2020–21 Buffalo Bulls men's basketball team

2020–21 Buffalo Bulls men's basketball
NIT, First Round
ConferenceMid-American Conference
Record16–9 (12–5 MAC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Jamie Quarles (4th season)
  • Angres Thorpe (2nd season)
  • Brendan Foley (1st season)
Home arenaAlumni Arena
Seasons
2020–21 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Toledo 15 4   .789 21 9   .700
Buffalo 12 5   .706 16 9   .640
Akron 12 6   .667 15 8   .652
Kent State 12 6   .667 15 8   .652
Ohio 9 5   .643 17 8   .680
Bowling Green 10 8   .556 14 12   .538
Miami (OH) 9 8   .529 12 11   .522
Ball State 8 9   .471 10 13   .435
Western Michigan 4 12   .250 5 16   .238
Eastern Michigan 3 11   .214 6 12   .333
Central Michigan 3 13   .188 7 16   .304
Northern Illinois 2 12   .143 3 16   .158
2021 MAC tournament winner

The 2020–21 Buffalo Bulls men's basketball team represented the University at Buffalo in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bulls, led by second-year head coach Jim Whitesell, played their home games at Alumni Arena in Amherst, New York as members of the Mid-American Conference. Starting this season, the MAC announced the removal of divisions.[1] They finished the season 16–9, 12–5 in MAC play to finish in second place. They defeated Miami (OH) and Akron to advance to the championship game of the MAC tournament where they lost to Ohio. They were invited to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to Colorado State.

Previous season

[edit]

The Bulls finished the 2019–20 season 20–12, 11–7 in MAC play to finish in third place in the MAC East division. They were upset in the first round of the MAC tournament by Miami (OH).[2]

Roster

[edit]
2020–21 Buffalo Bulls men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
G/F 0 David Nickelberry 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Sr Trinity Valley Community College Orlando, Florida
F 1 LaQuill Hardnett 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 200 lb (91 kg) So Cincinnati Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
G 2 Keishawn Brewton 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 178 lb (81 kg) Sr Coastal Carolina Spartanburg, South Carolina
G 3 Jayvon Graves 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Sr St. Vincent–St. Mary High School Malvern, Ohio
G 4 Malik Zachery 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) So Chipola College Syracuse, New York
G 5 Savion Gallion 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) So Mt. Zion Prep Washington, D.C.
G 10 Ronaldo Segu 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Jr Orlando Christian Prep Orlando, Florida
F 11 Jeenathan Williams 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 206 lb (93 kg) Jr Prolific Prep Rochester, New York
F 21 Dominic Johnson 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Sr Catholic Central High School Windsor, Ontario
F 22 Lucas Saleh 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 206 lb (93 kg) So Feather River College Tiburon, California
G 23 Jamon Bivens 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 188 lb (85 kg) Sr Fayette County High School Atlanta, Georgia
F 24 Tra'Von Fagan 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 208 lb (94 kg) RS Jr Florida SouthWestern State Waterloo, Iowa
G 33 Maceo Jack 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Sr George Washington Williamsville, New York
F 34 Josh Mballa 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Jr Texas Tech Bordeaux, France
C 41 Brock Bertram 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 242 lb (110 kg) Sr Apple Valley High School Apple Valley, Minnesota
C 42 David Skogman 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 223 lb (101 kg) RS Fr Waukesha West High School Waukesha, Wisconsin
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: January 28, 2021

