Brian Flinn:
Future150 National Recruiting Analyst. Covering high school basketball nationally.
Buffalo, NY (Future150) -- The Big Dance is finally here and while everyone would like to cut down the nets, there can only be one champion. That being said, there is always the chance that the next season could be better than the last. With that in mind, Future150 would like to introduce "The Next Step", a segment dedicated to breaking down each program's recruitng class as they bow out of the tournament; because there's always next season.
The Buffalo Bulls made the dance last year under Coach Bobby Hurley, and again this year under Nate Oates. It appears that they are a program on the rise, and Oates a rising star as well. Miami was able to fend them off in their opening round game, but the MAC program was with 8 points for a majority of the game.
Senior guard Jarryn Skeete and wing Rodell Wiggington will both move on after this year, but there is still plenty to be excited about in Buffalo. Lamonte Bearden is set to return, and the Bulls could be looking at the best overall recruiting class they've seen to date.
Brock Bertram, James Jones, and Quate McKinzie form a trio of three star recruits that all saw interest from high-major programs at different points in their careers.
Bertram is a mammoth of a center, at 6-foot-11 and 250 pounds. His rebounding and ability to score in the post will be welcome in the MAC, where he will be very hard to match up with physically.
Jones is a scoring wing guard who can create offense for himself or for his teammates. He can also shoot it a little bit from beyond the arc, or score at the tin. At 6-foot-4, he has the ideal size to play alongside Bearden.
Finally, Quate McKinzie is an uber-athletic forward who runs the floor like a guard and has yet to play his best basketball. His above-the-rim act will make him a fan favorite from day one, as well as a defensive menace.
The bottom line is, as long as Nate Oates and Lamonte Bearden are both in Buffalo, the Bulls must be considered the class of the MAC next year.
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