PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The University at Buffalo men’s basketball team (0-1, 0-0 MAC) will stay on the road as they battle the Pittsburgh Panthers (1-0, 0-0 ACC) on Thursday night at the Petersen Events Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on ACCNX.
LAST TIME OUT
In Monday night’s season opener at Marshall, the Thundering Herd came away with a 92-65 home win in the MAC-Sen Belt Challenge. Antoine Lorick recorded his 10th career double-double with 28 points and 15 rebounds; both marks were game highs. This was also the fourth consecutive season opener that a Bull recorded a double-double. Drew Steffe scored 19 points as Dylan Ducommun added nine points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a pair of blocks. Lorick and Steffe combined to go 17-of-32 (53.1%) from the floor.
Prior to Lorick’s 15-rebound performance, the last Bull to snatch 15 boards was Jonnivius Smith on Jan. 2, 2024, at Central Michigan. This was 82 games ago.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS
Pittsburgh Head Coach Jeff Capel III is in his ninth season with the Panthers. During his time at Pitt, he holds a 128-127 (.502) record. In his 18-year coaching career, he has a 303-237 (.561) record. He guided the Panthers to back-to-back 20-win seasons from 2022-24 for the first time since 2012-14. Prior to his time at Pittsburgh, he led VCU from 2002-06 and Oklahoma from 2006-11.
The Panthers were selected 12th in the Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Poll in the 18-team league. Last season they finished 15th in the ACC.
Macari Moore returns as the Panthers’ lone returner for the 2026-27 campaign. Last season he appeared in 22 games where he averaged 1.4 ppg in just 5.9 mpg. He added 0.9 rpg, 11 steals and 17 assists.
THE SERIES
Pittsburgh leads the all-time series, 9-1. The series dates back to the 1916-17 season where the Bulls won the first game on March 3, 1917, 34-29. In their last meeting on Dec. 7, 2016, the Bulls came up just short on the road in an 84-79 loss. Over the course of their 10 games, the Panthers were ranked three times, most recently when they checked in at No. 17 in 2007.
Buffalo is 8-55 (.127) against Atlantic Coast Conference teams. Their last win against an ACC program was against Syracuse on Dec. 18, 2018, in a 71-59 road victory.
THE BULL-ETIN BOARD
• The Bulls open the season with a pair of road games for the first time since the 2021-22 season when they opened at No. 6 Michigan and North Texas.
• J.J. Starling is no stranger to playing Pittsburgh in his career as he spent four seasons in the ACC at Notre Dame (2022-23) and Syracuse (2023-26). In his career he’s faced the Panthers six times. In those games, he averaged 12.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.8 apg in 31.8 mpg. From the floor he shot 42.4%.
• 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’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 Lorick (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).
• 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.
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