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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016
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VOLUME 66 NO. 23
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UB basketball, underdogs in the MAC, begin quest for unconventional conference three-peat MICHAEL AKELSON SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
The formula for success in mid-major college basketball is simple: recruit well, keep as much year-to-year fluidity as possible and create a winning atmosphere with a good coach. Two years ago, Buffalo appeared primed to create a Mid-American Conference dynasty following this blueprint. Bobby Hurley – college basketball royalty – had just coached the team to their first MAC Championship in program history. UB seemed likely to out-recruit the rest of the conference for years to come behind Hurley’s reputation. Along with Hurley, Buffalo had freshman point guard Lamonte Bearden, who appeared ready to take the reins and run the show for his entire four-year career. They were also returning Shannon Evans and Justin Moss, two of the best players in the conference. But when Hurley left the program for Arizona State after the 2014-15 season, it all fell apart. Evans transferred. Moss was later expelled. Buffalo had seemingly missed their chance and was back to the drawing board. UB was picked to finish fourth in the MAC Eastern Division for the 2015-16 year in the preseason coaches’ poll. They seemed to be on their way back to becoming a decent program in the MAC, and not much more. Then, new head coach Nate Oats man-
aged to hit the reset button and stay competitive simultaneously. Oats had an outstanding haul of junior college transfers, freshmen and the return of Bearden. Buffalo managed to win the MAC for the second straight year with a team that was almost the complete opposite of the one that preceded it. UB was an early favorite coming into this season to do what no team has ever done: win the MAC Championship three years in a row. But just when Buffalo appeared done with drama, Bearden announced his decision to transfer in July. UB was pegged to finish third in the MAC East in the preseason poll this year and only received two of 36 votes to win the conference. With Bearden gone, there is not a single player on Buffalo’s roster who played on both championship teams. Even in the fastmoving sport of college basketball, the conference three-peat Buffalo is after this year feels wholly singular. Oats couldn’t think of another successful program that has endured what Buffalo has the past three years. “I don’t even have anybody in my head,” Oats said. “If you look at mid-majors, it’s usually not. You’ve got one or two really good players that you kind of ride through that deal and we haven’t had that.” Even though Buffalo (1-1) will return nine players and three starters from last year’s team, most of them will be asked to do a little something different without Bearden around.
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Nick Perkins FORWARD
CHANGE OF THE GUARD P.4
At the top of the list is senior forward Blake Hamilton. Oats said he will need Hamilton to be a “first team all-conference” type of player this year. Hamilton will be free of any training wheels this season and will be asked to play point guard offensively for stretches, even in the half court. Hamilton knows he will have to be more assertive and score more than he did last year. He thinks Buffalo will get every MAC team’s best shot since they’re the back-toback champs, but he does feel the Bulls are being underestimated. “We had to prove people wrong last year and if that’s what we’ve got to do this year, that’s what you’re gonna have yourself,” Hamilton said. Senior wing Willie Conner is one of the most vocal players on the team. He is hoping to mold the younger players to create a more physical, high-effort defense. “We got a lot of young guys who I’m trying to get into the idea that you gotta play defense in order for us to win,” Conner said. Oats called Conner the “glue guy.” Buffalo will need him to help hold it all together on both sides of the floor with his threepoint shooting and rugged defense. Conner can guard multiple positions – something that will allow him to play big minutes. Oats feels he has several great athletes who will be able to guard multiple positions and make the team more versatile defensively. CJ Massinburg, an under recruited sophomore guard from Texas, represents both the present and future of UB Basketball. He will be asked to do a lot more in Oats’ offense this season, whether he winds up as the shooting guard or main point guard by season’s end.
19.2 MPG, 7.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG
Perkins appears poised for a breakout sophomore season. It’s no secret that he can shoot the ball, but Oats is expecting him to become more dynamic of-
“In high school, guys doubted if I could play the point guard position and now’s the time I can show them that I could,” Massinburg said. After playing second fiddle to Bearden last year, Massinburg is the star of the show this year in the backcourt. Oats likes him better as the off guard, but he will play him at both guard spots once he returns from an illness. His development as a sophomore will go a long way in determining UB’s ultimate ceiling. “If he can be an elite level guard, it’s gonna give us a great chance,” Oats said. Oats believes sophomore forward Nick Perkins will be a major X-factor for the Bulls this year. He is expecting Perkins to take a major step from last year and the team will need him to give Buffalo the scoring presence inside that they lacked for much of last season. Perkins will play primarily at the four this year, but without Bearden, Oats is experimenting with the idea of playing Perkins at center some as well to get more shooters on the floor for stretches. “If we got CJ at the one, say you play CJ, Willie, Blake and Perk, like all four of those guys shoot it really well,” Oats said. “Or even Nikola [Rakicevic] in there and then you could put Perk at the five and then you got 1-5 that can all shoot it really well.” Freshman forward Quate McKinzie is a defensive specialist who should be able to fill many roles on the defensive side of the floor. With his 7-foot-1 wingspan and athleticism, McKinzie should be able to give opposing forwards of all sizes fits. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
PHOTO BY KAINAN GUO
Head coach Nate Oats stands with senior wing Willie Conner (left) and senior wing Blake Hamilton (right). The Bulls hope to win their third straight Mid-American Conference Championship this year.
