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Griffin looms in Texas shootout

Jerry Davis may have looked cool, calm and collected in his opening act against Rhode Island, but the sweat might be pouring come Saturday.

A new look for the new season

Jeff Quinn's vision for UB football is in place.

Change of heart

Another season of basketball is in the books and the Los Angeles Lakers reign supreme for the second consecutive season after the most entertaining NBA Finals in recent memory. I have to admit that I was rooting for the Lakers to win the series. I'm a typical New York fan that cheers vehemently against any Boston team in any sport and that tradition was tested to the max this year because of several factors.

Quinn era begins this fall

Expectations for the football team were high last season following the first Mid-American Conference Championship in team history.

Starks packs bags for NFL

The NFL Draft is the ultimate waiting game. Players around the country count the minutes until they receive that wanted phone call and their name is finally called at the Radio City Music Hall podium.

A fresh start

Following the departure of Turner Gill in December, questions surfaced at UB Stadium as to whether or not the football program would fall back to the bottom of Division I football, where it had been a mainstay since entering the Mid-American Conference in 1998.

Diaz holds up for Bulls in split

The softball team wrapped up an eight-game homestand on Wednesday with a doubleheader against local adversary Niagara at Nan Harvey Field.

Fallen star

I took a ride in my mental time machine over the weekend and lamented a basketball player that I grew up watching.

Bulls conquer feat; regular season champs

The notion of a Mid-American Conference Championship seemed like a pipe dream at the start of the season for the men's tennis team. Coming off a 1-4 record in the MAC last year, it was only reasonable to expect a middle of the pack finish from Buffalo.

NBA playoff preview

The NBA playoffs begin this Saturday and the matchups are now set. After 40 games in 40 nights, we'll have several questions answered after a long NBA season. Will "King James" finally take a seat on his thrown? Would a championship ring be enough to keep LeBron in Cleveland? Can Kobe Bryant return to the top of the mountain once again and inch closer to the legacy that Michael Jordan left behind? Can Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki capitalize on a key mid-season trade to win their first ever NBA Title? Here at The Spectrum, we'll take a look at the first round matchups and look forward to the NBA Finals. EASTERN CONFERENCE #1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #8 Chicago Bulls Typically, the No. 1 versus No. 8 matchup is an afterthought. This series may be no different, but there are a few interesting storylines. Chicago and Cleveland split the season series and Chicago took the last meeting against a Lebron-less Cavalier team, 109-108. Derrick Rose is a force and showed in last year's playoffs that he can lead a team when the Bulls fell just short of beating the No. 2-seed Celtics, 4-3. If the Bulls can steal a game in Cleveland, this could be an interesting series. But Cleveland has too much firepower to suffer an upset. Cavs in five #2 Orlando Magic vs. #7 Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte is a young team on the rise and has a great coach in Larry Brown. With that being said, they have no chance in this series. Vince Carter looks like he found a time machine this season and is playing like the all-star he once was. Dwight Howard is as dominating a force as any other player in the league today, and the Bobcats will be no match for either of them. Magic in four #3 Atlanta Hawks vs. #6 Milwaukee Bucks About three weeks ago, this series would have been an early favorite for best first round matchup. Unfortunately, Bucks' star center Andrew Bogut went out for the season with an injury, thus rendering the Bucks helpless. Brandon Jennings and John Salmons are good players, but they will not be enough to take out Joe Johnson and the Hawks. If Josh Smith plays well in this series, it could build some confidence and help the Hawks advance in later rounds. Hawks in five #4 Boston Celtics vs. #5 Miami Heat This may be the most interesting series in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Dwayne Wade is an elite talent in this league and has shown on a consistent basis that he has what it takes to lead his team deep into the playoffs. Kevin Garnett and company aren't getting any younger, but if they play with a chip on their shoulder, the Celtics will be tough to beat. The series will come down to who wants it more and whether or not the Heat can get enough production from their role players. Boston in seven WESTERN CONFERENCE #1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #8 Oklahoma City Thunder This is going to be a fun series to watch. Kevin Durant, this season's scoring champion, has been incredible in his third year as a pro. With a core of young, talented teammates accompanying Durant, the Thunder have the assets to give the perennial Western Conference champs a run for their money. While the Lakers took three of four in the regular season from Oklahoma City, there are some serious question marks surrounding Los Angeles. Injuries have hurt the yellow and purple, and they will need a healthy Andrew Bynum if they want to win another title. Kobe Bryant will be the focus of the series, but watch for Jeff Green of the Thunder to be a key player. If he provides scoring and solid rebounding, the Lakers are going to have their hands full. As good as Durant is and as bright of a future he has in store, it's not his time to shine yet. Lakers in six #2 Dallas Mavericks vs. #7 San Antonio Spurs The Mavericks have one of the most talented teams in the league from top to bottom and the Spurs pose little threat to Dirk and company. Long-time all-star Tim Duncan has showed a bit of wear and tear this season and Tony Parker is less than 100 percent. With a less than stellar supporting cast and little depth, Manu Ginobili will not be able to take out the Mavs single handedly. Jason Kidd doesn't have much time left and will be motivated to grab his first ring. Mavs in five #3 Phoenix Suns vs. #6 Portland Blazers If Brandon Roy were healthy, this would be the best Western Conference quarterfinals series. Roy is so dynamic and his play makes everyone around him better. As Roy's status remains in question, Steve Nash and Amare Stoudamire should be able to handle the Blazers and move on to the conference semifinals. Suns in five #4 Denver Nuggets vs. #5 Utah Jazz The Nuggets really hurt themselves down the stretch with poor play. The bad stretch dropped the team to fourth in the West and cemented their spot in a slugfest with the Jazz. Both teams feature great point guards and if the Nuggets can shake off the cobwebs, they should be able to take out the Jazz. Carmelo Anthony is an assassin and knows how to win. If Denver can get out of the series, head coach George Karl will return to the bench for round two – just in time for the Lakers. The Nuggets could ride a wave of emotion to the NBA Finals, but they have to be willing to pay the price against a gritty Utah squad. Give the slight edge to Anthony and the Nuggets. Nuggets in seven Predictions East Final: Cavaliers over Magic West Final: Mavericks over Lakers NBA FINALS: Cavaliers over Mavericks in seven games

