Central Michigan vs Buffalo: 2018-19 College basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
Central Michigan will travel to Buffalo on Saturday afternoon in an intriguing MAC match-up. Can the Chippewas muster an upset at Buffalo?
TV schedule: Saturday, February 9, 3:30 pm ET. ESPN+
Arena: Alumni Arena in Buffalo, New York
Picked to finish at the bottom of the MAC, Central Michigan (16-6) has had a much better season than many expected, currently sitting at 5-4 in conference play. They don’t have any impressive non-conference wins, but they’ve taken care of business in many of their games.
The player to watch for the Chippewas is senior guard Larry Austin (17.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 5.7 apg), who led the team with 22 points against Western Michigan last Saturday. He’s not alone in this potent offense, as CMU also leans heavily on their starters, all of whom average double-digit points. Senior guard Shawn Roundtree (15.5 ppg) and junior guard Kevin McKay (11.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg) help space the floor and they have a pair of forward averaging over 11 points per game as well.
The Chippewas currently sit at 137th in KenPom, which is much better than many experts would have thought coming into this season. The team is 65th in offensive efficiency and is solid at their free throws. They’ve exploited many weaker teams, though their opponent on Saturday is a different animal.
light. Related Story. Busting Brackets Podcast Episode No. 4
On the other side, Buffalo (19-3) is the 23rd ranked team in the AP poll and is having a fantastic season. This team already has won games at West Virginia and Syracuse and have been ranked for over a month. They’ve lost a few close MAC road games and currently find themselves behind Bowling Green in the standings, meaning there’s still work to do for the Bulls.
Those Bulls are led offensively by sharpshooter C. J. Massinburg (18.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg), the senior guard who helped this team light up Arizona in the NCAA Tournament last season. He scored 43 at West Virginia and 25 at Syracuse and has proven he can play in big games. Even when Massinburg is off his game, senior guard Jeremy Harris (13.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and senior forward Nick Perkins (13.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg) pick up the slack. Throw in senior guard Dontay Caruthers who put 21 and 28 in the Bulls’ last two games, and this is a deep offense.
Proof of their prominence, Buffalo sits at 24th in KenPom, which is really impressive for a MAC team at this point in the season. They rank 23rd in offensive efficiency and 19th in offensive turnovers, all while playing at a relatively fast tempo. This team has proven that they can play with anybody and they will be a force once more during March Madness.
For the Chippewas, they are going to need their offense to really step up if they are going to stay in this game. For the Bulls, this game is all about getting back on track. They’ve won all nine of their home games and will want a bounce back effort after their loss to Bowling Green.
Next. Buy or Sell top mid-major teams. dark
This should be an offensive showcase, though Buffalo’s defense has demonstrated that it can play in big games. I just don’t think Central Michigan can compete in this game, especially with the Bulls coming off a loss. Expect Buffalo to roll.