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Basketball

Although the first official U.B. basketball season is 1915-1916 when Coach Art Powell took over, there were several earlier successful teams.

The first newspaper records for U.B. basketball are from December 1905 when U.B. lost it’s very first home game to Cornell University 27-23. The following year the team beat Cornell as well as Niagara and Dickinson on its way to a six win, two loss season.

The program gained national recognition under Coach Powell. Powell had a 198-190 record, including 28 straight wins and 45-5 for three seasons (1929-32), with triumphs over Pitt, West Virginia, Syracuse and Yale. Powell’s 1930-31 team was 15-0, the best mark in UB history.


1905-1915  |  1915-1920  |  1920-1929  |  1930-1939  |  1940-1949  |  1950-1959  |  1960-1969  |  1970-1979  |  1980-1989  |  1990-1999

2000-2009  |  2010-2019 | 2020-Present


Early Years

  • 1905 – 1906 – First Season – On December 1, 1905, the first U.B. basketball team played Cornell University at Convention Hall in Buffalo with Cornell winning by a score of 27 to 23. A crowd of about 400 witnessed the contest including many members of the local Cornell Alumni Association. Buffalo also plays Niagara University for the first time but a scheduled match against Canisius College was canceled.
    Coach: Dreher
    FINAL RECORD: 1-3
  • 1906 – 1907 – An Odd Ending – Buffalo beats Cornell University but almost the entire team fails to show up for a scheduled game against Niagara University in Niagara Falls tainting an otherwise successful campaign.
    MANAGER: J. Edward Cooney
    Coach: Alfred Heerdt
    FINAL RECORD: 6-2
  • 1912 – 1913 – A team is organized and plays a limited schedule that included Canisius College.
  • 1913 – 1914 – Baby Steps – With Dr. Froeber engaged as Coach and Manager Dodge of the Dental School arranging games with the likes of Cornell University and Canisius College, the team makes progress in returning athletics to the university.
    MANAGER: Dodge
    Coach: Dr. Edward G. Froeber, D.D.S.
    FINAL RECORD: 2-4 (?)
  • 1914 – 1915 – With Manager Mike Maher arranging games against Cornell, Canisius & Niagara, the team struggles to find any success.
    MANAGER: Maher
    FINAL RECORD: 0-5(?)

First Official Season

  • 1915 – 1916 – Basketball Officially Begins – Art Powell, who starred in basketball, baseball and football at Syracuse University in the early 1900s and served as the head Coach of the Indiana Hoosiers men’s basketball for one year (1913), takes over as the head Coach of the University of Buffalo basketball team in December of 1915 as U.B. basketball officially begins.MANAGER: Tom Atkins
    Coach
    : Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 7-4
  • 1916 – 1917 – The Bulls upgrade their schedule to include such major teams as Yale, Michigan State, Pittsburgh and Carnegie Tech. Season highlights included a 34-29 victory over Pittsburgh in Buffalo.
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 6-8
  • 1917 – 1918 – Despite wartime conditions and the loss of several players to the military, Buffalo Coach Art Powell leads the 1917-1918 Buffalo basketball team to a respectable record against quality opponents.
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 6-2
  • 1918 – 1919
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 8-5
  • 1919 – 1920
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 9-1

1920

  • 1920 – 1921
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 12-6
  • 1921 – 1922
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 5-7
  • 1922 – 1923
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 7-5
  • 1923 – 1924
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 7-6
  • 1924 – 1925
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 7-6
  • 1925 – 1926
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 11-6
  • 1926 – 1927
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 11-4
  • 1927 – 1928
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 8-8
  • 1928 – 1929
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 7-11
  • 1929 – 1930
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 15-1

1930

  • 1930 – 1931 – Perfect Season – Art Powell leads the team through a 15 win, 0 loss campaign, the only undefeated season in U.B. history.
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 15-0
  • 1931 – 1932
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 15-4
  • 1932 – 1933
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 10-9
  • 1933 – 1934
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 5-10
  • 1934 – 1935 – Art Powell suffers through his worse season to date.
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 3-9
  • 1935 – 1936
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 0-13
  • 1936 – 1937
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 4-10
  • 1937 – 1938
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 4-9
  • 1938 – 1939
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 2-12
  • 1939 – 1940
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 1-10

