UB basketball season opener

[promotherobot]

You should win a game scoring 86.

[Ubbullsfan09]

Well it isn’t how we wanted to start the year but I think we showed a lot of promise of what we can become. Let Fulcher and the freshman develop, get a veteran guard for next year and get Adams and Smith with a year more of experience as well as Graham and we could be a very scary team next year. We can maybe even make some noise this year if we can fix our defense. Win or lose, at the very least this seems like it will be an exciting team to watch 

[DaBulls99]

Guys ran out of gas after being pressed all game. We gave up way too many easy buckets not getting back on defense. That was the difference in the game. 

[Bullsboys]

1 hour ago, Ubbullsfan09 said:

Jo Smith is a monster in the paint! 

Yep a Whitesell player, just like all the top scorers. This team isn’t a rebuild, but last year’s was a complete rebuild. 

[Chet]

A home loss to the 309th rated team per kenpom is a poor way to start. 

[Bluebird96]

Entertaining game to say the least. Good to see the Bulls fight all the way to the end, just didn’t have enough firepower to finish.  Cut down on the turnovers and had a good stretch of D for a large part of the 2nd half but overall gave up way too many easy layups.  Would’ve liked to see more from Chatman but all in all there was a lot to like.

[Dabulls]

In other news. UB’s next opponent (south Alabama) is currently being manhandled by a naia school 

[Tee4three]

6 minutes ago, Chet said:

A home loss to the 309th rated team per kenpom is a poor way to start. 

In my opinion either UB is going to be very very bad or that FDU team isn't actually 309th team in the country 

[Bullsboys]

Just now, Tee4three said:

In my opinion either UB is going to be very very bad or that FDU team isn't actually 309th team in the country 

I’m going with very bad

[clodney]

1 minute ago, Bullsboys said:

Yep a Whitesell player, just like all the top scorers. This team isn’t a rebuild, but last year’s was a complete rebuild. 

lol

[MuchMany]

20 minutes ago, Bullsboys said:

Yep a Whitesell player, just like all the top scorers. This team isn’t a rebuild, but last year’s was a complete rebuild. 

Why was a coach rebuilding in his 4th year on the job? Because he never recruited well beyond "Oats players," using your logic. 

[MuchMany]

We're going to get pressed all game by every team. Broken record, but I still have no idea how GH3 was comfortable entering his first year so shorthanded on ball handlers. Nova plays with three ball handlers on the court most of the time. Sabol should improve, but he's not a MAC quality guard right now to my eye. 

We all know Adams is talented, but he's going to be exhausted with that much usage. Not ideal for your best wing to be forced into playing PG.

Jo was a dog on the glass and Sy was good too.

I liked Boldin more than I expected. He makes things happen, mostly good.

Free throw shooting was refreshingly good.

[Bluebird96]

37 minutes ago, Dabulls said:

In other news. UB’s next opponent (south Alabama) is currently being manhandled by a naia school 

And you know if UB loses to them there will be people calling for GH’s job after an 0-2 start 😂

[DocCas86]

56 minutes ago, Chet said:

A home loss to the 309th rated team per kenpom is a poor way to start. 

I contend that FDU is better than #309 team.  They did lose coach and top 2 players but retained quite a bit.

We knew UB would have its ups and downs this year, but I like the way they battled throughout the game.

I am hoping the team can establish a core and add a few more players the next few years and be back in the thick of things.

Edited November 7, 2023 by DocCas86

[DocCas86]

25 minutes ago, MuchMany said:

We're going to get pressed all game by every team. Broken record, but I still have no idea how GH3 was comfortable entering his first year so shorthanded on ball handlers. Nova plays with three ball handlers on the court most of the time. Sabol should improve, but he's not a MAC quality guard right now to my eye. 

We all know Adams is talented, but he's going to be exhausted with that much usage. Not ideal for your best wing to be forced into playing PG.

Jo was a dog on the glass and Sy was good too.

I liked Boldin more than I expected. He makes things happen, mostly good.

Free throw shooting was refreshingly good.

Yeah a bit of a head scratcher.  Maybe they tried but had some misses with prospects and didn't have enough plan B options.   Maybe a learning experience in terms of maneuvering in transfer portal and with recruits.

Edited November 7, 2023 by DocCas86

[skrabukes]

My thoughts on tonight's men's game:

FDU is way, way better than #309

No UB band/dance team for the home opener under a new coaching staff is ridiculous

UB played MILES better in this game than the Daemen game

This game was extremely entertaining, win or lose

The 3 top returners from last year's team (Adams, Jo, Sy) were very good tonight

The crowd actually was decent, but light on students, especially for an opener

If every game is like as fun to watch as this one, I'll enjoy watching them all, even if the team takes L's

 

Nice comeback win by the women. They are lean, much like the men with their depth. They look a lot like last year's team, 2 strong players, very light bench. Winning game #1 is always a plus. Canisius is no powerhouse though. Lots of work to do, but a win is a win.

 

[enrique14150]

I don't hate what I saw today.  Tonight's opponent made UB get into it, made them have to work, and that brought out some good things.  We saw the full ability of what Adams and Smith can do.  We saw that this team needs a LOT of work defensively.  Both teams shot really well in the first half.  UB got a couple stops and tied it up late, but bricked a couple shots and FDU made some free throws.  As I often say, so many games come down to the last 3 minutes or so and the last half dozen possessions.  This team hung around tonight in a game that looked in the first half at times like they might get buried.  In the end most of the stats were similar. With a short bench they all put in the work.  They showed character to come back, they need to get sharper to win one like this.

