A great article in the Buffalo news toady by Rodney McKissic highlights why UB football is moving in the right direction and, I think, why UB Basketball is moving in no direction at all (my conclusion not his)
"We feel like we're not really nothing right now, we're starting from Day One," senior tailback and co-captain James Starks said Tuesday during the team's Media Day. "Yeah, we have a little chip on our shoulders — at the same time we know that's last year and we've put that behind us." -- Buffalo News
That is the attitude I feel like UB Basketball is missing, 2008-2009 was a good year for the UB Basketball team but not one they should have walked away from with anything other than disappointment. The late season collapse, getting throttled in the championship game, and being massively outclassed in an "also ran" post season tournament seems to have gotten less focus from the team and some media than the fact UB won a December tournament with bottom feeding teams this past January. After Akron beat us like a drum in the Conference final Witherspoon called the season a success!
"This season was a success. We were co-champions and that was the first time we’ve done that, These guys made a lot of sacrifices to give ourselves the chance to be in this position." -- Reggie Witherspoon (ubathletics)
If UB's goal was to finish third in the MAC and get embarrassed in the CBI tournament then yes it was a success but if the goal was to win the MAC and go to an NCAA tournament it was not.
I really like Reggie Witherspoon, the character of his players is something to admire and the 2008 season was certainly good year, more than enough to earn him another run but how far has this program come in say the past five years? UB has moved in a steady saw tooth, good enough to almost win the MAC one year and terrible the next, second verse same as the first.
If Reggie cant get it done this year and either win us a game in the NIT or get us to the NCAA Championships Warde Manual is going to have a decision to make, is character and mediocre play enough. Personally, while I'm OK with seasons like the one we just had, calling last year a success leaves a sour taste in my mouth.