mens-basketball - The Spectrum

OPINION

Second half success: UB men's and women’s basketball have tools, talent for conference runs

By QUENTIN HAYNES | Jan. 28, 2016

The Buffalo men’s basketball team is sitting at 11-9 overall and 4-3 in Mid-American Conference play. The women’s team is 10-8 overall, 2-5 in MAC play and in the midst of a four-game losing streak. Clearly, both teams will need to make adjustments to make it to Cleveland, come March and have any amount of success there.

Junior wing Blake Hamilton dribbles the ball up the court during Buffalo's 76-64 victory over Ball State on Tuesday night in Alumni Arena. Hamilton contributed 14 points and nine rebounds.

SPORTS

UB Bulls defeat Ball State 76-64 behind stellar defensive effort

By Jordan Grossman | Jan. 26, 2016

The Bulls (11-9, 4-3 Mid-American Conference) and their up-tempo defense was the difference maker as they defeated the Ball State Cardinals (13-7, 4-3 MAC) 76-64 on Tuesday night in Alumni Arena. The Bulls have picked up three wins in their last four games and are now above .500 in conference play once again.

Junior wing Blake Hamilton puts up a shot against Pittsburgh at Bradford at Alumni Arena in November. Hamilton had a career-high 22 points in a victory on the road against Miami Ohio Tuesday night.

SPORTS

Behind Hamilton, UB Bulls pull away late in victory over Miami Ohio

By Jordan Grossman | Jan. 20, 2016

Behind a career game by Hamilton and an all-around excellent rebounding effort, the Bulls picked up their second consecutive conference victory with a 77-60 victory over Miami Ohio in Oxford, Ohio Tuesday night.

Senior guard Jarryn Skeete (right) drives to the basket against Central Michigan guard Chris Fowler (left) in Buffalo's 74-61 victory over the Chippewas in Alumni Arena Saturday. Skeete ran the point for Buffalo with sophomore guard Lamonte Bearden out of the lineup with a foot injury.

SPORTS

Skeete turns back clock, runs point in UB Bulls’ win over Central Michigan

By Tom Dinki | Jan. 16, 2016

The Bulls (9-8, 2-2 MAC) defeated Central Michigan (9-8, 2-2 MAC) Saturday afternoon at Alumni Arena with a vintage performance by Skeete, who filled in for injured sophomore guard Lamonte Bearden.

Senior forward/guard Rodell Wigginton defends during a win over Western Michigan in Alumni Arena last season. Eastern Michigan defeated the Bulls 81-69 on the road Tuesday night.

SPORTS

Turnovers, fouls plague UB Bulls in road loss to Eastern Michigan

By Jordan Grossman | Jan. 12, 2016

The Bulls (8-8, 1-2 MAC), despite grabbing 49 rebounds, turned the ball over 23 times and shot less than 40 percent in a 81-69 loss to Eastern Michigan (10-6, 2-1 MAC) Tuesday night in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Senior guard Jarryn Skeete takes a shot against Akron in a victory at Alumni Arena last season. Akron defeated the Bulls 75-71 in both team's first Mid-American Conference game of the season Tuesday night.

SPORTS

UB Bulls open MAC play with loss to Akron

By Tom Dinki | Jan. 5, 2016

Akron (12-2, 1-0 MAC) defeated Buffalo 75-71 in Alumni Arena Tuesday night in front of an announced crowd of 2,226. The win ends Buffalo’s eight-game conference winning streak from last season, which included a win over Akron in the MAC Tournament Semifinals.

Willie Conner goes to the basket against Pittsburgh at Bradford in Buffalo's season-opening game in November. Conner had 23 points for the Bulls in their 99-79 victory over Delaware at Alumni Arena Tuesday night.

SPORTS

UB men's and women’s basketball claim victories in final non-conference matchups

By Jordan Grossman | Dec. 30, 2015

Both the men's and women’s teams ended the non-conference schedule with convincing victories Tuesday night. The men’s squad (7-6) defeated Delaware (5-6) 99-79 in Alumni Arena while the women (8-3) defeated Sacred Heart (2-9) 66-53 in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Senior forward Rodell Wigginton goes to the basket against Daemen in Alumni Arena earlier this season. Wigginton had a team-high 17 points against VCU Tuesday night.

SPORTS

VCU defeats UB Bulls 90-69

By QUENTIN HAYNES | Dec. 23, 2015

VCU (6-5) defeated the Bulls (6-6) 90-69 at the Siegel Center in Richmond, Virginia Tuesday. The 21-point loss against the Rams was the third time in five games that the Bulls have lost by 20 points or more. The Bulls have one more game left before beginning Mid-American Conference play.

Head coach Nate Oats looks on during Buffalo's exhibition game last month. Iowa State fans have raised more than $12,000 for Oats and his family after his wife Crystal was diagnosed with double-hit lymphoma.

SPORTS

Iowa State fans raise more than $12,000 for Nate Oats’ wife’s battle with lymphoma

By Jordan Grossman | Dec. 8, 2015

Chris Williams, a publisher of Iowa State fan site CycloneFanatic.comcreated the GoFundMe page, which has already met its $10,000 goal to raise funds for the Oats family’s medical expenses.

Iowa State junior guard Monte Morris is one of the challenges the Cyclone's lineup will present to the Bulls on Monday. The Spectrum scouted the Iowa State players to watch.

