RocChiTown

Would love this series to be a H&H each year.

I know Bona wouldn’t do it now with so many other scheduling commitments, but they should honesty dump the Canisius series and opt for Buffalo.

For the better part of the last decade, this game is a Q2 or sometimes Q1 for the visiting team. IMO, both programs could use more of those games on their OOC slate. Not to mention it’s usually the best drawing crowd pre-conference play.

Niagara and Canisius hover around a Q3/4 annually and there does not seem to be much interest in those series any more.

CC couldn’t sell out a weekend game against SBU a few weeks back.

On 3/26/2022 at 8:23 AM, Chet said:

SMU is not a major program, but they probably doubled his salary to about $1mm and he's gone. It's the reality of mid majors with coaches cashing in. I absolutely dispise it all, but it's the reality. You get what you pay for in most cases and we are getting what we are paying for with Coach Whitesell. Mark Alnutt and his team needs to make fundraising and sponsorship their priority. Why haven't naming rights been sold to Alumni and UB stadium? Would love to know fundraising dollars for our athletics program compared to others (especially the MAC). 

I'm not sure how I'd categorize SMU Hoops. They are not a top-tier program, but they really aren't a mid major either.

There's no reason why SMU can't be a great hoops program. Dallas is one of the best and fastest-growing hoops recruiting areas in the country. Add in the fact they have a nice arena and great practice facility, and you could see why they have the ability to be better than they have been in the past.

SMU spends more on hoops than Rutgers, Seton Hall, Dayton, Xavier, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State to name a few.

I have to imagine SMU will be amongst those invited to the Big 12 should they expand again 5-10 years down the road. 

They have all the intangibles you want in a program, but for whatever reason the results haven't been there.

4 minutes ago, MuchMany said:

Tough break for the boys in brown. Wonder what this does to the line? Down to 4 or so?

 

Not sure what the spread is now, but I'd expect it to be <3.5. 

Holmes or possibly Quadry Adams will be running point during Lofton's extended absence. Adams is a transfer from Wake Forest. Does not appear to be an offensive threat, but very athletic and great defender.

You could also see Linton Brown fill in more at the 2 if Holmes runs point. Brown was a JUCO-AA, but has played sparingly thus far. Was a great shooter in college, but has not found his rhythm in his limited minutes.

1 hour ago, mikescherrer8 said:

They are bad and insecure. You would think they would have won NCAA tourney games in the last 50 years by the way they act. They’ve always been irrelevant.

I'm not sure what your definition of relevant is, but Bona got back to relevance in 2012.

Have that sustained that? Yes and no. 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021 were good years. 

Same can be said for the Bulls. Making the tourney gets you back to the national stage and winning big games on TV throughout the year helps you stay on the mind of fans, recruits and people that make important decisions about scheduling and invites to good MTEs. 

Hopefully more NCAA bids are on the horizon for both the Bulls and Bonnies. 

1 hour ago, Buffalobonnie said:

I would never try to argue with someone so knowledgable about A-10 membership.  I will however try to give you some perspective on the differences between membership in the MAC as opposed to the A-10.  

This is your biggest game of the year.  We are without a doubt the best team remaining on your schedule. If you win you will be able to slap yourselves on the back and say well  we beat Bona.That being said, your only important games remaining are the games in Cleveland.  Win the MAC tournament and you will go to the NCAAs, don"t win that and you have no chance at an at large bid.  You will have no resume for an at large bid.  If we win it is a good win you guys are a good program. If we lose we will still have chances to beat teams such as Dayton, VCU, St. Louis, and Richmond {the last three we will play twice}.  We will even get to play such small private schools like UMASS, George Mason, and Rhode Island. Under Schmidt we have competed quite well in the A10. SBU has the second most wins in the Atlantic 10 in the last 8 years.  UB is a good program and it benefits us to play you home and home. Who do you ever get to play you at home that compares to Bona?  We are always the best team that you have in Buffalo when we play at UB.  If you want to advance your basketball program leaving the MAC would be a good idea. 

Side note: I have been to a couple of UB football games are your students aware that you have a "program"?  

What do you gain by posting something like this?

You make Bona fans look bad and insecure.

5 minutes ago, UBlearns said:

I was just coming to say that.  Looked like he rolled it pretty good, but hopefully nothing serious.  He was able to hobble off with assistance, but no weight on the ankle.

Every time I watch basketball I think of the injuries. Such a violent game on your joints.

Hope he’s ok, but doubt he’s at full strength for Saturday.

