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Talkin' Big 4 Hoops Episode 11: Does UB Have A Chance At Making A Run In Cleveland?


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I feel like this was a year for Jim to really put his stamp on the program, whether it worked or didn't.  I think Jim kept too many things that worked for Nate and he tried to adopt them because of the previous success, but that's not who he is.

1. DITCH THE HARD HAT.... It's not original anymore, heck even FLJ stole it at Syracuse. 

2. PLAY SLOWER....Nate had a very analytical approach to playing the way he did and not all coaches can understand that.  I know slowing it down is not fun to watch, but if we can be more effective in a controlled setting then they should do that.

JIM... MAKE IT YOUR PROGRAM!!!

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People complained that we were too rough on JW for blowing games at CMU (#303) and Miami (#306) but now we enter a gauntlet of much tougher challenges. We have Kent twice which I'm counting as 2 losses since we have been blown out by every team of their caliber this year. We have Ball State, Ohio, and Toledo which I count as losses since they're all on the road. And then we have Akron twice which I'm generously counting as a split. Even if we manage to somehow go 5-0 in the other remaining MAC games (which is unlikely given our struggles) we would only end up 9-9 in conference and 13-16 overall. Those 2 losses are friggin' terrible! We could've been fighting for at least an 11-7 record. Who loses back to back games against sub-300 teams??

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Trying to remain optimistic as the season wears on but it’s hard to have even moderate expectations until the Bulls find a way to win a couple road games and/or compete with teams in the top half of the MAC. Tonight vs Ball would be a good start but realistically looking at remaining schedule and based on the mixed results thus far, if we can’t gut out a win in one of these next 3 games I don’t expect much more than an 8-10 record in MAC play and a 6 or 7 seed come March. Hope they can turn things around starting tonight.  Go Bulls! 🤘

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11 hours ago, BullBoy said:

I feel like this was a year for Jim to really put his stamp on the program, whether it worked or didn't.  I think Jim kept too many things that worked for Nate and he tried to adopt them because of the previous success, but that's not who he is.

1. DITCH THE HARD HAT.... It's not original anymore, heck even FLJ stole it at Syracuse. 

2. PLAY SLOWER....Nate had a very analytical approach to playing the way he did and not all coaches can understand that.  I know slowing it down is not fun to watch, but if we can be more effective in a controlled setting then they should do that.

JIM... MAKE IT YOUR PROGRAM!!!

I didn’t get a chance to write this before the game, but I think 1000% that JW should try to do exactly what Nate did.  It worked for him and what JW had been doing for his career…maybe hasn’t been working that great.  
 

Fast gets you 92 points versus Ball State. Besides, it is much more entertaining.  

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13 hours ago, 121Merrimac said:

I'll bet a mortgage payment that we all want a better coach.  Some just realize the budget constraints, and don't both bother daydreaming of things out of their control.

I really hope our athletic director doesn't think this way. Budget constraints never held back Danny White. 

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1 hour ago, clodney said:

I really hope our athletic director doesn't think this way. Budget constraints never held back Danny White. 

And he got run out of town for putting New York first. People would rather have Buffalo first and pay less to coaches and beg the NYS Government for money to build facilities. That is the sad, current fact.

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On 1/24/2023 at 10:13 AM, BullBoy said:

I feel like this was a year for Jim to really put his stamp on the program, whether it worked or didn't.  I think Jim kept too many things that worked for Nate and he tried to adopt them because of the previous success, but that's not who he is.

1. DITCH THE HARD HAT.... It's not original anymore, heck even FLJ stole it at Syracuse. 

I wasn't going to respond to this but here I am after UB Men's Basketball posted on FB. Two different posts. One for each bullet.

This one about the hardhats. Keep them. It rewards players that work hard.  Just look at these pictures:
327399278_5960274064029422_6064980436597326786657_715121726887939_61720322626632327358960_1520845418404656_5002215615150

At least the coaches stopped wearing the "mechanics" uniforms during warmups.

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On 1/24/2023 at 10:13 AM, BullBoy said:

2. PLAY SLOWER....Nate had a very analytical approach to playing the way he did and not all coaches can understand that.  I know slowing it down is not fun to watch, but if we can be more effective in a controlled setting then they should do that.

You crazy!!  Some more pictures from UB Men's Basketball FB page (Prior to the game):

326745923_1358713338246691_4671293952905

327409936_712697226929584_14933989847618326752721_883145803026032_22605949506589

I assume the rankings are for ALL D1.

#2 in the country for Fast Break Points? And you want them to slow it down?

Fast Break points come from hustle.

Not only are the "points" easy layout, it's also very exciting. I feel UB doesn't do as well when they try to run "set plays". More fast break points, please.

 

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10 hours ago, clodney said:

I really hope our athletic director doesn't think this way. Budget constraints never held back Danny White. 

I really hope so too, since he is in a position that can influence the outcome.  I can’t, so personally I don’t see the point in adding to the discussion. shrugs 

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On 1/25/2023 at 9:37 AM, clodney said:

I really hope our athletic director doesn't think this way. Budget constraints never held back Danny White. 

Yes Danny White had UB budget constraints that is why he like every AD before and after him ran away. Danny White wasn’t any better we still have issues with UB unwilling to spend the money on retaining coaches. Houston Cougars are number one a Group of Five soon to be Big 12 because they spent the necessary money to win like Cincinnati and UCF. UB wasn’t spending anymore money under Danny White than they are now. Was Danny White a good evaluator of good coaches on the way up? Yes that was Danny White greatest contribution to UB athletics. Spare me the UB fund raising he only sold half of what the UB luxury box seating was supposed to be. He lied about UB attendance with creative accounting. I know I was at those UB games I would shake my head thinking no way the announced attendance matches what was actually at the game.
 