1940

  • 1940 – 1941
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 4-9
  • 1941 – 1942
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 2-8
  • 1942 – 1943
    Coach: Art Powell
    FINAL RECORD: 7-6
  • 1943 – 1944
    No Team
  • 1944 – 1945
    No Team
  • 1945 – 1946
    Coach: Robert Harrington
    FINAL RECORD: 5-10
  • 1946 – 1947
    Coach: Malcolm S. Eiken
    FINAL RECORD: 12-5
  • 1947 – 1948
    Coach: Malcolm S. Eiken
    FINAL RECORD: 13-8
  • 1948 – 1949 – A 20 game schedule included four games at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium with a marque match against the University of Georgia Bulldogs.
    Coach: Malcolm S. Eiken
    FINAL RECORD: 11-9
  • 1949 – 1950
    Coach: Malcolm S. Eiken
    FINAL RECORD: 15-10

1950

  • 1950 – 1951
    Coach: Malcolm S. Eiken
    FINAL RECORD: 13-8
  • 1951 – 1952
    Coach: Malcolm S. Eiken
    FINAL RECORD: 18-6
  • 1952 – 1953
    Coach: Malcolm S. Eiken
    FINAL RECORD: 10-9
  • 1953 – 1954
    Coach: Malcolm S. Eiken
    FINAL RECORD: 15-8
  • 1954 – 1955 – The team won 16 games as Jim Horne ends his college career with 11 school scoring records, including most points in a game (41) and career (1,833).
    Coach: Malcolm S. Eiken
    FINAL RECORD: 16-6
  • 1955 – 1956 – Mal Eiken’s 10th year and last season as head Coach of the basketball Bulls ending his UB career at 140 won and 73 lost for a .657 winning percentage.
    Coach: Malcolm S. Eiken
    FINAL RECORD: 17-3
  • 1956 – 1957
    Coach: Len T. Serfustini
    FINAL RECORD: 18-7
  • 1957 – 1958
    Coach: Len T. Serfustini
    FINAL RECORD: 17-5
  • 1958 – 1959
    Coach: Len T. Serfustini
    FINAL RECORD: 16-7
  • 1959 – 1960
    Coach: Len T. Serfustini
    FINAL RECORD: 15-6

1960

  • 1960 – 1961
    Coach: Len T. Serfustini
    FINAL RECORD: 18-5
  • 1961 – 1962
    Coach: Len T. Serfustini
    FINAL RECORD: 14-7
  • 1962 – 1963
    Coach: Len T. Serfustini
    FINAL RECORD: 16-7
  • 1963 – 1964
    Coach: Len T. Serfustini
    FINAL RECORD: 14-8
  • 1964 – 1965 – The team won 19 games and was awarded a berth in the 1965 NCAA College Division Tournament in the Mid-East Regional in Akron, Ohio.
    Coach: Len T. Serfustini
    FINAL RECORD: 19-3
  • 1965 – 1966 – The Bulls upgraded their schedule to include 3 teams with “major” classification in basketball: Syracuse, Kent State and Penn State.
    Coach: Len T. Serfustini
    FINAL RECORD: 14-8
  • 1966 – 1967
    Coach: Len T. Serfustini
    FINAL RECORD: 9-11
  • 1967 – 1968
    Coach: Len T. Serfustini
    FINAL RECORD: 11-10
  • 1968 – 1969
    Coach: Len T. Serfustini
    FINAL RECORD: 12-9
  • 1969 – 1970
    Coach: Len T. Serfustini
    FINAL RECORD: 11-11

1970

  • 1970 – 1971– New coach Ed Muto leads the team through a 9 win, 13 loss campaign.
    Coach: Edwin D. Muto
    FINAL RECORD: 9-13
  • 1971 – 1972
    Coach: Edwin D. Muto
    FINAL RECORD: 12-12
  • 1972 – 1973
    Coach: Edwin D. Muto
    FINAL RECORD: 16-8
  • 1973 – 1974
    Coach: Leo Richardson
    FINAL RECORD: 5-20
  • 1974 – 1975
    Coach: Leo Richardson
    FINAL RECORD: 8-17
  • 1975 – 1976
    Coach: Leo Richardson
    FINAL RECORD: 10-16
  • 1976 – 1977
    Coach: Leo Richardson
    FINAL RECORD: 5-21
  • 1977 – 1978
    Coach: V. William Hughes
    FINAL RECORD: 6-18
  • 1978 – 1979
    Coach: V. William Hughes
    FINAL RECORD: 7-18
  • 1979 – 1980
    Coach: V. William Hughes
    FINAL RECORD: 17-10

