UB vs Roberts Wesleyan - 7pm Wed. 11/15/23

[Chet]

Our team has NO identity. All in grit is laughable at this point.

[DooleyBull06]

I will just say this…there is A LOT to work on. A LOT.

[Tee4three]

Did they hit 30 turnovers against a d2 team lol 

This might be an all time bad team 

[DocCas86]

25 turnovers!!!

[UBinMD]

Glad they won, but lots to work on. Giving up 83 is not a formula for success 

[Ubbullsfan09]

Enjoy our only win this year! Unless we have an insanely drastic turnaround, this could be one of our worst seasons in school history based on the games thus far. The defense is just laughably awful 

[Tee4three]

Just now, Ubbullsfan09 said:

Enjoy our only win this year! Unless we have an insanely drastic turnaround, this could be one of our worst seasons in school history based on the games thus far. The defense is just laughably awful 

I'm legit worried what the teams at the top of the Mac will do to this team

[Bluebird96]

On a positive note, Bulls shot 61% from the floor and 77.5% on FTs. Only put up 9 from 3 and made 4, I’d rather see that than chucking up 25+ per game and only making 30% of them like the last couple years.  

Dominated the boards 45-15.

But turning it over 25 times to only 11 for ANY opponent let alone a D2 team who you would expect would be the sloppier team, is just inexcusable. 

Not sure we learned much about this team tonight, but at least they saved face and held on for dear life for the win.

 

 

 

[MuchMany]

Not really sure what to say about this one. We have a couple players, but there are some massive holes in this roster that I'm really worried about come MAC play. 

The coaching/organization has been lacking to my eye, which is even more concerning. I understand not being able to recruit well right away, but the defensive lapses, stagnant O, and turnovers are surprising to me. Our guys were racing down the court with 45 seconds left with a lead and turning the ball over, and GH3 wasn't even yelling or motioning for them to slow it down (Presutti actually was behind him).

I'm not going to harp on the lack of ball-handling because I know I'm already a broken record about it, but I'm still shocked by it. MAC guards are going to abuse us and I absolutely hate predicting that.

[MDBullsfan89]

1 hour ago, Tee4three said:

I'm legit worried what the teams at the top of the Mac will do to this team

That's my worry as well. We'll manage a handful of wins but will almost certainly see some serious blowouts against top MAC teams and maybe even some of the mediocre ones. Never thought we'd sink so low that even making it to Cleveland would seem unattainable. 

[John]

39 minutes ago, MuchMany said:

Not really sure what to say about this one. We have a couple players, but there are some massive holes in this roster that I'm really worried about come MAC play. 

The coaching/organization has been lacking to my eye, which is even more concerning. I understand not being able to recruit well right away, but the defensive lapses, stagnant O, and turnovers are surprising to me. Our guys were racing down the court with 45 seconds left with a lead and turning the ball over, and GH3 wasn't even yelling or motioning for them to slow it down (Presutti actually was behind him).

I'm not going to harp on the lack of ball-handling because I know I'm already a broken record about it, but I'm still shocked by it. MAC guards are going to abuse us and I absolutely hate predicting that.

Wow!! So many of the comments are right on.Defense lacking and I am sure anyone who seen the game noticed we came out trying to press them and even tried playing a zone that looked very unorganized so back to man to man which did not look any better. Adams had another very sloppy game and I don’t even know how we would look without Chatman. At times it looked more like a football game with the physicality. Does anyone know why Jones played very little in the 2nd half as he looked decent in the first half. If we can’t handle the press from a D2 team we are in big trouble in the MAC. Their trip to Florida for three games should tell a lot if this coaching staff and players can figure out to play some kind of team ball. 

[UB Horns Up]

I watch all the Buffalo Big 4 teams as a Buffalo sports fan. George Halcovage has not much talent on this team. When I first saw this season UB Bulls team I thought this team is scary bad. George Halcovage won’t win here going the freshman route any player any good will be taken by other programs. Making UB Bulls a training grounds for younger developed talent. Because anybody any good isn’t going to stick around for the losing at UB. UB Bulls needed to go the St Bonaventure Bonnies Mark Schmidt route pick good players from lower Division I conferences that are stars to come to the UB Bulls. That was the cardinal mistake George Halcovage made was going young because the losing will be so bad what comes out of the young players that are good are leaving.

