Buffalo Bulls Men’s Basketball Game Preview: Miami (OH) Redhawks

The Buffalo Bulls are once again back in action, this time back on the road against the Miami(OH) Redhawks. The Bulls clinched the MAC East last Friday night and are on the verge of locking up the number one seed in the MAC tournament, possibly by Saturday. This is the second match up of these two teams this season, the previous one the Bulls were victorious 82-66.

If UB wants the same success, they will need to make sure they control the ball as well as the tempo. The Bulls are up to the fifth fastest offense this season in the nation, something that has paid off in most every game. When the Bulls get slowed down, the offense begins to press, so they will need to make sure that they are control the entire time.
The Redhawks especially will look to slow the ball down as they play when of the slowest offenses in the nation. This may be an issue for them if they let the Bulls run. They may tire late in which you would expect a big second half push, something that Buffalo has been lacking. Here are a few other things to look for in the rest of today’s game.

What to Watch For

Jeremy Harris

There is a case out there for Harris to be the MAC POTY. While he may have struggled in the non conference part of the schedule, Harris has been unreal during MAC play. Every time the opponent seems to be making a run, I now count on Harris to hit a shot and calm the Bulls. Look for him to keep dominating tonight.

Ikenna Smart

The Redhawks are not a very tall team. Their center checks in at just 6’9. Smart has been struggling, and his size should help him to have an advantage tonight if he can remain on his feet and limit the amount of contact inside.

The First Five Minutes out of the Half

When the Bulls lose the second half, it normally comes in runs. If Buffalo is able to dominate right out of the gate in the second half, I believe they will be able to put the Redhawks down and demoralize them.

Final Thoughts

Friday was a big win for the Bulls getting them numerous accolades on the season. Every game until the post season the Bulls should be favored heavily, and tonight is no different. The MAC is weak enough that the Bowling Green loss on Friday got them up to the 4 seed. Buffalo needs to start dominating and scaring teams before March, something that I think these final four games provide the opportunity for. The game should be fun tonight, and I hope everyone enjoys it, and as always, Go Bulls!