Davonta Jordan
CJ Massinburg
Blake Hamilton
Willie Conner
POINT GUARD
GUARD
WING
WING
N/A
25.3 MPG, 11.3 PPG, 44.7 FG%
3.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.5 APG
28.9 MPG, 11.8 PPG, 34.3 3PT-FG%
A three-star recruit according to ESPN, Jordan is the most natural point guard on the roster. He still has some growing up to do offensively, but he is a premier athlete with big-
Massinburg was a pleasant surprise for Buffalo last year as a freshman. He can create his own shot and has a chance to lead the team in scoring this season. However, while he has
Hamilton is UB’s swiss-army knife. He does everything well, and will need to become even more of a scorer and playmaker this year than he was last, something he’s confident
The glue guy for Nate Oats, Conner will shoot the three ball and play physical defense, just as he did last year. With Buffalo bringing in several freshmen who have a chance to be
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Thursday, November 17, 2016
BASKETBALL ISSUE THE SPECTRUM
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Sophomore guard CJ Massinburg drives to the rim against Ohio. Massinburg will be asked to do more for Buffalo this year than last.
“It’s great to get to the NCAA Tournament but we’ve been there twice now, what would it be like to get to the second round? Or third round?” Oats said. “I think we’ve got some talented kids if we gel right and really buy into the right things, I think we’re capable of doing that.” If Buffalo can live up to Oats’ lofty ambitions, it will help continue to raise the reputation of the program. For the last few
years, turmoil has been around every corner for Buffalo. Yet, the machine keeps moving forward. With Oats at the helm, Buffalo is hoping they can still become what they seemed destined for two years ago – a mid-major powerhouse built to last. “You know what, we talk about it, Gonzaga, Wichita State, some of these different teams that really would be in what you call
a mid-major conference, but nobody thinks of them as mid-majors,” Oats said. “We’ve got a ways to go to get to that level, but yeah that’s where we’d eventually in the future try to get to.” A third straight NCAA Tournament appearance would go a long way. email: michael.akelson@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @mikeakelson
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“He’s long and athletic and can really guard,” Oats said. “He runs the floor well, we want to turn him into more of a three, he was the biggest kid on his team in high school he was more of a four, maybe even a five in high school... and he’s just not as comfortable on the perimeter yet as we’d like but we gotta find him some minutes on the floor.” Assistant coach Bryan Hodgson joked that sophomore transfer guard Dontay Caruthers and freshman point guard Davonta Jordan, “could be twins.” Both are highenergy, athletic guards who aren’t afraid to do the dirty work. They are expected to help make UB a better defensive team this season. Jordan in particular will be asked to do a lot for Buffalo this season. He is the most natural point guard on the roster and as the season goes on, Oats hopes he can take the reins at point and push some of his teammates into similar roles to what they played last season. “[Jordan] doesn’t have the seasoned experience that [Bearden] had,” Oats said. “But I think he’s a little stronger, might be more athletic.” Oats admits that as of right now, his starting lineup is “in flux,” and likely will remain that way for a while. He is still toying with which combinations of guys to play together, but is excited to have more versatility than last season. While many are wondering whether Buffalo will emerge from the competitive MAC at all, Oats is hoping that if they do, they can win a few games.
HARVARD POLITICAL SCIENTIST
THEDA SKOCPOL KEY N OTE AD D R ESS
Understanding Election 2016 THURSDAY
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OPINION
Thursday, November 17, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
Editorial Board
The NBA should change its one-and-done rule Talented high school basketball players should have a choice between college or NBA
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Gabriela Julia
MANAGING EDITOR
Tori Roseman COPY EDITORS
Saqib Hossain Emma Medina Margaret Wilhelm Grace Trimper NEWS EDITORS
Hannah Stein, Senior Ashley Inkumsah, Senior Sarah Crowley, Asst. FEATURES EDITORS
Kenneth Kashif Thomas, Senior Evan Grisley ARTS EDITORS
Max Kaltnitz, Senior David Tunis-Garcia, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS
Michael Akelson, Senior PHOTO EDITORS
Kainan Guo, Senior Angela Barca Troy Wachala, Asst. CREATIVE DIRECTORS
Pierce Strudler Anthony Khoury, Asst.
Professional Staff OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Helene Polley
ADVERTISING MANAGERS
Lee Stoeckel ADVERTISING DESIGNER
Derek Hosken
Ben Simmons, the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, never wanted to be a college student. A 6-foot-10, freakishly athletic high school prodigy, Simmons would have been one of the first players off the board had he been able to enter the draft out of high school. However, due to the 10-year old NBA rule commonly dubbed “oneand-done,” he had to wait one year after high school before entering the NBA Draft. Simmons wore the name Louisiana State University on the front of his jersey for one year, but admittedly never really became a part of the University. He was ineligible for The Wooden Award, given annually to college basketball’s best player, because his GPA was below a 2.0. He also admitted to USA Today that he did not attend some classes and was briefly benched for it by LSU. “I have to be getting better every day, I’m not worried about my oceanography class,” Simmons said in a Showtime documentary about his journey to the NBA. When it comes to one-and-done, Simmons is the rule, not the exception.
