MaineBull

Agreed, keep the momentum going with a winning season capped with a tournament appearance at seasons end. Success breeds success! Go Bulls!

Any word if Syracuse is going to play us again this year? My guess is they bow out of that matchup after the beat down we put on them last year at their gym! I suspect it will be a difficult year to get many quality teams to agree to play us, especially at Alumni Arena. I guess that is the price we pay for our recent success. I hope the coaching staff continues the trend of a difficult OOC schedule if possible. I think this approach better prepares the team for the end of the season tournaments. One of the most underrated aspects of a basketball team is how they handle adversity!

I don't see that happening despite how much we would like it to. One day I see Buffalo moving to a better conference but not now. We need to show sustained success for a longer period of time in both hoops and football. I think eventually we can do better than the AAC. My hope is if the AAC comes calling to Buffalo, which for the record I doubt, they hold pat for future offers in another conference.

I agree UB05. Keep winning and making the tournament at years end and these recruits will be more inclined to attend UB!. All of these kids want a chance to play on the big stage. UB offers that chance, year in and year out. Say what you want about the MAC but if we continue to recruit at the caliber we currently are then we should be able to have a legitimate chance to make the tournament each year in this conference. One of the big reasons I don't see Gonzaga in a big hurry to leave the WCC.

This coaching staff has recruited more bigs already than Oats did for his entire stay here. Clearly Whitesell and company are putting an emphasis on an inside presence and length in the paint to rebound and protect the rim.

No way 5 years ago we would be in this position. No doubt this is a fun time to be a Bulls fan!

At this point we are waiting on the MBalla waiver. If granted I think he plays significant minutes and makes us the favorite to win the MAC again this year. If not, I think our rotation of players stays at 9. Any word on the Mballa waiver?

This is very encouraging insight. Lets hope he can contribute off the bench and be that spark plug we need off the bench. Great story and very inspirational!

For those not interested in reading the detailed analysis above. My answers to these same questions are: David Nickelberry will contribute the most this season. David Skogman will contribute the most over his career at UB.

As we all know we have some very solid recruits coming in this season. How will these recruits contribute this coming season? How will they contribute over the course of their careers here at UB? Here are my thoughts: This season I see contributions from most of this group. I see Gallion having the least playing time of the group this season. For the sake of argument I am assuming that Mballa is not granted his waiver to play this season. As I have said on this forum Mballa is a difference maker for this team. If he is granted his waiver to play this season we instantly become the favorite to win the MAC and return to the big dance! Hardnett will contribute immediately. I see him starting out of the gate and contributing on the glass, running the floor and finishing off screen and rolls on a regular basis. His athleticism and motor will be tough to handle for many of the teams in the MAC. We have a budding star on our hands in Hardnett. Skogman is an impressive pickup by this staff. He is long and can really stretch the floor with his shooting. Skogman, is a freshman so I suspect the coaching staff will ease him into it. Allowing him to get a handle on the game as the season gets underway. I suspect he will come off the bench and will contribute on a regular basis. His role will increase as the season goes along but keep in mind he is still a freshman. Nickelberry will be the biggest contributor for the upcoming season. I suspect he will start right away and will be a big part of this team. He will score and rebound and defend. His athleticism and length will be key attributes that will propel this team to a successful campaign. I think UB fans will quickly grow to like David and his passion for the game and willingness to compete on both ends of the floor. I suspect he will be one of the leaders of this team along with Graves and Jordan. As for the contributions of these recruits over their careers, I see all of them having a big impact on this program. Not only from a performance point of view on the court but also and maybe more importantly from a recruiting point of view. If Mballa and Hardnett have the success that I think they will over the time they spend here at UB, I think it will open the door for more transfers from P5 conferences to consider transferring to UB! This is a huge step for our program if we can start pulling transfers from P5 Schools. Gallion will need sometime to develop but I see a bright future for him here at UB. He may not contribute year 1 or 2 significantly but by the time he leaves UB I suspect he will be a big contributor. Hardnett and MBalla will be great players for this program. Their length and athleticism will be the mold of interior players that this coaching staff covets in the future. They will allow us to run the floor and to switch on defense without worrying about matchups. I suspect one day we will look back to when we got transfers from both Cincinatti and Texas Tech in the same season and think that was when we turned the corner as a program from a recuiting point of view. That is when we went from meddling mid major to desirable mid major in the eyes of recruits. Nickelberry will be a key contributor for both of his two years here. Like Mballa and Hardnett his length will be difficult for many of the guards in the MAC to handle. He is a mismatch on the wings for many of the guards in the conference. I think the biggest contributor over their career here at UB will be Skogman. In fact, I think one day we may look back and admit he is the best recruit we have ever landed here at UB! His length and the style of play he utilizes will be a major mismatch in this conference. His game is the perfect compliment to how this program wants to play. He may be the best shooting big man we have ever had here at UB. I see big things from this program this season and the years ahead. I cannot wait to get this season started and look forward to watching this team develop and to see if we can make it 5 in 6 years. I like our chances, not going to lie! Go Bulls! What does everyone else think?

This should not be overlooked by us Bulls fans. We all know attendance has been an issue for our programs in the past. Our recent success and the hype it has generated may have allowed us to turn a corner in that area. Lets continue the momentum this coming year. The sky is the limit for the success of this school and program!

I hope 961819 is right about Bertram but I do not see it happening. I don't think he is ever going to fit into the style of basketball this team plays. He does not have the foot speed or the athleticism to contribute to this style of play. There are too many superior athletes on this team at the 4 and 5 positions that will take his minutes. The only role I see for Bertram this year is when we face a team with a legit center and we need him defensively as a big body inside. Other than that, I don't see Bertram on the floor much this season. I hope he can prove me wrong non the less. I cannot wait to get this season started, GO Bulls!

