Big 4 Hoops Blogger

So, that was a tough week for UB... It wasn't unexpected but never good to get blown out in back-to-back conference games in mid-February. The Bulls are struggling and they don't exactly have freebies remaining on their schedule. Buffalo already lost to three of their four remaining opponents. Siting at 12-15 overall, it looks like they could have their first losing season since Reggie Witherspoon's final year with the program in 2012-13 when they went 14-20. John and I addressed the current state of the Big 4 and if UB is capable of making a run in Cleveland. Fast-forward to the 17:30 mark for UB talk.

Haven’t been posting much lately but enjoyed the hell out of their win over Toledo. Big game coming up angainst Ohio. You guys know how I’m divided when these two teams play. Bobcats looked sloppy earlier in the year but are starting to put things together, much like UB has. Kurtis Rourke has finally become a top tier MAC quarterback like his brother. Bobcats secondary was horrendous / look up Fordham game numbers but have done better against MAC competition.

On paper, the Bobcats have a really talented roster. The question is how quickly their transfers and newcomers can gel together. I’d expect them to be in the mix in March.

You're definitely correct based on the modern era and no one comes close. Most of these recruiting services have only been around for a few decades though. Would like to mention Ohio had a Parade All American and National High School player of the year in their 1972 class. Impossible to compare era's but it’s arguable that Walter Luckett is the top high school recruit to commit to a MAC program (non-transfer situation).

One of the best recruits to ever commit to a MAC school. Will be interesting to see how this plays out. Former 5 star, Top 5 recruit in 2021 class.

I’m confident UB will be competitive and a .500 or better team but I don’t think they’ll finish in the Top 4 of the MAC. Toledo is still good without Rollins. Carry is returning to Kent State and Ohio has a strong collection of newcomers in addition to Dwight Wilson coming back. Factor in Ball State being much improved and Akron being the defending champs, I don’t think it’s likely UB will be near the top. IMO, they’ll be in the middle of the pack (5th-7th) I am intrigued to see what Whitesell does with his own players though. This is a fresh start. Hopefully this team steps up and plays loose with lesser expectations.

Ohio just landed another decent transfer, Devon Baker out of Tulane. Scored only 6 ppg last year but averaged 16 ppg on 43% shooting and 34% 3-pt shooting at UNC Asheville. Would imagine he'll be one of their primary scorers. With their three incoming transfers and strong HS class, you'd have to imagine they'll be near the top of the MAC again next year.

The players in the locker room liked Casey Case a lot last season and thought he deserved an opportunity. Obviously, the coaching staff wanted to bring in some competition with Cole Snyder. Right now, I think it's a coin flip. Case seems like the better passer with Snyder being more of a mobile threat. I don't think any of their other quarterbacks are in the running right now. Matt Myers had a brutal start to the spring game and was the 3rd quarterback to take snaps.

Yep, I think a lot of us saw the cracks in the pavement a while ago but it’s more obvious now after what’s gone down during the past four months. UB fans better pray these 3 star sophomores have some game and can elevate themselves to the recent standard established by this program or the Bulls could be in for a long year.

Old Dominion starting point guard to Ohio. Averaged 9.7 points, 4 assists per game at ODU. Believe he has two years of eligibility remaining.

Former Top 150 recruit who couldn't see the court at Louisville. Had offers from plenty of P5 schools out of HS. 6-11 forward. Will be a junior next season. https://247sports.com/player/gabe-wiznitzer-46057505/ Was ranked 117th and a 4-star recruit by Rivals. Planned on redshirting freshmen year but didn't due to Covid season. https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2020/gabe-wiznitzer-233211

I covered Jaylen Butz in high school when I was a sports anchor in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He was a very good player at that level, guiding North Side to a state runner-up with his star teammate, Kentucky wing Keion Brooks Jr. Buffalo could use a guy like him. He's a solid forward that's a decent defender and rebounder. He's a limited scorer but good down low. He'd project around 10-13 points per game and 6-8 rebounds per game in the MAC imo Was a solid player at DePaul but didn't see the court much at Western Kentucky.

