College

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Buffalo Ex-Pat's Greatest Moments in Buffalo & WNY College Sports

1. St. Bonaventure and Buffalo Bob Lanier in NCAA Final Four 1970
2. The Calvin Murphy years, Niagara University Basketball 1967-70
3. The Randy Smith years at Buff State 1968-71
4. 1958 and 2008 for UB Bulls Football
5. The Frank Mackinnon years at Canisius (basketball)

Send your comments, alternative great moments, or add to the list.

The Little Three is now The Big Four

In our attempts to keep ExPats in the loop we will announce a change that has no doubt been operative for quite a while but just noticed by us. Perhaps you're as far out of the loop on this as we were. What was once (in our day) the Little Three basketball rivalry (St. Bona, Canisius and Niagara) is now the "Big Four." Enter UB. For now, they're on a different page. Check our latest post about their men's basketball program.

St. Bona

Bob Lanier of Bennett High School in Buffalo anchored the most successful college sports team from Western New York ever. The 6-11center led the Bonnies to the Final Four but ironically was not able to play in their first and only Final Four appearance. Injured in what many of us consider a dirty play by Chris Ford of Villanova when it was too late in the game for Villanova to defeat Bona in the East Regional Final, "Buffalo Bob" was unable to compete in the semi-finals. Though the team played tough without him, they lost the semi-final game and the consolation game, fininshing fourth in the Final Four. Many of us believe they would have easily gone to the Championship game against UCLA had Lanier been healthy, and perhaps even won the game. But we'll never know. More recently, his alma mater honored Lanier by naming their home court after him.

Ironically, Lanier was drafted by the Detroit Pistons where he had many great years playing along side his nemesis, Chris Ford. He later finished his Hall of Fame career with the Milwaukee Bucks. One trivial matter: Lanier was famous for his size 19 sneakers. More on Lanier.

Canisius

Bob Mackinnon played for the first Canisius team to enjoy March Madness from the hardwood, in 1955. He later returned to coach Canisus for several years and eventually moved up for a short tenure as head coach of the NBA Buffalo Braves. Mackinnon's years at Canisius as player and coach include all the best years in the school's basketball history, with the exception of the team's only return to the Big Dance: 1996.
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Niagara

The Past is Now at Niagara!
This year's Purple Eagles are 12-3 (as of 1/12/09)and ranked 56th in the RIP Top 100.

The Past was Calvin Murphy.

Concurrent with Bob Lanier's run at St. Bona, Western New Yorkers were treated to an equally good individual show to the north at Niagara. Calvin Murphy helped his Purple Eagles intensify the rivalry of the two Catholic schools in the late 60's, although Niagara never achieved as much as a team as did the Bonnies. Murphy did take his team to the NCAA tournament while on campus, and after graduation had a brilliant career with the Houston Rockets, earning NBA Hall of Fame honors, to join his contemporary, Mr. Lanier.

Other Key Moments in NU Basketball History

In the 1985-86 Season the Purple Eagles became members of a select list of Division I NCAA schools to post their 1000th victory. In 2007, the Eagles won their first NCAA tournament victory and fought hard against Kansas in the second round before eventually losing.

Buff State

The late Randy Smith's third sport at Buffalo State was basketball. He was primarily known as a high-jumper on their Track and Field Team. His second suit was playing keeper for the Bengal Soccer side. To stay in shape in the "off-season" he played basketball. Still, Smith enjoyed star status in all three sports at Buff State, and brought a greater concentration of victory to the overall athletic program at the school during his tenure there, than at any time before or since. But when he was drafted by the Buffalo Braves of the NBA, no one expected him to make the team. Not only did he make the team, he became a starter, an All-Star, and an All-Star Game MVP. See more about Smith on our Braves page.

(This page archived 10/09)

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