1980

  • 1980 – 1981
    Coach: V. William Hughes
    FINAL RECORD: 12-15
  • 1981 – 1982
    Coach: V. William Hughes
    FINAL RECORD: 13-17
  • 1982 – 1983
    Coach: Kenneth Pope
    FINAL RECORD: 12-15
  • 1983 – 1984
    Coach: Daniel J. Bazzani
    FINAL RECORD: 14-13
  • 1984 – 1985
    Coach: Daniel J. Bazzani
    FINAL RECORD: 5-19
  • 1985 – 1986
    Coach: Daniel J. Bazzani
    FINAL RECORD: 14-11
  • 1986 – 1987
    Coach: Daniel J. Bazzani
    FINAL RECORD: 15-10
  • 1987 – 1988
    Coach: Daniel J. Bazzani
    FINAL RECORD: 14-13
  • 1988 – 1989
    Coach: Daniel J. Bazzani
    FINAL RECORD: 16-14
  • 1989 – 1990
    Coach: Daniel J. Bazzani
    FINAL RECORD: 14-13

1990

  • 1990 – 1991
    Coach: Daniel J. Bazzani
    FINAL RECORD: 13-14
  • 1991 – 1992
    Coach: Daniel J. Bazzani
    FINAL RECORD: 2-26
  • 1992 – 1993
    Coach: Daniel J. Bazzani
    FINAL RECORD: 5-22
  • 1993 – 1994
    Coach: Tim Cohane
    FINAL RECORD: 10-18
  • 1994 – 1995
    Coach: Tim Cohane
    FINAL RECORD: 18-10
  • 1995 – 1996
    Coach: Tim Cohane
    FINAL RECORD: 13-14
  • 1996 – 1997
    Coach: Tim Cohane
    FINAL RECORD: 17-11
  • 1997 – 1998
    Coach: Tim Cohane
    FINAL RECORD: 15-13
  • 1998 – 1999
    Coach: Tim Cohane
    FINAL RECORD: 5-24
  • 1999 – 2000
    Coach: Tim Cohane/Reggie Witherspoon
    FINAL RECORD: 5-23

2000

  • 2000 – 2001
    Coach: Reggie Witherspoon
    FINAL RECORD: 4-24
  • 2001 – 2002
    Coach: Reggie Witherspoon
    FINAL RECORD: 12-18
  • 2002 – 2003
    Coach: Reggie Witherspoon
    FINAL RECORD: 5-23
  • 2003 – 2004
    Coach: Reggie Witherspoon
    FINAL RECORD: 17-12
  • 2004 – 2005
    Coach: Reggie Witherspoon
    FINAL RECORD: 23-10
  • 2005 – 2006
    Coach: Reggie Witherspoon
    FINAL RECORD: 19-13
  • 2006 – 2007
    Coach: Reggie Witherspoon
    FINAL RECORD: 12-19
  • 2007 – 2008
    Coach: Reggie Witherspoon
    FINAL RECORD: 10-20
  • 2008 – 2009
    Coach: Reggie Witherspoon
    FINAL RECORD: 21-12
  • 2009 – 2010
    Coach: Reggie Witherspoon
    FINAL RECORD: 18-12

2010

  • 2010 – 2011
    Coach: Reggie Witherspoon
    FINAL RECORD: 20-14
  • 2011 – 2012
    Coach: Reggie Witherspoon
    FINAL RECORD: 20-11
  • 2012 – 2013
    Coach: Reggie Witherspoon
    FINAL RECORD: 14–20
  • 2013 – 2014
    Coach: Bobby Hurley
    FINAL RECORD: 19-10
  • 2014 – 2015
    Coach: Bobby Hurley
    FINAL RECORD: 23-10
  • 2015 – 2016
    Coach: Bobby Hurley
    FINAL RECORD: 20-15
  • 2016 – 2017
    Coach: Nate Oats
    FINAL RECORD: 17-15
  • 2017 – 2018
    Coach: Nate Oats
    FINAL RECORD: 27-9
  • 2018 – 2019
    Coach: Nate Oats
    FINAL RECORD: 32-4
  • 2019 – 2020
    Coach: Jim Whitesell
    FINAL RECORD: 20-12

2020

  • 2020 – 2021
    Coach: Jim Whitesell
    FINAL RECORD: 16-9