Bulls Welcome Eastern Michigan To Alumni Arena Tuesday Night

Buffalo (14-5, 6-0 MAC) vs. Eastern Michigan (11-8, 2-4 MAC)
January 23, 2018
Alumni Arena - 7:00 pm

Bulls on the Air

Radio - ESPN 1520-AM WWKB/TuneIn App

Television - ESPN3

Quick Hits

• The Bulls will go for their eighth straight win on Tuesday night and look to improve to 7-0 in the MAC for the first time ever. The last time UB won eight straight games was the tale end of 2014-15 when they won their final six regular season games and two in the MAC Tournament to win its first MAC Title.

• Buffalo leads the all-time series 14-10 over Eastern Michigan and has been extremely successful at Alumni Arena, winning the last six games in Western New York. EMU has not won at Alumni Arena since Feb. 4, 2004.

• With their win over Western Michigan on Friday night, the Bulls have won their last nine games against MAC West competition dating back to last season.

• Buffalo is the first Mid-American Conference program to score 80 or more points in every game during a seven-game winning streak since Marshall was still in the league and did it during the 1999-2000 season.

• So far this season, the Bulls have been nearly unstoppable when taking a lead into the break. UB is 13-1 when leading at the half this season and the Bulls are a perfect 11-0 when leading with just five minutes remaining.

• Junior Nick Perkins tied his career high with 26 points off the bench for the Bulls last Tuesday against Northern Illinois. Perkins has now come off the bench in nine straight games and he is averaging 18.2 points per game in those nine contests. Perkins is looking to become the 21st member of the 1,000 point club as he enters Tuesday night just 33 points shy of the mark.

• The Bulls have won their last six games by double figures for the first time since the 1964-65 season when they did it 10 games in a row.

• Of the nine MAC East Player's of the Week announced this season, UB has a league high six of those honors. CJ Massinburg won it twice in non-conference and then the Bulls have claimed it all four weeks since the beginning of 2018. Wes Clark won following the end of non-league play, while Jeremy Harris won it last week. Junior Nick Perkins has now claimed it two of the last three weeks after averaging 22.0 points and 7.5 rebounds last week.

The Opponent

• Eastern Michigan is 11-8 on the season and 2-4 in league play following a 72-66 loss to Ohio on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles opened the season 8-2, including a win over South Florida. The Eagles also have non-conference losses to Indiana and Syracuse. EMU is 9-2 at home this year, but just 2-6 outside of Ypsilanti.

• Eastern Michigan has three players averaging over 15.6 points per game, led by Elijah Minnie, who is averaging 16.5 points per contest. Paul Jackson adds 15.7 points per contest, and James Thompson IV is averaging 15.6 points and a league-best 11.6 rebounds per game.

• Eastern Michigan, known for their zone defense, leads the MAC in scoring defense in league games, allowing just 69.0 points per game through six league games. They will face a Buffalo team that is averaging 89.2 points per game during MAC play.

• Rob Murphy is in his seventh season as head coach at Eastern Michigan. After Murphy was hired on April 21, 2011, he and his staff worked tirelessly to implement his defensive philosophy and begin the process of reviving the EMU men's basketball program. During Murphy's inaugural season, 2011-12, the Eagles won Eastern's first-ever MAC West Division Championship. For his efforts in leading the team to that West championship, Murphy was named MAC Coach of the Year. Murphy, who was an assistant coach at Syracuse prior to take the EMU job, took over with a strong understanding of high school basketball in the state of Michigan. He spent six years coaching in the Detroit Public School League (1996-2002), four as the head boys basketball coach at Detroit Crockett Technical High School.

I Love The 80's

The Bulls are averaging 83.6 points per game this season, which leads the Mid-American Conference and is 24th nationally. In conference games only, Buffalo is averaging 89.2 points per game. Only once in the school's history have they averaged over 80.0 points for an entire season and that was 1971-72.

Currently the Bulls have scored at least 80 points in seven straight games, the first time in school history that UB has ever scored 80 points in seven straight games dating back to when the program was founded in 1915-16. Overall, the Bulls have scored 80 or more points in 14 of their first 19 games this season. The 14 games of 80 or more points already tie the amount of times that Buffalo did it all of last season.

Mr. 1000

Junior CJ Massinburg became the newest member of the 1,000-point club in the MAC opener against Toledo as he scored 27 points against the Rockets. Massinburg is the 20th player to score 1,000 points for the Bulls and he is the seventh fastest to do so, achieving it in his 73rd career game, which is quicker than previous MAC Players of the Year Turner Battle, Mitchell Watt, and all-time leading scorer, Javon McRea.

