In the Paint with Mike Lucas: Buffalo ' Penn State
December 27, 2014 | Men's Basketball
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Dec. 27, 2014
BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com
MADISON, Wis. -- The State University of New York, Buffalo had No. 1 ranked Kentucky right where John Calipari wanted them - under duress at halftime - in front of 22,175 disbelieving fans at Rupp Arena.
Calipari, who welcomes adversity, wanted to see how his Wildcats would respond to the 38-33 deficit, an improbable hole for a team that many pundits believe can go unbeaten this season.
"We needed this," Calipari said afterward. "We needed a team that could beat us on the dribble, that wasn't afraid, that played physical, that had an inside presence."
That team was the Buffalo Bulls, who will be at the Kohl Center on Sunday night.
At halftime, the always candid Calipari also told his players, most of whom are McDonalds' All-Americans, "I'm happy this happened and if you don't start playing, you're going to lose."
The talent-rich Wildcats started off the second half on a 9-0 run to take the lead. But the Bulls wouldn't back down; they showed their resiliency with their own run that put them back on top, 45-43.
In the end, though, Kentucky had too much size and firepower and outscored Buffalo 28-7 down the stretch - holding the Bulls to just 14 points (4-of-19 shooting) over the final 20 minutes.
The final score was 71-52. But it was the first 20 minutes that had everyone buzzing in the college basketball world.
"Hopefully, it's a confidence-building performance," said Buffalo coach Bobby Hurley.
Yes, he's that Bobby Hurley; the Dukie; the point guard with an NCAA record 1,076 assists; the conductor of back-to-back national championships in concert with Christian Laettner and others.
After guiding the Bulls to 19 wins and the outright MAC Eastern Division title in his first season as head coach, Hurley believes that he has the makings of an even better team this season in Buffalo.
Wisconsin associate head coach Greg Gard can see why.
"They've got some nice pieces," said Gard, who put together the Buffalo scouting report. "They've got a little swagger to them; they want to compete. I see the confidence."
He has also seen how aggressive the Bulls can be offensively.
"They're constantly on the attack mode," Gard said. "They're really comfortable when the floor is open and the play is broken and they have space to operate.
"That's where they had success against Kentucky early in that game. Kentucky didn't transition (back on defense) well and they got some broken play baskets that gave them some early confidence."
Punctuating their first half at Kentucky was a highlight reel dunk by 6-7, 240-pound Justin Moss who posterized Willie Cauley-Stein. Moss leads the MAC in scoring (17.3) and rebounding (10.2).
"He does a little bit of everything," Gard said. "He doesn't shoot the 3 (0-for-1) but he's very comfortable from 15 to 17 feet and he's very aggressive on the glass."
Complementing Moss on the frontline is 6-8, 230-pound Will Regan, the leading returning scorer and rebounder. Regan, a preseason All-MAC pick, began his career at the University of Virginia.
"Regan likes to play on the perimeter; he's kind of cagey, a Charlie Wills-type," said Gard, referencing a former UW player, Wills, a member of Bo Ryan's first Big Ten championship team.
"Moss and Regan at the 4 and 5 bring some experience. You can tell that they've played a little bit. They don't go exceptionally deep but they all do their part. And they'll guard you pretty well."
The Bulls get a lot of production from their three-guard lineup. Each has a different strength.
The point guard is Shannon Evans (6-1, 170) who answers to "Hollywood." He has at least six assists in six of the first nine games, including the last four. He has also scored 20 or more three times.
The shooting guard is Jarryn Skeete (6-3, 175) who had 14 of his 16 points in the first half at Kentucky. He's the team's 3-point specialist. This year, he has made 25-of-50 from beyond the arc.
Teaming up with Evans and Skeete in the Buffalo backcourt has been a true freshman guard, Lamonte Bearden (6-3, 160), a former teammate of Zak Showalter at Germantown High School.
Bearden, who played on back-to-back state championship teams with Showalter, has started all nine games for the Bulls and is averaging nine points. He's also second in assists to Evans with 37.
"He (Bearden) has no fear in terms of shot selection," Gard said. "You wouldn't realize by watching him - the type of shots and when he takes them - that he's a freshman."
Like his Buffalo teammates, Gard noted Bearden is "playing very confidently."
Penn State is playing the same way, Gard added. The Nittany Lions, who are off to a 12-1 start, their best start in 19 years, will be at the Kohl Center on Wednesday for the Big Ten opener.
"You see a very mature group," Gard said. "When you start with a guard as good as Newbill and you put some pieces around him and you have a pretty good backcourt that always gives you a chance."
D.J. Newbill is leading the Big Ten in scoring with a 21.4 average. The 6-4 senior has a wealth of experience - 110 career starts, including 32 as a freshman at Southern Mississippi.
In Penn State's only loss of the season - in double-overtime to Charlotte - Newbill, a Philadelphia native, had 35 points. He was 14 of 33 from the field.
Newbill also had 20 points in the Nittany Lions' 64-51 win over George Washington, which was significant since GW just upset Wichita State in Hawaii.
Surrounding Newbill in the starting lineup are some familiar faces: Brandon Taylor, the only other player averaging in double-digits (10.6); Ross Travis and Jordan Dickerson.
The newcomer is freshman guard Shep Garner, who hails from Chester, Pa. Yep, that Chester - the home of UW coach Bo Ryan. Garner played his high school ball at Roman Catholic in Philadelphia.
Besides being one of Penn State's 3-point threats - he has 24 triples, Taylor has 23 and Newbill has 22 - Garner leads the team in free throw shooting percentage (.857, 18-of-21).
Garner is not unlike the aforementioned Bearden in that he's playing with more self-assurance than you would expect out of a freshman that has been thrust into the lineup, ready or not.
Both have shown that they are ready.
"They have some confidence going," Gard said, "and they feel good about themselves."
He could have been talking about Bearden and Garner. But he was actually talking about Wisconsin's two opponents on this homestand.
Buffalo and Penn State will bring the same confident profile into the Kohl Center. The Badgers have been getting everybody's best shot and this should be no different.
"We just can't get caught looking too far ahead," Gard cautioned. "We have to make sure our highs are not too high and our lows are not too low.
"You can't get caught looking beyond the one (opponent) in front of you or you could find yourself in trouble. We've seen that already this year in this conference."Â Â