Head coach Nate Oats is primed to have UB basketball trending upward come March
Thursday, November 17, 2016 Volume 66 Number 23 Circulation 4,000
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high school, where they can sign a contract, or attend college. If they don’t sign, they must remain in college for three more years before becoming draft eligible again. It is a tough decision for any talented player to potentially put millions of dollars and NBA stardom on the line by attending college and risking injury or underperformance. Likewise, it is also a risky decision to enter the NBA as a teenager, as many talented players that had a chance at great careers flamed out without the seasoning of college basketball. In some cases, these players are left without a job or college education by the time they hit early to mid-20s. Basketball players who aren’t interested in college should be allowed to avoid it altogether, even if some may regret the decision later. College is not a requirement for non-athletes, nor should it be those who can dive right into their industry after graduating high school. Granted, playing professionally in another country for a year is also a route we’ve seen some players go to avoid college and get paid right away. But forcing the choice on a 17 or 18 year old kid
that they must either go to college or move to another country for a year in order to pursue their chosen career path doesn’t seem fair. Athletes who are good enough to be drafted to the NBA out of high school should have the choice to take that route. However, we at The Spectrum believe that if a player chooses to attend college, they should not be able to enter the NBA Draft after just one year; similar to the rule the MLB has in place. The one-and-done rule is bad for college basketball and if a player chooses to attend college, they should be mandated to stick around for at least two years so they have the opportunity to earn an Associate’s Degree. The “one-and-done rule” is unfair to other athletes who may have had the chance to earn a fouryear degree had they been given a scholarship. It is unfair to professors who have to deal with uninterested students in their classes. Most of all, it is unfair to kids who are wasting a year of their lives being forced against their will to be somewhere they don’t want to be. email: eic@ubspectrum.com
UB men’s basketball a legitimate threat for third straight MAC Championship
THE SPECTRUM
The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Feedback, Opinion and Perspectives sections of The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit contributions for these pages to The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union or news@ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publication, please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address.
The NBA’s one-and-done rule states that players must be at least 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft. Also, any player who is not defined by the College Basketball Association (CBA) to be an international player, must be one year removed from high school to be eligible for the draft. Since the rule was instituted in 2006, top high school prospects have flooded into the nation’s top basketball programs for one year, essentially being forced to attend college, whether or not they want to be there or finish their degree. Basketball is unique compared to many other popular American sports in the sense that the best athletes are generally ready to play at the professional level in the NBA sooner than other sports. Two of the best players in recent NBA history, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, went straight from high school to the NBA, as have many great NBA players over the years. In the NFL, a player must be at least three years removed from high school in order to be draft eligible due to the violent nature of the game. In the MLB, an athlete can be drafted straight out of
MICHAEL AKELSON
SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
Few college basketball coaches in the entire country could stand up to what Nate Oats did for Buffalo last season. After years as a high school basketball coach and college assistant, Oats finally got his chance to be the head man last year and against all expectation, he delivered. There were a lot of reasons to
be down on UB Basketball going into last season – Oats was unproven as a head coach and was only given the job after beloved former coach Bobby Hurley left the program. Before the season even started, Buffalo lost its two best players, Justin Moss and Shannon Evans, to expulsion and transfer, respectively. And, just days before the season started, Oats’ wife Crystal was diagnosed with Lymphoma. But with a host of newcomers, Buffalo managed to hit it’s stride at the end of the season and carried that wave all the way to a MAC Championship. This year, Buffalo has been pegged to finish third in the MAC East in the preseason poll. This is partly due to the loss of point guard Lamonte Bearden, who transferred over the summer, among other factors.
However, those writing off UB’s chance of a three-peat this year should do so at their own risk. There are question marks for Buffalo, but the team is well-coached and full of players who will run through walls to keep the whole moving forward. Buffalo won last year because they played with a selflessness that brought out the best in everybody on the floor, not the stat sheet. That should hold true even more this season. There a lot of moving parts on this UB team and it will take some major molding from the coaching staff to pull it all together. For the second consecutive year, Oats will have little room for error and will have to push all the right buttons if Buffalo is going to emerge from the very competitive MAC. Buffalo returns nine players from last year’s championship team, but without Bearden, everyone will have to step up and diversify their game to some extent. Just like last year, a few newcomers will also need an immediate impact for Buffalo to win it all again.
As of right now, Oats still has a lot to figure out and he will experiment in the non-conference schedule to see what works best. Come March, Buffalo may not have the best record in the conference. They may not have one of the single best players in the conference statistically. They may not look like the most imposing team on paper. But, just as they have the past two years, they will be hitting their stride at the end of the season. And I presume that every other team in the MAC will be hoping to avoid the twotime defending conference champs when the games matter most. It will take time before Oats can sort it all out as he combines new pieces with guys returning to different roles. But as UB knows as well as anyone, college basketball is about how you finish, not how you start. Look for Buffalo to finish strong for the third straight year. email: michael.akelson@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @mikeakelson
Women’s basketball looks to be a dominant force Bulls will be the best team in the MAC with a returning core group and excellent coaching
THOMAS ZAFONTE STAFF WRITER
Last season, UB women’s basketball surprised almost everyone with their MAC championship victory. Many had cast them off and didn’t even expect them to be in the tournament. This season, the Bulls’ success won’t be a surprise; it will be the norm. Under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, the Bulls are poised to have the best season in program history, because the team has been installed with an A-level work eth-
ic and immense passion. LegetteJack has gone to far lengths to try and make every player on her team a relentless workhorse. The Bulls style of play, specifically on the defensive end, requires just that. Legette-Jack’s team plays at an extremely fast pace, something less prepared opponents will have trouble matching. Defensively, the team legitimately has the opportunity to hold almost every team in the MAC to 40 points, which is where LegetteJack has set her goal for her team. In the opening game against UMass, they never let up and held them to just 45 points and 17 shots made. Legette-Jack’s emphasis on defense comes from her trust in her players. She knows they will be able to win games even when the offense is off. That is why it’s hard to picture the Bulls losing more than 10 games this year. The team is tough, physical and focused. One practice will show you how coach Legette-Jack is trying to
make Basketball assassins. She wants all her players to be elite in their roles and she often physically demonstrates how she wants it done. But is a player isn’t up to standard, Legette-Jack will let them know as blunt as possible. Legette-Jack is especially passionate if she sees mistakes. She doesn’t chew them out, she “clearly” lets them know exactly what she sees wrong. It’s clear her coaching has put the Bulls’ talent at an all-time high. Senior point guard Joanna Smith is looking to have another phenomenal season. She is deadly with her shooting and in practice, it seems like every three she throws up goes in. Every time I watch a women’s basketball practice, I feel like I could run a marathon. Legette-Jack’s passion and energy is infectious throughout the gym. All her players match her passion, especially sophomore point guard Stephanie Reid. Reid is the connection between
Legette-Jack and the rest of the team. Jack calls her the general. She is the play caller who keeps the rest of team in line. Jack’s trust in Reid is well-placed; Reid has a calmness to her on the court. That calmness can be found in multiple players on the Bulls and that is a scary threat. If the Bulls never lose composure, they will be consistent, even on the road. Legette-Jack applauds players who do not get upset with themselves and instead look to brush off mistakes. It all plays into her message of staying humble. It helps keep the players hungry and their egos at bay. Jack has created a sense of players representing something bigger than themselves. Nothing helps feed an ego more than winning and it looks like the Bulls will be doing a lot of winning this season. I have the feeling that as long as Jack is in charge, those problems won’t surface. email: tzafonte@buffalo.edu
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Thursday, November 17, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
GRAPHIC BY KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM PHOTO BY ANGELA BARCA, THE SPECTRUM
Freshman point guard Davonta Jordan dribbles the ball. Jordan will play big minutes at point guard for the Bulls this season.