You guys know I love Mark Sears but I have no clue how this will play out. He’s a great mid-major scorer but has some limitations. Sears didn’t have the best vision and his height limits him. Luckily for him at Alabama, he won’t be asked to be an impact player like he was at Ohio. I see him being a SG now, averaging 10-15 mpg, 6-7 ppg and 1-2 apg. I think he’s talented enough to play P5 basketball but I’m not sure he’s good enough to be an impact player at that level. My gut says he’ll be more of a role player. Has a great shot and offensive game. Wish him the best!

Butler hired Thad Matta as head coach so it appears Boals and Groce will remain in the MAC unless something unforeseen happens.

Going back to the original theme of the thread... It's been an unbelievable run for St. Bonaventure that salvaged their season (I had said their season was a disappointment following Atlantic 10 Tournament. That's no longer the case) This is the first NIT Final Four appearance for a WNY school since Canisius in 1995. Of course, we all know the Bonnies won the NIT in 1977, which is the 2nd best accomplishment in their school history behind their Final Four appearance in 1970. I think their run might've played a role in Schmidt staying. The money obviously helps but the timing would've been horrible to leave during the middle of a magical run when you're considered one of the iconic coaches in school history. Another question is if Schmidt really took UMass seriously or if this was a money grab by his agent the entire time to leverage St. Bonaventure into paying him more. Regardless, good for the Bonnies fanbase as much as some on this board despise them.

FLJ is one of the best ambassadors of UB athletics the school has ever seen. She lit up every room she walked in with her bright personality. Her players loved her and she made women's basketball relevant at UB in the same manner that Hurley/Oats did for the men. Wish her the best at Syracuse. It's her dream job and appears to be a perfect match. My only hope is that UB will hire someone that will be able to continue the positive momentum she started. Obviously, it'll be difficult with Fair and Woolley being potential transfers but I still want to believe that they'll figure it out.

Was told similar things around that time before he took the job at Georgia State. Big reason why I was shocked when UB ended up hiring Jim Whitesell.

It’s all based on expectations. You can “lol” all you want but those play a role in how teams are perceived. No one is saying UB is better than Bona. We thought the Bulls were a Top 75 team that finished around 125 in KenPom while Bona was a Top 30 team that finished around 90. They “both” had incredibly disappointing years. That’s not up for debate.

It’s truly amazing how badly Toledo chokes in Cleveland on a yearly basis. Tough night for Ohio. Kent State has been playing the best basketball in the MAC. If they can continue playing their stifling defense and sneak in as a 14, they might have a chance to pull an upset in the tourney. Won’t predict it but they’re a solid squad.

Big time failure for St. Bonaventure. More so than UB because they had even higher expectations coming off NCAA Tournament season in which they returned their entire starting lineup and opened the year ranked. I doubt he’ll ever leave but if there was a time, it would be now for Schmidt to bolt for another school based on his age and the rebuilding project facing the Bonnies. In reality, UB and St. Bonaventure had similar seasons in regards to failing to meet their lofty preseason expectations. The main difference is Schmidt is highly regarded due to his history with their program while most here feel that Whitesell has been a disappointment.

Where did you live in West Virginia? I lived in Oak Hill near Beckley for one summer back in 2014 and worked at WOAY. Was all over the southern counties. Our sports guys covered a ton of Virginia Tech, Marshall and WVU.

I doubt this team will participate in any postseason tournament. They don't have the resume for the NIT and I doubt any of their seniors have any ambition to play in the secondary tournaments.

I never wanted this. I’ve been holding out hope the entire season that we’d see the best version of UB in Cleveland. Unfortunately, we didn’t. This was our last good shot for a while with our senior class. I think they’ll remain competitive but they’re now a rebuilding project pending any offseason moves that shift their trajectory.

I’m officially on the fire Whitesell bandwagon. This is one of the most disappointing seasons in the history of UB basketball from a expectations standpoint.

If UB loses this game, I have a feeling we won’t be arguing about many of the hot-button issues going forward.