What you need to know: UMass hosts URI in crucial Atlantic 10 Conference affair

Photo by Cade Belisle/Daily Collegian

The Massachusetts men’s basketball team has a chance to make up for what slipped away Wednesday against Davidson.

The Minutemen host Rhode Island on Saturday at the Mullins Center in another crucial conference match up. Players said following the team’s 71-63 loss to Davidson at home Wednesday that they felt the game was in reach and simply slipped away at the end. Opportunities to knock off quality conference opponents are slim and the Minutemen could use a “signature” victory.

Without further ado, here’s what you need to know…

MASSACHUSETTS MINUTEMEN (9-8, 2-2 A-10) VS. RHODE ISLAND RAMS (11-4, 3-1 A-10)

Mullins Center, Amherst, Massachusetts
Saturday, Jan. 17, 2:30 p.m. EST
TV Broadcast — NBC Sports Network
Radio:  105.5 FM WEEI (Springfield), 1440 AM WVEI (Worcester) and 1200 AM WXKS (Bloomberg Radio in Boston). UMass Sports Network, 12:40 p.m. ET air time (Network info here:http://www.umassathletics.com/basketballradio.html)
Twitter updates: @MDC_Sports /  @Mark_Chiarelli / @Andrew_Cyr

News and notes

• URI enters with the best defense in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Through 15 games, the Rams are allowing 57.9 points per game.
• Forward Hassan Martin has a lot to do with that. He’s averaging 2.6 blocks per game and alters a lot of opponents’ attempts at easy shots around the rim.
• Rams guard E.C. Matthews leads the team in scoring (17.7 points per game). Matthews was recruited by UMass but ultimately chose Rhode Island.
• UMass held Davidson’s potent offense in check on Wednesday, but failed to make plays down the stretch. Center Cady Lalanne committed two costly turnovers and the team failed to corral a number of rebounds which could’ve swung the momentum. The Minutemen were still lamenting the missed opportunities on Friday.
• This is the 144th meeting between the two teams. UMass leads the series (85-58) and has won the last six. Derek Kellogg and Lalanne spoke about the rivalry after Friday’s practice.
• Kellogg also spoke highly of Lalanne’s recent play. He’ll be counted upon to make an impact against Rams.

Their words, our take 

UMass center Cady Lalanne was asked whether it felt like the team was close to getting over the final hump and stringing together victories. His answer both reflected UMass’ recent improved quality of play, and the awareness that an important stretch of the season is about to kick into gear.

“Yeah, I feel like we’re getting close. Day by day we’re learning each game. It’s a learning curve. I think we’re getting better, but we just have to hurry up and click because the end of the season is nearing and the postseason is around the corner. So we have to hurry up and click.”

What you need to know: UMass focusing on tempo, rebounding against George Mason

Photo by Cade Belisle/Daily Collegian

The Massachusetts men’s basketball team hasn’t put a win streak together since the last week of November, but heads to George Mason with a chance to embark on a new streak.

UMass held on to beat La Salle 71-65 Wednesday night in Philadelphia to win its first Atlantic 10 Conference game of the season. It now faces a George Mason team which also beat La Salle, but is fresh off a 75-65 loss to Richmond.

Without further ado, here’s what you need to know…

MASSACHUSETTS MINUTEMEN (8-7, 1-1 A-10) VS. GEORGE MASON PATRIOTS (6-8, 1-1 A-10)

Patriot Center, Fairfax, Virginia
Sunday, Jan. 11, 1 p.m. EST
TV Broadcast — A-10 Digital Network http://www.atlantic10.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?&db_oem_id=31600&mid=80215
Radio: UMass Sports Network, 12:40 p.m. ET air time (Network info here:http://www.umassathletics.com/basketballradio.html)
Twitter updates: @MDC_Sports /  @Mark_Chiarelli

