Flying Like a Bird

When you think of the Buffalo guards, Turner Battle generally comes to mind first.

And while Battle may in fact be the best player on the team as its leader, his backcourt comrade Jason Bird may have the best touch when stroking a jumper.

For those unfamiliar with the 6-foot 4-inch junior, he's the sweet-shooting two-guard on the Buffalo Bulls basketball team that can be found on the wings with Battle.

Hailing from Ypsilanti, Mich., Bird chose UB over schools like Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green, and Marquette.

"The main reason was the atmosphere, the coaching staff, and the players that were coming in with me," said Bird after a long practice. "I thought we had an opportunity to turn around a program that was struggling."

Those players that Bird speaks of have become a tight knit group of friends that are virtually inseparable.

"These guys are like family, the whole team, we go out to dinner almost every night," Bird said.

Bird is in his third year at UB, and is averaging over seven points per game while shooting 48 percent from three-point range. His three-point percentage is the highest on the Bulls.

His best stretch of his UB career came last year when Battle was out with his hand injury. Bird seriously picked up the slack in averaging 17 points, three rebounds and 3.3 assists per game over three games. He was named the MAC East Player of the Week for the week of March 9, 2003.

"I just do whatever the team and the coaches need me to do," Bird said of his impact on the team.

Buffalo's 5-6 Mid-American Conference record and 9-10 overall record may seem heaven sent to win-starved UB fans, but Bird thinks that his Bulls can do much better than what their record shows.

"I'm sure a lot of people think we're doing really well, but we just look at it as what we could be doing, and we should be doing better," he said.

When Buffalo has been hot this year, they have been able to run up the score on the lesser teams. This was shown in the Bulls' rout of Marshall on Saturday, something Bird thinks can be applied to any opponent.

"I feel like when we're on top of our game we could play with anybody," Bird said of the team's overall skill-level.

It's pretty clear that most college basketball players have dreams of grandeur in making it to the pros in the National Basketball Association, but Bird is certainly not worried about jumping to conclusions right now.

"I'll just do what I do," said Bird.

Though most of Bird's concentration is on the court, he appreciates the fan support that the basketball team has been getting this year, but believes that it could get even better in Alumni Arena.

"The fans have been good so far, with more wins and as we're improving, hopefully everybody will start coming out more," said Bird.

5 Random Questions

5. Do you and Mario Jordan ever play HORSE like in those old McDonald's commercials?

A: (Laughing) We have once or twice, but we never thought about it like that.

2. Do you call it "soda," or "pop?"

A: Pop, definitely pop.

3. What do you drink, Gatorade or Powerade?

A: Gatorade.

4. Tops or Wegmans?

A: Tops, I've never even been to Wegmans and I've been here three years.

5. Which do you think is better, Applebees, Fridays, or Chilis?

A: We eat at Applebees all the time, but I'll go with Chilis.