TURNING THINGS AROUND


It has only been a little over four years since the State University of New York at Buffalo was engulfed in scandal. Even the brutal winter weather of Western New York was more forgiving the circumstances inherited by Reggie Witherspoon.

With high academic standards and the lure of a balmy sub-zero nights, rebuilding would be a daunting if not impossible. But Witherspoon was the perfect fir for a program all but buried in mountainous drift of sanctions.

Amidst turmoil, coach Tim Cohane resigned just five games into the 1999-2000 season, leaving Buffalo in the precarious position of finding a successor from outside the program. Almost immediately, Whiterspoon was hired away from Erie Community College and had just a few days to prepare to face the University of North Carolina.

"It was an extremely difficult situation." says Witherspoon. "One minute I was coaching at Erie and the next minute I was the interim coach at Buffalo. Just wanted to try to keep things together and get through the season."

On March 19, 2000, the interim title was dropped and, despite a 5-23 record, Witherspoon was named head coach. The decision to hire Witherspoon was met with surprise by many people around the country, but keeping the Buffalo native would prove to be a great move by the newest member of the Mid-American Conference.

The 42-year old Witherspoon is a member of a tight-knit group that calls Buffalo home. The boys from Be-Low have made their mark on basketball, from the likes of John Beilein (West Virginia) to Jim O'Brien (former Boston Celtics head coach) and a host of others who keep in contact with one another regularly. But it's Beilein and O'Brien that have made the biggest impact of Witherspoon.

"I have learned so much from both John and Jim," says Witherspoon. "Coach Beilein gave me my introduction to basketball. In high school, you think that all you need is skills, but I quickly learned otherwise. And coach O'Brien taught me so much about the defensive aspect of the game."

The philosophy and approach of Beilein and O'Brien are very evident when watching Witherspoon's Bulls. Attention to detail, unrelenting play and a first-class demeanor have always been products of Witherspoon's teams, but one thing that O'Brien told him long ago has made the difference. "Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves."

Off the court, Witherspoon had done big things, making a great impact on the local community. Witherspoon and the players make regular visits to Roswell Park Cancer Institute, hoping to make even a small difference.

"All of us think we are going through though times and have to deal with adversity, but it's nothing compared to what these kids have to deal with," says Witherspoon. "We are trying to win basketball games and these kids are trying to live. It really puts things in perspective. Whatever we can do, no matter how small, is important."

Last season, Witherspoon and players met Dayon Barnes, a high school senior battling cancer. Barnes, a quite and reserved kid, wasn't responding to rehabilitation as well as the hospital staff and hoped. Doctors informed Witherspoon that it was essential that Dayon open up more or it could have adverse effect on his long-term prognosis.

Witherspoon and his players would prove to be the perfect medicine.

Barnes' love of basketball and his quick attachment to Witherspoon and the Bulls helped him to respond better to treatments. Barnes was recently released from the hospital and is currently doing well.

This season, 11-year old Acara Davis had been adopted by the team, attending games and following the team regularly.

Small things, which have produced big results.

Unfortunately, it was big things that Witherspoon had to overcome when he took over the program namely a lack of talent. It would take the focus on all the little things to get the program back on track.

The Bulls won only three conference games that first season, but that was three more than the previous season. And his second ever win came against firs-place Akron. They were little things in the big picture, but they were steps in the right direction.

Then came the recruitment of four freshmen. Turner Battle, Jason Bird, Mark Bortz and Daniel Gilbert didn't explode onto the scene in the MAC, but collectively, their combined GPA during in the first semester was better than any freshmen class in America.

But on the court, the Bulls managed just a 4-24 mark. Geographically, Erie Community College was just a short ride from Witherspoon's new coaching residence, but the level of success seemed light years away.

In his two-year stint at Erie, Witherspoon won 44 games and earned Region III coach-of-the-year honors. The reality of being two years removed from a team that went 24-5 to coaching a program with two-year total of just five conference wins was not easy.

"I knew it was going to be a challenge and those first couple of years were very tough," says Witherspoon, "but I felt that we were headed in the right direction. We had an excellent recruiting class and we were making progress."

Witherspoon and his staff were still feeling the effects of NCAA probation when his team posted a 12-18 mark in 2001-02, which included more conference wins (7) than the two previous seasons combined. But just a year later the Bulls slipped to 5-23 and there were whispers of change.

But such conversations were reserved for the misinformed. A four-year record of 24-85 was less than impressive, but Witherspoon's progress could not be measured by mere wins and losses.

"People don't understand what a tremendous job he has done," says Bowling Green head coach Dan Dakich. "He inherited a tough situation, but he had done a terrific job of bring his program along."

Last season, 85 percent of the team's minutes were absorbed by freshman and sophomores and the team currently has no seniors. Whiterspoon now has a talented core of young players, anchored by a future MAC star in freshman Yassin Idbihi. And in December, Buffalo cracked the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 for the first time in school history.

The Bulls' stay in the rankings was short-lived but, four years removed from the cold reality of probation, folks in Western New York are beginning to warm up to the idea that they have a team on the verge of big things.