Smith - probably his best game as a Bull.  I'm always saying he needs to play bigger, play tougher, and he's really trying.  You know the three's are dropping when even he makes one.
Adams - also probably his best game as a Bull.  He's starting to show up as a more well-rounded player.  Besides the three's, he had a really nice move late in the game to the hoop, balancing backing in with turning where the defender wasn't.
Zakir - also probably his best game so far.  Looks like he burned some pounds off and did a good job rebounding down the stretch.
Kanye - looked less clutzy with the ball than last time
Fulcher - plays fast, but had a tough time with an even faster guard against him.
Chatman - I expect better.  He plays so far with an air of "I'm too cool for this."  Had a very nice drive around a potential charge for a layup first half.
Sabol - hit an early three, then like most of them, got beat on defense.  So far, he looks a year away.

FDU - those coaches sure complained a lot.  They played FAST and intense.  PG #14 was really quick.  Their guys were a step quicker than UB to the net in the first half, but UB did better second half against that.  I thought they got some questionable foul calls their way at the end, but then again, UB didn't make their last couple shots.  

Crowd - not bad, not great for a Monday night in November.  I saw the band practicing at the old football stadium on the way in.  True Blue was trying, but they just need to keep having fun and maybe more people in the end zone will join in. I don't know everything that athletics is doing for promotions, but right now it seems their approach to flat atmospheres and attendance the past couple years is...to keep doing the exact same thing.  Same DJ's playing the same stuff. Same promotions. Same cheers. Yawn.

It was fun to get fired up at the end of this tonight.  I hope they learn some things, like THIS is how they can play if they bring this level of intensity and workrate.  If they don't, the opponents race by.  They need to get better defensively if they're going to win games this season.

[UB Horns Up]

3 hours ago, capencaper said:

Where are the students?

I have been asking myself that question for the last 30 plus years. UB Bulls students for the most part for a state school this size the student section there should be students camping out for opening night tickets. The UB Students don’t care about anything sporting related it is what it is in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo 

Edited November 7, 2023 by UB Horns Up

[rma]

9 minutes ago, UB Horns Up said:

should be students camping out for opening night tickets

9 years ago the school wouldn’t allow students to camp out for the Baylor game. Doubt the policy has changed since then

[SGBull]

6 hours ago, UB Horns Up said:

I have been asking myself that question for the last 30 plus years. UB Bulls students for the most part for a state school this size the student section there should be students camping out for opening night tickets. The UB Students don’t care about anything sporting related it is what it is in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo 

The attendance in the 2010s was very good at basketball games. Even before the great teams. The main problem back then was half the student section wanted to sit down the entire game. We would have some gems though like a full student section screaming at Stainbrook. 

[BrooklynBull]

9 hours ago, Chet said:

A home loss to the 309th rated team per kenpom is a poor way to start. 

I am not much on these computer rankings, but what numbers are being input into the computers to rank teams that have no current stats?  GIGO!

[capencaper]

2 hours ago, BrooklynBull said:

I am not much on these computer rankings, but what numbers are being input into the computers to rank teams that have no current stats?  GIGO!

Probably last year's production minus outgoing players, plus an average approximation for incoming players.

[enrique14150]

3 hours ago, SGBull said:

The attendance in the 2010s was very good at basketball games. Even before the great teams. The main problem back then was half the student section wanted to sit down the entire game. We would have some gems though like a full student section screaming at Stainbrook. 

1. The commuter portion of the fanbase is probably not coming all the way back to campus unless they live close by.  So for students, they probably get who's on campus.  However, since a third of the season falls during the elongated winter break, they desperately need to find a way to get some of those commuters to some games.
2. Short answer? It's not fun.  Few people look like they're having fun, besides the band.  Most of the students that do show up just sit there, either because they don't want to do anything more, or they don't know what else to do/who else to follow.  There were times in the past you had most of the end zone standing, not anymore.  Short answer - True Blue has to have more fun, and more people will join in.  Standing there looking at your phones, not making noise on defense or foul shots consistently, isn't going to make anything happen. For the end zone it's more of a participatory experience than it is for a lot of folks on the sidelines, and I don't know if they realize that or are willing to fill that role.
Promotions? I can't say as a long-time alum what they're specifically doing to rile up students for game day, but whatever they are doing/not doing doesn't appear to be working.  People want to be part of a college basketball atmosphere, they want to be part of/adjacent to fun. The entire thing comes off as they're either (a) not trying or (b) they have no idea what to do.
Get rid of the DJ's. If you still need them, get better ones.  They played something by Huey Lewis and the News for pete's sake yesterday, how is THAT supposed to get anyone fired up?  I better not hear Cotton Eye Joe again.

Edited November 7, 2023 by enrique14150

[Blue03]

Say what you want. I liked what I saw. They played a good style of ball. Nothing too flashy, they just moved the ball well and shot it. They’re still ironing out the kinks, they’ve got work to do, but for where they’re at with a new coach, they look good. And on top of that they look energized to be there, under Whitesell the players always looked depressed, but they actually seem invested now. Bummer result, but it was the first game against a team that’s better than their ranking. Think we’ve got a good future to our program. 

[DooleyBull06]

To me having the student section behind the baskets is lame and not good for visibility. Not visibility in the sense of vantage point but recognition, intimidation etc. When alumni became bougie and moved the students from behind the benches to the ends, that to me is when they lost interest. 
 

As for the game…one of many. I’ve refrained from jumping in on prediction threads bc I really have no expectations for this team. I want to see them win obviously. But I want to see a foundation laid and progress as the season moves along. But I echo most of the sentiments stated. Especially those regarding defense and PG.