Locker Room: The Clubhouse

Men’s Basketball Anniversary Edition

Stats from right, center and left field

Antique photo of the UB men's basketball team from 1930.

The 1930-31 team posted UB’s only undefeated season.

Compiled by David J. Hill

This year marks the 100th season of men’s basketball at UB. UB Athletics is celebrating the milestone with a “100 Promotions for 100 Seasons” campaign. We dug into the Bulls’ archives to pull out a few highlights from our history of hoops.

In the beginning

The team, then known as the Bisons, finishes 7-4 in 1915-16, UB’s first season in basketball.

Perfect Season

The 1930-31 squad compiles a 15-0 record, the only undefeated season in program history. Actually, the team wins 28 straight games between 1929 and 1931.

Powell power

UB’s first hoops coach, Art Powell, goes 198-190 in his 28 seasons (1915-43) and ranks second all-time at the university. (Coach Len Serfustini [1956-70] won 206 games.)

First to the NBA

Bob Vartanian becomes the first Bull drafted in the NBA when, in 1973, the hometown Buffalo Braves select him in the 13th round of the draft.

Horne’s up

More than a half century after his last season with the Bulls (1954-55), Jim Horne still holds the UB record for points per game in a season—he averaged 24.9 his senior year—and ranks third all-time with 1,833 career points.

Making it in the MAC

Under the tutelage of Reggie Witherspoon, the Bulls win their first MAC Tournament playoff game, a 90-73 triumph over Northern Illinois during the 2003-04 season. Witherspoon is the MAC Coach of the Year that season.

The 2016-17 season is Nate Oats' second as head coach of the Bulls.

Big Dance Bound

Led by coach Bobby Hurley, UB wins its first-ever MAC title in 2015 and advances to the NCAA Tournament for the first time—only to repeat the feat the following season, this time with coach Nate Oats.

Air Miles Galore

This season, the Bulls will travel more than 8,200 miles in their first two months of play, with stops in Alaska for the Great Alaska Shootout and in Nebraska to play Creighton. Will they make it a MAC three-peat?