News and notes

• The Minutemen are no strangers to difficult games with George Mason. The Patriots nearly upset the Minutemen in Virginia last year, but UMass squeaked out an 88-87 victory on a Derrick Gordon layup with 8.1 seconds left. At the time, the Minutemen were ranked No. 16 in the country and the win made them 15-1.
• George Mason earned revenge later in the season, upsetting UMass at the Mullins Center 91-80. Sherrod Wright (22 points), Bryon Allen (19 points) and Erik Copes (15 rebounds) terrorized the Minutemen.
• Luckily for UMass, none of those players still play for George Mason. Junior college transfer Shevon Thompson, who is 6-foot-11, 232 pounds, shoulders the load for the Patriots, averaging 12.9 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.
• In the Minutemen’s last game, forward Maxie Esho shined, scoring 19 points and grabbing a career-high 12 rebounds.
• UMass coach Derek Kellogg debuted a new starting lineup against the Explorers — Donte Clark started instead of Jabarie Hinds — and said he’ll most likely stick with that lineup moving forward.

Their words, our take 

After his team’s Friday practice, Kellogg was asked what the focal point was heading into George Mason.

“I’ve really started concentrating on UMass, to be honest with you. I want us to play our style. I think we were maybe looking at other teams a little too much and saying ‘What are they going to do’ instead of saying ‘What’s UMass’ identity? What do we do?’ We spent a lot of time leading up to the La Salle game of trying to reinforce some of the things that I think we should be doing better.

What you need to know: UMass aims to push tempo against La Salle

Photo by Cade Belisle/Daily Collegian

PHILADELPHIA — The Massachusetts men’s basketball team heads to the “City of Brotherly Love in search of re-kindling strong spirits from earlier this season.

It’s been a tough go for the Minutemen in recent stretch, who are losers of six of their last eight games and are coming off a 69-55 loss to St. Bonaventure to open conference play. They’ll face a La Salle squad which also lost it’s first Atlantic 10 game, 70-62 to George Mason.

Without further ado, here’s what you need to know…

MASSACHUSETTS MINUTEMEN (7-7, 0-1 A-10) VS. LA SALLE EXPLORERS (8-6, 0-1 A-10)

Tom Gola Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Wednesday, Jan. 7, 7 p.m. EST
TV Broadcast — None
Radio: 105.5 FM WEEI (Springfield/Amherst), 1440 AM WVEI (Worcester), UMass Sports Network  http://www.umassathletics.com/basketballradio.html
Twitter updates: @MDC_Sports /  @Mark_Chiarelli

News and notes

• The Minutemen are no strangers to talented scoring guards and will face another Wednesday. Explorers guard Jordan Price, a redshirt sophomore, transferred to La Salle after playing at Auburn his freshman season. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard is averaging 17.5 points per game, a figure which dropped after a 2-point performance against George Mason.
• La Salle is also rich on experience. A combination of Steve Zack, Jerrell Wright and D.J. Peterson have won 68 games for the Explorers. Zack and Wright are two skilled options in the post and should give UMass, a team short on frontcourt depth, a strong challenge.
• Both team’s could use a respected win. The Explorers endured a stretch of four losses in a row to Virginia, Vanderbilt, Villanova and Temple earlier this season and also lost to American in overtime.
• It’s also a battle of teams with recent NCAA Tournament success. La Salle shocked much of the nation two years ago in the tournament, reaching the Sweet 16, while UMass returned to “March Madness” last year for the first time in 16 years.
• Road blues: UMass hasn’t won on the road this season (0-4) and hasn’t gotten off to particularly strong starts in recent games.
• La Salle is 7-3 against UMass in the last 10 meetings, but the Minutemen have won the last two match ups.

Their words, our take 

UMass coach Derek Kellogg wasn’t particularly pleased with his team’s performance following the loss to St. Bonaventure. One of the focuses this week in practice was returning to the core of “UMass basketball,” which is predicated on transition offense and stronger defense.

“I think we’re going to have to do that a little bit more. We’ve not played well against (St. Bonaventure) at times throughout the years because of that when the tempo’s not moving. We didn’t get the tempo the way we like and it became more of a half-court, rough-house type of game. That doesn’t really fit our style, so we’re going to be working on forcing tempo.”

