EMU @ UB - 2/7/23 7:00 pm - ESPN+

[UBinMD]

6 minutes ago, DaBulls99 said:

Fun game to be at. Late arriving but solid crowd. Emoni has such a quick step back it’s nearly impossible to cover. 
 

Overall I loved the contributions. To me, Zid still seemed lost a lot. He blew multiple layups and still tried to push too much rather than drain clock when it was under 4 minutes left, leading to several turnovers and easy buckets for EMU. Glad to see him hit a few shots, though. Bring on Kent!
 

He’s good for this level, but I don’t see him as a major contributor in the NBA. Our announcers were touting him getting others involved, he had 2 assist and I believe those were in the first 7 minutes. Doesn’t feel like he has the intangibles it will take for him to take that step. Maybe I’m wrong but being a volume shooter doesn’t usually pan out. The one thing that is NBA ready in his game is lack of defensive ability. He’s right up there with some of the best in the NBA for that.

[UBinMD]

Turnovers 9-8 EMU to UB, thats pretty amazing in s game that gave up 199 points.

[DooleyBull06]

2 minutes ago, UBinMD said:

Turnovers 9-8 EMU to UB, thats pretty amazing in s game that gave up 199 points.

How can there be turnovers when no defense was played lol. It was a pure track meet…and we ran faster. 

[enrique14150]

I said it last game, I'll say it again tonight: there are no easy games in the MAC this year.

There are games when everything is dropping for the other team and there's not much you could do about it (see: Toledo and Akron games).  Then there are times like today in the first half, when I felt like EMU was shooting well in large part because the Bulls weren't playing well on defense.  I've defended the defense before - in the first half tonight, I couldn't.  Too many easy layups.  But they closed the deficit towards the half, tightened up on defense second half, and those stops helped turn this one around.  They needed every one of those 102 points tonight.  The three's started dropping second half.  Hit their foul shots.  Props to the team for coming out sharper second half.

Hardnett - he has such better confidence and touch around the net than he used to.  One time second half he took it right to the net at the defender and banked it in - 2 years ago he would've hesitated or dished it off.
Curtis - it was not his night shooting, and some fouls kept him on the bench, but hit some key free throws at the end.
Foster - he has really grown this year.  11 assists tonight to 2 turnovers.  He runs the show.  Has a couple nifty passes every game, and seems like he's on the same page with Jack.  He wasn't able to burst to the net much tonight but he was careful with the ball.  In hindsight, they really missed him against Akron.
Zid - he's the "wild card".  Just as likely to draw a charge as get called for one.  For as beneficial as his confident play is, he'll overplay that sometimes (like a turnover at the end and almost another one).
Isaac - getting tougher under the basket.  This team really buys into offensive rebounds and keeping the ball alive.  
Adams - his shooting was on tonight, and he stayed with Bates all game.  
Jonnivius - 4 for 4 from the field, 4 for 4 from the line, 3 offensive rebounds - he may not have stuck out today, but that's a nice contribution off the bench.

Imagine you're EMU - you just shot 57%. 36% from three. 17 for 19 from the free throw line.  97 points.  AND YOU LOST!  If that was UB, I wouldn't know what more I could ask for.  We knew Bates would be big, but they got great games out of Farrakhan and Acuff.  There were times that UB was so focused on Bates that it created openings for other guys.  They didn't let UB drive to the net and create openings outside.  
Bates - offensively, he's worth the hype.  Even on a day when I thought he was clumsy with the ball too many times, he still had 27 points.  But that clumsiness in the second half gave UB the opening to flip the game around and take control.  Defensively, he's nearly useless.  He has zero interest in getting gritty in there, he's not willing to take any fouls.  Has a great first step, with his long stature.  But right now at this level on this team, he's the kind of guy who will score lots of points but you'll never win much with him.  I imagine he'll try to transfer somewhere for next season.

