MBB vs Kent @6:30 PM CBSSN (Alumni Arena - Buffalo, NY)

[UBlearns]

Down to 348 on Kenpom and 349 on Torvik.  Here are the teams that UB is better than:  LIU-Brooklyn, Lindenwood, Alabama A&M, VMI, Siena (not sure what's happened to them), Stonehill, St. Francis PA, IUPUI, Southeast Missouri State, Detroit Mercy, UMES, Coppin State, and Mississippi Valley State.

These are our peers now, fellas.  What a complete and unmitigated disaster.

[UB Horns Up]

17 minutes ago, TheCommish said:

NIL money, we need about $200k, we would be top 100

No UB Bulls basketball wouldn’t. UB Bulls basketball could offer Big Ten Conference money it would make no difference. As long as George Halcovage is the UB Bulls head coach this program has no chance. Offer NBA money it wouldn’t matter because you can’t have a clueless head coach. I watched St Bonaventure Bonnies at number 21 Dayton Flyers tonight at least the Bonnies are coached well and don’t quit. UB Bulls athletics administration is out of touch with reality. You’re playing on television using your national television spot against Bonnies at number 21 Dayton Flyers that is a definition of insanity. UB athletics doesn’t get it and neither does national television. UB Bulls could have started that game at 9 PM so more Buffalo fans would watch the national television game. The MAC conference doesn’t understand the Western New York television market don’t take on Bonnies A-10 Conference at the same time with a 17 year head coach in Mark Schmidt. They needed to flip UB to ESPN 2 after the Bonnies game at 9 PM. Out of sight out of mind it’s UB athletics loss. This needs to change regardless of the coach or athletic director with UB in the future. It’s not even debatable. You don’t play at the same time as the traditional Little Three basketball Bonnies. It’s like the New York Jets playing at the same time as the more traditional New York Giants insanity few are watching the loser Jets that are the Buffalo Sabres of the NFL if we are telling it like it is. Which I realize is hard for some on this UB Bulls board. You’re cutting off half the Western New York television market like I said insanity in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Go Bonnies! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[Sportsfan]

9 hours ago, MuchMany said:

Tough game to sit through.

Cannot imagine what is really going on behind the scenes and the relationships between the players and coaches.

With very little coaching experience on the staff or creditability of being a productive D1 player (besides Cage for UB), little history of Jay Wright's coaching tree being successful, a team of unathletic players that cannot shoot, play defense, or seem "blue collar", you truly need to be the most optimistic person in see a better future with current staff and players.

BTW, not that last years team was "blue collar" or played defense. 

How could Alnut miss this hire so much?

Edited February 3 by Sportsfan

[Chet]

9 hours ago, TheCommish said:

NIL money, we need about $200k, we would be top 100

I recall an interview after Oats was hired where Oats talked about Danny White telling him he needed a veteran coach like JW. Does anyone remember that? Danny White was tremendous and ADMA, well, I’m not going to continue to hit a man when he is down. 

[Tee4three]

1 hour ago, Chet said:

I recall an interview after Oats was hired where Oats talked about Danny White telling him he needed a veteran coach like JW. Does anyone remember that? Danny White was tremendous and ADMA, well, I’m not going to continue to hit a man when he is down. 

I believe it was said that he needed a vet, an NBA player and the third seat could be whoever he wanted 

[trueblue32]

31 minutes ago, Tee4three said:

I believe it was said that he needed a vet, an NBA player and the third seat could be whoever he wanted 

I miss having an AD with a vision

[UB92]

At this point, the season will play out the way it will play out.  But barring something unexpected, it will be fair to consider whether this should be a one-and-done for GH3.   I mean, this is now a reclamation project and is he really the person we want leading it?   This is with our without ADMA.  

 

What do we know about GH3?

No head coaching experience.  
Wasn’t able to recruit what he needed. 
Team has not grown/improved since November.  
Team still looks like a group, especially on defense, that just got together for a pickup game 

Not explosive or fiery…team and coach has no identity.  
 

—-

And he is going to be the guy to rebuild this mess?   An easy pass.  
——-

It isn’t that I was against this hire - I thought it was good…looking from the outside.  But I was wrong.  Of course, I didn’t make the hire.  The person that did should be held responsible.  
 

