UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO ATHLETICS
BUFFALO, N.Y. — University at Buffalo head men’s basketball coach Nate Oats continued to receive honors on Friday for UB’s record-breaking season as he was named a finalist for both the Skip Prosser Award and the Hugh Durham Award.
Named after the late Skip Prosser, who died suddenly in 2007 while the head coach at Wake Forest, the award is presented annually to those who not only achieve success on the basketball court but who also display moral integrity off of it as well.
The Hugh Durham Award is presented annually to the nation’s top mid-major coach.
Oats led the Bulls to their most successful season in school history as Buffalo went 27-9, setting a school record for wins in a season, while picking up UB’s first ever NCAA Tournament win, an 89-68 triumph over PAC-12 champion, Arizona. The Bulls won their first outright MAC Regular Season Title, earning the #1 seed in the conference tournament for the first time. The Bulls used that seeding to make a run at the MAC Tournament title, defeating #2 Toledo, 76-66.
The 2017-18 Bulls set school records for wins (27), scoring offense (84.6), total rebounds (1388), field goals made (1105), and three pointers made (351). They finished with 589 assists, which were the most in a season since 1973-74.
Oats has already been named the NABC District 14 Coach of the Year and the Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year.
Both the recipient Skip Prosser Award and Hugh Durham Award will be announced on April 2 in San Antonio, site of the Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship.