What you need to know: UMass returns to action against dangerous Iona squad

Photo by Cade Belisle/Daily Collegian

The Massachusetts men’s basketball team has faced its fair share of high-powered opponents this year, and its game against Iona Tuesday poses another challenge.

The Gaels rank within the top 30 nationally in points and assists per game and total field goal percentage. They’re a favorite within the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference — UMass has faced Siena and Manhattan, which are members of the same conference — and face a UMass team which has lost five of its last six games. The Minutemen haven’t played since a Dec. 23 overtime loss to Brigham Young.

Without further ado, here’s what you need to know…

MASSACHUSETTS MINUTEMEN (6-6) VS. IONA GAELS (8-4)

Mullins Center, Amherst, Massachusetts
7 p.m. EST
TV Broadcast — None
Radio: 105.5 FM WEEI (Springfield/Amherst), 1440 AM WVEI (Worcester), UMass Sports Network  http://www.umassathletics.com/basketballradio.html
Twitter updates: @MDC_Sports / @Andrew_Cyr / @Mark_Chiarelli

News and notes

• Tuesday marks UMass’ final non-conference game of the season. Its Atlantic 10 Conference schedule begins Saturday at home against St. Bonaventure.
• Iona guard A.J. English is the real deal. The junior guard upped his efficiency from a year ago and is averaging 23.4 points per game on 46 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent shooting on 3-pointers. He’s had impressive scoring performances against Wake Forest (27 points), Florida Gulf Coast (27 points) and Arkansas (25 points).
• The Gaels are averaging 85.2 points per game which is eighth in the nation.
• Will the Donte Clark from the BYU game show up again? The Minutemen freshman made his mark after halftime, scoring 14 points while establishing his role as a wing scorer. UMass will need more of that to stabilize a scuffling offense. The Minutemen are 6-3 this season when scoring at least 70 points.
• Struggling stalwarts: Over his last four games, UMass center Cady Lalanne is averaging 10 points, seven rebounds and 2.5 turnovers. Guard Derrick Gordon is averaging just over eight points per game in that stretch, while Trey Davis has scored in double-figures only four times since his 28-point scoring outburst on opening night against Siena.

Their words, our take 

Despite losing to BYU, UMass coach Derek Kellogg was pleased with the effort of his team, specifically on the defensive end. It was an encouraging performance by the Minutemen in a hostile road environment and gives Kellogg something to build on moving forward. He had this to say regarding the defensive performance against the Cougars to Masslive.com.

“I thought we played much better defense today. We paid attention to detail and got up and pressured the ball some. We made their shooters work. We didn’t turn the ball over as much as give easy baskets going the other way like we’d been doing against very good teams.”

What you need to know: UMass hosts Northeastern in matinee affair

Photo by Cade Belisle/Daily Collegian

School’s closed, but the Mullins Center is not, as the Massachusetts men’s basketball team hosts Northeastern in what turned out to be a snow-filled, matinee contest. The game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m. but was bumped up to 2 p.m. to help with travel/safety concerns for fans and team personnel as a significant winter storm approaches the western part of Massachusetts.

Without further ado, here’s what you need to know…

MASSACHUSETTS MINUTEMEN (4-1) VS. NORTHEASTERN HUSKIES (4-0)

Mullins Center, Amherst, Massachusetts
2 p.m. EST
TV Broadcast — A-10 digital network (warning, it’s not free)
Radio: 105.5 FM WEEI (Springfield/Amherst), 1440 AM WVEI (Worcester), 95.9 FM WATD (South Shore), 1200 AM WXKS (Boston, Worcester, Manchester, Providence)
Twitter updates: @MDC_Sports / @Andrew_Cyr / @Mark_Chiarelli

