Monday, November 6
Buffalo, N.Y.
7:30 p.m.
vs
FDU
Photo by: Paul Hokanson/UBBulls.com
Bulls Host the FDU Knights for the Season Opener on Monday
11/3/2023 3:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo men's basketball team (0-0, 0-0 MAC) will host the FDU Knights (0-0, 0-0 NEC) on Monday evening to begin the 2023-24 slate. Tip-off against the Knights will be at 7:30 p.m. following the women's game against Canisius at 5 p.m. You can catch the action ESPN+.
THE BULLS
Head Coach George Halcovage III will begin his tenure as the Bulls head coach. Along with Halcovage, there are four new faces which include Associate Head Coach Hamlet Tibbs, Associate Head Coach Jake Presutti, Assistant Coach/Player Development Calvin Cage, and Assistant Coach/Director of Basketball Operations Tim Saunders. Jack Fitzpatrick returns to the bench for his fifth season at UB as the Assistant Coach/Video Operations.
In the MAC Coaches' Preseason Poll on Wednesday, the Bulls were picked to finish ninth.
LAST TIME OUT
It'll mark two weeks since the Bulls were in action as they defeated Daemen in their lone exhibition, 71-67, on Monday, Oct. 23. In the game, Sy Chatman and Isaiah Adams led the Bulls with 15 points each. Adams added seven rebounds and a game-high seven assists. Ellsworth CC transfer Shawn Fulcher added 14 points with Anquan Boldin Jr. rounding out the double-digit scorers with 10.
ABOUT THE SERIES
A series that dates back to March 1, 1952, FDU leads the series, 8-3. The Knights won the first meeting in the NAIA playoffs. The last meeting came on Nov. 23, 2004, with a UB 87-84 overtime win.
OPENING TIP
The FDU Knights are coming off a Cinderella Story at the NCAA Tournament. The Knights won their First Four matchup against the Texas Southern Tigers, 84-61. FDU then went on to upset No. 1-seed Purdue in the First Round, 62-58. This marked just the second time in Tournament history that a No. 1-seed would lose in the First Round. The first time came in 2018 when UMBC defeated Virginia. The Knights' luck would run out as they fell to the eventual Final Four team Florida Atlantic, 78-70, in the Round of 32.
The season opener will mark the second time in three seasons the Bulls will open against a team that made it to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. In 2021, the Bulls opened against the Michigan Wolverines who advanced to the Elite 8.
Both head coaches, George Halcovage III and Jack Castleberry, will have their head coaching debuts on Monday evening. There is just one other game in Division I basketball with two first-time head coaches. UT Arlington's KT Turner will host Oral Roberts and Russell Springmann on Monday evening, as well.
In UB's last 10 home openers, the Bulls are 9-1. The lone loss came on Nov. 8, 2019, to the hand of the Dartmouth Big Green, 68-63. The success carries over to season openers, as well. Since 2013, UB is 7-3 in season openers. The Bulls fell to No. 6 Michigan on Nov. 10, 2021, and to Texas A&M on Nov. 8, 2013, both on the road.
Against all eight Division I teams from the Garden State, the Bulls are 13-17 (.433) all-time. This includes Saint Peter's (3-0), NJIT (1-0), Rutgers (3-3), Rider (2-2), Princeton (1-2), FDU (3-8), Monmouth (0-1), and Seton Hall (0-1).
UP NEXT
The Bulls will host the South Alabama Jaguars on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. as part of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge.
For ticket information, click here.
THE BULLS
Head Coach George Halcovage III will begin his tenure as the Bulls head coach. Along with Halcovage, there are four new faces which include Associate Head Coach Hamlet Tibbs, Associate Head Coach Jake Presutti, Assistant Coach/Player Development Calvin Cage, and Assistant Coach/Director of Basketball Operations Tim Saunders. Jack Fitzpatrick returns to the bench for his fifth season at UB as the Assistant Coach/Video Operations.
In the MAC Coaches' Preseason Poll on Wednesday, the Bulls were picked to finish ninth.
LAST TIME OUT
It'll mark two weeks since the Bulls were in action as they defeated Daemen in their lone exhibition, 71-67, on Monday, Oct. 23. In the game, Sy Chatman and Isaiah Adams led the Bulls with 15 points each. Adams added seven rebounds and a game-high seven assists. Ellsworth CC transfer Shawn Fulcher added 14 points with Anquan Boldin Jr. rounding out the double-digit scorers with 10.
ABOUT THE SERIES
A series that dates back to March 1, 1952, FDU leads the series, 8-3. The Knights won the first meeting in the NAIA playoffs. The last meeting came on Nov. 23, 2004, with a UB 87-84 overtime win.
OPENING TIP
The FDU Knights are coming off a Cinderella Story at the NCAA Tournament. The Knights won their First Four matchup against the Texas Southern Tigers, 84-61. FDU then went on to upset No. 1-seed Purdue in the First Round, 62-58. This marked just the second time in Tournament history that a No. 1-seed would lose in the First Round. The first time came in 2018 when UMBC defeated Virginia. The Knights' luck would run out as they fell to the eventual Final Four team Florida Atlantic, 78-70, in the Round of 32.
The season opener will mark the second time in three seasons the Bulls will open against a team that made it to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. In 2021, the Bulls opened against the Michigan Wolverines who advanced to the Elite 8.
Both head coaches, George Halcovage III and Jack Castleberry, will have their head coaching debuts on Monday evening. There is just one other game in Division I basketball with two first-time head coaches. UT Arlington's KT Turner will host Oral Roberts and Russell Springmann on Monday evening, as well.
In UB's last 10 home openers, the Bulls are 9-1. The lone loss came on Nov. 8, 2019, to the hand of the Dartmouth Big Green, 68-63. The success carries over to season openers, as well. Since 2013, UB is 7-3 in season openers. The Bulls fell to No. 6 Michigan on Nov. 10, 2021, and to Texas A&M on Nov. 8, 2013, both on the road.
Against all eight Division I teams from the Garden State, the Bulls are 13-17 (.433) all-time. This includes Saint Peter's (3-0), NJIT (1-0), Rutgers (3-3), Rider (2-2), Princeton (1-2), FDU (3-8), Monmouth (0-1), and Seton Hall (0-1).
UP NEXT
The Bulls will host the South Alabama Jaguars on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. as part of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge.
For ticket information, click here.
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