Division I college basketball isn’t develop young players anymore. Even Canisius Golden Griffins Reggie Witherspoon had to change with transfer portal part of the deal. The Griffs have mostly new players experience from other schools. I hope I am wrong about George Halcovage but he reminds me of another Villanova assistant Marty Marbach of the Canisius Golden Griffins in the late 1980’s early 1990’s before he was fired. Because he thought you could win the Villanova way just like George Halcovage with development because who is leaving power house Villanova? Canisius and now UB are apples and oranges compared to Villanova basketball. If UB Bulls don’t win games players that are any good are going to transfer. I don’t think the UB Bulls will win 10 games this season which is sad so no I don’t think George Halcovage is going to be a successful coach at UB. I don’t trust him and he has lowered this team to lower than Jim Whitesell which I didn’t think was possible with UB Bulls basketball but here we UB Bulls fans in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[DocCas86]

Some perspective on the 25 turnovers.  Let's say that UB only had 15 turnovers, which is still not great, but better.  This means 10  extra possessions with potential points - and assume they get 8 shots and 4 FT attempts.  Based on rate at which they were scoring 1.3 points per FGA and 75% FT%, UB would have had 13 more points.  I would submit that some of the 25 turnovers led to easy buckets for RW - think of the turnover at the end of the first half.  So let's assume that 10 fewer turnovers means 5 fewer points for RW.  Just making this adjustment the new final outcome would be 102 - 78.  Still like to see better than 24 point victory - but I think we would all be more a bit more upbeat if this were the outcome - and GHIII could savor his first victory a bit more.  I hope that the team finds a way to keep turnovers 13 or less.

 

[John]

9 hours ago, UB Horns Up said:

I watch all the Buffalo Big 4 teams as a Buffalo sports fan. George Halcovage has not much talent on this team. When I first saw this season UB Bulls team I thought this team is scary bad. George Halcovage won’t win here going the freshman route any player any good will be taken by other programs. Making UB Bulls a training grounds for younger developed talent. Because anybody any good isn’t going to stick around for the losing at UB. UB Bulls needed to go the St Bonaventure Bonnies Mark Schmidt route pick good players from lower Division I conferences that are stars to come to the UB Bulls. That was the cardinal mistake George Halcovage made was going young because the losing will be so bad what comes out of the young players that are good are leaving.

Division I college basketball isn’t develop young players anymore. Even Canisius Golden Griffins Reggie Witherspoon had to change with transfer portal part of the deal. The Griffs have mostly new players experience from other schools. I hope I am wrong about George Halcovage but he reminds me of another Villanova assistant Marty Marbach of the Canisius Golden Griffins in the late 1980’s early 1990’s before he was fired. Because he thought you could win the Villanova way just like George Halcovage with development because who is leaving power house Villanova? Canisius and now UB are apples and oranges compared to Villanova basketball. If UB Bulls don’t win games players that are any good are going to transfer. I don’t think the UB Bulls will win 10 games this season which is sad so no I don’t think George Halcovage is going to be a successful coach at UB. I don’t trust him and he has lowered this team to lower than Jim Whitesell which I didn’t think was possible with UB Bulls basketball but here we UB Bulls fans in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo 

It is funny or not so funny you brought up Marbach because our family talked about that. Marbach got all the accolades from his Villanova coaches and others and he was terrible as a head coach. Let’s face it some coaches are meant to be just assistants and don’t have the pedigree to be a head coach. We can only hope their is some change in his approach and the players buy in to his coaching.

[Blue03]

I fear Dec 2, I don’t want to hear all the Bonnie’s fans when they’re up by 40

[UB92]

We were outscored second half by a D2 team in a competitive game that could have gone either way in the last minute or so.  All of that isn't good.

The coach has been tight-lipped, for the most part.  Here is what he said after the game.

"We just had some lapses where we let them back in, we're going to clean up take care of the ball," stated Head Coach George Halcovage III. "As for the win, first win, it's all about the players. Glad that we were able to stay together and get it done."

In some other place I read, he spoke about the physicality of the game and being positive about that (and getting to the line).

I am going to try and give him a pass for a while.  Basically I'd like to see a better performance, especially on the defensive end, in February as opposed to now.  That's what I am looking for.

[Tee4three]

This season really will be what kind of improvement we see by the end of the season

The good news......starting pretty low so lots of room to improve

I am worried the coaching staff didn't realize the depth issue until they started playing games

UB has 6 players right now in Smith, Adams, Chatman, Jones, fulcher and boldin (really impressed by boldin)

You can get a workable 7th in sabol if you get him and the team to buy in that he is a shooter this season for spacing 

A comment on the turnovers, if the refs called the game a bit more tightly RW would have had over half their 16 man bench foul out and the game might still be being played. Very handsy team lots of grabbing and hand checks. Which definitely led to more turnovers 

 

[DocCas86]

19 minutes ago, Tee4three said:

This season really will be what kind of improvement we see by the end of the season

The good news......starting pretty low so lots of room to improve

I am worried the coaching staff didn't realize the depth issue until they started playing games

UB has 6 players right now in Smith, Adams, Chatman, Jones, fulcher and boldin (really impressed by boldin)

You can get a workable 7th in sabol if you get him and the team to buy in that he is a shooter this season for spacing 

A comment on the turnovers, if the refs called the game a bit more tightly RW would have had over half their 16 man bench foul out and the game might still be being played. Very handsy team lots of grabbing and hand checks. Which definitely led to more turnovers 

 

Depth is definitely an issue, for sure.  Not utilizing the 13th scholarship and Graham being inelligible doesn't help.

