UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO ATHLETICS


BUFFALO, N.Y.  University at Buffalo senior guard CJ Massinburg was named the preseason Big 4 Player of the Year, it was announced on Friday afternoon in advance of the official start of the college basketball season.  Joining Massinburg on the All-Big 4 First Team are fellow seniors Nick Perkins and Jeremy Harris.  
Massinburg, a unanimous Preseason All-Big 4 First Team selection, was chosen as the Preseason All-Big 4 Men’s Player of the Year. A Preseason All-MAC East Team selection, Massinburg led the Bulls last year with his 17.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, and his 611 total points tied the Buffalo school record for points in a single season. The Dallas, Texas native scored 20 or more points in 13 games and he led the 2017-18 edition of the Bulls with nine double-double efforts while helping lead Buffalo to a MAC Tournament championship and a win over Arizona in the 2018 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Fellow fourth-year player Nick Perkins was also named to the Preseason All-MAC East squad and last year to the All-MAC First team, while also being named the MAC Sixth Man of the Year for the second straight season.  He is the first player in league history to win the award in back-to-back years.  Perkins led the Bulls in scoring in MAC games and had a stretch of 25 straight games in double figures.
Senior Jeremy Harris made an immediate impact for the Bulls last season in his first year with the team after coming over from junior college and he was the third Buffalo player on the preseason All-MAC East Squad.  Harris was a second-team All-MAC selection as he averaged 15.5 points per game and led the MAC in three-point shooting in league games only. Harris had one of the toughest matches for the Bulls in their NCAA Tournament win over Arizona as he was matched up against the NBA top pick, Deandre Ayton, but Harris was able to use his speed to get the better of the freshman.
Joining Massinburg, Perkins, and Harris on the first team are Isaiah Reese from Canisius and Courtney Stockard from St. Bonaventure.
The Bulls open up the regular season on Tuesday at 4:00 pm when the defending MAC Champions host St. Francis.
2018-19 Preseason All-Big 4 Men’s Basketball Teams
First Team
CJ Massinburg, Buffalo – Preseason Big 4 Player of the Year
Nick Perkins, Buffalo
Jeremy Harris, Buffalo
* Isaiah Reese, Canisius
* Courtney Stockard, St. Bonaventure
Second Team
Malik Johnson, Canisius
Takal Molson, Canisius
Marvin Prochet, Niagara
James Towns, Niagara
LaDarien Griffin, St. Bonaventure
2018-19 Preseason All-Big 4 Women’s Basketball Teams
First Team
* Cierra Dillard, Buffalo – Preseason Big 4 Player of the Year
*Summer Hemphill, Buffalo
*Sara Hinriksdottir, Canisius
Jai Moore, Niagara
* Mckenna Maycock, St. Bonaventure
Second Team
Autumn Jones, Buffalo
Maria Welch, Canisius
Kharysma Bryant, Niagara
Arielle Harvey, St. Bonaventure
Danielle Migliore, St. Bonaventure