Season summary & player review and what we can hope for in the post season!

[MaineBull]

I have been holding off on providing my thoughts on the season too soon.  As we all know this is a unique season with different circumstances.  Sometimes we lose sight that these are college kids and they take time to develop.  That being said, I feel we have seen enough of this team to have an understanding of who we are and what we may be able to become.  here are my thoughts, I welcome yours and look forward to a discussion either about the team or individual players:

Team:

Watching this team this season has certainly been more frustrating than it has been enjoyable.  We all know they have the talent to be successful.  Compare the individual players on this roster to most other teams and you have to like how we stack up.  Despite this fact there remains something missing, game after game this team does not produce.  It feels to be like there may be some chemistry issues on the team.  I suspect there may be some friction between some of the players and my guess is it surrounds Graves.  This team is in a transition.  last year there was no doubt this was Javvon Graves team. This season it clearly is Mballa/Willams team.  I suspect there are some hard feelings about this transition that are making some waves throughout the team.  I have no inside knowledge just my guess from watching the team and trying to diagnose what the problems are.  The facts are both Mballa and Williams are better than Graves at this point, I would even argue that Segu is better as well.  Once the team embraces this transition they will be better off.  I like what I saw from the team defensively yesterday and I like the rebounding for this team, they are relentless on the glass.  They need to limit the turnovers and move the ball more offensively.  We have several players that can attack the rim off the dribble and put pressure on the defense by getting to the free throw line or kicking for an open three when the help comes.  I think we saw that play out versus Ball State yesterday.  I think this team has some issues but I remain confident they have the time to work out the issues.  Our success moving forward will be determined by four factors in my opinion:

Will one of our bench players step up and provide some results off the bench (looking at you Nickleberry and Brewton)

Is this team willing to move the ball as necessary for team success?

Can we solve our free throw shooting woes?

Can the coaching staff get this team prepared to play better in the first half of games?

Personally I look forward to seeing how this plays out.  I am hoping yesterday was the start of this team coming together and learning how to be successful as a team.

Coaching:  I have been so frustrated with the coaching of this team this season for several reasons.  Free throw shooting is a big problem for this team and it will burn them in a big game if they do not fix it now.  I understand the players take the shots, but I put free thrown shooting on the coaches.  If you cannot make free throws then you don't play, simple as that!  Javvon I am looking directly at you, learn to shoot free throws, get in the gym!  Put an emphasis on it and the kids will respond.  This team shows up for games and they look like they are not ready to get started, that is also on the coaches.  The biggest role of a coach is motivator in my opinion and thus far this staff has not had the kids ready to start games.  They come out in second half ready to go but they need to start the game that way.  The second most important role for a coach is end of game management and to be honest we have been a train wreck in this department all season.  This needs to be fixed as soon as possible.  End of game planning is easy for this team.  Graves is not allowed to touch the ball unless a catch a shoot scenario arises.  I would put the ball in Williams hands at the top of the key.  I would spread out the floor with Graves, Segu, Brewton and Mballa (for rebounding).  WIlliams attacks off dribble and when and if the help comes we kick to a shooter.  Its simple basketball.  The key is to be in attack mode.  Thus far we are passive at the end of games and that will never work.  Javvon is not a closer, never has been and never will be.  Williams is our best option for success, but he needs to be willing to give it up if needed.  I know this coach was hired to keep team continuity, and that's all well and good but all of the momentum this program gained over the last 5 or 6 years is disappearing.  We all wanted this and this program worked too hard to get to this point to just let it go away because of a coach.  Recruiting needs to improve, and immediately.  We need to see results now when we have the talent or changes need to be made.  I am not ready to jump ship as of yet but I am keeping a close eye on this program and the direction we are heading.  We MUST keep this program going and we MUST continue our success and if the coach is not part of this then its time to move on.  

David Nickleberry:  He is not the player we thought he was when he transferred here.  How he played as a freshmen at Memphis I will never understand.  He has good length and he can rebound well for a guard.  He is a willing passer although he turns the ball over too much for my liking.  Those are the positives.  Defensively he is a liability.  He struggles to stay in front of guards at this level.  He is too slow to take anyone off the dribble and his jump shot is weak and allows a defender to lay off him with no fear of him making a shot.  This makes him one dimensional and makes it hard to give him any playing time.  This team needs someone off the bench to step up and he would be a one of the main options of the bench if he could do so.  His lack of a jump shot makes it hard to play both him and Hardnett at the same time as neither of them have much of an outside game.  

Laquill Hardnett:  I will say I like what I saw from him the last handful of games.  He rebounds the ball well and is a really strong passer.  Defensively he is decent but needs to improve his perimeter defense.  He needs to develop a jump shot to make his game more well rounded.  I like his athleticism and I like him in the starting role.  He plays with passion and desire and this team needs more of that.  I like the path his career is going and I look forward to seeing where he can take his game too.  If I was the coaches I would have him in the gym working on a pull up jump shot, bring back the midrange game!