Crowd - actually came alive sometimes.  I have ripped UB for not doing enough to market the games and get people in there, so I want to give them credit for the last couple.  The students filled both end zones (even though I wish they would make some noise).  True Blue was more active and got some noise going on defense.  Progress.

We know a lot about these Bulls by now.  They cannot afford to get sloppy, or turn off mentally, or get out-worked.  But they have some shooters who can come alive, and paired with some defensive stops, can turn a game around.  

[MuchMany]

5 minutes ago, UBinMD said:

Turnovers 9-8 EMU to UB, thats pretty amazing in s game that gave up 199 points.

Even though we didn't force our usual TOs, I liked our hustle on loose 50/50 balls and our gang rebounding, especially the guards. Some sneaky good help side D plays too.

Acuff was impressive for EMU with 35. We recruited him as a 2020 3-star out of Cass Tech in Detroit (probably a carry over from Oat's Michigan recruiting ties), but he ended up at Duquesne for two seasons. They could have him for two more years along with Farrakhan. I'm surprised Stan Heath isn't getting more out of the talent they have with them and Bates. Sure there isn't much buy-in from Bates on D, but a little bit of structure can go a long way. They should be better than 6-18.

[enrique14150]

Credit to the band for breaking out the B-Y-A-H...BYAH! chant for Harnett's key block down the stretch.  That one has gotten lost too often over the years.

[UBinMD]

24 minutes ago, enrique14150 said:

Credit to the band for breaking out the B-Y-A-H...BYAH! chant for Harnett's key block down the stretch.  That one has gotten lost too often over the years.

The crowd sounded decent on TV. I know they dull down the sound on the broadcasts.

[ChubbyHubby]

Enrique14150... As always, an awesome recap of the game.  You mentioned Bates not playing defense.  He picked up his first foul with less than 10 minutes left in the game.  That doesn't happen if you're playing any semblence of D.  Agree with MuchMany on his assessment of Bates.  He was interacting with the crowd, and not in a nice way.  I feel bad for the guy that got tossed.  What's with Bates' Dad being behind the bench the whole game.  I guess he even went to the locker room with the team at the half.  Is he on staff?

I also want to give a shout out to Erie County for his/her first UBFan post without a negative comment. (See Hardnett is balling...)  

Edited February 8, 2023 by ChubbyHubby

[enrique14150]

1 hour ago, ChubbyHubby said:

Enrique14150... As always, an awesome recap of the game.  You mentioned Bates not playing defense.  He picked up his first foul with less than 10 minutes left in the game.  That doesn't happen if you're playing any semblence of D.  Agree with MuchMany on his assessment of Bates.  He was interacting with the crowd, and not in a nice way.  I feel bad for the guy that got tossed.  What's with Bates' Dad being behind the bench the whole game.  I guess he even went to the locker room with the team at the half.  Is he on staff?

I also want to give a shout out to Erie County for his/her first UBFan post without a negative comment. (See Hardnett is balling...)  

I'm near the top of the sideline (bench side) so I didn't hear/see a lot of that.  If he thinks he was taking heat here yesterday, that was nothing.  How about the Zieglers - father and son - losing it?  That game was the start of the "Central Miss-again" chant.  He was some high level recruit who thought he was the greatest, but he couldn't hit anything that day.  The crowd was laughing at them at one point.  People chanted "Daddy's prin-cess!"  Or waaaay back in the day, Central Connecticut's 7'3" center Keith Closs (who went on to play in the NBA), flipping off the crowd as they chanted "We want the freak!"  Bates had it easy yesterday.

I'm beyond the point in my own life that I can be the one yelling things at college students and refs.  I'll yell on defense and foul shots and cheer along on offense.  No judgement on anyone else, that's for you to figure out. It's a job better suited for the younger hot-heads.

(I reserve the right to come out of retirement if Dan Dakich ever leads a team into this building again.)

True Blue - keep having fun, and looking like you're having fun.  More people in the end zone will see that and want to have fun too.