UB basketball hopes Davonta Jordan can help fill former point guard Lamonte Bearden’s shoes MICHAEL AKELSON SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
When Lamonte Bearden texted UB men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats during the summer that he wanted to meet about next year, Oats said he figured “he wanted to talk about our team.” When Bearden walked into the meeting with Oats and new assistant coach Lindsey
Hunter, he told them he wanted to transfer from the program. It wasn’t the first time Bearden flirted with the idea of transferring. He nearly transferred after his freshman season when former coach Bobby Hurley left the program, according to Oats. “Some people just aren’t happy anywhere they’re at to be honest with you,” Oats said. “At some point you’ve got to not beg somebody to stay here if they think the grass is
greener elsewhere, I think he’s figured out maybe it isn’t.” Bearden wanted to go pro and he told Oats he “had to make a decision for himself this time.” At the time, Oats had just brought in Hunter, a 17-year NBA veteran, to help work with the players, specifically the guards. Oats said he harbors no ill will toward Bearden and still thinks he’s a good kid, but had an issue with the fact that Bearden didn’t announce his decision to transfer until July. At the end of the 2015-16 season, Oats said Bearden told him he was going to stay. Most transfers typically announce their decision by April. Bearden was UB’s leading scorer last season, averaging 13.7 points per game. His late decision left the team with a major hole at the point guard spot and little time to fill it. Meanwhile, down in Florida, Davonta Jordan, a talented young point guard who had just graduated high school, found himself looking for a school late in the summer. Jordan was initially deemed ineligible for the 2016-17 season because he scored poorly on his first SAT, according to UB assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Bryan Hodgson. However, after Jordan transferred to the highly regarded Montverde Academy for his senior year, he was able to raise
his grade. It was the same high school that produced top NBA draft picks Joel Embiid, D’Angelo Russell and Ben Simmons. “He got the score so late, a lot of people didn’t know that he was qualified,” Hodgson said. “If he was qualified early he would have had a million different options.” Buffalo didn’t even have Jordan on their radar until Bearden left the program. In July, a friend of Hodgson’s told him to check Jordan out. “It happened really quick, it was kind of like a three-week deal,” Hodgson said. Jordan was the 30th ranked point guard recruit in the country and ninth best recruit at any position in the state of Florida in his class, according to ESPN Recruiting. In 2014, ESPN ranked Bearden the 28th best point guard in his class, making him the highest graded recruit to ever choose UB at the time. Had Bearden de-committed in the spring rather than the summer, it’s unlikely Buffalo still would have had an open scholarship, or a need at the point guard position, by the time Jordan became eligible. “If Lamonte hadn’t left, we wouldn’t have Davonta and honestly, it may have worked out better anyway because Davonta’s really good,” Oats said. “I think he’s got a chance to be a really good player here.” A huge part of Jordan’s decision to come to Buffalo was to have the opportunity to run Oats’ fast-paced offense, he said. Buffalo played at the 32nd fastest adjusted tempo in Division-I last season, according to kenpom. com and Oats has made it clear he doesn’t plan on changing his offensive philosophy.
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Thursday, November 17, 2016
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PHOTO BY ANGELA BARCA, THE SPECTRUM
Freshman point guard Davonta Jordan dunks at Bulls Madness. Jordan’s athleticism made him one of the top recruits in the state of Florida. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
Jordan doesn’t seem too worried about keeping up. “I’ve played at a fast pace my whole life,” Jordan said. “This was the perfect fit to bring me out and let me go.” Jordan shares certain traits with Bearden. Both are athletic, quick and have great ability to finish at the rim. But the coaching staff and Jordan feel there is one significant difference between the two. “I play defense,” Jordan said jokingly. “We can both go to the rack, both finish, both make others around us better, so just the defensive part that’s better.”
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The coaching staff feels Jordan is more physical on both sides of the floor and plays harder. He is expected to be an upgrade from Bearden defensively. Offensively, however, he may endure some growing pains. As with any freshman point guard, specifically one playing in such a fastpaced offense, turnovers may be an issue as he adjusts to the college level early. But the coaching staff is confident Jordan will progress quickly. “The biggest thing is not just the skill, but...the work ethic,” Hodgson said. “That’s something that he brings every day and that’s the one constant. There’s days where he turns the ball over, days where he doesn’t shoot it well, but he constantly brings the effort and the right attitude.” Jordan hopes that his more physical, hard-nosed style of play can lead Buffalo to new heights that they didn’t achieve under Bearden, who led the team to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. “Everyone says, ‘Monte did this, Monte did that,’ but I’m a different type of player, so hopefully what I bring to the table will get us farther than where Monte got us,” Jordan said. Jordan won’t be alone in running the offense this year.
