University of Massachusets Athletics
Men's Hoops Takes On Southern Illinois
December 20, 1999 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 20, 1999
AMHERST, Mass. - UMass comes into the game with an overall record of 5-3, while Southern Illinois stands 3-4. The game will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Under head coach Bruiser Flint the Minutemen are 29-12 in day games and 7-11 on Tuesdays. The Minutemen have played three day games so far this season, defeating Boston College and Florida State, while falling to Detroit.
Good Start
With a 5-3 record after eight games this year the Minutemen are in a much better situation than they were last season at this time of the year. After the first seven games of 1998, UMass was 3-5 and wouldn't win its fifth game until January 7. UMass entered last year's conference season with a 3-6 non-conference record. The 5-3 start equals the best start in the four years Bruiser Flint has been the UMass head coach. The 1997-98 squad also started 5-3 and would open its conference season with a 6-5 non-conference record.
Shooting Well
After eight games the Minutemen are shooting 40.2 percent from the field while averaging 66.1 points a game. Both marks are better than last years 34.4 percent and 64.3 ppg averages at the end of the season. In fact, UMass has shot better from the field than its opponent in all but two games in this young season. Only defending national champion UConn and Florida State have outshot the Minutemen. UMass is 4-2 on the year when it shoots better from the floor than its opponent.
WHO'S HOT?
Senior Monty Mack is coming off his best game of the season, scoring 30 points in the victory over Florida State on Saturday. Mack hit four three-pointers in the game, while also connecting on all 12 of his free throw attempts against the Seminoles. Following the game, Mack was honored as the Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week. For the season, Mack has scored over 20 points in five of UMass' eight games, including 26 points against both UConn and Boston College. For the season, Mack is averaging 19.3 points per game.
Game #9 UMass vs. Southern Illinois
| Tipoff | 4:00 p.m. (EST) |
| Radio | WHMP 1400 AM/99.3 FM |
| (Bob Behler, Skip Connors, Jack Leaman) | |
| Television | None |
| Polls | ESPN/USA Today - NR |
| Associated Press - NR | |
| Site | Eugenio Guerra Sports Complex (2,500) |
| Bayamon, Puerto Rico |
PROBABLE STARTERS VS. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
| # | P | Name | Ht | Yr-Cl | Pts | Reb | Hometown | Quick Facts |
| 3 | F | Ronell Blizzard | 6-8 | So.-1L | 2.3 | 2.1 | Waterbury, Conn. | started for the first time in his career vs. Florida St. |
| 22 | F | Chris Kirkland | 6-6 | Sr.-3L | 16.0 | 5.4 | Timmonsville, S.C. | scored a season-high 23 points against Boston Univ. |
| 33 | C | Kitwana Rhymer | 6-10 | Jr.-1L | 6.9 | 8.9 | St. Thomas, V. Islands | leads the team with 8.9 rebounds per game |
| 1 | G | Jonathan DePina | 5-9 | Jr.-2L | 4.4 | 2.8 | Boston, Mass | has equalled last year's total of 3-pointers this season |
| 5 | G | Monty Mack | 6-3 | Sr.-2L | 19.3 | 2.8 | Boston, Mass | scored a season-high 30 points vs. Florida State |
| 23 | F | Mike Babul | 6-6 | Sr.-3L | 3.1 | 2.8 | North Attleboro, Mass | held Kevin Freeman to two points at UConn |
| 30 | G | Shannon Crooks | 6-2 | So.-Tr. | 8.1 | 3.5 | Everett, Mass. | hit 25-foot game-winning shot vs. 'Nova with 14.3 left |
| 40 | C | Micah Brand | 6-11 | Fr.-HS | 4.5 | 3.1 | Middletown, N.Y. | scored career-high 11 points at Detroit |
| 20 | F | Winston Smith | 6-5 | Jr.-2L | 1.4 | 1.0 | Summit, N.J. | played a season-high 26 minutes at Boston College |
| 0 | C | Anthony Oates | 6-10 | Sr.-1L | 0.4 | 1.0 | Phoenix, Ariz. | did not play against Marshall due to bruised left foot |
| 4 | G | JoVann Johnson | 6-3 | Jr.-Tr. | 0.0 | 0.8 | Johnson City, Tenn. | scored 15 and grabbed 7 rebounds vs. Conv. All-Stars |
| 24 | G | Dwayne Early | 6-4 | Sr.-HS | 0.0 | 0.0 | Springfield, Mass. | played in his first collegiate game against Boston U. |
| 11 | G | Darryl Denson | 6-0 | Jr.-1L | 0.0 | 0.0 | Springfield, Mass. | walked on the team last season as a sophomore |
Bruiser Flint: UMass head coach Bruiser Flint is in his fourth season as head coach of the Minutemen (59-44, .573) and 11th season as a coach at UMass.