[Bluebird96]

37 minutes ago, UB92 said:

At this point, the season will play out the way it will play out.  But barring something unexpected, it will be fair to consider whether this should be a one-and-done for GH3.   I mean, this is now a reclamation project and is he really the person we want leading it?   This is with our without ADMA.  

 

What do we know about GH3?

No head coaching experience.  
Wasn’t able to recruit what he needed. 
Team has not grown/improved since November.  
Team still looks like a group, especially on defense, that just got together for a pickup game 

Not explosive or fiery…team and coach has no identity.  
 

—-

And he is going to be the guy to rebuild this mess?   An easy pass.  
——-

It isn’t that I was against this hire - I thought it was good…looking from the outside.  But I was wrong.  Of course, I didn’t make the hire.  The person that did should be held responsible.  
 

Very honest assessment.  I can’t help but wonder if all his years coaching all those 4 and 5 star recruits at Villanova spoiled him, and now he’s realizing how hard it is to get lower caliber of talent to play at a high level.  Obviously it takes more to win than just assembling a group of highly talented  players, you still have to be able to coach and get them to play as a team within your system.  Any way you cut it, it’s hard to imagine this thing turning around anytime soon under the current leadership.

[TheCommish]

1 hour ago, UB92 said:

At this point, the season will play out the way it will play out.  But barring something unexpected, it will be fair to consider whether this should be a one-and-done for GH3.   I mean, this is now a reclamation project and is he really the person we want leading it?   This is with our without ADMA.  

 

What do we know about GH3?

No head coaching experience.  
Wasn’t able to recruit what he needed. 
Team has not grown/improved since November.  
Team still looks like a group, especially on defense, that just got together for a pickup game 

Not explosive or fiery…team and coach has no identity.  
 

—-

And he is going to be the guy to rebuild this mess?   An easy pass.  
——-

It isn’t that I was against this hire - I thought it was good…looking from the outside.  But I was wrong.  Of course, I didn’t make the hire.  The person that did should be held responsible.  
 

The HC and AD might both be to blame, but pushing the AD to replace HC isn't exactly a slam dunk. Why would you let the Alnutt hire a new head coach? Waiting until 2026 for a new AD to pick a new HC could be the better play. Unless we're paying the AD to sit home and do nothing or he gets a new job, my understanding he is vested in 2026, not a chance he leaves on his own if that is true. Now in 2026, you have a opportunity for a new AD to hire someone with a  vision and ambition wanting this job because we bottomed out and we're the Oakland A's of the MAC, the new AD could build us into the Yankees. The problem with UB athletics or SUNY, although DW got rid of a lot of lifers, we still have people from the Bill Maher era.

Edited February 3 by TheCommish

[enrique14150]

I waited a day to see if the adjectives I would use to describe this would get better.  They didn't.  Thanks for putting our humiliating state of affairs on national TV last night.  That's not even a powerhouse opponent - Kent was a .500 team that looked like world-beaters.  I knew going in that the MAC schedule was going to be tough because UB's squad can't match the physicality and size inside that a lot of teams had.  Not just that, Kent's quick ball movement opened up shots that UB couldn't deal with.  Kent got sloppy at times in the second half (as teams tend to when they're up that much, despite Senderoff trying to keep them focused) otherwise it would've been even worse.

I can stomach a rebuilding project, like last year, where the team actually got better over time (their ceiling wasn't that high though).  What distresses me most today is that this team doesn't look any better at anything than it did in November. There are guys who were here last year that are worse out there now than a year ago (which means they were good but regressed, or they weren't good and Whitesell and company coached them well). Except for a couple games like at Toledo, sometimes they inexplicably hang in there.  How does one describe the interior defense last night? Ineffective...soft...nonexistent...pathetic?  In our text chain (the rest of our season ticket group didn't show up last night) during the game, one of them asked if it might be worse next year.  Barring a significant influx of talent, it's hard to see it being better.  I can deal with short term losing if there's hope for the future but after last night, it was hard to see hope.  

Show of hands who ACTUALLY thought this was a bad hire last summer. People wanted a young, ambitious coach.  The buck stops at the top - but Halcovage looked great on paper and exactly the kind of guy who you want to take the next step at this level. The AD is ultimately responsible for how things are going, but based on what we all read at the time, I would've hired this guy too.