I agree with many of the comments made thus far on this topic. Jeseph is right the major difference between this class and the Oats class is the number of recruits whom can play 3+ years. 4 of the 5 recruits secured by Whitesell and staff will hopefully be in a Buffalo uniform for 3 plus years. That's HUGE! Dooley is also right on when he says winning on the court is the best way to build a program. Winning is the key to a successful program. Winning results in people in the seats and buzz in the media, all good things for Buffalo. This season is all about keeping the momentum going that Oats and Hurley put together. I am confident this coaching staff and roster will allow us to continue to build this program to the powerhouse that we all wish it would be. Lets keep the momentum going, Go Bulls!

If Mballa is granted his waiver I think he will start as he provides some things in the lineup that Willams does not. He is an interior presence that can protect the rim and can rebound the basketball. Williams is more of a wing player. I see big things from Williams this season and in the future. Really hoping he makes that second year jump.

I think we can all agree that the recruiting class Coach Oats and staff had lined up before he left for Alabama was impressive. Maybe our strongest class of all time. The following was the class lined up to attend Buffalo in 2019-2020 under coach Oats: Andre Allen James Rojas Noah WIlliams Durey Cadwell Raymond Hawkins I think it is time to give coach Whitesell and staff credit for assembling a very strong class after Oats left. We lost the entire class and Coach Whitesell and staff had to scramble to put together a class of recruits. I believe they did a great job and deserve a lot of credit for putting together a great class. This class speaks volumes about the coaching staff and the quality of our school. I think the class the coaches have put together is comparable and in the end this class may end up being stronger than the impressive Oats class. I would not be surprised if at the end of the day the current class ends up having a greater impact on the success of our basketball program than the Oats class would have. For the sake of conversations the following is the class assembled by Coach Whitesell: Savion Gallion Laquill Hardnett Josh Mballa David Skogman David Nickelberry How do you all think these recruiting classes compare?

I do not dispute that Graves, Jordan and Johnson may be our best three players. I don't think this coaching staff will play that group together on a regular basis without a true center on the floor to rebound. As I said above I think this group starts the following 3 guard and 2 forwards (I consider Nickleberry a guard): 1. Jordan 2. Graves 3. Nickleberry 4. Williams (Mballa if he is granted waiver) 5. Hardnett I agree that it appears Johnson can play. As we saw over the last 4 years with Perkins, our best players do not always start. It is about putting the best lineup on the floor not the best players. This coaching staff appears to favor length and athleticism. I see Johnson as first player off the bench and providing instant offense.

A few thoughts on some of the above recent comments: I don't see Mballa being granted his waiver. If he does, we are one of the favorites in the MAC. MBalla playing this season would be huge plus for us. The only hole in this roster at this point is depth in the paint position, Mballa would fill that without a doubt. Mballa playing this year would lead to a grad transfer from Brock after the season I would guess. There is a lot of discussion on a 3 guard lineup. I find it hard to imagine a situation where coach plays Jordan, Graves and Johnson at the same time. This lineup is just too small. Coach Whitesell has a different philosophy than coach Oats. I think Whitesell is a believer in length, especially on the wings and athleticism in the post. His recruiting style and the prospects he targets has made that pretty evident, his emphasis is on length and athleticism. I think you will see a lot of lineups with WIlliams and Hardnett on the floor with Nickelberry. That's some impressive length and athleticism. The key to this style working is that all players need to rebound. Graves is a strong rebounder from the guard position. From what I hear Johnson is also a strong rebounder from the guard position. Jordan and Segu will focus on getting back to prevent a break while the others rebound. I am not holding my breathe that Jordan can learn to shoot free throws. I find it unlikely that at this late point in his career he will figure it out. I think at the end of close games we will be substituting him out for Segu. I expect big things from Segu this year. He is going to be strong and is one of the future players on this team. As I said above, if Mballa plays we are one of the favorites to win MAC. If he does not, then we should be one of the top 4 teams. I suspect this team will get better as the season goes along and by seasons end we will be playing our best basketball. There are a lot of new faces on this team and it will take sometime to learn how to play together and for coach to get the best out of these players. Last year was a fun season, and many of us UB fans are expecting a big drop off in both the results and the excitement surrounding the team. I do not think a large drop off in excitement will occur for this team. This roster is full of potential and this season will provide a fun brand of basketball that we will all enjoy watching. We have not had bigs that can run the floor like these guys can (Hardnett and Mballa). I suspect there will be many less three pointers shot this season and way more fast break opportunities in the full court and screen and rolls for a flush in the half court set. Defensively this team will be stronger than it was last year, as our length and athleticism will allow us to switch and match up with the opponents much better than we could last year. Perkins and a guard was a mismatch. Hardnett or Mballa in that role is something I personally cannot wait to watch. I love the way this coaching staff is building this roster and I cannot wait to get this season underway. You heard it hear first, this team will result in a more exciting brand of basketball than last seasons team. Go Bulls!

I am thinking this is the starting lineup: 1. Jordan 2: Graves 3. Nickleberry 4. Williams 5. Hardnett All on the floor need to rebound. We continue our transition to position less basketball where we play with no true 5. Spread the floor, run, look to attack off the dribble and put pressure on the defense by getting to the free throw line with regularity. Should be a fun brand of basketball and I for one cannot wait to get this season started. No contributions from Brock. I see the bench having the following getting playing time (in this order off the bench): Johnson, Segu, Grant, Skogman. I suspect in the Barttovik Projections above the Nickleberry as a sophmore is intended to be Mballa, but that's just speculation.