Jonesin’ to Top the Bulls

            The men's basketball team has fared well against Mid-American Conference West Division opponents thus far this season. But the competition will soon take a big step up.

            Buffalo (12-6, 5-2 MAC) will host Ball State (12-7, 4-3 MAC) in a major mid-week tilt Wednesday. The Cardinals are one of the favorites to come out of the MAC West and that's something Buffalo is preparing for.

            "They're a really good team," said head coach Reggie Witherspoon. "They're just a very well put together team that competes hard on the road as well as at home. They're just very consistent. They play the same way every time, and it'll be a challenge for us."

            Much of that challenge will come in the form of 6-foot-9 senior Jarrod Jones, a versatile forward who can score both from the block and behind the arc, shooting at 50 percent from 3-point range.

            "He scores it everywhere," Witherspoon said. "He presents problems for everybody. He scored the first nine points of the game at Akron. It was 9-0 Jones. He's legit."

            While Jones may pose a problem defensively for any individual, the Bulls may look to their zone to counter the presence of the forward. Buffalo has played a large number of minutes in the 2-3 zone, and it has helped the Bulls hold their opponents under 65 points per game, as well as holding them to a dismal 38 percent from the field.

            As the Bulls defense has blossomed, their offense has also started to heat up, especially from behind the arc. The Bulls have hit at least nine threes in each contest during their four-game winning streak.

            "As the season goes you're supposed to become more aware and more alert," Witherspoon said. "That's the biggest adjustment for kids coming to college. A lot of them can shoot it but they don't know when to shoot it. Hopefully we're making that adjustment as a team."

            The team as a whole has certainly responded, as six different Bulls have knocked down a 3-pointer in the four-game streak.

            Perhaps no one has been as impressive as Jarod Oldham though. The sophomore point guard has knocked down some timely shots like the rest of the squad, but has made his mark as a distributer more than anything. Oldham has amassed 27 assists to just nine turnovers in the last four games.

            "From a standpoint of running a team this is fairly new to [Oldham]," Witherspoon said. "But he's getting better at it."

            The Bulls will look to continue their impressive streak against the Cardinals Wednesday night in Alumni Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.

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