After replacing Jim Whitesell as head coach, George Halcovage III was tasked with revitalizing the UB men’s basketball team.
Halcovage was hired as the 15th head coach for UB basketball in March of 2023 following Whitesell’s dismissal. The hope was that he could lead Buffalo to deep runs in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) tournament and return the program to postseason contention.
UB has not reached the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) March Madness tournament since 2019, with their last postseason appearance being a first round exit in the 2021 National Invitational Tournament (NIT) following a defeat to Colorado State (1-0, 0-0 MW).
Halcovage’s debut season at the helm fell short of expectations. The Bulls recorded an overall 4-27 record – the most losses suffered in a single season in UB program history – and failed to secure a spot in the MAC tournament.
To make matters worse, Buffalo also earned their first-ever pre-season exhibition loss to Daemen University (0-0, 0-0 ECC) last Wednesday. The shock defeat gave the Wildcats, an NCAA Division II team, their second ever win over a Division I program.
With these setbacks, it’s evident that Halcovage’s coaching tactics need reassessing if the Bulls hope to be competitive this season.
Establish a team identity
Arguably the most important thing for any basketball team is having an on-court identity. Last season, Buffalo appeared to struggle with forming a cohesive playing style with clear strengths, causing inconsistent performances and disappointing results. Both offensively and defensively, the Bulls showed disjointed plays and missed opportunities in games that could have been more competitive. The lack of a definitive identity hindered their ability to pull together a string of consistent wins.
To address this, Halcovage needs to define a clear and precise foundation for his players to rally around. Whether that be an emphasis on fundamentals, a defensively focused strategy or prioritizing ball movement, a set identity would give Halcovage and the Bulls a sense of direction for this season.
Develop an offensive scheme
Buffalo’s difficulties on offense were apparent last season, as they lacked a reliable scoring system. Despite ranking in the top 20% nationally for 3-point attempts, the Bulls only managed a measly 27.5% conversion rate – the second worst in the country according to TeamRankings.
Their lack of efficiency from behind the arc forced them to rely on inconsistent scoring from mid-range and inside the key, hindering their overall offensive effectiveness. They ranked second bottom in team field-goal percentage at 0.421% and also had the second most blocked shots in the MAC.
Coach Halcovage also no longer has his two top scorers from last season in Sy Chatman and Isaiah Adams on the roster, putting more pressure on him to rework the offensive scheme for this season. To prevent a repeat of last year’s offensive woes, he needs to create a system which maximizes the team’s conversions and diversifies their scoring options. Enhancing team ball movement and shot selection will allow the players to find better shooting opportunities to put points on the board.
Building a more adaptable and balanced offense could make games more competitive and ultimately be the difference between winning and losing.
Avoid the “kill shots”
Buffalo was no stranger to giving up “kill shots” last season.
A kill shot – a scoring run of 10-0 or more – was one of the main factors in UB’s inability to maintain momentum on the court. These runs allowed opponents to build comfortable leads and put the Bulls off their game, making it difficult for them to regain control of their offense and essentially put the game out of reach for them.
By tightening up the transitional defense and maintaining steady pressure on both ends of the court, Halcovage can prevent the large scoring bursts from occurring and make victories in key matches attainable.
If Halcovage can approach whatever challenges his team faces head-on, there may be hope for the Bulls to emerge as divisional contenders this season.
Rodrigo Feijão is the senior sports editor and can be reached at rodrigo.feijao@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
