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 its 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 – 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(?)

• 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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: Leo Richardson
  FINAL RECORD: 6-18
• 1978 – 1979
  Coach: Bill Hughes
  FINAL RECORD: 7-18
• 1979 – 1980
  Coach: Bill Hughes
  FINAL RECORD: 17-10

• 1980 – 1981
  Coach: Bill Hughes
  FINAL RECORD: 12-15
• 1981 – 1982
  Coach: Bill 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 2021
  Coach: Jim Whitesell
  FINAL RECORD: 16-9