Meet the Bulls

Little did Mark Bortz know when he decided to attend UB, the kind of reception his game and persona would receive among the Buffalo Bulls' faithful.

Hailing from Commerce Township, Michigan, Bortz came to UB when he could have just as easily gone to Marquette, Central Michigan or Toledo.

"With UB it was about coaches and being comfortable," said Bortz after practice. "I came here, spent a lot of time with the coaches and the players and it really made a family atmosphere and that's really important to me, being a family person."

As it goes for most kids who are blessed with a few extra inches, Bortz got into the sport of basketball at a young age.

"When I was young it was always, 'Hey you're tall, wanna play basketball?'" said Bortz.

His height, however, was not the only factor in his decision to play basketball in college, as family tradition played a factor also.

"My sister went before me," said Bortz. "She just graduated from University of Detroit Mercy, where she played on a (basketball) scholarship there."

Through his play at UB, Bortz has amassed quite a fan base. He even has a fan club that call themselves "The Bortzy Boys" and wear t-shirts with a picture of his face right on the front.

Not surprisingly, Bortz enjoys the recognition.

"It's flattering," said Bortz. "(When) I came to school I never thought there would be a bunch of guys who would do that. I really appreciate it. The support is great, those guys are awesome."

While Bortz is a solid contributor for the UB Bulls, he excelled in high school for his Robert Shoemaker team - averaging 15.5 points, 14.2 rebounds and five blocks per game. Playing in college for Bortz however, is a completely different atmosphere.

"We had a great team my senior year, and I had a lot of fun," Bortz recalled of his high school team. "It's a different kind of fun (in college), because you get to play in front of people, you play on TV. I don't want to say it's more important, but it's a higher level of competition."

With the luck of playing on a closely-knit UB team, Bortz can appreciate his teammates and the support he gets from them on a daily basis.

"I like the brotherhood of it," said Bortz. "You're working with the same group of guys towards the same goal."

Bortz is ready for this season to begin, and he knows that the support from his coaches, teammates and especially his fans, the Bortzy Boys, will be there this year.

Five Random Questions

1. Tops or Wegmans?

Tops, definitely.

2. You're 6-foot-10-inches, how often do you hit your head on the bus and other things?

Not often, I have a radar, I can feel when something's coming up, so I can duck.

3. Which movie character would you most want to be?

I would have to be Neo from the Matrix

4. Who is your favorite comedian, and why?

Dave Chapelle, because he's hilarious.

5. Who in the NBA would you most want to go one-on-one with?

I would have to say Tim Duncan. He's up there at the top of his game, might as well challenge the best.