2024–25 Buffalo Bulls men's basketball team

2024–25 Buffalo Bulls men's basketball
ConferenceMid-American Conference
Record5–5 (0–0 MAC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Hamlet Tibbs (2nd season)
  • Jake Presutti (2nd season)
  • Tim Saunders (2nd season)
  • Jack Fitzpatrick (1st season)
  • Kevin Voigt (1st season)
Home arenaAlumni Arena
Seasons
← 2023–24
2025–26 →
2024–25 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Kent State 0 – 0   – 7 – 2   .778
Akron 0 – 0   – 6 – 2   .750
Toledo 0 – 0   – 6 – 3   .667
Central Michigan 0 – 0   – 5 – 3   .625
Miami (OH) 0 – 0   – 5 – 3   .625
Eastern Michigan 0 – 0   – 5 – 4   .556
Buffalo 0 – 0   – 5 – 5   .500
Bowling Green 0 – 0   – 4 – 5   .444
Ohio 0 – 0   – 4 – 5   .444
Western Michigan 0 – 0   – 3 – 5   .375
Ball State 0 – 0   – 3 – 6   .333
Northern Illinois 0 – 0   – 3 – 7   .300
† 2025 MAC tournament winner
As of December 8, 2024

The 2024–25 Buffalo Bulls men's basketball team represents the University at Buffalo during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bulls, are led by second-year head coach George Halcovage III, and play their home games at Alumni Arena located in Amherst, New York as members of the Mid-American Conference.

Previous season

The Bulls finished the previous season 4–27, 2–16 in MAC play, to finish in last place.[1] They failed to qualify for the MAC tournament.[2]

Offseason

Departures

Departures
Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for departure
Kanye Jones 0 G 6'5" 190 Junior Orlando, Florida Transferred to USC Upstate
Sy Chatman 1 F 6'8" 227 Fifth Year Minneapolis, Minnesota Graduated
Isaiah Adams 3 F 6'6" 210 Senior Jacksonville, Florida Transferred to Toledo
Zaakir Williamson 5 F 6'7" 230 RS Sophomore Philadelphia, Pennsylania Transferred to Saint Peter's
Shawn Fulcher 10 G 6'0" 170 Sophomore Brooklyn, New York Transferred to Alabama State
James Graham 12 G/F 6'7" 208 Junior Milwaukee, Wisconsin Transferred to Grambling State
Jonnivius Smith 15 F 6'9" 200 Senior Selma, Alabama Transferred to UTSA

Incoming transfers

Incoming transfers
Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous school
Noah Batchelor 1 G/F 6'8" 210 Junior Frederick, Maryland Maryland
Tyson Dunn 5 G 6'3" 190 Senior Newmarket, Ontario Western Ontario

Recruiting class

College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Omar Migues-Hibeljic
G 		Quebec City, Quebec Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg)  
Star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A   ESPN grade: N/A
Brayden Jackson
G 		Milton, Ontario Fort Erie International Academy 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 185 lb (84 kg)  
Star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A   ESPN grade: N/A
Ben Michaels
G 		Ipswich, England Long Island Lutheran High School 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg)  
Star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A   ESPN grade: N/A
Eric Kenesie Jr.
G 		Kenosha, Wisconsin St. Joseph Catholic Academy 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg)  
Star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A   ESPN grade: N/A
Frederiks Meinarts
C/F 		Riga, Latvia IMG Academy 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 196 lb (89 kg)  
Star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A   ESPN grade: N/A
Sam Akot
G/F 		London, Ontario Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 180 lb (82 kg)  
Star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A   ESPN grade: N/A
Kavon Bradford
G 		Portland, Oregon Western Canada Prep Academy 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg)  
Star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A   ESPN grade: N/A
Tim Oboh
C 		Orpington, England The Canterbury Academy 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 230 lb (100 kg)  
Star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A   ESPN grade: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Buffalo 2024 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  • "2024 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 12, 2024.

Preseason

On October 22, 2024 the MAC released the preseason coaches poll. Buffalo was picked to finish last in the MAC regular season.[3]

Preseason rankings

MAC preseason poll
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Ohio 121 (11)
2 Akron 106 (1)
3 Kent State 99
4 Toledo 95
5 Bowling Green 73
6 Miami (OH) 72
7 Ball State 67
8 Central Michigan 55
9 Eastern Michigan 36
10 Western Michigan 33
11 Northern Illinois 24
12 Buffalo 11

MAC Tournament Champions: Ohio (8), Kent State (3), Toledo (1)

Source[3]

Preseason All-MAC

No Bulls were named to the first or second Preseason All-MAC teams.[3]