Chatman - I'm convinced he's one of those guys who will put up points for you but you'll never win a thing with him.  One of the worst "good" players I've ever seen here.  I treat college kids differently, I'm not going to boo them, but there was one play second half where he half-heartedly reacted to the play and the Kent guy buried a three in the corner, I yelled towards the court "you going to play some defense?!".  
Smith - he's a nice player who tries hard but isn't going to be winning many battles against quality players at this level.  There are reasons he wasn't getting minutes at the Big East level and you can see them.
Sabol and Boldin - learning on the go.  The best thing I can say is they've improved just by playing a lot, and they don't lack in confidence. But they play a lot because this team lacks experienced guards, not because they earned all that time.
Adams - his ppg are slightly better than last year (at least before the past week) but he looks like he's regressed.  I found myself yelling at him and Chatman several times after bad shots, "you're a senior!! You should be better than this!"
Wilson - glad to see him get a couple minutes and hit a shot.
Zakir - you have two choices. You're undersized underneath the basket in the MAC. You either start playing like an animal under there, bigger than you are (Rasaun Young played bigger than he was), or you drop the pounds and get quicker. 

They're not good, and most of them aren't going to get any better.  We're a game or two away from me chanting "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!"  Seriously, at this point, rotate Sabol, Fulcher, Boldin, and Wilson and play a press. You're terrible at half court defense and regularly losing by 20+ points so what do you have to lose.  Defining what we're watching right now as "basketball" seems overly generous doesn't it?

Kent - when they wanted to go inside, they did.  When they wanted to shoot from outside, Sullinger and Santiago did. It was men against boys out there.

Crowd - it was great to have the band back, they're large and loud, and they have fun.  I still cheer on defense not because it's going to make any difference but because I'm at a basketball game and it's more fun when I do.

The beatings will continue until morale improves.
 

Edited February 3 by enrique14150

[trueblue32]

48 minutes ago, enrique14150 said:

Show of hands who ACTUALLY thought this was a bad hire last summer. People wanted a young, ambitious coach.  The buck stops at the top - but Halcovage looked great on paper and exactly the kind of guy who you want to take the next step at this level. The AD is ultimately responsible for how things are going, but based on what we all read at the time, I would've hired this guy too.

I disagree. Halcovage was a complete unknown, it’s extremely risky to just hire a young guy off a high major staff when you have no visibility into what role he actually played in their success. Bucknell interviewed Halcovage, for whatever reason he didn’t get the job, and even they have 9 D1 wins now.

This is really not excusable for Alnutt. He fired Whitesell too early implying that he had some plan that he clearly didn’t and cost UB extra money. He then very publicly got dunked on by like 10 candidates that turned us down. Then hired the Bucknell rejectee and has since watched our program spiral to uncharted depths.

I was willing to be optimistic because high major assistants are unknown and maybe he works out. He very clearly has not. It literally almost cannot get any worse. People seem to be taking the stance that there is no performance that is fireable in year 1. There’s nothing to suggest that this will get any better after the few D1 caliber players from Whitesell disappear off the roster. We’re going to run this program into the ground for another season just for the prayer that he somehow magically puts it together in year 2?

We’re painted into a corner here financially but I’d truly pay a top Buffalo high school coach whatever to be the coach. We know Halcovage isn’t the future so let’s start playing the lottery, even if it’s the $1 scratch offs until he and Whitesell off the books

Edited February 3 by trueblue32

[TheCommish]

33 minutes ago, trueblue32 said:

I disagree. Halcovage was a complete unknown, it’s extremely risky to just hire a young guy off a high major staff when you have no visibility into what role he actually played in their success. Bucknell interviewed Halcovage, for whatever reason he didn’t get the job, and even they have 9 D1 wins now.

This is really not excusable for Alnutt. He fired Whitesell too early implying that he had some plan that he clearly didn’t and cost UB extra money. He then very publicly got dunked on by like 10 candidates that turned us down. Then hired the Bucknell rejectee and has since watched our program spiral to uncharted depths.

I was willing to be optimistic because high major assistants are unknown and maybe he works out. He very clearly has not. It literally almost cannot get any worse. People seem to be taking the stance that there is no performance that is fireable in year 1. There’s nothing to suggest that this will get any better after the few D1 caliber players from Whitesell disappear off the roster. We’re going to run this program into the ground for another season just for the prayer that he somehow magically puts it together in year 2?