Wiffleball evolved

Since the invention of baseball, the concept of the game has captured Americans across the country. Like any other sport, however, not everyone could play competitively. In 1953, David Mullany created a variation of the game that would later be named wiffleball. Since that time, people, young and old, have swung for the fences in backyards everywhere hoping to generate that rare feeling of blasting a ball into a neighbor's yard. While baseball hasn't changed much over the years, wiffleball has gone through several facelifts. It started with a simple ball and thin yellow bat. Since then, you can walk into any toy store today and find balls as big as grapefruits and bats that look like they came straight out of the Flintstones. The newest enhancement comes in the form of the Blitzball. Crafted to be the most realistic baseball-like experience in the wiffleball community, its shape and design make the ball's speed and movement unlike any wiffleball experience in the past. Aaron Kim, creator of the Blitzball, has been perfecting his invention for some time now. "I came up with the original Blitzball concept around 4-5 years ago with the idea that a flat sided ball would allow for super curveballs by deflecting airflow better when spun," Kim said. "My original prototype looked something like a rounded cube. It didn't work very well and then I just made a series of improvements since then." Wiffleballs are notorious for the intense spin that can be applied to a pitch and the Blitzball takes this feature to another level. The Blitzball mimics the actual mechanics of a real baseball, which allows pitchers to throw the ball just like they would a normal baseball. Hitters are able to swing freely, as well, as the ball travels farther than a normal wiffleball. Kim and other Blitzball users agree that the distance factor is huge when deciding which product to use. "I think that baseball novices will prefer the Blitzball over traditional wiffleballs because of the substantially improved distance you get when you hit it," Kim said. Although Blitzball seems to be a solid new product, whether or not it can make a dent in the wiffleball market remains to be seen. Kim has been a lifelong fan of the wiffleball and doesn't know for sure if his product will be able to replace the American classic. With that said, he does think that people who sample his product will have a tough decision to make. "I think that people who try the Blitzball for the first time will be quite surprised by the improved action that you get," Kim said. "In another 50 years, who knows?" A few important questions came to mind when looking into the Blitzball, none more glaring than its durability. After seeing it batted around the diamond, it is safe to say that the ball can take some punishment. Kim explained that the Blitzball is made with the highest quality materials and if a customer finds any defects in the ball, a full refund will be issued. An interesting incentive to trying out the Blitzball is a contest the company started last year. Anyone who has purchased a Blitzball can film a home video of the Blitzball in action and submit it for a chance to win $1,200. The company uses their Facebook following as judges and the top three videos win a prize. Kim feels this customer interaction goes a long way towards building a fan base for the Blitzball. "Since we have such a tiny advertising budget compared to other guys like Wiffle, we have to be more creative with our marketing ideas," Kim said. Anyone interested in a Blitzball can visit the website at collegehillgames.com. The current promotion lets a customer purchase four Blitzballs for $11.99. Whether or not the Blitzball will catch on remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure -- a bunch of people are going to have a lot of fun testing it out. And in the end, that is what this game is all about. E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com

