Posts Tagged ‘Greg Gamble’

Watching the play-in… err I mean “opening round” game between Morehead State and Alabama State, I’ve been seething ever since that greasy douchebag Steve Lavin said, “The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee nailed it this season.” To his mind, those of the former BCS league players and coaches that comprise 99% of college hoops talking [...]

The Big Picture: Bulls (11-5, 19-10) come from behind to knock off Miami (10-6, 17-12) in overtime 70-67 and claim a share of the MAC East regular season title and the all important MAC Tournament first round bye. Unfortunately and not surprisingly, Ohio (7-9, 14-16) did Buffalo no favors today, running for the [...]

The Big Picture: Bulls improve to 9-1 in the MAC (17-5 overall) by putting the defensive clamps on Eastern Michigan (1-9, 3-21) to win 58-49 at Ypsilanti. While beating an Eagles squad that’s been pretty terrible all season wouldn’t normally be that big a deal, but with both Miami (7-3, 14-8) and Ohio [...]

The Big Picture: Statement made. UB barely breaks a sweat in beating an ineffective Kent State squad 64-53 to go 3-1 in the MAC (11-5 overall) and move into a three-way tie for first in the MAC East with Miami and Ohio. Tonight’s win should provide the Bulls with plenty of confidence [...]

It doesn’t get much better than the 50-point second half, which included a 14-0 spurt by the Bulls that helped them turn a 56-44 deficit into a 58-56 lead. Sparking that 50-point second stanza was Coach ‘Spoon’s decision to go with a four guard lineup that forced Temple into a decision: Go small to run with the Bulls or go big and try to push them around. Owls’ coach Fran Dunphy decided to go big, and the result was that UB, led by the tremendous all-around play of Calvin Betts (a career high 18 points and 7 boards) and Greg Gamble (15 points, 3 dimes, 7-of-10 freebies) was able to repeatedly breakdown Temple’s D to find (and make) open shots.

Buffalo gets a chance to put Saturday night’s debacle at Evansville behind them, as they square off with Upstate rivals Niagara (2-1) tonight. More so than the Evansville game, tonight represents a stiff test for a Bulls squad that I really still don’t know what to expect from this season. The Purple Eagles [...]

A lack of interior toughness may have done the Bulls in tonight, but the problems are deeper and more expansive than that. However, the frontcourt’s playing with more determination and intensity would be a welcome first step in getting ready for the always rugged, and always physical MAC. And getting ready for MAC play is really what the next nine games are all about.

So, yeah, three games into the 2008-09 college hoops season, I can honestly say that I don’t expect too much from this edition of my UB Bulls. But it’s only three games so there’s plenty of time for the Greg Gamble and Company to change my mind.

Things don’t look too good right now, but it’s only three games. It’s only three games. It’s only three games…

All in all, there isn’t too much to complain about in Buffalo’s season-opening 70-62 win at Youngstown State last night. (As an aside, not only did the Bulls cover like we said they would, but our prediction of a 68-61 UB win was just about spot on) Junior forward Calvin Betts was a beast on the boards, hauling down 13 boards, as the Bulls dominated the Penguins on the glass, out-rebounding them 50-39. Rodney Pierce (21 points) hit big shots in the second half to stave off a Youngstown State rally and secure the dubbya for the Bulls, and just about everybody who got burn contributed in some way to the win.

If one is to judge by men’s hoops website on UBAthletics.Com, expectations and enthusiasm are at just about the lowest point they’ve been in several seasons. How is it that the Buffalo Athletic Department hasn’t had anything to say about basketball since September 18, a month before Midnight Madness?!? What a fucking joke!
With [...]