Game Preview Dartmouth

After what has felt like an eternity, your 22nd ranked Buffalo Bulls Basketball team is back in action, taking on Dartmouth. The Bulls come into this game heavily favored, however with the ranking by our side, no game is going to be an easy one. Teams are going to look to knock you down and put a resume win up, so the bulls will have to be as sharp as possible each and every game.

That means that they will need to begin shooting better from deep, as players like Jeremy Harris and Nick Perkins just have not found their strokes yet from deep. I’m in no means worried about them, but I would like to see them get on a hot streak before the tough December stretch against Syracuse and Marquette. Hopefully CJ Massinburg will continue to wow not only Buffalo but the country as the senior is beginning to be recognized as the talented player that he is. Let’s take a look at some more specifics for tonight’s game against Dartmouth.

What to Watch For

Pace of Play

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Nate Oats likes to play as fast as possible. The Bulls currently have the tenth fastest offense in the nation right now and I don’t seem them looking to slow down. Oats has built is squad to run the floor and tire teams out so they can’t keep up in the fourth. Dartmouth on the other hand plays one of the slowest styles in the nation much like SIU. It will be interesting to see if the Bulls can dictate the pace in this one, something they struggled with in their last game.

Davonta Jordan

I have a very love hate relationship with Jordan. I am able to admit though that the junior has been solid this season. He is hitting his deep shots when he takes them and is facilitating well. I do still find myself frustrated when he passes up layups instead of being the aggressor and looking to score, but it seems to be his style. I want to see if he can stay solid for the entire season this year, and not struggle in the middle like last season.

Jayvon Graves

In a very senior heavy team, Graves may be a little overshadowed, but that should change. He showed freshman moments last season, but this year he looks like an absolute stud. His game has improved in every area and he is the real deal out on the court. Keep your eyes on Graves this game and this season and don’t be surprised if you see him first team all MAC at the end of the year.

Final Thoughts

I’m not too worried about this game in terms of what I know should happen, however I am worried because this is Buffalo and things seem to go bad when they’re going really good. I honestly believe that as long as we are ranked I will feel every game is a must win, just to really build an impressive resume. The Bulls are however the much better team so hopefully they get off to a fast start and don’t ever look back. I expect Perkins to have a big game inside and to really push the pace. Keep your eyes out to see how the role players perform as well, as they have been key in all the wins so far. Overall enjoy the game, and as always, go Bulls!