After scoring just eight points in the opener, Massinburg has scored double figures in each of the last 15 games, scoring at least 20 points nine times. He scored 30 at Delaware, the second time in his career he has done that. Twice this year, Massinburg has been named the MAC East Player of the Week and he is currently second in the MAC in scoring at 18.7 points per game. Massinburg is also UB's leading rebounder on the season, as he is averaging 8.3 boards per contest, which is fourth in the league. He has a team-high seven double-doubles on the year, including recording a career-high 14 boards at Delaware. The seven double-doubles are tied for second most in the Mid-American Conference. He was most recently named to the watch list for the Lou Henson Award, which is awarded to the nation's top mid major player.

Following his 16-point game against Northern Illinois, Massinburg moved into 15th place on UB's all-time scoring list passing UB Hall of Famer, Harold Kuhn. He currently has 1,097 points.

Wild, Wild Wes

The Bulls got a huge boost to their lineup prior to the Syracuse game on Dec. 19 as senior Wes Clark was cleared to play by the NCAA, marking his first collegiate game since February 13, 2016 when he played for Missouri. Clark, who joined UB last January, has been practicing with Buffalo since then, but he was finally able to play in his first game at Syracuse.

Clark scored 15 points and had six assists in his UB debut, picking up the start and playing 34 minutes. Clark added 17 points and eight assists against Texas A&M. Clark scored 27 points in his Alumni Arena debut on Dec. 29, scoring 13 of those points in the overtime period. It was a new career high for Clark as he scored 26 against South Carolina, while playing for Missouri.

He played his high school basketball for Buffalo head coach Nate Oats at Romulus High School right outside of Detroit, MI.

Clark had 25 points and five assists in the win over Toledo. Clark played his first ever college game in his home state of Michigan on Friday night at Western Michigan and was impressive finishing with 17 points and a career-high nine assists. He is averaging 6.3 assists per game.

In The Nick Of Time

Junior Nick Perkins got off to a fast start to the 2017-18 season as the Ypsilanti, MI native had a career-high 26 points in the season-opening win over Canisius. The 26 points were the most by a UB player in a season opener since Nikolai Alexeev had 26 against Niagara on November 19, 1999.

Perkins came off the bench for the first time this season against Syracuse and he ended up leading the Bulls in scoring with 18 points, while also pulling down seven rebounds, including six offensive ones. Perkins has had some of his best games against Power 5 competition. In addition to 18 against Syracuse on Dec. 19, Perkins had 20 points as a freshman against Miami (FL) in the NCAA Tournament, and last season he added 23 points at Pitt. He added 17 points against SEC foe Texas A&M. Perkins had his first double-double of the year with 24 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Toledo. He recorded back-to-back double-doubles following his 15 points and 11 rebounds at Ball State. Perkins has now come off the bench in seven straight games and he is averaging 17.1 points per game in those contests. Perkins was named the MAC East Player of the Week following back-to-back wins to open conference play where he averaged 19.5 point and 10.5 rebounds.

Perkins tied his career high with 26 points in the win over Northern Illinois and he added 18 points and nine rebounds against Western Michigan to earned MAC East Player of the Week honors for the second time this season. He currently leads UB in scoring in MAC play at 19.2 per game, which is second in the league.

Deuces Wild

One the most of anticipated newcomers is wearing #2 on the Buffalo team and that is junior college transfer Jeremy Harris, who came to UB from Gulf Coast College, where he was ranked as the second best junior college player in the nation by JUCORecruiting.com.

Harris led the Bulls with 21 points and added 10 rebounds in the overtime contest against Rhode Island in the charity exhibition. He had a stretch for the Bulls where he scored eight straight points, erasing an eight-point deficit on his own. He led the team with 17 shots taken, but also added three assists and three steals. Harris recorded double doubles in both exhibition games as he added 13 points and 11 rebounds against Daemen. Harris had a pair of 17-point games during the Cayman Classic as he recorded double figures in scoring in all three games. He had17 points and six rebounds against nationally-ranked Cincinnati and added 17 points and four assists in the win over UAB. He had 11 points and five assists against South Dakota State. His best game so far came against Niagara as he finished with a career-high 23 points, going 5-of-8 from three-point range. He also added seven rebounds and six assists. Harris recorded his first career double-double against Central Penn and added 14 points and nine rebounds in the win over Robert Morris. Harris had a big afternoon against Ball State as he finished with 16 points in the win over the Cardinals. He followed that up by scoring a game-high 17 points in the win at Akron.