NEXT UP: Following the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic, the Minutemen will be off until Thursday, Dec. 30, when they travel to Providence for a 7:30 p.m. game. After that game, UMass will open its Atlantic 10 Conference schedule at home against St. Bonaventure on Thursday, Jan. 6.
The Series with Southern Illinois
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Minutemen and the Salukis. UMass has only played three games in its history against current members of the Missouri Valley Conference, going 0-3. In the 1964-65 season, the Minutemen were defeated at Evansville 113-82, then lost at Bradley 101-73. The only other game for UMass against a Missouri Valley foe, it fell at Evansville 93-72 in the Evansville Invitational. The last time the Minutemen actually played a game against Missouri Valley Conference team came in the 1995 NCAA Tournament, when UMass defeated Tulsa 76-51 in the Sweet Sixteen (Tulsa has since moved to the Western Athletic Conference).
Kirkland Stays Hot
Senior co-captain Chris Kirkland has stepped up his play over the last five games. He has led the team in scoring three times and in rebounding twice during that five-game span, while averaging 18.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Kirkland's streak of hot play began against Boston University of Dec. 2, when he scored a season-high 23 points on 10 of 15 shooting. He followed that up with 16 points at Boston College, before exploding for 22 points and nine rebounds in the come-from-behind victory over Villanova. At Detroit, Kirkland once again led the team with 17 points and six rebounds, then he came through with 16 points and six boards in the victory over Florida State. For the season, Kirkland has now scored in double figures seven times, while averaging 16.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Dating back to last season, Kirkland has now scored in double figures 14 times in his last 15 games.
A Visit with Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois enters the game with an overall record of 3-4 on the season. The Salukis have defeated Western Kentucky, Evansville and Illinois-Chicago, while falling to Ball State, Long Beach State, Santa Clara and Southwest Missouri State. Four Salukis are averaging in double figures, led by Kent Williams with an average of 14.6 points per game. Chris Thunell scores 11.9 points per contest, while Derrick Tilmon chips in with 11.1 points and Ricky Collum averages 10.7 points.
Climbing the Charts
Senior Monty Mack is attacking the UMass career leader boards for three-point shooting. His 86 three-pointers made last season were the third best single season performance in UMass history. He has 23 three-pointers on the season and currently sits fourth all-time for three-pointers made at UMass. At his current pace, he will pass Carmelo Travieso as the all-time leader in three-pointers made.
