Men's Basketball Travels To Kent State Seeking 10th Straight Win

Buffalo (16-5, 8-0 MAC) at Kent State (11-10, 5-3 MAC)
January 30, 2018
M.A.C. Center - 7:00 pm

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Quick Hits

• The Bulls look to extend their winning streak to double figures on Tuesday night when UB heads to the M.A.C. Center to face Kent State. The Bulls are also looking to remain unbeaten in MAC play as Tuesday night marks the midway point of conference play.

• Kent State leads the all-time series 31-15 and won two of the three meetings last year, including ending UB's season with a 68-65 win in the MAC Tournament. The Bulls have won four straight games in the series at the M.A.C. Center.

• Buffalo is just the third MAC team to start 8-0 in conference play since 2002. The only other team is Akron, which started 13-0 in 2013 and 9-0 last season.

• Through Sunday's action, UB is one just 14 teams nationally that remains undefeated in conference play.

• Tuesday night will be a Romulus High School reunion between the two teams that will feature the head coach and a pair of player that won the 2013 Michigan State Championship. UB head coach Nate Oats was head coach of the squad that feature UB senior guard Wes Clark and Kent State junior guard Jaylin Walker.

• With his 20 points on Friday night, junior Nick Perkins became the 21st player in school history record 1,000 points for his career. Joining teammate CJ Massinburg, they became the first set of juniors to do it in the same year since Rasaun Young and Mike Martinho in 1997.

• With a win on Tuesday night, the Bulls would have their first undefeated month since December 2005 when UB won all five of their games that month. They went 7-0 in December 19990.

• A win Tuesday night would be Buffalo's first nine-game winning streak in the MAC since 2009. It would be UB's first 10-game winning streak overall since 1964-65 when they won 14 in row. In school history, the Bulls have had just four winning streaks of 10 games or more.

• Junior Jeremy Harris was named the MAC East Co-Player of the Week on Monday, the fifth straight week UB has won the award and second time in three weeks that Harris has been honored.

The Opponent

• Kent State comes into Tuesday night's game having won four its last five games, including an 84-76 win at Central Michigan on Saturday afternoon. The Golden Flashes are currently second in the MAC East with a 5-3 record, having beating CMU twice already this year, as well as wins over Ohio, Western Michigan, and Ball State.

• Kent State is led by a pair of guards in Jaylin Walker and Kevin Zabo. Walker is averaging 17.1 points per game, while Zabo adds 13.2 points per contest. Big man Adonis De La Rosa is averaging 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Kent State's other guard Jalen Avery is averaging 9.0 points per game and he leads the Golden Flashes with 84 assists and only 14 turnovers all year.

• In league games only, Kevin Zabo is third in the MAC in scoring, averaging 19.4 points per contest in eight league games. Jaylin Walker leads all players in the league with 25 made three-pointers in conference action.

• Rob Senderoff has finished his sixth season as the head men's basketball coach at Kent State. The 43-year-old took over the program in April 2011 after spending seven previous years on the Golden Flashes' coaching staff. In his six seasons as head coach, the 22-year coaching veteran has continued the success of the storied program that he helped build by leading the Golden Flashes to four 20-win campaigns and postseason appearances. The six year run culminated in a fantastic 2016-17 season in which the Flashes returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008.

I Love The 80's

The Bulls are averaging 83.1 points per game this season, which leads the Mid-American Conference and is 26th nationally. In conference games only, Buffalo is averaging 86.4 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.

The Bulls just had a streak of 80 points in eight straight games snapped, which still marked the longest stretch in school history of straight wins while scoring 80 in each game. Overall, the Bulls have scored 80 or more points in 15 of their first 21 games this season. The 15 games of 80 or more points this year is already one more time than the Bulls 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 1,126 points.

Mr. 1000 (Part 2)

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 became the latest member of the 1,000 point club as he scored 20 points at Ohio on Jan. 26 to became the 21st player in school history to accomplish the feat.

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 11 straight games and he is averaging 19.3 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 19.0 per game, which is fifth in the league.

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 5.8 assists per game.

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 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 last Friday night, going 4-of-5 from behind the arc. Harris had one of his best all-around games on Tuesday against Eastern Michigan, finishing with 22 points and a career-best 14 rebounds, which was tied for the most by a UB play this year. He had another double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Ohio, his fourth of the year. Harris is averaging 16.5 points and 7.3 rebounds 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.

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 7.5 points per game. Through the first 21 games, Jordan has 158 points, more than double the 76 he scored all of last year. He has 13 three-pointers, 11 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 53-35 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.

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 is third in the MAC in 3pt field goal percentage in league games as he is 14-of-27 from behind the arc, good for 51.9%.

Get Smart

Junior Ikenna Smart made his season debut 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 had his first career double-double in his 78th career game, as he finished with 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in the win at Ohio

Dontay's Peak

The Bulls recently got the services of reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year back in junior Dontay Caruthers, who missed 11 games with a leg injury. Prior to the injury, Caruthers had a pair of 23-point games in wins over UAB and Niagara.

He is currently averaging 8.5 points per game and 2.8 assists per contest.

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