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Mens Basketball

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

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?

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.


New men's basketball head coach Nate Oats (center) poses with Athletic Director Danny White (left) and President Satish Tripathi (right) at Monday's introductory press conference. Oats, who replaced Bobby Hurley, named his three assistant coaches on Thursday.
SPORTS

Hungry for Oats: Nate Oats introduced as 13th men’s basketball head coach, popular choice with players

UB Athletics introduced Oats as Buffalo’s 13th men’s basketball head coach in Alumni Arena on Monday afternoon. Oats is replacing Hurley, who Oats worked under as an assistant the past two seasons. The hire came less than 48 hours after Hurley let the team know via conference call last Thursday that he would be accepting the head coaching position at Arizona State.


Shannon Evans drives to the basket in Buffalo's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance on March 20 against West Virginia in Columbus, Ohio. The Bulls gained national exposure this season behind its first NCAA tournament bid and MAC championship. 
SPORTS

UB men’s basketball tries to climb to the ‘big time’

Despite playing in a Mid-Major conference and having a small amount of success throughout its Division I history, UB Athletics has said it’s building “America’s next big-time college athletics brand” for the past two years under the New York Bulls Initiative or #NYBI. After the men’s basketball team’s historic season, maybe it’s finally on its way to doing it.


Freshman guard Lamonte Bearden goes up to shoot against an Akron defender. Bearden scored 10 points in Friday night's victory over Akron. The Bulls will face Central Michigan on Saturday night for the MAC title. 
SPORTS

Bulls defeat Akron in MAC semifinals, will play for championship

The No. 2 Bulls (22-9, 13-6 MAC) defeated No. 7 Akron 68-59 after closing the game out on a 19-10 run on Friday night at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Buffalo advances to the MAC Championships for the first time since 2009, where it lost to Akron 65-53. The Bulls will face No. 1 Central Michigan on Saturday night for the conference title.


(From left to right) Sophomore guard Shannon Evans, senior forward Xavier Ford, junior forward Justin Moss, junior guard Jarryn Skeete and junior forward Rodell Wigginton during a timeout in Buffalo's 77-68 victory over Miami Ohio on Jan. 17. They will lead the Bulls into the MAC Semifinals on Friday after securing a triple-bye.
SPORTS

UB men's basketball prepare for MAC Tournament with championship aspirations

Bulls claimed a MAC East division title, a share of the regular season MAC Championship and a triple-bye in this week’s conference tournament in Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The No. 2 seeded Bulls (21-9, 12-6 MAC) will play a yet to be determined opponent Friday in the MAC Semifinals – meaning they’ll will need just two victories to claim their first ever MAC Tournament championship, as well as the program’s first ever NCAA tournament bid.


Xavier Ford scores a basket over Kent State’s Kris Brewer. The Bulls won both games this past week and are currently riding a four-game winning streak leading into the final two games of the season.
SPORTS

Hardwood report card

The men’s basketball team (19-9, 10-6 Mid-American Conference) went 2-0 this week with victories over Akron (18-11, 9-7 MAC) and Kent State (19-10, 10-6 MAC). The Spectrum graded their performance.


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