I agree Sabol has potential to help.  I did notice a few times during the game where Sabol was standing wide open for a 3 calling for the ball and no one paying attention.  Maybe a combination of not knowing / trusting your teammates just yet.  Sabol seems to have a good shot from deep, so getting him involved could help. 

Is Williamson hurt?  He can give the team some minutes and give other players a rest. 

Not sure what they get from McVeigh / Wilson / Famakinde - time will tell.

[UBinMD]

27 minutes ago, Tee4three said:

This season really will be what kind of improvement we see by the end of the season

The good news......starting pretty low so lots of room to improve

I am worried the coaching staff didn't realize the depth issue until they started playing games

UB has 6 players right now in Smith, Adams, Chatman, Jones, fulcher and boldin (really impressed by boldin)

You can get a workable 7th in sabol if you get him and the team to buy in that he is a shooter this season for spacing 

A comment on the turnovers, if the refs called the game a bit more tightly RW would have had over half their 16 man bench foul out and the game might still be being played. Very handsy team lots of grabbing and hand checks. Which definitely led to more turnovers 

 

For all the fouls that were called, there were a lot of calls left on the court for sure. With that said, we needed to do better handling that and not giving up easy layups off the inability to inbound properly. Sabol struggled a lot with that by the looks. He did not like being so tightly guarded and double teamed on the inbounds. Gotta dribble out and split that to force the foul call when the refs aren't calling the mugging in the corner.

[BullBoy]

100% agree that this team should not be in a close contest again D2 and D3 competition, but let's just maybe look at it from a small positive in that this experienced group will benefit more from having to play in a close game, than beating a bad team by 30.

It's really not about the opponent this year, but finding an identity and seeing what this group does in tough situations. 

Still not expecting much from them in the long run, but these experiences are a lot better for this group in November.

[John]

18 minutes ago, BullBoy said:

100% agree that this team should not be in a close contest again D2 and D3 competition, but let's just maybe look at it from a small positive in that this experienced group will benefit more from having to play in a close game, than beating a bad team by 30.

It's really not about the opponent this year, but finding an identity and seeing what this group does in tough situations. 

Still not expecting much from them in the long run, but these experiences are a lot better for this group in November.

Whether you beat a team by 30 or win a close game it comes down to how the players play as a team or play one on one type ball which is really what we have been seeing since the start of the year. 

[rma]

2 hours ago, Blue03 said:

I fear Dec 2, I don’t want to hear all the Bonnie’s fans when they’re up by 40

For some reason even in the not great years we play them close. That being said I’m expecting to get blown out by them this year. Good thing there’s no rivalry though, I’d hate to lose to a rival.

[Tee4three]

1 hour ago, DocCas86 said:

Depth is definitely an issue, for sure.  Not utilizing the 13th scholarship and Graham being inelligible doesn't help.

I agree Sabol has potential to help.  I did notice a few times during the game where Sabol was standing wide open for a 3 calling for the ball and no one paying attention.  Maybe a combination of not knowing / trusting your teammates just yet.  Sabol seems to have a good shot from deep, so getting him involved could help. 

Is Williamson hurt?  He can give the team some minutes and give other players a rest. 

Not sure what they get from McVeigh / Wilson / Famakinde - time will tell.

Has famakinde seen action this season? Williamson I don't believe I saw last game 

When ever sabol is open they need to pass him the ball and let him rip, it will pay off in the long run and make guys like Kanye and Chatman ability to drive the lane easier

[Tee4three]

1 hour ago, UBinMD said:

For all the fouls that were called, there were a lot of calls left on the court for sure. With that said, we needed to do better handling that and not giving up easy layups off the inability to inbound properly. Sabol struggled a lot with that by the looks. He did not like being so tightly guarded and double teamed on the inbounds. Gotta dribble out and split that to force the foul call when the refs aren't calling the mugging in the corner.

Gotta keep improving in this area about to take a step up in competition so hopefully we see what they have learned 

[MuchMany]

16 minutes ago, Tee4three said:

Has famakinde seen action this season?

He has not. Hasn't been dressed from what I've seen.