Senior forward Blake Hamilton is expected to run the point for stretches offensively this year. Sophomore guard CJ Massinburg is also expected to get minutes at point guard once he returns from his absence with mononucleosis. Sophomore transfer guard Dontay Caruthers is another player who should get some minutes at point guard, although the coaching staff seems to regard him as more of an off guard. Jordan won’t be expected to carry the load by himself but Oats is hoping he can play key minutes for the team at the one as the season goes on. Oats suggested that he may manage Jordan’s minutes similarly to how he managed Massinburg’s last year, keeping him on the floor in crunch time, even though he often came off the bench. “Even if he ends up not starting, I think we need him to play heavy minutes for us and be in the rotation,” Oats said. “The starting lineup will be in flux for a while here… last year, sometimes the starters, often times the starters didn’t finish the game and I think it’s more important who finishes the game.” Jordan is the only true point guard on the roster and if things work out as Oats hopes, Jordan will be in full command the Bulls’ fast-paced offense by season’s end, just as Bearden once was. email: michael.akelson@ubspectrum.com twitter: @mikeakelson
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Thursday, November 17, 2016
MEN’S BASKETBALL #33 #3 #5 #0 #2 THE SPECTRUM
Nick Perkins
Davonta Jordan
CJ Massinburg
Blake Hamilton
Willie Conner
FORWARD
POINT GUARD
GUARD
WING
WING
19.2 MPG, 7.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG
N/A
25.3 MPG, 11.3 PPG, 44.7 FG%
3.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.5 APG
28.9 MPG, 11.8 PPG, 34.3 3PT-FG%
Perkins appears poised for a breakout sophomore season. It’s no secret that he can shoot the ball, but Oats is expecting him to become more dynamic offensively in the paint. Buffalo needs Perkins to deliver insideoutside scoring this year.
A three-star recruit according to ESPN, Jordan is the most natural point guard on the roster. He still has some growing up to do offensively, but he is a premier athlete with bigtime finishing ability. Jordan is a hard-nosed kid who never takes a play off and should give opposing guards fit defensively.
Massinburg was a pleasant surprise for Buffalo last year as a freshman. He can create his own shot and has a chance to lead the team in scoring this season. While he has proven that he can score at will, Oats will also be asking Massinburg to be more of a playmaker this year in the absence of Lamonte Bearden.
Hamilton is UB’s swiss-army knife. He does everything well and will need to become even more of a scorer and playmaker this year than he was last, something he’s confident he can do.
The glue guy for Nate Oats, Conner will shoot the three ball and play physical defense, just as he did last year. With Buffalo bringing in several freshmen who have a chance to be great defenders, Conner will be a vocal leader on defense in his senior season.
“I think it helps if you got a guy who can score it in there a little bit and put yourself at the freethrow line and put some other guys in foul trouble,” Oats said. “So I think Nick’s gonna be a little bit of an X-factor in there too.” Perkins will play most of his minutes at the four, but Oats has talked about playing him at center some as well to get better shooting lineups on the floor.
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“Davonta’s gonna lead by his actions, especially on the defensive side. You can put him on the other team’s best guard,” said assistant coach Bryan Hodgson. When Massinburg returns, Jordan may ultimately wind up coming off the bench, where he could bring high energy and push the tempo as soon as he steps on the floor.
“He knows the offense well, he’s a good basketball player, he’s smart, but he’s never been a point guard before in his life,” Oats said. “He’s a natural scoring guard, but he’s shown that he can play it [point guard] in practice, and we will play him there a decent amount.” It will be a new challenge for the sophomore, who got off to an inauspicious start to the season after coming down with mononucleosis the day before the first game of the season. But Massinburg says that this year he “feels” like a point guard and is ready to play that role when called upon.
James Jones - Guard | N/A Jones is a three-point specialist, and figures to have a role off the bench for Buffalo. Oats says Jones struggled a bit in the fall to pick up the offense, but now is coming along. Buffalo is hoping to be a better shooting team this year and Jones figures to help on that front.
“My role is gonna be a little bit bigger,” Hamilton said. “I’m gonna have to obviously score more, which I feel like I’m capable of, and I had some performances last year that showed that. Also, I’m gonna have to distribute the ball a little bit more.” Hamilton will be asked to do a lot for UB this year. If he can handle the bigger role well, UB should be in good shape this season.
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“We got a lot who I’m trying idea that you fense in order Conner said.
of young guys to get into the gotta play defor us to win,”
Conner also says he has worked on becoming more comfortable with the ball throughout the offseason, and hopes to improve on his shooting and playmaking abilities off the dribble.
Quate McKinzie - Forward | N/A A long, athletic forward from North Carolina, McKinzie should get big minutes for Buffalo off the bench at the three and four. He can defend multiple positions. McKinzie was a highly touted recruit and should be a big part of the Bulls present and future plans. “His athleticism and work ethic are definitely gonna put him in the mix for minutes early,” Hodgson said.
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David Kadiri - Forward | 3.7 PPG, 2.1 RPG Kadiri may get some starts for Buffalo this year, but either way, he figures to get minutes. Along with Johnson and Smart, he will split minutes as the man in the middle. The senior junior college transfer should make an impact for UB all season long.
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Raheem Johnson - Forward | N/A Johnson is a fifth-year senior who received a medical redshirt last season. Oats hopes Johnson can play big minutes as a big body for UB inside who runs the floor well and plays good defense. “He needs to play well for us this year,” Oats said. “He’s a big body, plays hard, he’s got the one year experience from the first year we went to the tournament.”