SPORTS

The Spectrum's scouting report: Iowa State Cyclones

By Jordan Grossman | Dec. 6, 2015

Things aren’t going to get any easier for the men’s basketball team. On Saturday, the Bulls (4-4) lost to the reigning national champions, No. 7 Duke, 82-59 in Cameron Indoor Stadium and it won’t be the last time this week Buffalo faces elite talent. On Monday night, the Bulls continue their road trip with a stop at No. 5 Iowa State (6-0) at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

Indiana vs Duke. Duke won 94-74. Cameron Indoor Stadium. Durham, NC. December 2, 2015. (Jon Gardiner/Duke Photography)

SPORTS

UB Bulls prepare for reigning national champion Duke

By Jordan Grossman | Dec. 3, 2015

Buffalo will first travel to Durham, North Carolina to face the Blue Devils in Cameron Indoor Stadium, considered the mecca of college basketball.

Sophomore guard Lamonte Bearden goes for a layup in a 60-58 loss to St. Bonaventure in Alumni Arena Wednesday night. The loss drops the Bulls to 4-3 before it faces two of the top-10 teams in the country over the next two games.

SPORTS

St. Bonaventure snaps UB Bulls’ three-game winning streak

By QUENTIN HAYNES | Dec. 3, 2015

A dismal shooting performance from both the line and three-point range led to the loss for the Bulls, which snaps Buffalo’s three-game winning streak.

Senior forward/guard Rodell Wigginton slams a ball down in Buffalo's 109-49 victory over Pittsburgh at Bradford on Nov. 13. Wigginton and the Bulls defeated Vermont 77-71 Sunday.

SPORTS

UB Bulls defeat Vermont, claim Springfield Bracket Championship

By QUENTIN HAYNES | Nov. 23, 2015

Four months out from the Mid-American Conference Tournament, the Buffalo men’s basketball team added another tournament championship to its résumé. The Bulls (3-2) defeated Vermont (2-3) 77-71 in Uncasville, Connecticut Sunday to help claim the Springfield Bracket Championship of the Hall of Fame Tipoff Classic. After blowout losses to Old Dominion and St.

Senior guard Jarryn Skeete scores a basket in a victory against South Dakota State last season. Skeete and other returners from Buffalos' MAC Championship team led the way in an 86-68 win over North Carolina A&T Saturday.

SPORTS

Top returners from championship team lead UB men’s basketball to 86-68 win over North Carolina A&T

By Jordan Grossman | Nov. 22, 2015

After an offseason of departures, the men’s basketball team is counting on them to lead the way this season, and they did just that in leading the Bulls (2-2) to an 86-68 win over North Carolina A&T (0-4) in Uncasville, Connecticut Saturday. The game was the third of four games Buffalo will play in the Hall of Fame Tipoff Classic.

Sophomore guard Lamonte Bearden tries to go through a Pittsburgh at Bradford defender in Buffalo's 109-49 season-opening victory last Friday. Bearden came off the bench to score 13 points in a 89-67 loss to St. Joseph's Wednesday.

SPORTS

St. Joseph’s defeats UB Bulls 89-67

By QUENTIN HAYNES | Nov. 18, 2015

On Wednesday, the Bulls (1-2) fell to St. Joseph’s (3-0) 89-67 at Hagan Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Bulls are now 0-2 in the 2015 Hall of Fame Tipoff Classic, with two losses to St. Joseph’s and Old Dominion in which it allowed 166 points.

An image of former Bull Xavier Ford (No. 35) dunking replaced an image of Evans on the Alumni Arena lobby wall. The wall features other players who are also no longer at UB.

SPORTS

Shannon Evans taken off UB’s Alumni Arena wall

By Tom Dinki | Nov. 16, 2015

The photo of Evans, who transferred to Arizona State to join former men’s basketball head coach Bobby Hurley, was replaced with the image of former Bulls forward Xavier Ford sometime Monday or during this past weekend. Ford graduated from UB last semester.

Sophomore middle blocker Cassie Shado spikes a shot between two Bowling Green players. in a 3-1 win on Nov. 6.  Six of the Bulls' seven victories came in MAC play, as they head into the conference tournament.

SPORTS

UB Bulls quick hits: Men’s and women’s basketball start seasons, volleyball headed to MAC Tournament

By Sports Desk | Nov. 15, 2015

A weekend recap of UB Athletics, as the basketball teams started its season and the volleyball team is headed to the MAC Tournament.

Men's basketball head coach Nate Oats (center) coaches Buffalo from the sideline during an exhibition game against Daemen last week. Oats enters his first season as a Division-I head coach Friday after studying the game for as a coach for 18 years.

SPORTS

UB head coach Nate Oats is a student of the game

By QUENTIN HAYNES | Nov. 13, 2015

And now, after 18 years of being a student of the game, and just before he makes his debut as the head coach of the Buffalo men’s basketball team, Oats is ready to be the teacher.

Junior wing Willie Conner slams down the ball during Bulls Madness. Conner is one of many new players for the Bulls this season.

SPORTS

The new kids on the block: UB Bulls newest players

By Jordan Grossman | Nov. 12, 2015

Two true freshmen and a junior college transfer combined to score 55 points in the men’s basketball team’s first and only preseason game against Daemen College last week. And they are less than half of Buffalo’s new players this season. The Bulls’ roster is filled with new players after an offseason of turnover with the transfer of star point guard Shannon Evans, the expulsion of MAC Player of the Year Justin Moss and the graduation of impact seniors like Will Regan and Xavier Ford.

SPORTS

Buzzer Beater: Will Shannon Evans stay or go?

By Sports Desk | Apr. 23, 2015

The Spectrum sports editors shared their opinions on whether or not sophomore guard Shannon Evans, who was released from his UB scholarship and is speaking with other schools about transferring, will leave UB's basketball program.

Mens Basketball