Danny White failed just like every other UB AD in the past and future until the University is willing to spend the money. With a more enthusiastic UB President towards UB athletics would help. I don’t believe in the present UB President he is a mediocre President. Look at UB endowment for a Flagship major university $1 billion dollars is nothing. Private school Vanderbilt University in Nashville has like $11 billion. So let’s talk how great UB really is? It isn’t until UB realizes this to be a major university today athletics and television is part of the deal.
 

Don’t say New York State politics either as a excuse UB alums California-Berkeley has the same politics as UB, New York State and there Power 5. Cal cried about USC and UCLA leaving for the Big Ten Conference because even the intellectual elites at Cal and in California realize there nothing without the Power 5 and television networks money. Sadly UB and the state of New York are clueless about what a major flagship university is like in the United States that is telling it like it is today in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo 

Edited by UB Horns Up
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On 1/25/2023 at 11:34 AM, UBinMD said:

And he got run out of town for putting New York first. People would rather have Buffalo first and pay less to coaches and beg the NYS Government for money to build facilities. That is the sad, current fact.

New York State isn’t interested in major college athletics that is the problem. UB the university doesn’t have the people at the university with enough stomach for major college athletics. UB and SUNY have no interest. This isn’t a new thing and it is why UB football shutdown the first time in 1971. Basically UB football owed itself $200,000. The SUNY Buffalo budget total was $95 million dollars for 1971 that is a fact look it up the Buffalo News archives of stories written on the subject. The only thing changed today is more people like the very generous Murchie Family donated a lot of money to UB athletics compared to in 1971.
 

New York Bulls, New York City Bulls, New York City is the greatest city in the World Buffalo Sucks Bulls isn’t getting any money for major college athletics for facilities out of New York State. Never forget out of a $95 million dollar budget NYS couldn’t find $200,000 dollars to pay itself to save 1972 UB football with contracts signed for the Syracuse Orange in 1975 and 1976 along with national television games that is our lovely New York State. New York State stole major college football from my childhood. Think about that Buffalo children got major college football stolen from them in 1975 I started getting hardcore into sports. So I would have saw UB play Syracuse in 1975 at 7 years old instead of waiting until the 2000’s to actually see that happen. So enough with blaming Buffalo. The Buffalo newspaper writers at the time were right when they said NYS didn’t believe in Western New York to invest in major college football that is the truth.

Nothing has changed on New York State end PSE offered to build the new Buffalo Bills stadium on UB North Campus that was then New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that said no right away when it was brought up by the Buffalo Bills no. We know why New York State isn’t interested because it potentially hurts them politically to do it with total control. To have UB become a Cal-Berkeley generating wealth in Western New York is too risky to chance politically total control of the state money for projects. New York State doesn’t want a So Cal No Cal in New York State just one have and the rest of the state have nots which includes Western New York it is never happening because the Five boroughs say no way in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hey guys, sorry for the few week hiatus! John's wife recently gave birth to their second child so we had to skip a few shows.

There was plenty to discuss on the show this week. Some encouraging and discouraging reactions from the Kent State loss. The Bulls played hard and can compete with anyone in the conference. That said, the sloppy play and poor defensive rebounding was tough to watch. Ohio will be a tough game on Tuesday that can go either way.

Fast-forward to the 21:00 mark for some UB talk. We also take a look at UB's roster construction in comparison to some other teams in the MAC. Hope you check it out!

 

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  • Big 4 Hoops Blogger changed the title to Talkin' Big 4 Hoops Episode 10: Buffalo Needs To Move Past Kent State Game With Ohio/Akron Waiting

I didn't get to look at your entire video, but wanted to respond / ask questions about what I did watch regarding future make of the team. 

First, is Chatman off the team / not expected to return next year?   I have not heard much about him this season but he would give us some additional size along with Smith / Jack as they progress and help fill void left by Hardnett's graduation.  As for transfers out, I certainly do not have an inside track as to what motivates each of these players, but my instinct is that the core of the team returns at least for one more year.  Staying with the team, in my mind, gives them their best chance at personal success and team success.  As has been mentioned in another thread, the grass isn't always greener.  But I am certainly not the decision maker here.

With respect to Jones' inconsistency this season, he is still early in his career and being asked to be the focal point of the offense.   It is unclear how to benchmark Jones' progress against CJ's due to COVID - but sharing CJ's SO/JR stats and Jones' SO stats.

image.thumb.png.98f7881e3ff69ab2d4465d87fcec508d.png

In my opinion, Jones' stats appear between CJs SO/JR stats.  Jones appears to have the potential to progress over the next two seasons and become an elite MAC player.  Of course, his development is entirely up to how hard he works toward that goal.

Potential roster of headed by Chatman, Jones, Powell and Adams with one more year together - should be improved.  They would need to find replacement for Foster - is it Ceaser - I certainly would feel better about that prospect if we did see more of him this year.   In limited time, he did display a lot of potential.  

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So, that was a tough week for UB... It wasn't unexpected but never good to get blown out in back-to-back conference games in mid-February. The Bulls are struggling and they don't exactly have freebies remaining on their schedule. Buffalo already lost to three of their four remaining opponents. Siting at 12-15 overall, it looks like they could have their first losing season since Reggie Witherspoon's final year with the program in 2012-13 when they went 14-20.

John and I addressed the current state of the Big 4 and if UB is capable of making a run in Cleveland. Fast-forward to the 17:30 mark for UB talk.

 

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  • Big 4 Hoops Blogger changed the title to Talkin' Big 4 Hoops Episode 11: Does UB Have A Chance At Making A Run In Cleveland?

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