BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo men’s basketball team (0-0, 0-0 MAC) will open their 2026-27 at Marshall (0-0, 0-0 SBC) for the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge on Monday, Nov. 2nd at 7 p.m. Game coverage will be on ESPN+ as Josh Whetzel will have the radio call on Buffalo 1520/The Varsity Network.
LAST TIME OUT
In Buffalo’s lone exhibition, they defeated the Mercyhurst Lakers, 71-66, on Wednesday, Oct. 21st. J.J. Starling led the team with 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Mikkel Tyne added 13 points with a pair of assists. Antoine Lorick scored 12 points with a solid performance around the rim as he secured eight boards and three blocks. Drew Steffe rounded out the top scorers for the Bulls with 12 points and a game-high four steals. As a team, Buffalo was 10-of-24 (47.1%) from three-point range.
ABOUT THE THUNDERING HERD
Marshall Head Coach Cornelius Jackson is in his third season with the Thundering Herd. During his first two seasons in Huntington, W.Va., he holds a career record of 39-26 (.600). Last year he guided the program to a 19-13 season.
The Thundering Herd were selected fifth in the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Coaches Poll with 125 points in the 14-team league.
Noah Otshud was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team. He returns as Marshall’s leading returning scorer and assist leader, he averaged 14.5 ppg with 3.4 apg (110 total) in 2025-26. The Hamilton, Ontario native also connected a team-leading 93 free throws for a team-best .845 free throw percentage last season. Finishing seventh in the league with his 110 assists, Otshudi possessed a 1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio.
THE BULL-ETIN BOARD
• Buffalo enters its fourth season under Head Coach George Halcovage III. The Bulls finished last season with a 17-15 record, their most wins since the 2021-22 season. Buffalo qualified for the Mid-American Conference Tournament where they fell to the eventual champions in the Akron Zips in the quarterfinals, 73-70.
• Buffalo is one of 29 programs across Division I men’s basketball to be represented by at least five countries. The Bulls have players from the United States, Lithuania, Germany, Switzerland, and Canada. This is the most in the Mid-American Conference.
• Minus teams that have no returning players, the Bulls are returning the third fewest points in Division I hoops. They return 42 of their 2,497 points scored from last season for 1.84%. Kyle Jones scored 40 points as Matas Buteliauskas scored a pair. Only Canisius (0.02%) and Cincinnati (0.00%) scored fewer points with their returning players.
• Buffalo added 11 newcomers to the 2026-27 roster, one of which being a true freshman in Jahrel Vigo. The Bulls are tied for the 39th most newcomers on a roster in the country. Teams on their schedule this year with more newcomers are Western Michigan (14) who has no returners, Canisius (13) and Ball State (12).
• Buffalo’s 10 transfers are the seventh most in the NCAA. They welcome Dylan Ducommun (Northern Illinois), JJ Frakes (Oregon), Boluwasefe John (Clark), Tristan Kuska (Carolina), Antoine Lorickk (Tennessee State), Jalen Pitre (Tennessee State), Harrison Reede (Incarnate Word), J.J. Starling (Syracuse), Drew Steffe (Southern Illinois) and Mikkel Tyne (Richmond). Their 10 transfers are also tied with Ball State (10) and Western Michigan (10).
• Halcovage’s fourth season in the MAC is tied with Bowling Green’s Todd Simon for the sixth most seasons of experience at their current institution. Toledo’s Tod Kowalczyk and Kent State’s Rob Senderoff lead the way with 17 and 16 seasons, respectfully. Akron, Ball State, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan all hired new coaches this off-season.
• The Bulls added former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American J.J. Starling to their roster on Sept. 4th. Prior to Buffalo, Starling played at Notre Dame (2022-23) and Syracuse (2023-26). In his first four collegiate seasons he played in 116 games with 112 starts. He tallied 13.2 ppg for 1,530 career points. He added 3.1 rpg and 2.0 apg.
• The Center Hub’s 2026-27 College Basketball Preview released on Oct. 27th had J.J. Starling as the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year, as well as the All-Conference Team.
• Under Halcovage, the Bulls are 26-3 when leading with 5:00 to go.
• During Halcovage’s tenure at Villanova, he coached many future NBA players including three who went on to win the 2026 NBA Finals. Jalen Brunson, who was named NBA Finals MVP, won a pair of National Championships in 2016 and 2018 alongside Mikal Bridges as Josh Hart was part of the 2016 championship run.
• Of teams that have at least one returning player from last season, the Bulls have one of the lowest return rates in points, rebounds, assists and minutes in Division I basketball.
46 Points / 1.84% / 3rd-fewest
49 Rebounds / 4.84% / 4th-fewest
5 Assists / 1.08% / 3rd-fewest
230 Minutes / 3.61% / 3rd-fewest
• Associate Head Coach Hamlet Tibbs was named to the 2026 Silver Waves Media Top/Most Impactful Mid Major Assistant Coaches list for the second consecutive season.
• Buffalo is one of 29 programs across Division I men’s basketball to be represented by at least five countries. The Bulls have players from the United States, Lithuania, Germany, Switzerland, and Canada. This is the most in the Mid-American Conference.
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