Schedule and results

[edit]
Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Regular season
November 25, 2020*
4:00 pm
Gannon Canceled Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
November 27, 2020*
4:30 pm
vs. Towson
Bubbleville
W 74–65  1–0
 28  Williams   12  2 Tied   5  2 Tied  Mohegan Sun Arena 
Uncasville, CT
November 28, 2020*
3:00 pm
vs. Army
Bubbleville
L 74–78  1–1
 18  Segu   7  Williams   5  Williams  Mohegan Sun Arena 
Uncasville, CT
December 6, 2020
6:00 pm, ESPN3
at Bowling Green L 78–86  1–2
(0–1)
 23  Graves   8  Fagan   1  5 Tied  Stroh Center (300)
Bowling Green, OH
December 10, 2020*
4:00 pm, ESPN3
Mercyhurst W 81–64  2–2
 17  Williams   12  Williams   9  Graves  Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
December 15, 2020
5:30 pm, ESPN+
at Miami (OH) W 90–62  3–2
(1–1)
 21  Williams   7  Graves   4  Williams  Millett Hall 
Oxford, OH
December 19, 2020*
6:00 pm, ACCN
at Syracuse L 96–107 OT 3–3
 27  Mballa   8  Graves   7  Graves  Carrier Dome 
Syracuse, NY
December 22, 2020*
4:00 pm
at St. Bonaventure Canceled Reilly Center 
St. Bonaventure, NY
December 29, 2020*
2:00 pm, Big 12 Now
at No. 9 West Virginia Canceled WVU Coliseum 
Morgantown, WV
January 1, 2021
7:00 pm, CBSSN
at Akron Postponed James A. Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
January 9, 2021
5:00 pm, ESPN3
Ball State W 86–69  4–3
(2–1)
 19  Mballa   19  Mballa   6  Mballa  Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
January 12, 2021
2:00 pm, ESPN+
at Western Michigan W 85–69  5–3
(3–1)
 25  Williams   14  Williams   4  Brewton  University Arena 
Kalamazoo, MI
January 15, 2021
7:00 pm, CBSSN
Bowling Green L 69–76  5–4
(3–2)
 17  2 Tied   15  Mballa   4  Segu  Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
January 19, 2021
5:00 pm, ESPN+
at Kent State L 81–84  5–5
(3–3)
 22  Mballa   8  2 Tied   6  Graves  MAC Center 
Kent, Ohio
January 21, 2021
2:00 pm, ESPN+
Eastern Michigan W 92–77  6–5
(4–3)
 24  Williams   7  Mballa   5  2 Tied  Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
January 23, 2021
6:00 pm, ESPN3
at Northern Illinois Postponed Convocation Center 
DeKalb, IL
January 26, 2021
5:00 pm
Central Michigan Postponed Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
January 29, 2021
7:00 pm, ESPNU
Ohio L 75–76  6–6
(4–4)
 18  Graves   12  Mballa   4  2 Tied  Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
February 2, 2021
6:00 pm, ESPN+
at Ball State W 78–58  7–6
(5–4)
 22  Mballa   16  Mballa   4  2 Tied  Worthen Arena (235)
Muncie, IN
February 6, 2021
2:00 pm, ESPN3
Miami (OH) W 88–64  8–6
(6–4)
 16  2 Tied   11  Skogman   9  Segu  Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
February 12, 2021
8:00 pm, ESPN3
at Central Michigan Postponed McGuirk Arena 
Mount Pleasant, MI
February 12, 2021
8:00 pm, CBSSN
Western Michigan W 86–54  9–6
(7–4)
 16  Graves   12  Mballa   5  Segu  Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
February 16, 2021
5:00 pm, ESPN3
at Eastern Michigan Postponed Convocation Center 
Ypsilanti, MI
February 19, 2021
9:00 pm, ESPN2
Toledo L 70–80  9–7
(7–5)
 19  Williams   13  Mballa   5  Segu  Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
February 23, 2021
5:00 pm, ESPN3
at Northern Illinois W 102–74  10–7
(8–5)
 21  Mballa   12  Mballa   4  2 Tied  Convocation Center (26)
DeKalb, IL
February 25, 2021
2:00 pm, ESPN+
Central Michigan W 85–73  11–7
(9–5)
 20  Hardnett   10  Hardnett   11  Segu  Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
February 27, 2021
2:00 pm, ESPN+
at Ohio W 86–66  12–7
(10–5)
 23  Mballa   9  Mballa   7  Graves  Convocation Center 
Athens, OH
March 2, 2021
2:00 pm
Akron W 80–78  13–7
(11–5)
 15  Mballa   10  Graves   11  Graves  Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
March 5, 2021
6:00 pm, ESPNU
Kent State W 81–67  14–7
(12–5)
 21  Williams   9  Graves   7  Graves  Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
MAC Tournament
March 11, 2021
4:00 pm, ESPN+
(2) vs. (7) Miami (OH)
Quarterfinals
W 74–63  15–7
 23  Mballa   19  Mballa   6  Segu  Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse 
Cleveland, OH
March 12, 2021
7:30 pm, CBSSN
(2) vs. (3) Akron
Semifinals
W 81–74 OT 16–7
 26  Williams   20  Mballa   4  Tied  Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse 
Cleveland, OH
March 13, 2021
7:30 pm, ESPN2
(2) vs. (5) Ohio
Championship
L 69–84  16–8
 24  Segu   11  Mballa   3  Graves  Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse 
Cleveland, OH
NIT
March 19, 2021
7:00 pm, ESPN2
(4) vs. (1) Colorado State
First Round – Colorado State bracket
L 73–75  16–9
 21  Williams   9  Mballa   4  Williams  The Super Pit 
Denton, TX
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern.

Source[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Mid-American Conference cancels postseason tournaments for eight sports, changes basketball format". CBSSports.com. May 12, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  2. ^ "Men's basketball season ends after home loss to Miami (OH)". The Spectrum. March 10, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  3. ^ "2020-21 Men's Basketball Schedule". University at Buffalo. Retrieved January 28, 2021.