Keishawn Brewton:  He was sold as one of the best shooters to come to UB!  So far we have not seen that.  He does not look comfortable on the floor.  I think he is struggling with the speed of the game at this level.  He is a turnover waiting to happen when he puts the ball on the floor.  He needs to be a catch and shoot player to be successful.  Defensively he needs to improve.  He strikes me as a player who is not used to applying ball pressure, maybe he comes from a team that played a lot of zone, that is my take on him defensively.  This team needs a shooter and needs some points off the bench.  He could be a perfect player for this role.  He need to get things figured out so he can start to contribute consistently.  he gets the shot off quick and with the athleticism this team has we should be able to put him in a catch and shoot scenario where he can find some success.  

Javvon Graves:  I have been watching and following UB sports since I first attended the University in 1995 and I have never been more disappointed in a player in all those years as I am with Graves.  His decline has been eye opening.  He looks out of shape or hurt and has lost much of the athleticism he has been know for in the past.  He simply cannot get by anyone with the ball.  He has not been relegated to a spot up shooter on this team.  He rebounds the ball well and is a solid passer but those are the only positives at this point.  His turnovers are ugly and costly to this team.  He tends to try to do too much.  he has not come to grips with the state of his game and where he is in the pecking order of this team.  The most eye opening issue has been his defense.  It has been god awful.  He cannot guard anyone at this point.  Seems every game his guy goes for a career high.  If he is hurt, reduce his role and put him in a situation where he can succeed.  If he is out of shape, hold him responsible for his actions and reduce his minutes as it is hurting the team both in his play on the floor and in the chemistry department on this team.  Javvon can be a great complement to Williams, Mballa and Segu and he needs to embrace that role.  The only thing I can come up with is his inquiry into the NBA did not go well and it broke his will and desire to play and he has been upset about it and stopped working on his game in the off season as a result or he is injured.  I hope he can find a way to turn it around as this team needs him to be successful.  We need him to be a complimentary player and not the alpha dog for this team.

Ronaldo Segu:  He may be our most improved player.  I really like his game.  He runs the offense when he needs to and has become a very dependable shooter from the outside.  He has the ability to attack off the dribble and is more than a willing passer when the help defense comes.  I would like to see more of this throughout the season.  Defensively he is a pest and he never quits.  He works hard and sets a great example for the younger guys.  Offensively he could handle a larger role if needed.  I like the trajectory of his career and I think the future remains bright for him.  I am hoping he comes back for two more years after this year.  

Jeenathan Williams:  Despite his shooting the last few games he has shot the ball really well this season.  He has developed an ability to attack off the dribble going to the right and is simply a matchup nightmare for every team that we face.  He rebounds the ball well and will say I have never liked his effort defensively but he has shown signs this year of becoming a good defender as we all new he could become.  For him it is all bout the effort and we are starting to see him commit on the defensive end.  That should be scary for all of the MAC teams.  He and Mballa are our best players and the offense should go thru them.  Attacking off the dribble looking to get to the rim or get to the free throw line.  His skills in the open court are fun to watch when they get running.  Like Segu I hope to see him return for 2 more seasons after this because of covid and this season not counting towards eligibility.  He has a chance to play at the next level with this length and athleticism.  I would love nothing more than to watch him develop those skills here and take his game to the next level and become a MAC POTY!

Travon Fagan:  He works hard and I like that but his game is one dimensional.  He cannot take anyone off the dribble and he cannot play with his back to the basket.  He is a stretch 4 but has not shown that ability this year.  I like his game better than Bertrum but I dont see him ever being more than a role player on this team.  He needs to become a better rebounder.  Rebounding is his role, embrace it!

Josh Mballa:  I don't think we have ever had a player that works as hard as Mballa does at least if we have I don't recall one.   The guy is an animal.  He is a great rebounder on both ends of the floor.  His game has been taken to the next level this season with an ability to put the ball on the floor and attack of the dribble.  I will say he has been known to take a bad shot in this scenario in the past but I like when he is in attack mode.  He is a great passer and is willing to give up the ball for team success.  He has shown improvement in his jump shot and I would like to see that continue as he can get a jumper anytime he wants it.  Josh is the glue that holds this team together, he is our leader and the alpha dog on this team.  Before his career is over he will win MAC DPOY.  Our success this season will be determined by how he plays.  He continues to attack the rim and get to the free throw line and this will cause other teams problems.  Like Williams he is a matchup nightmare and we need him to be in attack mode at all time, going at the other teams bigs and kicking out when the help comes.  I love his game and everything he brings to this team.  He is the perfect personification of what this team is about and we need more players like him to be successful.  Sacrifice for the well being of the team!

Brock Bertrum:  I have been saying this for years but he is a role player and always will be.  At the end of the day his foot speed and athleticism dont match up at this level.  he has become a solid rebounder and shot blocker that can prove serviceable when we play a team with a true back to the basket big man but otherwise his role should be limited.  There are players behind him that are more athletic and can defend better and shoot the ball better.  I love that he is a senior and he is dedicated to the program and its success but his role should be limited to spot duties when needed only.  No reason at all to start him.  MBalla should start every game!