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Graham Dolan - Guard | N/A Dolan, a Williamsville native, may redshirt this season. Even if he does, he feels he can still have an impact from the bench.
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“On the bench, talking and keeping up on the defensive calls, being vocal, I think that really plays a role in team defense and team success,” Dolan said.
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Dontay Caruthers - Guard | N/A Look for Caruthers, a junior college transfer, to bring a huge spark off the bench. He is a high-energy kid who the coaches feel can guard the other team’s best guard. In high school, he was one of the top scorers in New York state, but he understands his role is different now in college.
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Pino played for Oats at Romulus high school, so the former Arizona State transfer is comfortable in the offense. With Bearden gone, he has a chance to crack the guard rotation.
Smart is another guy that will get minutes for Oats down low. He started a lot last season and may find himself in that role again at some point. He expects his role to be similar to what it was last season for Buffalo. “My role on the team is playing hard on defense, crashing hard on the o-ball, and altering shots,” Smart said.
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Brock Bertram - Center | N/A A highly skilled but raw freshman, Bertram may wind up being redshirted. He is a good passer and has a good feel for the game, but may need another year to adjust to the pace of the college game. “If he redshirts it’s just to adjust to the pace we play, he’s definitely skilled enough to play for us,” Hodgson said.
“My roles have changed since being on the team where I had to score at least 30 points for us to win, here I don’t have to score that much at all, I just gotta come up big with defensive stops,” Caruthers said.
Christian Pino - Guard | 1.3 MPG, .4 PPG
Ikenna Smart - Forward | 30 starts, 15.6 MPG
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Nikola Rakicevic - Wing | 8.4 MPG, 40 3PT-FG% Rakicevic is a shooting specialist who figures to get some minutes for Buffalo this year, specifically when they play smaller, more shooting friendly lineups. “My job is to be aggressive every night, on both sides, offense and defense, and try to bring the energy,” Rakicevic said.
BASKETBALL ISSUE
7
Thursday, November 17, 2016
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL #32 #31 #5 #1 #4 THE SPECTRUM
Brittany Morrison
Cassie Oursler
Katherine Ups
Stephanie Reid
Joanna Smith
FORWARD
CENTER
GUARD
POINT GUARD
SHOOTING GUARD
10 STARTS, 4.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG
21.1 MPG, 8.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG
5.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 34.8 FG%
33.3 MPG, 10.3 PPG, 5.1 APG.
4.4 MPG, 18.3 PPG, 2.9 3PT/G
Morrison was a late season insertion into the starting lineup last season. She started the final 10 games for the Bulls last year, including the MAC tournament. She has proven that she has the ability to make an impact down low. Morrison finished fourth on the Bulls in rebounding despite not starting till the end of the season. But that’s not satisfying enough to her.
Now in her first full season in Buffalo, Oursler looks to own the paint. She showed in the latter half of her first season here that she can be a force in the middle. Her height is a huge asset for the team and she showed it with her contributions on the boards last year.
A true work horse, Ups effort is a big part of the team. She started all but two games for the Bulls last year and contributed to the team in many aspects. Her defensive ability was a major key in last year’s success and will need to continue to be this season.
One of the top point guards in the MAC, Reid has been the floor general in Buffalo for a year and a half. Reid started all 34 games for the Bulls last year. Coming off her game winning shot in the MAC championship, she will look to keep leading the team in their winning ways this season.
Smith is an elite scorer. Period. Last season she took a huge step forward and finished as the NCAA’s most improved scorer. She may be the single biggest threat in the MAC with the ball in her hands. As the only senior on the team, she will need to not only contribute with her play, but also as a leader.
“Our guards are so confident that they are going to be there for them or die trying,” Jack said.
“You know Katherine is going to be amazing because she will shoot the ball, defend the ball, and dive after it,” Jack said.
Jack will have to count on her to not only get boards but to be the defensive anchor. She described Oursler as a “beast on the block.” With 13 points in the season opener, her scoring could be a surprise addition to the Buffalo’s offense this year.
She may not be the most recognized name on the team but Ups has the potential to become a true stat sheet stuffer this season. In the first game, she led the team in scoring. She also finished with eight boards, three steals and three assists.
“She can be where she needs to be, get the other four where they need to be, all while she is being covered by two people who are six inches taller than her. That is a general,” said head coach Felisha Legette-Jack.
“This year I want to be a more vocal leader on and off the court,” Smith said. “I hope to lead in more ways I haven’t and improve my assist and rebounding.”
“This season my goal is to be the leading rebounder in the conference,” Morrison said. At 5’9” she is undersized for a power forward. Morrison’s tenacity more than makes up for it. She’s not afraid to do “the dirty work.” Her offense is still developing but in only her sophomore year, she could take great strides this season.
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Summer Hemphill - Forward | N/A A newcomer to the team, Hemphill could become a huge contributor to the Bulls this year. In her senior year of high school, she averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds a game and was an All-WNY forward selection.
The 2016-17 All-MAC preseason point guard selection will be an integral part of the Bulls’ success this season. Her ability to get the team on the same page will be a determining factor in how far this Bulls team can go.
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#2 #3
Moten was forced to miss her senior season of high school with an in injury. The three-star recruit will be looking to bounce back in her first year with the Bulls. Her defense could come be a big part of Buffalo’s bench play
Courtney Wilkins - Forward | 3.1 PPG, 1.5 RPG Wilkins is a stretch forward. She shot 37.5% from deep last year and wants to further that success this season. “I worked on watching more basketball and studying the game better,” Wilkins said. “This season I look to become a more efficient shooter.”
