Buffalo Bulls
National Rank: No. 77 overall
Could Buffalo be developing into a mid-major darling? With three NCAA Tournament appearances in the last four years, an elite head coach, and a solid recruiting class coming in, this might just be the case. In three seasons at the helm of the program, head coach Nate Oats has compiled a 64-39 record (.621) while reaching the Big Dance twice. For a MAC program that had never won an NCAA Tournament game prior to this past season, this is an impressive stretch that needs to be commended.
Of course, this might be over-hyping Buffalo a bit but the future certainly looks bright. Coach Oats has already proven that he can be a consistent winner and he not only has an abundance of talent returning for 2017-18 but an above-average recruiting class coming in as well. Even though this recruiting class only features two players, these newcomers could be the missing pieces for a potentially loaded team in 2018-19.
At the forefront of this group is, without a doubt, Jeenathan Williams. Ranked as the No. 133 player in the 2018 class, Williams is an elite scoring guard who can fill up the basket in a hurry. At 6-foot-4, he will bring plenty of size to the backcourt and his scoring abilities should fit perfectly in Buffalo’s high-octane offense. Additionally, point guard Ronaldo Segu (No. 233) should provide some depth to the backcourt.
With these players joining Buffalo’s already proven core of C.J. Massinburg, Nick Perkins, and Jeremy Harris, this team could be in for a special 2018-19 campaign. Furthermore, if this turns out to be a strong season, Coach Oats might be able to lure more top talents to the program.