Roster

2024–25 Buffalo Bulls men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
G 0 Omar Migues-Hibeljic 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Fr Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf Quebec City, Quebec
G/F 1 Noah Batchelor 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Jr Maryland Frederick, Maryland
G 2 Ryan Sabol 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) So Gonzaga College High School Washington, D.C.
G 4 Anquan Boldin Jr. 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 194 lb (88 kg) So IMG Academy Delray Beach, Florida
G 5 Tyson Dunn 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Sr Western Ontario Newmarket, Ontario
G 7 Brayden Jackson 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Fr Fort Erie International Academy Milton, Ontario
F 8 Ben Michaels 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Fr Long Island Lutheran High School Ipswich, England
G 9 Lloyd McVeigh 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) So The Southport School Cabarita Beach, Australia
G 10 Eric Kenesie Jr. 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Fr St. Joseph Catholic Academy Kenosha, Wisconsin
G 11 Bryson Wilson 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) So St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School Washington, D.C.
F/C 14 Frederiks Meinarts 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 196 lb (89 kg) Fr IMG Academy Riga, Latvia
G/F 15 Sam Akot 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Fr Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School London, Ontario
G 20 Daniel Shao 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) So Parsippany Hills High School Morris Plains, New Jersey
G 22 Kavon Bradford 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Fr Western Canada Prep Academy Portland, Oregon
C 33 Tim Oboh 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Fr The Canterbury Academy Orpington, England
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: November 12, 2024

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
October 30, 2024*
7:00 pm 		Daemen L 61–67  –
  21 – Dunn   8 – Tied   2 – Dunn  Alumni Arena (1,071)
Amherst, NY
Non-conference regular season
November 4, 2024*
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Old Dominion
MAC-SBC Challenge 		W 83–82  1–0
  24 – Dunn   6 – Tied   10 – Dunn  Chartway Arena (5,455)
Norfolk, VA
November 8, 2024*
8:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Fredonia W 87–78  2–0
  28 – Sabol   10 – Dunn   14 – Dunn  Alumni Arena (1,460)
Amherst, NY
November 11, 2024*
7:00 pm, ACCNX/ESPN+ 		at Notre Dame L 77–86  2–1
  18 – Sabol   13 – Wilson   9 – Dunn  Purcell Pavilion (4,132)
South Bend, IN
November 14, 2024*
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Bryant L 64–87  2–2
  17 – Sabol   6 – Batchelor   3 – Batchelor  Alumni Arena (1,159)
Amherst, NY
November 19, 2024*
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Vermont L 67–78  2–3
  22 – Sabol   10 – Batchelor   3 – Wilson  Patrick Gym (2,227)
Burlington, VT
November 22, 2024*
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Morgan State W 82–73  3–3
  22 – Dunn   6 – Tied   8 – Dunn  Alumni Arena (1,557)
Amherst, NY
November 25, 2024*
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		North Carolina A&T W 82–81  4–3
  22 – Sabol   9 – Dunn   6 – Dunn  Alumni Arena (1,181)
Amherst, NY
December 1, 2024*
2:00 pm, BTN 		at Penn State L 64–87  4–4
  19 – Sabol   4 – Meinarts   3 – Sabol  Bryce Jordan Center (7,214)
University Park, PA
December 3, 2024*
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Pitt–Bradford W 100–65  5–4
  19 – Boldin Jr.   9 – Batchelor   4 – Tied  Alumni Arena (1,001)
Amherst, NY
December 7, 2024*
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at St. Bonaventure L 55–65  5–5
  14 – Tied   5 – Tied   4 – Dunn  Reilly Center (3,955)
St. Bonaventure, NY
December 19, 2024*
7:00 pm, SECN+/ESPN+ 		at Georgia       Stegeman Coliseum 
Athens, GA
December 29, 2024*
3:00 pm, ESPNU 		at Temple       Liacouras Center 
Philadelphia, PA
MAC regular season
January 4, 2025
1:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Miami (OH)       Millett Hall 
Oxford, OH
January 7, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Ohio       Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
January 10, 2025
6:00 pm, CBSSN 		Kent State       Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
January 14, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Bowling Green       Stroh Center 
Bowling Green, OH
January 18, 2025
1:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Western Michigan       University Arena 
Kalamazoo, MI
January 21, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Akron       Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
January 25, 2025
2:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Eastern Michigan       George Gervin GameAbove Center 
Ypsilanti, MI
January 28, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Central Michigan       Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
February 1, 2025
5:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Ball State       Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
February 4, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Toledo       Savage Arena 
Toledo, OH
February 11, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Northern Illinois       Convocation Center 
DeKalb, IL
February 15, 2025
2:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Bowling Green       Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
February 18, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Western Michigan       Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
February 22, 2025
2:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Ball State       Worthen Arena 
Muncie, IN
February 25, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Central Michigan       McGuirk Arena 
Mount Pleasant, MI
March 1, 2025
4:30 pm, ESPN+ 		Toledo       Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
March 4, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Miami (OH)       Alumni Arena 
Amherst, NY
March 7, 2025
 ESPN+ 		at Akron       James A. Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
MAC tournament
March 13–15, 2025
 ESPN+/CBSSN/ESPN2 		vs.        Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse 
Cleveland, OH
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern.

Sources:[4][5]

References

  1. ^ "2023-24 Men's Basketball Standings". Mid-American Conference. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  2. ^ "Men's basketball eliminated from MAC playoffs following loss at Kent State". The Spectrum. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "MAC Announces 2024-25 Men's Basketball Preseason Poll & Teams". Mid-American Conference. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  4. ^ "2024-25 Men's Basketball Schedule". University at Buffalo. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  5. ^ "Buffalo Bulls 2024-25 Regular Season NCAAM Schedule". ESPN. Retrieved November 12, 2024.