Harris continued his tear through MAC play as he tied his career high with 23 points in the win over Miami, recording his second double-double as he had 10 rebounds. Following the wins over Akron and Miami Harris was named the MAC East Player of the Week, the third straight week UB has done it with three different players. Harris tied for team-high honors with 20 points in the win at Western Michigan on Friday night, going 4-of-5 from behind the arc. Harris is averaging 15.5 points per game in conference games.

Dialing From Long Distance

The Bulls had one of their best games from behind the arc in school history in the loss at nationally-ranked Texas A&M on Dec. 21. The Bulls hit 17 three-pointers in the game, second in school history, and the most since hitting 18 against Troy State on Feb. 22, 1996 when UB went 18-for-40 in the contest.

Buffalo shot 17-of-39 from behind the arc against the Aggies as four players hit at least three triples, led by a career-high six three pointers from CJ Massinburg. Senior Wes Clark and juniors Jeremy Harris and Montell McRae each hit three. McRae was a perfect 3-of-3. The 17 three's made by the Bulls were the most by a MAC school against a Division I opponent this year. The Bulls have recorded 10 or more three-pointers 11 times this season, including three straight games.

Sophomore Sensation

It can be argued that sophomore Davonta Jordan is one of the most improved players in the nation from last season and that was capped off with his first career 20-point game at Delaware. Jordan averaged just 2.5 points per game last year, but this season he is averaging 7.8 points per game. Through the first 19 games, Jordan has 149 points, almost double the 76 he scored all of last year. He has 11 three-pointers, nine more than last year. Jordan had 15 points in the win over Toledo, and he added eight points and four assists in the win over Akron.

Leading The Charge

Head coach Nate Oats begins his third year on the Buffalo sidelines, having comprised a record of 37-30 during his first two years. He is the only coach in UB school history to record 20 wins in his first season as a head coach and his 37 wins in his first two years are the second most by a UB coach behind only Bobby Hurley, who had 42 wins over his first two years.

Oats surpassed his predecessor on Dec. 9 vs. Central Penn as he picked up his 43rd win in his 76th game as head coach. Oats recently moved past V. William Hughes (1978-82) for seventh place on the all-time wins list and he is the fourth fastest UB head coach to 50 wins and the quickest in UB's Modern Era. Oats is currently 51-35 as head coach for the Bulls.

Giving 100%

The Bulls hit the magical 100-point number for the first time this season during their 106-87 victory at Niagara. The 106 points tied the school record for points scored in a road game, matching the total from March 2, 1974 at Rochester. It was only the fourth time ever that Buffalo had scored triple figures in a road game and it was the most points in a road game since a 100-92 win at Chicago State on November 21, 2001.

For the first time since the 1997-98 season, the Bulls hit 100 points in multiple games in the same season following their 104-94 win against Toledo in the MAC opener. The 104 points were the second most scored by UB in a MAC game and their most ever in regulation of a MAC contest. While the Bulls have already scored 100 or more twice against D-I schools, the rest of the league combined only has one 100-point performance against a D-I opponent.

Luck Of The Irish

Freshman Jayvon Graves comes to Buffalo from one of the most well known high schools in the country in the St.Vincent-St. Mary's out of Akron, OH, the same high school as NBA MVP and World Champion, LeBron James. Nicknamed the Fighting Irish, Graves and his high school teammates won the Ohio State Championship last season and Graves was named the Ohio State Player of the Year.

He had three points against Rhode Island, draining a three-pointer. Graves had a strong second half against Daemen and nearly put up a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds. Graves finished with nine points and four rebounds in the win over UAB. He added seven second half points against Delaware, while also pulling down six rebounds. Graves scored 11 points, while adding six rebounds in the win over Central Penn. He had his second straight double-digit performance with 10 points against Robert Morris.

Graves recorded a career high 16 points in the win at Ball State as he went 5-for-8 from the field, including 4-of-5 from behind the arc. He added 11 points in his homecoming at Akron and is now averaging 10.8 points per game in conference play. Graves lead the MAC in 3pt field goal percentage in league games as he is 12-of-21from behind the arc, good for 57.1%.

Get Smart

Junior Ikenna Smart made his season debut on Saturday against Robert Morris after missing the first nine games of the season due to a back injury. Playing in his 67th career game, Smart recorded a new career high in scoring with 12 points as he went a perfect 6-of-6 from the field in 21 minutes of action. Smart was relentless on the offensive glass as he had six rebounds in total, four of those coming on the offensive end.