David Skogman:  He is long but wow does he look lost out there, especially defensively.  He needs so work on his game and his ability to defend the pick and roll.  He needs to become a better rebounder.  He is only a freshman so I know his day will come.  If he continues to work I know he can become a big part of the future for this team.  It appears he is a stretch 4 and not a back to the basket guy but that has yet to be determined.  I hope he continues to develop and get better so he can help us next season but this year he cannot get on the floor until he is a reliable defender and rebounder and thus far he has not shown that.  

Am I ready to give up on this team this year, not a chance!  I am very frustrated with many things that I have seen this year but I am trying to keep the big picture in mind that this is an odd year.  I am hopeful this team can find an identity and start to use their superior athleticism to beat people.  To me its simple, hold the players accountable.  Demand they play defense tirelessly and everybody rebounds the ball.  If you don't do that you don't play, regardless of who you are or what you were told when you were recruited.  You need to earn your time on the floor here in Buffalo!  Offensively you need to be willing to move the ball and make the extra pass and if you cannot knock down open shots you don't play and we find someone who can and is willing.  That is the recipe for success and I remain hopeful this staff and team can figure it out.  I love this team and I remain hopeful they can get to where they should be and string together 3 straight wins in March in Cleveland.  I look forward to hearing what you all think about these players and this team moving forward as well.  

 

[ChubbyHubby]

The only real continuity we're realizing is that the team can't shoot FREE throws.  Couldn't under Hurley.  Couldn't under Oats, and still can't.  That's unacceptable.  I don't remember how we shot them under Spoon.  I just remember we threw the ball away a lot.

 

Edited February 3, 2021 by ChubbyHubby

[clodney]

Honestly, I'd rather we brought back Reggie's old perimeter handoff offense than whatever the hell we're doing today. We have some serious talent and it shows when we get out in transition, but our half-court set is just a bunch of crappy isolation and hero ball. Whatever happened to kicking it out to the wing? It was the signature of the Hurley/Oats era. Slashers drove the rim and if defenders collapsed they kicked it back outside. Now our players just drive into traffic repeatedly and get swarmed. Sure, our good ones find ways to score sometimes like Jeenathan, Mballa, and Segu, but the others just turn the ball over or chuck up an ugly shot. It's such a big difference in the gameplan from what we were doing just 2 years ago.

[squire17]

Thank you, MaineBull, for your detailed, and accurate, assessment of the Bulls.

[961819]

Solid points all around. Personally I’d like to see Segu more aggressive offensively. Not sure if anyone remembers that guard Ohio had, something Cooper, who could take anyone off the dribble and was an aggressive playmaker but Segu absolutely has the ability to play similarly. That shiftiness that made him famous needs to make more appearances. 
 

Jayvon is a victim of the talent that surrounded him in his first two seasons. Defenses were too preoccupied with the rest of the roster having the ability to drop 20+ points on them that he was able to sneak into open spots and have plenty of wide open 3s.

My opinion on the coaching is pretty common knowledge at this point but the lack of identity really circles back to Coach Whitesell. Just like Jayvon, he is a fantastic role player but doesn’t quite have what it takes to be “the guy.” The identity under Hurley was swagger, confidence, deep threes and flashy open court passes from Shannon Evans. The identity under Oats was discipline, unselfishness, and relentlessness. The identity under Whitesell is what exactly? Players respond to the energy of their coach. For example this team looked much better when Thorpe temporarily took over because he is firey and energetic. That same team comes out looking less prepared because Whitesell is a teacher-coach and not a motivator-coach 

[squire17]

DJ Cooper - his junior year. He was a Bull killer, although his season stats were less than stellar: he shot under 40% from inside, and under 31% from outside the arc for the season. He was 4 of 6 from inside and 5 of 10 from outside in the MAC tourney game against the Bulls...the game that Mitchell Watt was T’d up for hanging on the rim. If ever there was a reason for Buffalo leaving the MAC, that was it. Ohio went to the elite 16 that year.

Many on this site disparage Witherspoon, but he was the coach who was at the helm that year. There is no doubt that home cooking cost the Bulls, but DJ Cooper certainly played a role.

[961819]

24 minutes ago, squire17 said:

DJ Cooper - his junior year. He was a Bull killer, although his season stats were less than stellar: he shot under 40% from inside, and under 31% from outside the arc for the season. He was 4 of 6 from inside and 5 of 10 from outside in the MAC tourney game against the Bulls...the game that Mitchell Watt was T’d up for hanging on the rim. If ever there was a reason for Buffalo leaving the MAC, that was it. Ohio went to the elite 16 that year.

Many on this site disparage Witherspoon, but he was the coach who was at the helm that year. There is no doubt that home cooking cost the Bulls, but DJ Cooper certainly played a role.

Thank you! His first name slipped my memory lol

[SGBull]

 

I remember we made a fathead of this and he came and stole it after the game.

[961819]

1 hour ago, SGBull said:

 

I remember we made a fathead of this and he came and stole it after the game.

I could’ve gone my whole life without seeing this 😂😂