Why UB men’s basketball looks ahead, not behind: ‘We don’t even talk about last year’

The University at Buffalo mens basketball team deliberately does not discuss the 2023-24 season.

The Bulls got a mulligan for going 4-27 in George Halcovage IIIs first season as head coach.

Theres much less forgiveness this season, but the Bulls arent offering much food for thought as far as shortcomings, even after a 65-55 loss to St.

Bonaventure on Saturday at the Reilly Center.

From left, UB forward Noah Batchelor, guard Tyson Dunn, guard Ryan Sabol and forward Ben Michaels have helped the Bulls to five wins this season.

Instead, they are looking at the wins on the scoreboard and the moral victories.

The Bulls have a new lineup, some new perspectives and a more manageable schedule with a few challenges thrown into the nonconference slate.

After a 12-day break, the Bulls resume their schedule Dec.

19 at Georgia, which is 8-1, was at No.

24 in the NET rankings as of Tuesday morning, and received votes in this week's Associated Press Top 25 poll.

We have to worry about this years team, UB guard Ryan Sabol said Saturday at St.

Bonaventure.

The big thing is that weve been really connected.

This team is super-together.

UB heads into a December break at 5-5.

Its a win not just five for the Bulls, who eclipsed last years win total with a 100-65 rout of Pitt-Bradford, a Division III program, on Dec.

3 at Alumni Arena.

At this time last year, the Bulls were 1-9.

Only four players from last years roster returned for this season: Sabol, Bryson Wilson, Anquan Boldin Jr.

and Lloyd McVeigh.

We dont even talk about last year, Halcovage said.

These guys knew what this was going to be, from day one, and believed in it, and then came back.

And the thing is, Im proud of that.

These guys are really growing as sophomores, and our goal is that for these guys, by midseason, are playing like juniors because of that experience they had.

Sabol, Wilson and Boldin have emerged as the bedrocks for the Bulls, with guard Tyson Dunn and freshman guard Brayden Jackson providing help.

Jackson has had a recent breakout, averaging 11 points in 17.2 minutes in UBs last five games, including a season-high 18 points Nov.

22 in an 82-73 win against Morgan State.

Its amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares who gets the credit, Halcovage said.

I dont know who actually said it.

Thats a great quote, right? But thats who we are.

Wilson, who is averaging 8.1 points and 3.9 rebounds off the bench for the Bulls, likes the cohesiveness and connection among his team, and he likes the growth, although he knows theres room for him and for his team to blossom even more.

Basketball might be becoming fun again at UB.

The womens team aims for its ninth win when it hosts Stony Brook at 2 p.m.

Saturday at Alumni Arena.

The Bulls are off to their best start since the 2016-17 season, when they opened 10-0.

UB forward Ben Michaels blocks St.

Bonaventure center Noel Brown during the first half on Saturday.

Sabol, a sophomore guard, needs one 3-pointer to reach 100 in his first two seasons with UBs mens program.

Hes the Bulls leading scorer (18.1 points per game in 10 games) and began the week leading the Mid-American Conference and was one of three players tied for fifth in the nation with 37 3-pointers.

Even the loss at St.

Bonaventure a series that Halcovage said will continue, even though the current contract ran through this season proved its worth.

A year ago, the Bonnies routed the Bulls at Alumni Arena.

On Saturday at the Reilly Center in Allegany, the Bonnies jumped out to a 15-2 lead in the first six minutes, but the Bulls pulled within six points with 1:45 left in the second half.

This is on our schedule every year, with our deal with St.

Bonaventure, but going into environments like Penn State and Notre Dame, and were going to go to Georgia (Dec.

19), and Temple, as well as Vermont, we want to be battle-tested, as well as we could before the MAC, Halcovage said.

I feel like were doing that.

Were getting better.

I couldnt tell you where were ranked in the MAC right now.

Frankly, I dont care.

For context, UB doesnt open its MAC schedule until after the new year.

Until then, the mens team is finding its identity as it prepares for the remainder of its nonconference schedule and its MAC slate, which begins at 1 p.m.

Jan.

4 at Miami (Ohio).

The willingness to buy into the coaching and their principles, everything were doing, its together, Sabol said.

Thats one thing, where weve really taken a big step.

I really think were going to continue to grow and get better.

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