We’re painted into a corner here financially but I’d truly pay a top Buffalo high school coach whatever to be the coach. We know Halcovage isn’t the future so let’s start playing the lottery, even if it’s the $1 scratch offs until he and Whitesell off the books

But if you believe the posters here, we didn’t get turned down by anyone.

[John]

26 minutes ago, trueblue32 said:

I disagree. Halcovage was a complete unknown, it’s extremely risky to just hire a young guy off a high major staff when you have no visibility into what role he actually played in their success. Bucknell interviewed Halcovage, for whatever reason he didn’t get the job, and even they have 9 D1 wins now.

This is really not excusable for Alnutt. He fired Whitesell too early implying that he had some plan that he clearly didn’t and cost UB extra money. He then very publicly got dunked on by like 10 candidates that turned us down. Then hired the Bucknell rejectee and has since watched our program spiral to uncharted depths.

I was willing to be optimistic because high major assistants are unknown and maybe he works out. He very clearly has not. It literally almost cannot get any worse. People seem to be taking the stance that there is no performance that is fireable in year 1. There’s nothing to suggest that this will get any better after the few D1 caliber players from Whitesell disappear off the roster. We’re going to run this program into the ground for another season just for the prayer that he somehow magically puts it together in year 2?

We’re painted into a corner here financially but I’d truly pay a top Buffalo high school coach whatever to be the coach. We know Halcovage isn’t the future so let’s start playing the lottery, even if it’s the $1 scratch offs until he and Whitesell off the books

Our family were divided with the hire at the time. There are so many assistant coaches on power five teams that are riding on the coat strings of good coaches who have some of the best players in college basketball. Coach H reminds us of Canisius coach Marbach who was a terrible head coach. That being said it is beyond frustration when a team does not show any improvement as the season goes on. Really do wonder what these kids and coaches are doing in practice?? Playing and watching basketball for over 50  years we have never seen such a terrible display of basketball especially at this level.Alnutt’s track record is to give Coach H another year but the majority of the fan base is gone and we would not be surprised  to see the majority of players leave. 

[enrique14150]

Coaching hires - I have come to the point that I don't get too high or low in the first place.  I say, "we'll see."  Because UB's best coach was a guy whose resume was 'high school coach, then assistant for a couple years at a MAC school.'  They just had a dud of a football coach who was a position coach in the NFL.  People here don't want re-treads, which means you're getting younger guys who don't have experience.  The ceiling is higher, but as we're finding in real time right now, the bottom is lower too.  People were distressed that it seemed Whitesell couldn't sell a new generation of talent on the program.  So they needed someone younger and more energetic with a vision.  Right now the talent looks worse and it doesn't appear to be getting better on the horizon.

I've always thought your staff needs (1) an x's and o's coach, (2) someone who can recruit and sell the place to everyone, and (3) someone who's good at working with people - maintaining the morale and mindset of the group.  Under Oats, we had all three - Oats seemed to know the x's and o's, Hodgson was the recruiter, Whitesell was the glue.  Under Whitesell it seemed like they didn't have a recruiter.  Right now...I don't know if you've got any of these.

[TheCommish]

3 minutes ago, enrique14150 said:

Coaching hires - I have come to the point that I don't get too high or low in the first place.  I say, "we'll see."  Because UB's best coach was a guy whose resume was 'high school coach, then assistant for a couple years at a MAC school.'  They just had a dud of a football coach who was a position coach in the NFL.  People here don't want re-treads, which means you're getting younger guys who don't have experience.  The ceiling is higher, but as we're finding in real time right now, the bottom is lower too.  People were distressed that it seemed Whitesell couldn't sell a new generation of talent on the program.  So they needed someone younger and more energetic with a vision.  Right now the talent looks worse and it doesn't appear to be getting better on the horizon.

I've always thought your staff needs (1) an x's and o's coach, (2) someone who can recruit and sell the place to everyone, and (3) someone who's good at working with people - maintaining the morale and mindset of the group.  Under Oats, we had all three - Oats seemed to know the x's and o's, Hodgson was the recruiter, Whitesell was the glue.  Under Whitesell it seemed like they didn't have a recruiter.  Right now...I don't know if you've got any of these.

Was Hodgson offered or did he turn us down?