HATE seeing these young guys get hurt, however minor.

Lofton leaves game with ankle injury. Did not look pretty

18 minutes ago, squire17 said:

Coppin St is 1-9. They are playing the Bonnies tough. UB has an excellent chance of coming away with a win. There haven’t been many, but this year should see the Bulls get one.

Buffalo seems to be a good matchup for the Bonnies.

Mballa seemed to outclass OO the last time they played, and I expect that again Saturday. Oddly enough, I think their backup big is a better matchup with JM.

Lofton V. Segu should go the BONNIES way IMO, so it’ll come down to if they can contain Williams.

I assume Welch or Adaway will be on JW. If SBU can hold Jeenathan to ~15, I think the Bonnies will win. If not, I’ll go with UB.

18 minutes ago, squire17 said:

Watching Coppin St hang with Bona. Canisius played the Bonnies tough, and the Griffs are disastrous. I think the Bulls will win Saturday unless they rely on shooting beyond the arc.

They’re a tough team to read.

They smoked Marquette, beat Clemson and Boise, but have played their worst games against some of the worst teams in Division 1.

No idea what to think

1 hour ago, Jeseph said:

Looking forward to your resident ReplyGuy on Twitter responding to the Buffalo News tweet about our win reminding everyone that we're in Amherst.

It's like the Bona nut that tweets at EVERY national beat writer to say Bona is NOT in Olean. 

Odd hill to die on...

2 hours ago, MuchMany said:

Thanks for the report. Hard to understand a private school leaving hundreds of thousands of gallons of profit on the table each game.

It really makes no sense. Duquesne, UB, Dayton, SJU, etc. all sell beer. 

36 minutes ago, MKBullsfan said:

Didn’t you lose at home to Northern Iowa Community Tech College? Also, A10 is for private schools. UB is a public state school which can afford Football and other sports at the same time. Also, bummer you dropped out of the top 25 after waiting 50 years to be ranked but it’s a long season. All the best to you and the folks in little Olean.

UNI is a pretty good program. I hope you know that. 

On 11/29/2021 at 9:47 AM, dutchcountry7 said:

They are going to have losses for sure.  I wouldn’t be shocked if the A10 is a three bid league. 

Bonnies schedule for the A10 is pretty rough this year, too. It's early, but they could have nine total games against Q1/Q2 clubs. 

I'll be shocked if Bona loses less than five games in conference. 

44 minutes ago, dutchcountry7 said:

Yeah, that’s kind of the problem here. 
No clue about who you could actually bring in  

 

The better you are and the more $ you have, the easier it is to schedule.

When UB is scheduled to be a Q1 game for a team like SDSU, I bet they would agree to be bought if the $$ was right.

UB obviously doesn't have enough cash to make that happen presently. That's why an additional buy game could bridge that gap. 

11 minutes ago, BullBoy said:

You are assuming Va Tech wanted to play us... Very few high majors are buying a mid-major team with 8 seniors who are picked to win their league.

I also understand the buy game argument, but its not fair to ask this group to play the entire non conference schedule on the road. They are already playing 6 of their first 8 away from home 

That is obviously the biggest part of the equation. 

Not asking for more road games than already scheduled. 

5 minutes ago, dutchcountry7 said:

They didn’t lose more than three games OOC.  They beat Memphis. 
 

Are you telling me that if we had Michigan scheduled and then got a call from the Battle 4 Atlantis asking us to play in it you’d turn them down because that would make a fourth game you expect to lose?

Or would it be fifth game?  Do you count St Bona as an expected loss too?

Depends if it was on the road or not and who was paying. 

I'm saying more years three true road games is enough. If UB is playing three, four or five road games OOC and Clemson, Dayton, etc are playing one.

Road games are typically harder to win (obviously). Look at the records of bubble teams road records. 

1 minute ago, dutchcountry7 said:

No. 
 

They were only bought by Memphis and UNC. 
 

South Carolina and Syracuse were games assigned by participating in the Barclays Classic. 

Noted, I am not privy to Monmouth's scheduling details. I never saw a return trip so figured it was a buy.

STILL, I wouldn't agree to scheduling more than three games that I thought would be a loss. 

9 minutes ago, dutchcountry7 said:

This year’s schedule is one that would warrant at large bids with the wins. 
 

The goal is more home games and more wins. Which is why you don’t sell games.  

There is nothing wrong with the schedule. 

