Buffalo Bulls Men’s Basketball vs. Canisius Golden Griffens Game Preview

The Bulls are back and tipping off early Saturday to start the 2017-2018 campaign! Buffalo is taking on Canisius in a cross town game that is sure to draw a lot of local attention. The Bulls are coming in with high expectations after they were picked to finish first in the MAC East. With exciting new comers and solid returners, I for one am very excited about the Bulls season and future.

Defensively, the Bulls return the 2016-2017 MAC defensive player of the year Dontay Caruthers who is sure to be a strong contributor to the Bulls. They also added freshman James Reese and Jeremy Harris who both looked strong in the scrimmage against D2 Daemen.

Offensively, the Bulls will look to use their athleticism to get out in transition and get to the rim. I expect some turnovers early in the season as the team tries to figure out chemistry in transition. I think UB will be able to put up big numbers as most everyone on the roster is a big scoring threat. Overall, I think it will be a fun game, so let’s look at what to watch for.

What to Watch For

Jeremy Harris

This dude is a stud. He was the #2 JUCO recruit last year and he is bound to deliver for the Bulls. Most people are banking on CJ Massinburg or Nick Perkins but I believe that Harris will be the best player on the Bulls.

Chemistry

The first few games for any teams season aren’t make or break, but it’s important to see them jell quick. I would like to see good ball movement and limit the amount of no pass possessions. If this team gets going, you’ll see lots of rim action and pretty passing.

Bold Prediction: Brock Bertram Gets a Double Double

Now here me out, this is bold. But in the scrimmage I saw that Bertram is a strong finisher around the rim. His fundamentals looked good and I think 10 points is not absurd. The rebounds may be a struggle but if he gets on a roll against a smaller Canisius team.

Final Thoughts

If the Bulls are for real, they need to destroy this team. Plain and simple. I think it will be closer than it should because of the local factor, but I feel confident in this team. They have an incredibly high ceiling and this for feels like a playoff team. With the depth that they bolster, I can’t wait for tomorrow. Rest up Bulls fans, we have a long season ahead of us.