[TheCommish]

23 minutes ago, John said:

Our family were divided with the hire at the time. There are so many assistant coaches on power five teams that are riding on the coat strings of good coaches who have some of the best players in college basketball. Coach H reminds us of Canisius coach Marbach who was a terrible head coach. That being said it is beyond frustration when a team does not show any improvement as the season goes on. Really do wonder what these kids and coaches are doing in practice?? Playing and watching basketball for over 50  years we have never seen such a terrible display of basketball especially at this level.Alnutt’s track record is to give Coach H another year but the majority of the fan base is gone and we would not be surprised  to see the majority of players leave. 

The practices are “technically” open. Carry a racket or run the stairs. Hurley was the best practice coach. A lot of fun to watch. George….in my opinion, is running his first practices and learning on the job.

[John]

24 minutes ago, TheCommish said:

The practices are “technically” open. Carry a racket or run the stairs. Hurley was the best practice coach. A lot of fun to watch. George….in my opinion, is running his first practices and learning on the job.

Has anyone seen any of their practices?? 

[TheCommish]

8 minutes ago, John said:

Has anyone seen any of their practices?? 

I’ve only seen individuals and shoot arounds

[Sportsfan]

40 minutes ago, TheCommish said:

The practices are “technically” open. Carry a racket or run the stairs. Hurley was the best practice coach. A lot of fun to watch. George….in my opinion, is running his first practices and learning on the job.

The hope was we got a "Jay Wright", unfortunately, it took Jay a few years to have some success.

[John]

7 minutes ago, TheCommish said:

I’ve only seen individuals and shoot arounds

Thanks. To late now for a lightbulb to go off in any of these coaches or players and decide they are playing the game of basketball or should I say team basketball.

[RapidsFan]

.

Edited February 18 by RapidsFan

[John]

2 minutes ago, Sportsfan said:

The hope was we got a "Jay Wright", unfortunately, it took Jay a few years to have some success.

I wonder if back in the good old days coaches were given more time to turn a team around. The college landscape has changed dramatically since then. No coach is probably going to get years and years to have a winning competitive team. The result is losing many of your fan base.

[TheCommish]

3 minutes ago, John said:

I wonder if back in the good old days coaches were given more time to turn a team around. The college landscape has changed dramatically since then. No coach is probably going to get years and years to have a winning competitive team. The result is losing many of your fan base.

Long gone. We barely let anyone have more than 5 minutes to reply to a text.

[John]

4 minutes ago, RapidsFan said:

Don't worry everyone, instead of chewing Halcovage out for last night's performance, Buffalo News gave Halcovage an open forum to explain away how bad he is:

Ryan O'Halloran: UB's George Halcovage III hopes lessons in losing pay off with future wins

I asked Halcovage about experiencing the “Here We Go Again Syndrome,” when a game turns and for the Bulls, often turns quickly. Instead of being proactive and dictating the game’s terms, they are usually reactive and playing uphill.

“Have to keep bringing it every possession,” Halcovage said. “All we have to do is keep trusting that, if we keep grinding one possession at a time at both ends (of the floor) and take care of the ball and value it in crucial moments as well, we’ll get better and we’ll learn from it. You have to keep playing and know that’s how you’re going to eventually wear somebody else out.”

Halcovage was remarkably calm considering the circumstances; he was more apt to clap and pat-on-the-hip a player than berate. But even the most upbeat of coaches have a breaking point and his was with 4:14 remaining. Kent State led by 30 and Halcovage let the Bulls have it during a timeout. He didn’t like what he was seeing and didn’t want this to become a 40-point loss.

His message?

“We play for each other and no matter the situation, we’re going to play hard and play together for a full 40 minutes,” Halcovage said. “Sometimes, we don’t do it, but that was an opportunity for us to say, ‘Hey, we didn’t do it, but we have to do it now and we have to learn from this.’”

The learning lessons will stack up even if the losing streak continues. Hopefully for Halcovage, a year from now, they’re the team around .500 or better.

“There is another side to this and we just have to get to that other side,” Halcovage said. “The great lesson we’ll learn is hopefully we come out on the other side and we all have this the rest of our lives that they can get through anything.”

Don’t you think “His Message” should have been stressed since day one or at least when MAC play began?? Those players especially Chatman and others should be on the bench and not playing. You are losing with them playing like selfish players. You do not have anything else to lose at this point of the year.

[RapidsFan]

.

Edited February 18 by RapidsFan