This all feels so wrong. The season wasn't supposed to be over right now, and the Bulls were supposed to be the Mid-American Conference team making waves on the national scene...not the Sweet 16-bound Ohio Bobcats.
It's hard to believe we're back here again. As I began writing this column, I sat in the same room in Quicken Loans Arena that I wrote a column in last year. The topic was the same: Buffalo's season had just ended in the MAC semifinals. But last year there was an air of optimism - the title was "Bulls Will Bounce Back in MAC Next Season." It wasn't just my opinion; everyone seemed to have high expectations for this year.
Boy did they prove us right.
Alas, here we are: Buffalo fell to Ohio, the only MAC team that consistently outperformed the Bulls this year. The season of destiny was cut short, and it was cut short in devastating fashion. But this wasn't just any year.
I entered this season clear-headed and objective, but somewhere along the line my heart got in the way. If you've been watching this year, can you really blame me? Let's think back on a handful of the many unforgettable moments delivered this year by the 2011-12 Bulls: a team we'll never forget. A team with so much heart, consistent effort, and class that we all felt a part of something special - fans, students, and even reporters.
Nov. 22, 2011 - After Buffalo looked horrid at Princeton, the squad improved to 3-1 with an absolute knockout of Canisius, 94-59. It was a cross-town rivalry and it was one a lot of Western New York came out to see. Though the season was young, Buffalo learned early on that this team meant business.
Dec. 28, 2011 - The 6-3 Bulls took the potent Temple Owls to overtime - just to fall 87-85 on a last-second shot. Heart-wrenching.
Jan. 7, 2012 - Two games later, though, Buffalo got one of its craziest wins of the year: a 66-65 victory over defending MAC champ Kent State at Alumni Arena. After the Golden Flashes ended Buffalo season's last year, it was sweet payback to watch Michael Porrini and his band of minions walk out of Alumni dejected.
Jan. 18, 2012 - The conference-leading Akron Zips strolled into town unbeaten in the MAC, boasting all the swagger in the world. They left with heads held low after the Bulls (9-6, 2-2 MAC) dealt them an 82-70 drubbing. This win jump-started an eight-game win streak for Buffalo.
Feb. 29, 2012 - The 17-9 (10-4) Bulls traveled to Ohio this time to play on Akron's home court having lost three straight after that eight-game win streak. The Zips still led the conference and looked to clinch the No. 1 seed in the tournament with a win. It was Akron's senior night, but Buffalo spoiled the party, winning 74-70 thanks to some clutch free throw shooting by Tony Watson and staying alive for a top-two seed in the tournament, which would clinch a triple bye.
March 3, 2012 - Buffalo clinched that bye all the way to the MAC semifinals with an emotional 68-64 win over Bowling Green at Alumni Arena on senior night. MAC Player of the Year Mitchell Watt was carried off the court by fans after a dominant 20-point performance in his final home game. Buffalo trailed nearly the entire game, but Watt took over down the stretch.
March 9, 2012 - It all came down to this: the Bulls were two wins away from the school's first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament, but Ohio pulled out a 77-74 win behind red-hot three-point shooting in the first half that proved to be just enough to hold off the determined Bulls.
Unfortunately for the Bulls, they will never maximize their potential so long as they play in the MAC, or as it should be called, the "Only Ohio Teams Can Win Conference." There were a handful of calls in that final game that were just...absurd. Pick one: the intentional foul call on Zach Filzen in the final seconds, the clear slap on Filzen's wrist that everyone in Cleveland (except apparently the refs) heard when he attempted a game-tying 3-pointer, the Mitchell Watt technical foul call for hanging on the rim.
You should've seen the look of disappointment on Watt's face in the post-game press conference.
"I'll probably get in trouble for saying this, but a lot of refs that call that, they've never known what it's like to be above the rim, above other players, not knowing who's underneath you," Watt said. "When you're going that fast, jumping that high, your safety's at risk."
The Kent State fans sitting behind me were shouting: "You're giving away the game! You're making Buffalo lose!" Remember that Kent State and Buffalo have a bitter history. It took a lot for them to defend the Bulls.
Complaining about the refs - or the NIT and CBI committees that snubbed a team that easily deserved a spot - doesn't accomplish much. Was the end of the season fair? Probably not. But at this point, I think we should celebrate a team that accomplished amazing things regardless of the many that tried to bring them down.
Hell of a year, boys.
Email: aaron.mansfield@ubspectrum.com
