BUFFALO — The UB Bulls men’s basketball team will be tipping it off against their cross-town rivals Canisius on Saturday afternoon as part of the Big Four Classic taking place at the KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo. As part of the afternoon affair, both Buffalo and Canisius will be wearing throwback uniforms for the game. The Bulls will be wearing their uniforms from the 1980’s that are white and include a blue script writing of the word “Buffalo.”
The Bulls will be tipping it off against their cross-town rivals Canisius on Saturday afternoon as part of the Big Four Classic taking place at the KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo. As part of the afternoon affair, both Buffalo and Canisius will be wearing throwback uniforms for the game. The Bulls will be wearing their uniforms from the 1980’s that are white and include a blue script writing of the word “Buffalo.”
Buffalo and Canisius have played down at the KeyBank Center (formally First Niagara Center) twice over their last three meetings with each school winning one of the contests. The Griffs took the first meeting during the 2013-14 season before the Bulls defeated Canisius 72-57 in 2014-15.
Saturday will mark the final game against a Big 4 opponent this season for the Bulls. UB is currently 1-1 on the year after defeating Niagara, but falling against St. Bonaventure. The Bulls have not finished a season under .500 against the Big 4 since 2013-14. Buffalo has also won at least one game against a Big 4 school in every season since 2000-01.
Canisius is 6-5 on the season following a 77-64 win over Albany on Monday night. The Golden Griffins have won three straight games and five of their last six contests. Canisius opened the season at nationally-ranked Kentucky, putting a scare into the Wildcats during the first half of play.
Canisius has three players averaging in double figures led by Kassius Robertson, who is averaging 18.0 points per game and is shooting nearly 49% from three-point range. Jermaine Crumpton is averaging 15.4 points per contest, while Phil Valenti is averaging 12.4 points and a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game. Through their first 11 games, the Golden Griffins have used the same stating lineup for 10 of those contests.
Canisius is currently in the top 20 in the nation in assists per game, averaging 18.0 per contest. They are also in the top 20 in three pointers made with 102. Kassius Robertson is seventh nationally in three pointers made and 10 in 3-pointer made per game at 3.73.
Reggie Witherspoon is in his first season as head coach at Canisius after spending the last two years as an assistant coach at Alabama and UT-Chattanooga. Prior to that, Witherspoon served as head coach at the University at Buffalo where he compiled a 196-228 record from 1999-2013. His 196 wins are third all time at UB and his 14 years as a head coach are tied for second. Witherspoon took over as Buffalo’s interim head coach five games into the 1999-00 season after a two-year term as the head coach at Erie Community College. In his time leading the Kats, Witherspoon posted a 43-15 record.
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