3-point Field Goals Made
| Player | 3FG | 3FGA | Pct. | Years | |
| 1. | Carmelo Travieso '97 | 245 | 666 | .368 | 1993-97 |
| 2. | Rafer Giles '91 | 221 | 592 | .373 | 1987-91 |
| 3. | Lorenzo Sutton '88 | 178 | 424 | .420 | 1984-88 |
| 4. | Monty Mack '00 | 163 | 454 | .359 | 1997- |
| 5. | Derek Kellogg '95 | 138 | 362 | .381 | 1991-95 |
| 6. | Edgar Padilla '97 | 136 | 431 | .316 | 1993-97 |
| 7. | Mike Williams '95 | 123 | 406 | .303 | 1991-95 |
| 8. | Tony Barbee '93 | 116 | 341 | .340 | 1989-93 |
| 9. | Charlton Clarke '99 | 113 | 339 | .333 | 1995-99 |
| 10. | Anton Brown '92 | 92 | 218 | .422 | 1988-92 |
3-point Field Goal Attempts
| Player | 3FG | 3FGA | Pct. | Years | |
| 1. | Carmelo Travieso '97 | 245 | 666 | .368 | 1993-97 |
| 2. | Rafer Giles '91 | 221 | 592 | .373 | 1987-91 |
| 3. | Monty Mack '00 | 163 | 454 | .359 | 1997- |
| 4. | Edgar Padilla '97 | 136 | 431 | .316 | 1993-97 |
| 5. | Lorenzo Sutton '88 | 178 | 424 | .420 | 1984-88 |
| 6. | Mike Williams '95 | 123 | 406 | .303 | 1991-95 |
| 7. | Derek Kellogg '95 | 138 | 362 | .381 | 1991-95 |
| 8. | Tony Barbee '93 | 116 | 341 | .340 | 1989-93 |
| 9. | Charlton Clarke '99 | 113 | 339 | .333 | 1995-99 |
| 10. | Anton Brown '92 | 92 | 218 | .422 | 1988-92 |
3-point Field Goal Percentage (min. 45 made)
| Player | 3FG | 3FGA | Pct. | Years | |
| 1. | Carl Smith '87 | 54 | 122 | .443 | 1983-87 |
| 2. | Anton Brown '92 | 92 | 218 | .422 | 1988-92 |
| 3. | Lorenzo Sutton '88 | 178 | 424 | .420 | 1984-88 |
| 4. | Jerome Malloy '95 | 86 | 215 | .400 | 1991-93 |
| 5. | Derek Kellogg '95 | 138 | 362 | .381 | 1991-95 |
| 6. | Rafer Giles '91 | 221 | 592 | .373 | 1987-91 |
| 7. | Carmelo Travieso '97 | 245 | 666 | .368 | 1993-97 |
| 8. | Monty Mack '00 | 163 | 454 | .359 | 1997- |
| 9. | Tony Barbee '93 | 116 | 341 | .340 | 1989-93 |
| 10. | Charlton Clarke '99 | 113 | 339 | .333 | 1995-99 |
Rhymer Continues Strong Play
Junior Kitwana Rhymer has taken on the starting role at center and flourished so far in this young season. Rhymer is replacing Lari Ketner who is now playing for the Chicago Bulls. He had a strong game in the victory over Florida State on Saturday, totaling nine points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Earlier in the season against Boston University, Rhymer had 11 rebounds while hitting six of six free throws from the charity stripe. Rhymer registered his first double-double on November 29 against Marshall with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He also established a career high with six blocked shots, five coming in the first half. The last time a Minuteman had six or more blocked shots in a game was in the Rock 'N' Roll Shootout in Cleveland against Cincinnati when Ajmal Basit had six at Gund Arena on Dec. 12, 1997. The last time a Minuteman had six or more blocked shots at the Mullins Center was January 27, 1996, when Marcus Camby had nine against St. Bonaventure. Only eight games into the season and Rhymer has already eclipsed most of Ketner's single game highs from a year ago. Ketner had season highs of four blocked shots, 15 rebounds and 21 points. Rhymer has a season high of six blocked shots (vs. Marshall), 17 rebounds (at Connecticut) and 12 points (at Iona). Rhymer ranks second in the Atlantic 10 in rebounding with 8.9 rebounds per game.