King gator has spoken

Calm down

Saturday night was going just fine, until my fiancé came home from work and told me about the stressful incident she had just endured. My fiancé is the store manager at a local Blockbuster. A customer came storming into the store toward the end of her shift to complain about – yes, you guessed it – a $4 movie rental. Now, to offer up a little background, I worked at a Blockbuster for three years and in fact met my future wife during my time there. I have experienced every type of customer interaction you can think of, and she has as well. We oftentimes wonder what possesses people to scream at the top of their lungs about a movie not playing, late fees or whatever small little, insignificant detail in their Blockbuster experience that "ruined their night." I should clear something up off the bat: I understand how annoying some things can be when renting a movie. Some people genuinely try every single trick in the book to get that stupid disc to play and to have it continue to not cooperate is beyond frustrating. But the employee didn't sabotage your DVD. In this day and age, stress is running rampant through society and everywhere you turn, people are blowing up about everything from a burnt piece of toast to being overcharged a dollar at Target. Calm down. The first issue here is that these people are taking their anger out on someone who is rarely, if ever, responsible for the customer's problem. In my three years at Blockbuster, I never once scratched a disc on purpose or gave a second thought to trying to make a customer's life more difficult. Stop taking out your frustrations on customer service people who are only there because they are either in school or don't have any other avenue to make money. The really sad part about all this is that, for the most part, employees of these companies are usually really nice and try to do everything they can to help a customer out. I know that my fiancé and I have bent the rules on more than one occasion to help out a nice person. On a separate note to all Blockbuster customers, stop telling everyone, "I'm going to Netflix." First of all, the kid sitting behind the counter could care less and probably is ecstatic at the thought of you never screaming at him or her again anyway. Not only will the employees rejoice at your absence, but also the loss of your business will not solely destroy Blockbuster. I just think that it's important to remind everyone that as corny as it may sound, we are all in this together in the end. Does the mother of four kids realize that in 10 years, her kids could be in the same position as the girl behind the counter that she's screaming at? Step back and think about the way that you treat people in all walks of life and ask yourself if you'd appreciate the same treatment if the roles were reversed. E-mail: matthew.parrino@ubspectrum.com