I get your reasoning, and agree that you don't want to sell games, BUT, so long as the budget is what it is, Buffalo likely needs another quality home game on this slate to make a realistic case at an at large.
 

Get rid of UNT and replace them with Va Tech. Use that $ to get South Dakota State. I am very hesitant with agreeing to H&Hs with other mid majors programs. It's so hard to predict what the program will be the next year. Does the coach leave, the best player, do they graduate their best players and return to mediocrity? 

Top mid majors avoid H&Hs with lower mid majors for that reason. Just prefer to schedule year of instead of predicting what a team will be like the following season.

1 minute ago, dutchcountry7 said:

Playing top teams and losing to those top teams while winning your other games won’t get you in.  
 

They didn’t sell Five games.  
 

They played in one event and sold two games. 
 

if you want to stay a low tier program keep your plan.  
 

If you want to build a program then you don’t follow your proposal.  
 

If your fans only care about your team if you're playing Michigan or West Virginia then you don’t have fans. 
 

We need top-150 teams at Alumni.  
 

Selling three games to buy three games outs you at a disadvantage on the court with no financial upside.  
 

The whole point of selling games and giving up an advantage is to get the benefit of the money. 
 

Small potatoes. 

Monmouth was bought by Syracuse, South Carolina, Memphis and UNC, no? They then agreed to a H&H with Wagner, which helped them the first year and hurt them the following year when they weren't ranked highly. 

I want to upgrade the home slate, but that's not happening without a bigger MBB budget, which isn't happening right now. 

I don't care who the three teams are, so long as they are either Q1/Q2 and you get the buy money back.

Buffalo right now does not have the money to buy a team like Colgate, South Dakota State or Murray State, correct? 

Playing top teams on the road likely means a loss, but that loss won't keep you out. Monmouth knew this, but never used the money to get good home deals. They beat very average clubs that did not secure them Q1/Q2 games that allow you to be in the mix for an at large bid.

Using that money to UPGRADE your schedule would help the program. Use the money from Michigan to buy South Dakota State. You get a top 100 program like you want. 

I think playing thee buys, and 1 H&H (with Bona), and then getting 3 good buys is not a bad schedule. Most low mid majors play 5, 6, 7 road games OOC, which I don't want. Three isn't terrible. 

6 minutes ago, dutchcountry7 said:

Again, you don’t know what you’re talking about and are trying to say they aren’t a parallel despite being what you’re proposing. 
 

Have you even looked at the 2016-17 Monmouth schedule?

 

What don't I know? How to get a team into the NCAAs? You're attacking me without proposing what you'd do. 

Monmouth won a bunch of games against poor competition, that much I do now. Drexel, SCST, Cornell, Holy Cross, Wagner, Army and Princton were their OOC games they won. Maybe one or two of those games were quality. 

Show me the schedule you think would merit at large consideration. 

The goal should be more home games. More home games means more wins. Which is good even if you're not a real at large contender. If UB does not have the budget to do that, then they'll have do something else to make that happen.

9 minutes ago, dutchcountry7 said:

Thank you for proving my point.  
 

I was talking about the 2016-17 where they did everything you said they needed to do and were left out.  Not even close.  Which is why you don’t remember them. 

They doubled down on what you proposed and again we’re left out. 
 

Which is where you come in justifying it.  
 

your philosophy doesn’t work.  It’s a fool’s errand. 
 

 

Edit: and no the quadrant system wouldn’t have guaranteed them a bid in 2019.  The quad system is simply a tool all the others. The committee discretion is still what selects teams and there is no committee member that selects teams because they lost close games. 

Where did I say UB should play FIVE road games OOC like Monmouth did? That Monmouth model is not what I am close to suggesting. 

I said play three against top competition that pays. Monmouth didn't sniff the NCAAs because they did not have any good teams at home or on a neutral site. They did not get into as good of an MTE as UB did this year. 

My philosophy does work, but it takes money to make happen. The goal should be maybe 1 H&H (Bona) and two or three buys against a top 25. You then use that money to get GOOD home buys. Something Monmouth did not do. 

It costs money to be a good hoops program consistently. That's why you see so many different teams in the mix outside of the top 10 conferences. 

56 minutes ago, dutchcountry7 said:

This is not correct.  
 

People believe it because they see a team like Syracuse or NC State getting in to the tournament as middle of the pack ACC teams. 
 

You can’t apply the same rules to them.  They get in because they have Top-20 wins to go with their losses.  
 

You’re much more likely to get in with a win over North Texas than a loss to Duke. 
 