Hemphill will likely see some valuable minutes this season. She was on the floor for 18 minutes in the opener and finished with eight points and nine boards. Her athleticism along with her height can definitely cause issues for opposing forwards. Coming off the bench, she could be a surge for Buffalo.
Lawrencia Moten - Forward | N/A
Smith may need to use her passing more because teams will certainly be more focused on her this season. But Jack noted the Bulls are going to win and lose on the back of Smith’s shooting. Smith was selected to the 2016-17 All-MAC preseason squad at the shooting guard spot. She won’t be catching the MAC off guard, but she still has all the ability to finish as the top scorer in the conference.
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Mariah Suchan - Forward | 3.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG Suchan will play some valuable reserve minutes at the four and five this season. She has shown some great rebounding ability. Her shooting will help the Bulls stretch the floor and pull opponents bigs out of the post.
“[Moten] is a shot blocker and she can alter shots,” Jack said. She didn’t play any minutes in the bulls exhibition or opener so it may be a few weeks before she see’s action for the Bulls.
“Mariah is a seasoned player who brings that three point shot.” Jack said.
Liisa Ups - Guard | 12.3 MPG, 2.0 PPG
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Ayoleka Sodade - Guard | 1.4 PPG, 1.1 RPG
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Cierra Dillard - Guard | (UMASS): 15.5 PPG, 2.0 SPG
Liisa Ups will most likely be running the point when Reid comes off the floor. She was one of three Bulls to play over 10 minutes off the bench. Her defensive ability will be a big part of the second unit.
Sodade is another athletic member of the Bulls’ reserve squad. She will be called on to play solid defense whenever she’s on the floor. Last year she showed a willingness to help the team anyway she can and contributed in different areas.
Ups is a reliable option for the rotation who might not score a lot, but won’t get scored on.
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Gabi Bade - Guard | 3.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG A three point specialist, the Bulls will look to Bade to keep the long ball going when Smith steps off the court. She played for 14 minutes off the bench in the opener. She hopes to bring more to the team then just her shooting ability. “I think my energy, my shooting, my ball handling can all contribute to the team this year and can help the team win,” Bade said.
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Theresa Onwuka - Guard | N/A Onwuka is an extremely athletic addition to Buffalo. A track & field athlete as well, she can be valuable on the fast break. In her first regular season game she had two steals in just five minutes on the floor. Her length and athleticism could be a nightmare for opponents.
The Bulls addition of Dillard won’t have any impact this season because she will have to sit out do to NCAA transfer rules. But, she will be a valuable addition for the next season. Last year, she led UMass in scoring and steals. Buffalo will have another great scorer who can replace a graduating Smith come this time next year.
8
Thursday, November 17, 2016
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THE SPECTRUM
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10 The unlikely duo
Thursday, November 17, 2016
BASKETBALL ISSUE
Stephanie Reid and Joanna Smith set out to take the MAC and the country by storm
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
JoAnna Smith (left) and Stephanie Reid (right) pose for a picture. Reid and Smith will be key to Buffalo’s hopes of a MAC Championship repeat.
DANIEL PETRUCCELLI AND THOMAS ZAFONTE STAFF WRITERS UB women’s basketball managed to pull off several upsets on their way to a Mid-American Conference Championship and NCAA tournament berth last year. They were behind arguably the best backcourt in the MAC. That backcourt, consisting of junior point guard Stephanie Reid and senior shooting guard Joanna Smith, will once again determine how far UB (2-0) can go this season. Reid and Smith have another year of experience together under their belt and hope to both lead the team back to the NCAA Tournament and win a game when they get there. After Smith became the full-time starting shooting guard last season, the two had to learn how to work together, despite being polar opposites. Reid is from Australia; Smith is from Missouri. Reid excels most when finding her teammates, Smith is a lethal scorer. Reid is bubbly and a vocal leader, Smith is intense and leads by example. If Buffalo is going to continue its progress from last season, head coach Felisha
Legette-Jack has made it clear that her two best players must stick together and continue to build chemistry. “Stephanie is my general, she has the keys to the Mercedes,” Legette-Jack said. “But she better have Joanna in that passenger seat.” Reid and Smith’s success is no mere accident. They have worked diligently throughout their time together at UB to find great chemistry. While Reid stepped right into the point guard role upon her arrival in Buffalo from Australia mid-way through the 201415 season, Smith spent her first season in Buffalo coming off the bench. She worked her way into the starting lineup as a sophomore before finally breaking out last year. Smith was a hot commodity out of high school for her ability to create her own shot, but a break in her right femur that required a steel rod deterred certain schools from recruiting her. Smith took it as a challenge and decided to forgo a big name school -- instead, she chose Buffalo to blaze her own trail. “I was recruited by schools in the ACC and SEC, yet the name of the school matters to me,” Smith said. “I wanted to go to a school that didn’t have much history, to say I brought the first championships. I wanted
to give that to Buffalo.” Last year, no player in the country improved their scoring average more than Smith, who went from 5.6 points per game to 18.3 points per game. “Joanna was just waiting her turn. When everybody left, all her teammates left, I brought her in last summer and said ‘You got to be the one,’” Legette-Jack said. “We are going to win or lose with Joanna shooting the ball. She embraced that last season and became a dynamic leader and unbelievable scorer.” Reid and Smith knew they needed to come together last season, despite their obvious differences, once they were both named the starters. They had their share of growing pains early on, according to Legette-Jack, but the two have one major characteristic in common: intensity. This has brought them together on and off the court. “They have a poise about themselves, you never see them get all ugly-faced, they never get too high when we are beating people,” Legette-Jack said. “Are they winning or losing? You can’t tell with those two, they have the same poise the whole game. I don’t think they cool down until well into the night.” Reid and Smith aren’t just in sync on the TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack talks to her team after a practice. Jack hopes to create a family atmosphere around her players where everyone is involved.
