RecoveringHillbilly

A huge honor to be invited to the first Women's Battle 4 Atlantis

https://www.atlantisbahamas.com/b4a/wb4a - Official site. Damn our logo look nice with those other teams.

Jayce Johnson (Canisius HS) left MTSU but ended up at Siena.

Former recruit Gerald Drumgoole Jr has been in the portal. The ACC just changed their rules so he could transfer in conference if he chose. Hoping the staff have at least reached out, he would fit our need for our next skilled wing.

The BN had a write up on who can take bigger role, but it was pedestrian. Marks, Wolo, Trevor Wilson, Ruiz, Riggens? OK, maybe Wilson and Ruiz, but Marks and Riggens have been All-MAC and Wolo started most games. For this year I'd say Wilson (his chance to be #1), Hudgens (we need his skills to push upperclassmen for playing time at CB), Gabe Wallace/Caelen Shepard (whoever wins the open OT spot), Kyler Laing (has shown great pass-rush speed), Ron Cook Jr (can he handle 100+ attempts?), and +1, whoever is the back-up PK.

Practices start today. Closed to media so updates will come from the department.

1 hour ago, mikescherrer8 said:

Probably donors, and prioritizing basketball in their athletics budget. Since basketball is what they have been known for, for the most part.

Yep, I grew up in WV in the 80's wondering why WVU was playing Bona and Duquesne. That A10 legacy helped bring in good replacements in Dayton, St Louis, GMU, VCU, etc. Bona were not making the tournament most years but still became known as St Basketball. Bona spends 1/7 of their TOTAL university budget on athletics just to recruit and fundraise to stay out of a MAAC future. While they still spend the least on athletics in the A10. Schmidt enjoys the Olean life and they pay based on fundraising from their success the last few years. Their former coach made less than $200k.

We agreed to pay Oats $837K for 5 years based on fundraising. Otherwise, Reggie and Whitesell just earned MAC-comparable salaries. 

14 minutes ago, yussi1870 said:

Have we ever played Co St?

We beat them and Colorado in 2008 for the Rainbow Classic title.

St John's and Seton Hall will not accept as well.

I loved his quote about championships after winning today. He deflected any talk of 'Bama being a basketball school now, saying they are just a championship school. He showed that mentality here too, taking the digs at the Griffs, cheering on the women's team. It is his fault we now expect this ourselves, a MAC championship athletic department that talk's the talk and then walk's the walk. And we thank him for it.

14 hours ago, Kevin said:

The usual depth chart thread and player tracker

PG) Ronaldo Segu/Malik Zachery (?)
SG) Maceo Jack/Keishawn Brewton/Savion Gallion
W) Jeenathan Williams
PF) LaQuill Hardnett/Zaakir Williamson
C) Josh Mballa/David Skogman

As of now, three open spots to fill with no news on who/where. 

A sound breakdown. I used to call for Brock/Mballa to start for size, but Hardnett/Mballa starting generally worked.

Zachery tweeted: "We'll be back with a better outcome, watch". So it's good that he has stayed all-in, even if there are still questions.

This year's team had offensive and TO issues against top competition, like last season. I remember your Trainwreck broadcast where it was said last year's team was more talented, which I agreed with. This year we just had more clutch starters. The D was good enough even with losing Jordan, so who's to say losing Graves' D will make a huge difference. 

Jack may just be a slimmer Willie Conner, shoots threes and hit's FT and just ok elsewhere. If he logs a ton of minutes and hits for 11.5 ppg like at GW, cool. If he and Brewton can spread the floor and maintain low TO's, Brewton starts playing D instead of fouling, we can dream.

Oats' teams had TO issues yet negated that with scoring 84 ppg and blue collar play. This year's average was 81.7, so could we hit 84 again? Certainty on Williams, Mballa, Segu getting at least 45-50 combined a night? Jack/Brewton maybe 17-18 combined? Hardnett was only 6th on the team in shot attempts so at least 8 ppg from him would be expected. Zachery as a taller Mulkey, a drive and score or kick-out bench PG, with Skogman improvement, at least 10 a night combined. So if Williamson's pedigree turns out similar McCrea and Perkins, his freshman impact could be a difference off the bench.

39 minutes ago, DooleyBull06 said:

Here’s what I think will happen. Not saying I hope this happens. But mid major teams don’t fire winning coaches. Whitesell isn’t going anywhere. If you fire him now you run the risk of losing the big 3 juniors. The likely scenario is Whitesell is back next year. The season plays out. After that, barring hitting home runs in recruiting this off season and early next season, the rebuild begins. It is in that time where Whitesell might get an extension or if we have two straight losing seasons then the seat gets hot. But he’s guaranteed next season. I don’t know what his contract is but wouldn’t surprise me if he is extended this off season?

He's signed through 2024 so the seat wasn't so hot to begin with. And reaching the MACC+maybe a post-season invite+AD revenue dip = the staff have to go for it all and hope the young bigs blossom and solid MAC recruits come in.