Wins matter more than who you beat.  The problem is when you have six losses and no quality wins.  That’s when midmajors get slighted.  
 

Like the Monmouth team in that was left out.  
 

They did exactly what you proposed.  Only played top teams.  Lost to South Carolina who made the Final Four that year, lost to a ranked Syracuse (NIT), and National Champion UNC. 
 

They played three tough games and lost them.  Beat everyone else OOC. 
 

Finished the regular season with 5 losses after dropping two MAAC games. 
 

They were left out of the tournament because you don’t get any credit for losses to top teams. 
 

This is a common scenario.  
 

The only way to become a top program is to have a fan base and culture around your program that isn’t based on one coach or the current players.  
 

It is much better to be snubbed from the NCAA with a great record.  That puts you in a better position to build the program. Which is what the WCC schools did.  Gonzaga helped advise them and shipped the strategy of the conference members.  Now they are a great conference but they were getting snubs year after year and were told not to take buy games.  Only do home/home an neutral site games and continue to have great records and eventually you’ll get the respect and the recruits will come to the winner. 

The Monmouth situation only happens because they had horrible luck. Monmouth had great "name wins" but those teams just happened to have the worst years in program history.

They beat UCLA, USC, Notre Dame, Rutgers and Georgetown. It just so happens all of those teams stunk. 

Had they had that season in 2019, they would have made it as they would have benefited from the Quadrant system that was yet in place. 

I know you don't build an at large resume from top losses, like Michigan, but they are not a blemish on your resume. If UB were to add two other teams in the top 20 or 30 and lose to them, they would not be knocked for losing. 

So with that in mind, you use that buy $ to get a Q2 game in AA. 

I get the comparison to the WCC, but the MAC schools aren't close in budget or quality.  Your scenario works if you have the money to buy decent games and have conference games that are Q1/Q2. Beating PP won't drop your NET, but also doesn't give you a chance at a good Quad1/2 win.

If the choice is Point Park or Chicago State, then I agree you play PP because it is cheaper than getting Chi State, and doesn't drop your NET. 

In an ideal world, you don't play more than one or two road games. Like you said, you play as many at home or on a neutral site, but that takes money and an invitation to a good MTE. 

19 hours ago, UBlearns said:

Bona will be fine even after the loss.  They're an elite defensive team who had an off-night against a team (namely one player) that was absolutely unconscious from 3.  They won't run into another team again this year who will shoot 50% from 3 against them.  UNI was well-coached - moved the ball well, had a big who can shoot 3s to stretch the floor, didn't turn the ball over, always made the extra pass.  The thin bench is a concern, but as we see with teams like UB, Ohio, etc., that's not terribly uncommon right now.

The A-10 is comparatively weak this year compared to previous seasons, and Bona should lose no more than like 4 games in conference.  You never know, but I'd be surprised if they didn't somewhat roll through the conference this season.  Say what you will about early Kenpom rankings, but the 2nd-ranked team in the A-10 is only #73 (Richmond).  Bonnies are likely far and away the best team in the A-10 this year.

I am very interested to see how Mballa v. Osunniyi round two goes. 

Two years ago at Alumni Arena, Mballa seemed to have his way with OO and got the Bona big man to foul out pretty early in the game. 

12 hours ago, DooleyBull06 said:

If the top teams are buying we should be selling. Simple as that. I disagree that it’s no upside. Take the payday. Run with it. Get the kids some national exposure against elite talent. Game provides good teachable moments. Potentially knock off a giant. It’s good for our metrics to have played a top team. What’s the downside? We lose? Ok no biggie in the grand scheme of things. 

Balance the rest of the non conference with home games. Home/homes. The local rivalry games. 

Bona has the same issue to a lesser extent. How many road games should you play? 

I do get you don't put a schedule together to lose, but if you do 2-3 buy games that yield a return of ~90K, couldn't you then use that $$ to schedule good home games against Colgate, Yale, etc?

A10 sets limits against the number of times you're bought, but I don't believe the MAC has the same rules. As we've seen many times on Selection Sunday, good losses don't really count/ hurt you, but you better have some good wins in there. While SJFC and PP don't hurt your NET rankings, they don't give you the Q1/Q2 wins that every mid major looking for an at large bid needs.

While it's difficult, you could build an at large resume beating the top mid majors. It's much harder to project, but still possible. 

Out of curiosity, why did the games with PP and SJFC come about?

Did contracts with other schools fall apart at the last moment?