26-run outburst highlights road trip

Still shaking off the rust from a long winter, the baseball team was busy over spring break as the team grinded through a ten-game road trip. While the Bulls (6-7) won six of 10 games, head coach Ron Torgalski is looking for steadier play from his team. "We just haven't been consistent yet," Torgalski said. "I have seen improvement. The pitching has improved and we're the type of team that will only be successful if we throw strikes and make plays. We're not going to strike guys out [consistently]." In a four-game series against Morehead State (8-10), the Bulls won three out of four games, including a 26-run explosion on 23 hits in game two for a 26-17 victory. Senior second baseman Brad Agustin spearheaded the Bulls attack. He went 4-for-7 from the plate and scored five runs. Trailing 11-2 through three innings, the Bulls started their comeback effort in the top of the fourth as they chipped away at the Eagles' advantage. Senior catcher Brad Cochrane blasted one of his two doubles on the day to lead off the inning for the Bulls. The rest of the team put together five hits in the inning and scored five runs to close the gap to 11-7 going into the bottom of the inning. The two teams continued to trade runs but Buffalo took a 16-12 lead after an explosive seven-run eighth inning. The Bulls weren't complacent with a four-run lead and rattled off 10 runs in the top of the ninth inning to seal the win. Seniors Jacob Rosenbeck and Rob Lawler, as well as freshman Tom Murphy, went yard in the commanding victory. In the only Bulls loss against the Eagles, senior ace Pierre Miville-Deschenes struggled in his second outing of the season and lasted only three innings. Miville-Deschenes allowed 13 runs – eight earned – on eight hits while walking eight batters and striking out four in a 17-3 defeat. The Bulls had a quick turnaround and played a mid-week two-game set against Georgetown College (4-12). Buffalo continued to play great baseball, winning the first game, 14-4, and taking the second, 8-6, against the Tigers. Cochrane continued his strong play at the plate for the Bulls as he totaled four hits in the two-game set. He recorded two RBIs, and his six doubles on the year leads the Bulls. Freshman second baseman Alex Baldock blasted his first-career home run in the opening game against the Tigers. The freshman is tied with Augustin for the team lead in batting average (.340). The bats have been hot and cold this season, but it's expected as the Bulls continue to see different pitchers and get more comfortable behind the plate. "At times we've swung the bats ok but we have a few guys in the lineup that have been struggling," Torgalski said. "I'm waiting for a few seniors to break out and start producing for us and I know they will so I'm not worried about it." Everything wasn't perfect for the Bulls over the break as they ran into some trouble against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (8-8), dropping 3-of-4 games. The lone victory came in the second game of a double header on Saturday when Miville-Deschenes turned in his best performance of the season in a 9-3 Bulls win. Miville-Deschenes pitched a complete game for the Bulls and allowed only three runs on five hits and struck out seven Golden Eagles. Miville-Deschenes earned MAC East Player of the Week honors as the most outstanding pitcher for his performance against the Georgetown College. Torgalski still hopes to see improvement from his number one starter going forward. "He was MAC [East] Player of the Week but he went out in the first inning and walked the bases loaded," Torgalski said. "He was able to get out of the jam and settled in after that but he wasn't sharp early. That has been a problem [in] his last couple of starts." Cochrane was a one-man force in the game for the Bulls, driving in six runs on two hits. One of his shots was a grand slam home run in the bottom of the fifth inning. He provides an excellent third power hitter in the middle of the Bulls' lineup. "Brad [Cochrane] put up pretty good numbers last year," Torgalski said. "He's a little guy but surprises people with the power. He has good bat speed, he's a strong kid and it's nice to have another guy in the middle of the lineup that can drive runs in." In the first game of the series, Tennessee Tech blanked the Bulls, 9-0. Despite its patience at the plate – drawing six walks – the offense couldn't get it going. Senior lefty Chaz Mye struggled in the game, allowing seven of the nine runs on 12 hits. Mye dropped to 1-2 on the season but leads the team in innings pitched with 17 and a third. Agustin struggled at the plate for the Bulls in the series, striking out six times and earning only one walk and four hits in the leadoff spot. But Agustin has been a monster behind the plate so far this year, leading the team in home runs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and batting average. His play and leadership is an important ingredient to the Bulls' success. The Bulls will once again hit the road this week for a three-game series with the Butler Bulldogs (4-6). First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday at Bulldog Park in Indianapolis, Ind. E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com