Individual Career Totals
| Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks |
| Mack | 1,139 | 246 | 158 | 88 | 11 |
| Kirkland | 434 | 244 | 56 | 47 | 27 |
| Babul | 350 | 271 | 136 | 64 | 46 |
| DePina | 189 | 90 | 148 | 41 | 3 |
| Smith | 133 | 116 | 43 | 21 | 5 |
| Rhymer | 127 | 150 | 3 | 8 | 41 |
| Crooks | 65 | 28 | 23 | 10 | 4 |
| Blizzard | 36 | 38 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Brand | 36 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Denson | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Oates | 4 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Johnson | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Early | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
The Stopper
Senior Mike Babul is known nationally as one of the best defensive players in the country. In the season opener he picked up right where he left off with a lock-down on MAAC preseason player of the year, Tarik Kirksay. Babul, who had been nursing a lower back strain the previous three weeks, did not draw the assignment at the beginning of the game and Kirksay would score 15 first half points. The high scoring Gael would fail to register a field goal in the second half after Babul took over on the coverage. Kirksay would not score until 19 seconds remained in the game with the final verdict already decided. Babul then clamped down on No. 7 UConn's Kevin Freeman. Freeman was 1-8 from the field and scored two points in 37 minutes of action. Last year against the Huskies, Babul held All-America Richard Hamilton to 11 points on 3-11 shooting from the field.
| Player(school) | fg-fga | 3fg-3fga | Pts | Avg. |
| Tarik Kirksay (Iona)* | 0-2 | 0-0 | 5 | 13.8 |
| Kevin Freeman (UConn) | 1-8 | 0-0 | 2 | 13.3 |
*second half only
Brand Contributes off the Bench
Freshman center Micah Brand has contributed some key minutes off the bench along the UMass front line so far this season. In the Detroit game, Brand scored a career-high 11 points on five of eight shooting and pulled down four rebounds, while tying his career-high for minutes played with 22. A week earlier at Boston College, he scored nine points on four of six shooting, in addition to recording four rebounds. In the first game of his collegiate career at Iona, Brand tied for the team lead by pulling down a career-high seven rebounds. Through his first eight games as a Minuteman, Brand has averaged 4.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest. The only freshman on the UMass roster, Brand has played 13.8 minutes per game, while hitting on nearly 50 percent of his field goal attempts (16 of 33).
Coaching Debut
Associate head coach Geoff Arnold made his UMass head coaching debut on Dec. 2 in the 70-51 victory over Boston University. Head coach Bruiser Flint served a self-imposed one game suspension following the use of an expletive on his post-game radio show in the aftermath of UMass' 65-55 loss to Marshall Monday night. "I always tell my players that when they do something wrong, there is a price to pay," said Flint. "Obviously, my language on the radio the other night was inappropriate. I caught it right away and apologized on the air, but after thinking about it and talking it over with Bob Marcum, sitting out for a game is the right thing to do."
Love Those Cameras
ESPN and UMass have gotten to know each other pretty well over the years. The upcoming Rhode Island game will be the 55th time ESPN has televised a UMass basketball game since the '90s began. UMass posts a 34-20 (.630) record on ESPN and 73-39 (.652) record overall in the 1990's on the national networks. The Villanova game was UMass' 21st appearance on ESPN2 where the Minutemen have posted a record of 13-8 (.619).
Crooks has Big Day at Detroit
Sophomore guard Shannon Crooks came up with one of the best performances of his UMass career at Detroit, in a game which was played on his 21st birthday. Crooks scored a career-high 13 points against the Titans, while also picking up four rebounds and a career-high four steals. His performance against the Titans marked the third time this season Crooks has reached double figures in scoring. He totaled 11 points on five of 10 shooting at Iona in the season opener, and also scored 10 points on four of seven shooting against Boston University (making both of his three-point attempts). On the year, Crooks ranks third on the team in scoring with 8.1 points per game, while leading the team in assists with 23 and ranking second in steals with 14.
Keep it Going, Little Man
With All-America candidate Monty Mack out for most of the preseason, head coach Bruiser Flint has had to go down his bench and look for someone to step up. At 5-9 you may not have noticed it but junior Jonathan DePina has stepped up his game and more. After eight games he is averaging 4.4 points with five three-pointers in nine tries. Last season DePina had five three-pointers in 26 games. A more confident player in UMass' uptempo game, DePina is making the smart plays this season and should continue to get minutes even now that Mack is back at 100 percent after a stress fracture in his left foot sustained in the preseason.
POINTS: Margin Of Victory
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+ |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
POINTS: Margin Of Defeat
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+ |
| 1 | 2 |
Did You Know?
