RecoveringHillbilly

Hard to compare ticket sales between NHL and CBB, since only a handful of teams draw over 12k. But UB local ratings for nationally televised games beat the local Sabres ratings. Sabres don't have the Bills clout, just a lot more games for WGR to talk endlessly about. UB has our Northtowns niche, with better coverage than ever. My how times change as now NU and CC fans say UB steals all the oxygen from BN and tv coverage. Bona hype is mostly in Olean at this point.

Yep, just tickets sold. Danny was lying for all those 20K plus games, except when Army rolled into Amherst.

Morning rain kept students away last week, otherwise we were doing ok with 16K-17K the earlier games. Still much Covid worry out there and some unwilling to wear masks, so they stay away. Unlike the Bills who sell seats no matter what, our fans really want to see big UB stars and big wins, as we saw with 2013 and 2018. We just can't have mediocre play and losing streaks, like this season. And it's not like schools such as Charlotte, FAU, Rice, got into the AAC due to their attendance.

They have to keep it going with opening up the offense as they did in the 2nd half last week. Finally airing out to TE's and receivers even when Williams wasn't getting open. Fully expecting McDuffie to grind out over 100 again and help him potentially to a 1000 yard break-out season.

From what I've read it seems to me every "official" outreach regarding AAC membership was all about the schools and ESPN. The MWC are CBS/Fox schools and had the AAC option and balked, CUSA is CBS/Stadium so ESPN likely worked with the AAC committee to shore up East and Central Texas and take the best CUSA schools. UB is already under ESPN so that's why we likely were not even targeted.

Ohio looked very bad until they beat Akron and BGSU looked great beating Minny. BGSU was -14 AT HOME vs Akron and the Zips just won 35-20. So anything can happen in the East and today's game is huge. Hopefully the OLine shifts, like Klink back to his old RG spot, will balance the line better. And we have to start seeing something..anything, from the TE's and young receivers.

I had brought up this recording of our 1993 home game with UMASS up in another thread. There were great quotes from Calipari post-game that would fit in how, he as an A-10 coach, saw UB's potential to grow as a program starting at the 1 hour 57 mark: https://soundcloud.com/user-125347718/umass-buffalo-02181993 Calipari, "How about Buffalo in the Atlantic 10?" He nailed it. Not a lot of $ support for over a decade, the Big A a nice building with nice upgrades over 30 seasons of D1, and we draw when successful. The America East wouldn't accept us but Calipari would! But at that time we had only just moved FB from D3 to 1AA, football was just a minor factor until a MAC invite 2 years later changed that.

I think they realize his successes like 14-6 as a starter, 2 bowls wins, low TO rate and has he been sacked twice in 3 seasons. I am hopeful it was just the case of a game-plan staying vanilla as the lead was large though it almost cost them this game. They likely want to save working new plays/showing an expanded playbook, for MAC play.

A big worry because we have little margin for error. We lucked out with the extra-year vets coming back but we can't be missing our #2 receiver and best DE, a dinged-up Marks, E.J. Brown made no impact, and a revolving door at right guard with Schaerer, Doiron, and Tyler Doty all getting a start there, and more ST struggles.

Good insights 121Merrimac, it does seem like the staff has shuffled around the DB depth week-to-week, unlike other positions. They must be really trying out combinations now, before we defend against Eleby and Crum in the coming weeks. One site shows Ruiz is out, Marks is probable, nothing on Schaerer or other injuries.

Only ??'s are, can Ruiz play, and if not, please just rest him for MAC play. And who starts OL as Dioron got the start over Schaerer last week and did ok.

I loved listening to this one even with the L, the UMASS radio call of the game. Back then I was in HS and knew all the UMASS players, nothing about UB. No wonder why as UB trotted out Roets and Genaway. Modie had to do so much. Years later, Calipari recalled great memories of Buffalo's food and weather, before we played Kentucky. https://soundcloud.com/user-125347718/umass-buffalo-02181993

Lexi McNabb, 5'5" G out of Arizona. Their visit this weekend to the football game sealed the deal. She has won a state championship and besides her father, her mother played WBB at SU,, cousin of Darnell Nurse of the Oilers and another cousin played in the WNBA. Superstar bloodlines.