News and notes

• Think this is just a filler game  for UMass? Think again. Northeastern handily beat Manhattan 65-51 this season, also beat Florida State and even received a vote in the AP top 25. The Huskies are one of the favorites in the Colonial Athletic Association, and will quietly compete for bragging rights as the best team in Massachusetts.
• Wednesday’s match-up also pits two teams playing completely different styles. Northeastern plays slowly and fires up a high percent of 3-pointers. Nearly 50 percent of those 3-pointers go in for the Huskies. UMass, meanwhile, will take any chance it can to turn this game into a track meet. Can the mid-majors keep up with the Minutemen’s speed and size?
• UMass center Cady Lalanne is quietly off to a very strong start. The senior center is averaging 15.8 points per game, 10.2 rebounds per game and three blocks per game in 29 minutes per contest. The biggest difference from last season? He’s nearly tripled his free throw attempts per game.
• Stopping Northeastern’s Scott Eatherton will be Lalanne’s chief focus. Eatherton is averaging 16.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and is the Huskies biggest threat in the paint.
• The last time UMass took the floor, the bench stepped up. Jabarie Hinds and Donte Clark each scored 15 point and played crucial minutes down the stretch. Will the Minutemen’s second unit take another step forward today? Or will coach Derek Kellogg have to rely on his starters yet again?

Esho’s consistency paces UMass to 71-62 victory over Boston College

Photo by Alec Zabrecky/Daily Collegian

BOSTON — A season ago, Massachusetts men’s basketball forward Maxie Esho was considered a vital member of the Minutemen as an energetic spark off the bench.

Through two games of 2014, Esho’s energy is as apparent as ever. But now he’s doing it in an expanded role.

Esho scored 23 points, added nine rebounds, blocked two shots and added two steals in a team-high 37 minutes on Sunday in a 71-62 UMass victory over Boston College. That performance came on the heels of a 21-point performance in the Minutemen’s season-opening win victory against Siena on Friday.

He was UMass’ best player on Sunday and, at times, single-handedly kept the Minutemen in the game.

“He was all over the court,” UMass coach Derek Kellogg said. “On the defensive end, he did some great things. Then he established himself to score on that low block in the low-post area, and I thought that gave us another advantage.”

What you need to know: UMass faces Boston College at the TD Garden

Photo by Alec Zabrecky/Daily Collegian

The Massachusetts men’s basketball team returns to action this afternoon against Boston College at the TD Garden in the Coaches vs. Cancer tripleheader tournament. UMass and BC are scheduled to tip at 3 p.m. and both teams enter with a 1-0 record.

Without further ado, here’s what you need to know.

MASSACHUSETTS MINUTEMEN (1-0) VS. BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES (0-0)

TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
3 p.m. EST
Game Preview
TV Broadcast — NESN
105.5 FM WEEI (Springfield/Amherst), 1440 AM WVEI (Worcester), 95.9 FM WATD (South Shore), 1200 AM WXKS (Boston, Worcester, Manchester, Providence)
Twitter updates: @MDC_Sports / @Andrew_Cyr / @Mark_Chiarelli

News and notes

• UMass and Boston College square off for the second time in as many years, in the same venue no less. A year ago, the Minutemen opened up a second-half lead and  won 86-73. UMass center Cady Lalanne scored 27 points and 12 rebounds against the Eagles in one of his strongest performances of that season.
• The Minutemen knocked Siena roughly 48 hours ago, 95-87. A combination of Trey Davis, Derrick Gordon, Maxie Esho and Cady Lalanne scored 81 points in the victory.
• Boston College enters with  a new roster under a new coach. Former Ohio basketball coach Jim Christian now leads the Eagles in his first season at the helm, and brought in graduate student transfer Aaron Brown to bolster the scoring load. Brown’s spent time at Southern Miss and Temple, and scored 21 points in BC’s season-opening win against New Hampshire.
• BC also has center Dennis Clifford, who played his most minutes (24) in a game since February of 2013. He’s battled injuries during his tenure at Boston College. At 7 feet tall, he poses a good matchup against Lalanne.
• UMass coach Derek Kellogg said yesterday he plans to use shooting guard Derrick Gordon as a defensive matchup for Boston College’s Olivier Hanlan. The Eagles run their offense around Hanlan, who averaged over 18 points per game last season.
• There are no injuries to report for UMass.