University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Takes On Converse All-Stars
November 10, 1999 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 10, 1999
CENTERS OF ATTENTION It is still very early and it was the California All-Stars who didn?t know what a zone defense was BUT, the UMass big men did look good in their 1999-2000 debut. In fact, senior Anthony Oates, junior Kitwana Rhymer and freshman Micah Brand combined for a total of 40 minutes of playing time. In that span they scored 28 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and blocked a pair of shots. Brand received the most attention with his 10 for 10 showing at the free throw line to go along with eight boards and 16 total points in his UMass debut, but Rhymer may have perhaps had the best showing. In only 16 minutes of play big Kit banged the boards with gusto grabbing nine rebounds, five on the offensive end, while dishing out an assist, picking off a steal and swatting away a pair of blocked shots.
RUN & GUN Again, we are talking about one exhibition game and a high scoring affair against the California All-Stars does not make a season, but....WOW! For the first time in Mullins Center history the Minutemen rang up a triple digit figure on the home side with 103 points this past Wednesday night. Five players scored in double figures and this is with a team that did not have its leading scorer from a year ago, Monty Mack, and without starting small forward Mike Babul. The new up and down style produced 30 fastbreak points, nine more points than last year?s highwater mark of 21 against the Converse All-Stars. The 103 points was the most by UMass since they rang up 103 at Duquesne in 1995. It also marked the most points by a Bruiser Flint led team. The previous high was 90 points accomplished in wins over Boston College and Wyoming in the 1996-97 season.
WHO?S HOT? Sophomore Shannon Crooks lit up the California All-Stars for 24 points and seven assists in his first game as a Minuteman...also making a good first impression was freshman Micah Brand who in his maroon & white debut scored 16 and grabbed eight boards...perhaps the most impressive aspect of his game was the fact that he was perfect from the free throw line, 10 of 10...picking up where he left off last season was senior Chris Kirkland who led UMass with 26 points and six rebounds...he was 12 of 15 from the field for the evening.
WELCOME TO THE TEAM Senior Dwayne Early is the latest addition to the UMass basketball family. Early is a 6-4, 205-pound walk-on guard from Springfield Central High School. Early will be wearing No. 24 this season. Joining him is C.W. Post transfer, Dale Menendez. Menendez is 5-8, 180 pound point guard who will not be eligible to play this season due to NCAA transfer rules. At Westhampton Beach high school, Menendez led his team to the New York State Class B Championship after posting a perfect 28-0 record. He pulled double duty for Westhampton scoring 1,000 points while also rushing for 1,000 yards in his career as a scholastic athlete.
TELEVISION UPDATE UMass basketball has been a popular television show in the ?90s and continues to be a prominant TV player as the new millenium beckons. Three more games have been added to the television slate, giving the Minutemen 20 televised games during the regular season. In Detroit against the Titans, Fox-Detroit is producing the now 3:05 tipoff (previously 4:05), and the game will be aired locally by Fox-New England. The New England Sports Network (NESN) has also announced that it will be televising the Commonwealth Classic pitting UMass against Boston College at Conte Forum, and the UMass-Providence tilt on December 30 at the Providence Civic Center.
THE BRUISER SHOW Coach Flint?s weekly radio show, ?The Bruiser Flint Show,? is on live from Rafter?s Sports Bar and Restaurant in Amherst from 6-7 p.m. beginning Tuesday, Nov. 16 on WHMP 99.3 FM and 1400 AM (Northampton). Selected shows will also be broadcast on WORC (Worcester) and WBRK (Pittsfield). The show, hosted by WHMP Sports Announcer Bob Behler, runs throughout the entire season. The night may vary in accordance with the UMass schedule. The ?UMass Basketball Show with Bruiser Flint presented by the TJX Companies,? airs on WGGB Channel 40 (ABC, Springfield) on Sunday evenings at 11:35 p.m. The show will also be shown by WGGB on Sunday afternoons at 12:30 p.m. on weekends when UMass does not play a Sunday game. Fox Sports New England will carry the show on a tape delay basis on Monday evenings.
MY CAPTAIN Senior leadership has always played an important part of UMass basketball and this year should be a banner year in that department. Senior Mike Babul and Chris Kirkland were named co-captains this year not only because of their improved play but because of their leadership skills and poise under fire.
ANY TIME, ANY TEAM, ANY WHERE This season, UMass will have 10 teams on their schedule which appeared in the 1999 NCAA Tournament and two teams that competed in last year?s NIT. This schedule includes a game against defending national champion UConn, and games against perennial national powers Texas and Villanova, 1999 NCAA Tourney participants Detroit, Rhode Island, Temple and George Washington, and NIT participants, Xavier and Providence. The Minutemen will appear on television at least 20 times this year, including seven national telecasts.
AGAINST CONVERSE For those of you that think exhibition games are pushovers you may want to rethink that thought. This year?s Converse squad has already beaten Iona, 84-80, and gave Hofstra all it could handle. Last year UMass squeeked out an 84-82 victory against Mickey Walker?s crew behind the inside-outside scoring of Ajmal Basit (16 pts) and Rafael Cruz (14 pts.). The Minutemen turned the ball over 23 times as playing time was spread out amongst 10 players who all saw at least 13 minutes of action.
RECOGNIZE THESE GUYS? A few familiar names may be in Converse uniforms tonight. 1999 UMass graduate Charlton Clarke is listed on the roster and has started for the All-Stars against Iona and Siena last week. Clarke finished his UMass career as only the second Minuteman in UMass history to score 1,000 points and register 350 assists. Another familiar name should be Kashif Hameed. Hameed scored 27 points on UMass last season as an Iona Gael and was a big reason why the Gaels won 77-58. Watch for him to score early. He scored the first 14 points for Iona in that January contest last year.
PRESEASON HONORS
Mike Babul ? All-Atlantic 10 Defensive team (Preseason A-10 selection) ? Honorable Mention Anson Mount Scholar Athlete (Playboy)
Chris Kirkland ? Third team All-America (College Hoops Insider) ? 17th best slasher in the nation (Basketball News) ? Third team All-Atlantic 10 (Athlon)
Monty Mack ? 17th best shooting guard in the nation (Dick Vitale?s College Basketball) ? 24th best shooting guard in the nation (The Sporting News) ? First team All-Atlantic 10 (The Sporting News) ? First team All-Atlantic 10 (Preseason A-10 selection) ? Second team All-Atlantic 10 (Athlon) ? Second team All-Atlantic 10 (Dick Vitale?s College Basketball) ? Third team All-Atlantic 10 (Lindy?s) ? Best of the Rest (Playboy)
UMass Backcourt ? 10th best in the nation (The Sporting News)