Comeback falls short to end Buffalo's season

On a Thursday filled with outstanding individual performances in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference tournament, the men's basketball team needed a special performance from any individual to top Miami (Ohio) if it hoped to advance. No such performance was found. Despite overcoming an 18-point first half deficit, the Bulls (18-12, 9-7 MAC) ran out of gas down the stretch and fell to the RedHawks (14-17, 9-7 MAC), 73-59, ending their season well short of a MAC Championship appearance. Miami (Ohio) torched the Bulls from the field connecting on 22-of-38 shot attempts and also went 22-of-30 from the free-throw line. "I thought Miami shot the ball extremely well," said Bulls head coach Reggie Witherspoon. "We just couldn't get stops for long enough stretches to dig ourselves out of the hole." While the RedHawks turned in a complete team effort, Miami's senior guard Kenny Hayes shone the brightest on Thursday. Hayes scored 27 points in the game and made 11-of-12 free throws. His play kept the RedHawks poised to turn away every attempt the Bulls made to get themselves back into the game. Hayes single handedly stole the momentum away from Buffalo whenever it looked as if the Bulls would muster a long run. "I just wanted to come in and lead my team to a victory," Hayes said. "This is my last shot at this and I don't get another chance so I want to do whatever I can do to help my team." After senior guard John Boyer knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner in the opening minute of play, Miami answered with a 17-0 run that stifled the Bulls' offensive attack and gameplan. The Bulls spent the rest of the day half clawing their way back into the game as they continued to struggle from the field. Despite shooting just 30.8 percent from the field in the opening period, Buffalo managed to pull within striking distance at 32-21 heading into the final 20 minutes. Any momentum built by the Bulls to close out the first half was quickly erased by a 3-point shot from RedHawks forward Julian Mavunga to increase the Miami advantage to 14 points. Witherspoon knew that it would take perfection for his team to pull off the comeback, and he didn't get enough on the defensive end of the floor from his. "As you're making your run you have to keep getting stops," Witherspoon said. "We weren't able to do that. You don't have any room for error." Mavunga finished with 16 points, six assists and four rebounds for the Redhawks. Matching up with the sophomore in the low post was a nightmare for Witherspoon, who could not find a defender that could contain the 6-foot 7-inch big man. Down by 10 points with 11:34 remaining, senior guard Sean Smiley re-entered the game and captivated Bulls Nation for one final time. Following a Mavunga layup by that put the RedHawks up 48-38, Smiley found junior forward Jawaan Alston for an easy layup under the basket. On the next possession, Smiley grabbed the rebound off a Mavunga miss, and hustled back down court to drain a trifecta to bring the Bulls to within five points – the smallest gap since the first few minutes after tip-off – at 48-43. Smiley's hot streak continued. After two free throws from senior guard Calvin Betts got the made the score 50-45, Smiley scored the Bulls' next nine points – all on 3-pointers. His final 3-pointer at the 5:58 mark got the Bulls within two points at 56-54 and had the Bulls' contingent on its feet. But Buffalo expended too much energy to maintain the momentum. From that point, Miami out-scored Buffalo 17-5 for the remainder of the contest, solidifying Miami's victory. Miami's stifling defense was part of the reason for the Bulls' loss. The RedHawks held Pierce, Buffalo's All-MAC First Team selection to just 12 points on 5-of-18 shooting. An emotional Pierce couldn't muster up many words after the game. "It's hard to talk about me [right now]," Pierce said. "I just wanted to win a MAC Championship. I don't really know what to say." According to Witherspoon, the loss of Pierce and the other seniors will be a tough transition for the Bulls next season. Altogether, the Bulls lose six seniors and this season's top five scorers. "It's going to be hard," Witherspoon said. "[Pierce is] a guy that scored 1,000 points in three years and played a number of different positions. It's hard to see him and the other seniors go down like this."

Buffalo burned on West Coast trip

With spring breakers out of town for a week of sun and sand, the softball team continued play on the diamond as it traveled to the West Coast for two tournaments in a nine-day span.

Bulls bring down Benn-less Eagles

A small gym combined with a large crowd means adversity for the away team.

Going to Gallagher

The stage is set for a crucial early season showdown at the ‘Taps' Gallagher Center on Wednesday night.

Learning from mistakes

There is nothing fun about a loss, but learning from it can later prove to be invaluable.

Pierce back on track as Bulls pull away late

Breaking out of a shooting slump can be difficult, but that is exactly what the men's basketball team accomplished on Saturday.