Interesting scoops from John Wawrow today on the Bills stadium, 60k seats and 60 suites. But this is how close we came to a huge upgrade: "The two other locations considered were on the University at Buffalo campus north of the city, and a downtown site on the land where the abandoned Perry Projects sit empty. The projected cost of a downtown stadium came to $1.9 billion, not including necessary infrastructure upgrades...." I cannot find anything on what a UB North project would have been or cost. I assume cheaper, with state-owned land, plenty of lots, and no parking lost as opposed to the new stadium plans for one of the Bills surface lots. I believe the Bills just do not want to run from the sunk investments to improve team facilities around Highmark.

The defensive side shows Coach Mo is putting his mark on that side. Multiple backups who have started in the past so he sees good depth. Weitz sat out last season but makes his mark. Davis was always an intriguing CB, but now we can see us playing a pair of 6'2" corners. The offensive side looks actually more like expected except Coach Mo is letting the freshmen show their skill. Laborn is young but deserves to play, and so cool he will get to be in the huddle with his cousin.

Great point, though I always see Toledo MBB as cursed in some way. Always good but they 🧨💥 in Cleveland tourney time, no sense of any distance advantage, while Kent, Ohio, UB seem to rise-up in C-Town. Looks like UC-Irvine plays against Duquesne in Akron (some Dambrot homecoming?) on Dec 19 before they come to Alumni. Makes some sense as to why they are making the trek.

Agreed our biggest MAC rivals is a shock. I am thinking, we need the best MAC seeding to make the highest odds for reaching the Tournament. The MAC is sadly still an automatic 1 bid league UNTIL (not unless lol) a ranked UB rises up again. Back in 04-05 I hated that we got to whip weak Marshall twice which hurt our RPI and partially cost us that at-large chance. Today, I think it is all about key non-conference wins and the #1 MAC seed.

Just noticed UB's updated schedule has a home game Dec 21st vs UC-Irvine. That is a great mid-major get at home, and good match with UB often saying UC-Irvine is one of our close academic peers. MAC SCHEDULE...playing Akron and Ohio only once!? Holy crap! 2 games vs each West team!? Be still my heart!

Women's schedule released minutes ago, hopefully men not to long a wait. https://ubbulls.com/news/2021/8/27/womens-basketball-womens-basketball-unveils-2021-22-schedule.aspx

Scott Wilson tweeted he got the 2 deep in his email, so that's exciting. 1 week prior to game-time and decisions have been made.

The Canisius board says UB @ Canisius tentatively for Dec 18th. That could fit as the Griff's required KeyBank Center game as there are no events at the arena that day. Another good projection for us https://staringatthefloorboards.wordpress.com/2021/08/12/mac-2021-22-season-preview/

Since the 144 countdown has us at #87 Colgate would be a great matchup, kind of like when we played Harvard. Looking over D2, we host Mercyhurst in an exhibition on Dec 10.

Great content all over today from 1st practice. Mo's for real, so methodical, little of the typical coach speak. Ran practice as he wanted up tempo. You hear him speak, then you stop and reflect even as a fan. Just imagine how the players react. Quite impressive. Win or lose, he is a leader. From the shots it looks like Polgar at C, with Diorion, Wallace, Schaerer, Doty getting snaps in with Fuzak/Klink. I wouldn't be shocked if Diorion starts. Doty has a ways to go as you see him flatfooted with a spin move and speed rush from Wolo. Wolo with Black and a healthy Riggins have the makings of a fast unit, and hopefully Rogers takes up good space. One video showed Quian Williams absolutely blowing by true frosh Cuffy. Great feet, hands, speed to be WR1.

A nice addition, assistant 1 year from Niagara, now hired to UB. You made a career upgrade, Morgan. https://ubbulls.com/news/2021/8/4/swimming-and-diving-hires-morgan-bullock-as-assistant-coach.aspx

https://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2021/08/syracuse-native-former-syracuse-star-felisha-legette-jack-is-very-interested-in-syracuse-womens-basketball-job.html Not a shock, her home, her alma mater.