[John]

2 hours ago, ChubbyHubby said:

Enrique14150... As always, an awesome recap of the game.  You mentioned Bates not playing defense.  He picked up his first foul with less than 10 minutes left in the game.  That doesn't happen if you're playing any semblence of D.  Agree with MuchMany on his assessment of Bates.  He was interacting with the crowd, and not in a nice way.  I feel bad for the guy that got tossed.  What's with Bates' Dad being behind the bench the whole game.  I guess he even went to the locker room with the team at the half.  Is he on staff?

I also want to give a shout out to Erie County for his/her first UBFan post without a negative comment. (See Hardnett is balling...)  

Agree with your comments. A very entertaining game and as the first half rolled along we said this looked like a shootout in the making. Good positive contributions from many of our players. We did say during the game that EMU doesn’t look like a 6-18 team but looking further they really seem to have only three main players and don’t seem to get enough solid contributions from their other players case in point after the three main players the rest of the team only scored like 16 points. With Jones having an off shooting night kit is a positive to have many of our players contribute. Also a positive the last two home game having 4 to 5 thousand fans. We have noticed how many open seats in the 100 sections and even in and around our 114 section that have been empty and how many season ticket holders we have lost. We will still continue to support our teams and enjoy college basketball. Go Bullls!!!

[UB Horns Up]

Good UB Bulls win. The Bulls need to run up and down the floor forget about half court game Jim Whitesell that isn’t our game Reggie Witherspoon was slow half court game when he coached at UB. UB doesn’t have great outcomes with that low scoring slowing the game down it usually ends with loses.
 

Last why did UB Bulls basketball have a black out Alumni Arena tease that UB Bulls basketball were wearing new black UB uniforms then play in there usual home white uniforms? While Eastern Michigan was wearing black uniforms? Strange sometimes I don’t get UB athletics marketing at all. I am surprised I am the only one noticing that about last nights game. We should have worn our old black UB uniforms at least they are black uniforms in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[John]

1 hour ago, UB Horns Up said:

Good UB Bulls win. The Bulls need to run up and down the floor forget about half court game Jim Whitesell that isn’t our game Reggie Witherspoon was slow half court game when he coached at UB. UB doesn’t have great outcomes with that low scoring slowing the game down it usually ends with loses.
 

Last why did UB Bulls basketball have a black out Alumni Arena tease that UB Bulls basketball were wearing new black UB uniforms then play in there usual home white uniforms? While Eastern Michigan was wearing black uniforms? Strange sometimes I don’t get UB athletics marketing at all. I am surprised I am the only one noticing that about last nights game. We should have worn our old black UB uniforms at least they are black uniforms in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo 

Wonder if any marketing going on for Friday game????

[bulls2684]

6 hours ago, John said:

Wonder if any marketing going on for Friday game????

I guess they're trying black again on Friday but they will actually wear black this time 

 

Edited February 9, 2023 by bulls2684

[rma]

On 2/7/2023 at 8:21 PM, MuchMany said:

Emoni Bates got a guy kicked out before the start of the half next to me courtside. The rumors are true, he's a true sh*thead. 

I saw that from the 200's. Guy was arguing with a EMU trainer or coach too

[rma]

.

Edited February 9, 2023 by rma

[clodney]

Black out, ESPN2 game on a Friday night, jerseys with the friggin' city skyline on them... Let's hope folks actually show up and make some damn noise.

[UBlearns]

On 2/8/2023 at 1:46 PM, UB Horns Up said:

Last why did UB Bulls basketball have a black out Alumni Arena tease that UB Bulls basketball were wearing new black UB uniforms then play in there usual home white uniforms? While Eastern Michigan was wearing black uniforms? Strange sometimes I don’t get UB athletics marketing at all. I am surprised I am the only one noticing that about last nights game. We should have worn our old black UB uniforms at least they are black uniforms in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo 

I was actually very confused about this too.  Looked like miscommunication between marketing and basketball ops.