I wonder who edited our teams Wikipedia page to list 2021 as a divisional championship year? Nope sorry, it was one single table, no banners for being 2nd but the best East team. No 2021 banners at all.

Just now, DooleyBull06 said:

Guess what...Ohio returns just about everyone next year.  Rematch?

Only if Maceo Jack comes in and does more than hoist 3's and is a real leader, Zachery works hard into a true PG, Skogman finds his place, maybe Williamson is the next McCrea...we can only dream

6 minutes ago, TML1000 said:

We had a good run...now it's back to a run of the mill MAC team. We will make semis...a final here and there. Maybe win one every 6-8 years. That's the SUNY way....we are good at research. If you want to root for teams good at sports, you pick an SEC or Big Ten team.

There's not really a run of the mill MAC in MBB, it's the top half that invest and the bottom half that do not. We do, now that we dumped some sports, but...coach is who he is, he could recruit and keep guys, but we see now that the true coaches of our success on D and the working class, hard hat and blue shirts, went to 'Bama.

Regan had tweeted yesterday this felt like 2015. That was a team with not a ton of depth but senior leaders, a dynamic PG, and heart. Does this squad have any of those tonight?

Instead we have 2009, when losing to the Zips, Pierce scored 4 points. Graves..

We are making them look like Texas Tech 2019 on D. I'd accept the Reggie blah weave over this mess.

A nice next step to the altered plan to build out facilities, piece by piece. The original, massive field house plan with indoor track and performance center had it all. Getting this and the Wellness and Recreation Center completed by 2026 would be a coup for athletics to pass the original field house plan vision. And allowing for the future renovations of Alumni to be 100% for athletics. 

Original $25M Field house design

Jordan Avissey in the portal today.

Some social media reporting Lamonte McDougle a DT from Wazzu has been offered by us and the Redhawks. More of an Onwuka body-type at 6'1" 295, he started out at WVU in 2017, then to Wazzu, portal last fall, re-commit to Wazzu, then de-commit. But based on him being a South Florida kid going to Morgantown then Pullman, any negative location stereotypes don't seem to phase him. UB AAU+top25+Buffalo/Niagara Falls, all an upgrade 💪

UB has updated its roster for spring practice to give a clearer idea of who will take on a 5th year Sr season. It will be hard to guess on some opponents until we see their returners and transfer outcomes.

With us for a 5th year: E.J. Brown, Dom (an ultimate BULL!), Carlton Todd, Ali Abbas, Kadolfi Wright, Tyrone Hill, Jake Molinich, Riggins, Jeremiah Riordan, Fuzak and Klenk (huge for our OL, now we just need a starting OT), Ruiz

Spring enrolled newcomers: Demarco Cuffy, Michael Washington, Joey Fotino (priority walk-on RB), Janik Ogunlade, Chandler Baker (walk-on from ECC, their Offensive MVP WR), Liam Scheuer (walk-on DE), Sunil Fong (Butler U. transfer DE, also had a UAlbany offer)

Lonnie Rice not on the roster but still listed as a student.

Interesting that UB's Off-season rack winners have included Vantrease, Riggins, Dom Johnson, Woetzel, Molinich, grads who had to make a choice. Others have chosen to release statements. Molinich and Dom still blocking with Marks running would keep our running game rolling. Riggins back with Eric Black, two fast Rochester DE's, would be awesome. I was all for Vantrease in 2019 and 2020. I expected him to hang them up or grad transfer elsewhere, and let Myers/Bycznski battle. But if he wants to lead us for a 3rd season, great!

A great video scouting our success running the ball and the staff's play-calling in general. 

Wow, will be a tough pull with his offers so far...Trevor tweeted he'd love to play here with his brother.

Rivals

I've enjoyed how the refs are letting them play, keep our flow going. Graves ok shooting and tossing dimes, but we need more scoring from him if we continue only going 7 deep in QUALITY play. This bench has to get deeper production.

Once again we added preferred walk-ons from Canisius HS. Andrew Kerwin, an OL with offers from Sacred Heart and LIU, PWO offer from Stony Brook. And Hunter Glaser, a TE with D2/D3 offers and looks from CAA schools.

WIVB interviews

Kerwin piece on Spectrum News

It appears Gassett is it, 17 in total. I think the staff wants to get a firm handle on returning player counts and then grab some transfers.

Matthew Trickett entered into the portal yesterday... that would be one grad transfer signing to make our fans happier.

12 hours ago, MKBullsfan said:

Either Whitesell has no idea how to run a set play at the end of a game or he did but our players play one on one and don’t listen to him. Either way this is troubling and disappointing for sure. 

Whitesell's post-game quote on the play is pure Pollyanna. I get supporting your guys but it's not about Segu's shot anymore. FLG tweeted how hard Segu works and her emotions that he missed it, and fans get that.  But it is about the lack of a proper PLAY prepped for that situation.

"I liked him shooting that shot, any time. And a million times more. He will make that shot. It'll fall. He just missed it tonight."