(716) Food and Sport is inside of the recently built Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo. This is essentially the ultimate sports bar. It’s hard to miss the 38-foot main TV along with the 70 other TVs around the bar and restaurant.
ROCHESTER –– About a mile away from where it all began, Cierra Dillard’s childhood dream came true. Dillard became the first women’s basketball player from Buffalo to ever be drafted into the Women’s National Basketball Association, becoming the 20th pick and joining the Minnesota Lynx.
UB basketball’s next head coach Jim Whitesell prominently displayed his 2018 Mid-American Conference Championship ring at his introductory press conference Monday morning. It was a sign of his dedication to the program and the success he expects to continue.
Volleyball head coach Scott Smith wasn’t coaching from the sidelines. Smith was on the court serving and playing directly against players that he recruited and is now in charge of.
Six thousand tons of concrete, 9,000 tons of structural steel, three miles of cabling and wiring, and a year and a half of construction later, the Murchie Family Fieldhouse is finally open for use.
UB Athletics has named Jim Whitesell the 14th head coach in UB men’s basketball history, Athletic Director Mark Alnutt announced on Saturday. Whitesell has been the associate head coach since 2015.
Men’s assistant basketball coach Bryan Hodgson was recruiting for Alabama Sunday while listed on UB’s basketball website. And, as of Wednesday, he announced he’ll be joining Oats in Tuscaloosa.
The Bulls split their doubleheader with the Akron Zips on Tuesday. Buffalo fell 4-3 in game one and took over offensively in game two scoring a season-high 16 runs for a win.
Current UB men’s basketball assistant coach Bryan Hodgson has been recruiting for Alabama while being listed as staff on UB’s basketball website.
There’s new competition to be Cierra Dillard’s biggest fan. The star women’s basketball player’s mom, head coach Felisha Legette-Jack and rapper Trinidad Jame$ are now all competing. Jame$, notable for his 2012 hit “All Gold Everything,” tweeted his support for Dillard after her performance against UConn in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
Mike Ruechel is in his second season at UB and first as head coach. As an assistant last year, he helped increase the Bulls win total by seven and revolutionize their offense. Buffalo (5-22-1, 2-2-1 Mid-American Conference) struggled more through its non-conference schedule this season but played tougher competition
UB will continue developing plans for a new recreation center despite the departure of men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats. Oats has been the most outspoken member about a lack of practice space in athletics. Oats said he wanted his players to have 24/7 access to practice facilities at UB.
Men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats is leaving UB for the same position at the University of Alabama. Oats, who signed a five-year extension on March 14, resigned on Wednesday and owes UB $750,000 to take the position in Alabama. When Oats signed his new deal, he told his agent to tell other schools “no” unless the offer is “unreal.” Oats was set to make $837,000 this season and will replace Alabama coach Avery Johnson who made $2.9 million this season.
Buffalo men’s and women’s basketball seasons ended within an hour of each other. The men fell to the No. 3 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders 78-58 in Tulsa, OK and the women fell 84-72 to No. 2 seed UConn in Storrs, CT.
CLEVELAND -- Men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats and UB agreed to a new five-year deal just hours after the Bulls’ MAC tournament quarterfinal win against Akron. The new contract will run through 2024 and make Oats the highest-paid coach in the Mid-American Conference and the highest-paid employee at the university.
ORCHARD PARK, NY –– The Buffalo Bills AdPro Sports Training Center felt less like of a homecoming for UB football seniors and more like every player for themselves as they try to continue their football careers.
CLEVELAND, OH – Buffalo women’s basketball lost Saturday to Kent State to secure them as the four-seed in the Mid-American Conference tournament. The Bulls automatically advanced to the quarterfinals and were happily greeted by the Golden Flashes in the first round. Buffalo lost by nine points last Saturday. On Wednesday, they won by 33.
The women’s basketball team celebrated senior day on March 2, but the team’s final home game wasn’t until March 6. It was the last time for fans not traveling to Cleveland for the Mid-American Conference tournament to see senior guard Cierra Dillard. Dillard came to UB three years ago from UMass-Amherst. Dillard led the Minutewomen in points and steals before transferring and returning closer to home in Buffalo.
Men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats had a different starting lineup for the first time this season. Seniors Dontay Caruthers, CJ Massinburg, Jeremy Harris, Nick Perkins and Montell McRae started the final home game of their careers together. The Bulls defeated Bowling Green 84-73 in front of the largest crowd at Alumni Arena this season of 6,709.
As Buffalo athletics continues to prosper, more athletes are signing professional contracts abroad after graduation. Recently, men’s and women’s basketball has been the main producers of talent with multiple players going to Australia and Europe to continue their playing careers.
Solutions by The State News