Women’s basketball team hopes to ride close-knit family atmosphere to second straight MAC title THOMAS ZAFONTE STAFF WRITER
“Win the day.” That is the motto UB women’s basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack preaches to her players. Jack coaches with an intensity that can bring out the best and worst in her players but her players must come together as a unit to “win the day,” whether it be in practice or a game. For Jack, every game is an ensemble affair. She uses more players in her rotation than most teams and everyone must play their part. She demands chemistry from her players and hopes to build a family atmosphere. This year, Buffalo hopes to ride its depth and chemistry to a second consecutive MidAmerican Conference Championship.
“That’s who we are, it is all in the same breath,” Jack said. “I don’t want to see just one person or two people making an impact, I want to go 14 deep. I think everybody brings something to the game… that is why they are all ‘valued’ and I never put one above the other.” Jack relies heavily on her bench. In her pressure-filled, attack-defense, she requires fresh legs and high effort from everyone. She says basketball is a microcosm of life and she brings her players together and makes them a more cohesive unit by working with her players on and off the floor. “Coach Jack has done a terrific job of bettering me as a person first, then as a player,” said senior point guard JoAnna Smith. “Things I have learned on being a better per-
son, taking pride in my academics for one.” Smith was the Bulls’ top scorer last season and plays a leadership role. She recalls many times the team has gotten together on and off the court to eat or watch other games. They have a closeness that Smith attributes to their trust on the court. “We are a very family based team, all 13 of my teammates are like sisters,” Smith said. “They are like my family away from my family. I think our players have all come together as a family.” In practice, the Bulls are always running team drills. Never is there a player alone or a duo practicing. Jack has all the Bulls almost always together. Jack sees each player in a clear role, even though the season is just starting. The starters are no exception and they each have a clear responsibility that Jack expects. “You got a general in Stephanie [Reid], great shooter in Jo, beast on the block with Cassie [Oursler], you know Katherine [Ups] is going to be amazing because she will shoot the ball defend the ball and dive after it,” Jack said. “And Brittany [Morrison] is going to be monster strong on the boards.” Value is something Jack feels the MAC is robbed of. She sees many excellent programs
THE SPECTRUM
court. They have grown close outside the game of basketball. Along with some of her teammates, Smith picked up Reid and teammate Courtney Wilkins from the airport when they first arrived in Buffalo from Australia. At first, Smith was surprised by Reid’s 5-foot-6 frame, but soon learned better than to doubt Reid. “Looks can be deceiving,” Smith said. “So once she got on the court, I was like “wow, this girl can really go.’” For Legette-Jack, the opportunity these young women have extends beyond the game. Their production on the court is important, but the way they carry themselves off the court is even more important. Her philosophy places emphasis on being a good person and a good teammate before you can be a great player – something that has gone a long way in shaping both players in their college careers. “Honestly, everything about the way [Legette-Jack] coaches, I love,” Reid said. “She’s not just a coach, she’s really like my second mom and she holds us to expectations that not every sport will hold you to… She’s got our back for every aspect of life, it’s not just about basketball to her, it’s about our character and our academics too.” Legette-Jack’s tough standards may scare some players away, but for the ones who buy-in, they become a family together. With Smith and Reid now entering this season as captains, they are no longer just a part of the team – they need to be leaders. The two are setting the bar sky-high for both themselves and their teammates. “I would personally like to go undefeated in conference,” Smith said. “When you go to a D-I school, your goal is to win a conference championship. I already have one, now our goal is to get another and get to the second round of the NCAA.” Smith and Reid’s teammates have learned to follow the duo’s lead. The two lead in different ways – Reid has a more hands-on approach and Smith lets her play do the talking. The two leadership styles combined seem to fit just right. “Steph brings her leadership and confidence and just tells you where to be, where to go, knows everything that’s going on, tells you exactly what you’re supposed to be doing,” said junior center Cassie Oursler. “Jo just brings consistency, she leads by example. She doesn’t really need to do much extra because she’s just showing us how we should be playing, she’s always just working really hard.” With Reid and Smith at the helm, UB women’s basketball may have the best backcourt in the conference with Reid and Smith at the helm. Both were chosen as the starting guards on the Preseason All-MAC East team in the coach’s poll. “I think once you see Stephanie and Joanna come out here and do what they do the one time, you are going to be hooked for the season,” Legette-Jack said. email: sports@ubspectrum.com
within the conference that pose a threat to the Bulls, yet receive little recognition. “I think we don’t get enough respect throughout the nation. I think Toledo does a great job, Central Michigan is unbelievable… There is no real Notre Dame’s, Dukes, or names in this conference. It is just any given day, any team can get beat,” Jack said. MAC teams do not bother Jack at the moment, as she is focused on one game at a time. That means she’s making sure the team reaches its goals defensively and offensively. Jack likes the Bulls to run a high-scoring offense through an all-out scheme. Other times, she will look for offensive rebounds by playing a 3-2 scheme. A variety of schemes is something Jack stressed in her coaching. Offense isn’t a number one priority for Jack; she needs her team to play with a togetherness and passion on defense. “Offense always can fail you, what can sustain you is defense,” Jack said. “I am really confident we can play defense for 40 minutes all season long.” As the season progresses, the Bulls will look to grow into the team Jack sees them becoming. To Jack, that is one cohesive unit where everybody has a part to play. If one person fails to do so, the whole tower will come crashing down. email: sports@ubspectrum.com