bring up a few interesting facts including how this is UB's first non-conference home-and-home series since splitting with Niagara during the 1996-97 season when the Bulls were still playing in the Mid-Continent Conference coached by Tim Cohane. Check out @Mike_Bundt twitter account for more random UB facts/observations.

Unfortunately, I haven’t had the same experience. My wife and dad love UB basketball despite being Ball State and Canisius Alums. Some of my friends who follow college basketball closely are also enjoying it but other than that, none of my “average Joe” friends and family have even taken notice that UB is ranked. Personally, that doesn’t impact me either way. I’m loving this season and will soak it all in but it’s amazing they haven’t gained more mainstream local coverage outside of what you see on social media and the occasional highlights on the news.

It’s embarrassing! I love the Bills and Sabres just like everyone else in Buffalo but I can’t even convince my friends to consider watching UB basketball despite them being ranked 14th in the country. People have their own preconceived notions of what UB athletics is which prevents them from getting personally invested in the program. If they were branded “Syracuse” or “Ohio State,” it would be completely different. It all comes down to this, UB has never been relevant at this level before and the majority of locals haven’t been groomed to follow them so they don’t care, regardless of how good they are.

To add on top of this, Ohio was ranked #5 in the country for two weeks during the 1969-70 season and were ranked nine out of 15 weeks total.

I'm probably more conservative than most but I only see UB moving up one spot this week to #16, taking over Kansas State's spot following their loss to Tulsa. Check out my reasoning here: Bulls should move up in top 25

It's the rare non-conference home-and-home series within the same season. Southern Illinois has been solid this year. They're 7-3 overall, on a 5-game winning streak with wins over Tulsa, St. Louis and Colorado State. I believe we're looking at a 20-win Missouri Valley Conference contender. That'll carry some weight on the resume come March. Not as much as Syracuse and Marquette but a decent amount nonetheless. The Salukis also stand in the way of UB getting to 10-0 heading into the Carrier Dome. Make no mistake about it, this game is big. Let's hope the fans turn out at Alumni Arena. Here's my weekly Big 4 Update/Podcast: Bulls take down Bona, prepping for big game vs. Southern Illinois

I'll be there. I haven't had the chance to cover any games this season due to my work schedule and moving back into the area from out of town so it'll be nice getting back into the groove of things. I've always had a soft spot for the Koessler Athletic Center. I had Canisius season tickets one year when I was in middle school. It can be a really fun environment for Big 4 rivalry games.

Buffalo and St. Bonaventure are rivals, even if some fans disagree I felt the need to ask this. Growing up, I always assumed each of the local Big 4 schools considered themselves rivals. Obviously, I understood some of the matchups were more meaningful than the others but I still felt they were important games in the local hoops landscape even with UB being a D1 newcomer. I bring this up with Buffalo getting set to battle St. Bonaventure. I've seen many fans questioning if this truly is a rivalry game. I think it is and I definitely believe it can blossom into a much more heated game going forward if both teams sustain their recent success. Each time UB takes on SBU, WNY supremacy is on the line. Both schools recruit at a high level and despite conference affiliation, they're comparable talent wise and play an exciting brand of basketball. So what do you all think? Check out my column and let me know your thoughts!

Buffalo and St. Bonaventure are rivals even if some fans disagree There's been a lot of talk and references in this thread to posts on the Bonnies message board. To me, it signifies that the two programs are starting to build up some hate for one another. St. Bonaventure fans are used to being the premier basketball program in WNY. The last thing they want is for UB to be at their level. I've attached my column on why this has the makings of a budding rivalry, even if some may disagree.

I think UB will move to the 18/19 range this week. There were a bunch of teams in front of them that lost but it's always tricky projecting mid-majors rising or falling in the polls.

San Francisco impressed me. I heard many hyping the Dons going in but I didn't know what to expect. They give UB a solid battle. Regarding your side note, it's no big deal. I love posting about Big 4 basketball and I'm going to keep doing so. Sometimes, people will disagree with my opinions and when they do, I look forward to having a good debate.

Link: Big 4 Update: Perkins and Harris step up in Belfast Hall of Fame Classic Like many of you, I set my alarm and woke up nice and early on Friday and Saturday morning to watch Buffalo compete in the Belfast Hall of Fame Classic. It was impressive seeing the Bulls pick up a win over previously undefeated San Francisco but my biggest takeaway from the weekend was that Nick Perkins and Jeremy Harris are back! (Not that we didn't think they would eventually get rolling anyways!) Harris appears to have rediscovered his jumper after a slow start to the season while Perkins posted his first back-to-back 20-point games since his sophomore year. This week, UB will have a much tougher than anticipated matchup at St. Bonaventure. On paper, the Bonnies are only 3-5 but they've been rejuvenated by Courtney Stockard's return to their lineup. It'll be rocking in Olean on Saturday. I'm expecting a solid matchup. What are your thoughts?

It'll be exciting to see Dillard and the Bulls battle Stanford on the Friday before Christmas. Huge opportunity versus a top 10 team in the country. I'm hoping fans show up for that one despite its odd noon start time.