The 85-77 win at Iona was the first time UMass has opened a season in an opponent's home gym with a victory in 22 years. Not since the Minutemen defeated Harvard in Cambridge by a score of 73-66 to open the 1977-78 season under coach Jack Leaman had they accomplished it.
Any Time, Any Place, Any Team
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 Connecticut, to go along with 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.
Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Cup
UMass sits atop the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Cup standings through the completion of the fall sports season. UMass earned 49.5 points during the fall season, six points better than second place Rhode Island. Massachusetts relied on a strong showing from its women's programs, grabbing 32 of its points on that side of the ledger. The Minutewomen earned first-place finishes in field hockey and women's cross country to catapult to the lead.
| Overall | Men | Women | ||
| 1. | UMass | 49.5 | 17.5 | 32.0 |
| 2. | Rhode Island | 43.5 | 19.0 | 24.5 |
| 3. | Virginia Tech | 38.0 | 18.0 | 20.0 |
| 4. | Dayton | 35.5 | 11.0 | 24.5 |
| 5. | Duquesne | 32.0 | 17.0 | 15.0 |
| 6. | La Salle | 30.5 | 16.5 | 14.0 |
| 7. | St. Joseph's | 28.0 | 13.0 | 15.0 |
| 8. | Xavier | 27.0 | 5.0 | 22.0 |
| 9. | Temple | 23.0 | 5.5 | 17.5 |
| 10. | St. Bonaventure | 20.5 | 10.5 | 10.0 |
| 11. | George Washington | 17.5 | 5.0 | 12.5 |
| 12. | Fordham | 13.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 |
Blizzard Picks Up Key Minutes
Sophomore forward Ronell Blizzard continues to see more and more action for the Minutemen, and started for the first time in his career against Florida State. In 12 minutes of action against the Seminoles, he totaled two points and three rebounds while battling foul trouble. The previous week at Detroit, Blizzard hit a key three-point field goal in the final minute, as the Minutemen attempted to come from behind. Earlier in the year against Villanova, he tied his career-high of six points while hitting on three of four field goal attempts in 11 minutes of action. Blizzard also scored five points at Connecticut and pulled down a season-best five rebounds at Iona. For the season, Blizzard has totaled 18 points and 17 rebounds, seeing action in all eight games.
1,000 Point Club Jim McCoy's 2,374 points is Massachusetts' all-time scoring mark established from 1988-92. In 90 years of UMass basketball there have been 34 Minutemen to reach the 1,000 point plateau. Senior Monty Mack is the latest (vs. Iona) reaching the mark in only 63 games. Here is his current total and where he currently ranks at UMass:
| 18. Jim Town | 1,211 |
| 19. Carmelo Travieso | 1,186 |
| 20. John Murphy | 1,184 |
| 21. Rafer Giles | 1,163 |
| 22. Rodger Twitchell | 1,151 |
| 23. Will Herndon | 1,148 |
| 23. Lari Ketner | 1,148 |
| 25. Monty Mack | 1,139 |
| 26. Mike Williams | 1,122 |
Exhibition Season
The Minutemen wrapped up a challenging exhibition season with an overtime victory, downing the Converse All-Stars 97-88 at the Mullins Center. Senior forward Chris Kirkland led the Minutemen with 23 points and eight rebounds, while junior center Kitwana Rhymer added 15 points and 17 rebounds.
UMass trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half before cutting the deficit to seven at the half. The Minutemen registered their first lead with 3:59 left in regulation when junior JoVann Johnson hit both of his free throws to put UMass up 71-70. After 40 minutes of play the game was knotted at 78 a piece.
In overtime UMass jumped out to an early lead but fell behind by two after five consecutive points by Converse. The Minutemen put the game away with a 12-2 run in the final 2:16 of play for the nine point victory.
Junior Jonathan DePina posted one of the best games of his UMass career with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Also scoring in double figures was sophomore Shannon Crooks with 17 points while Johnson added 15 points and seven rebounds.
UMass opened the exhibition season with an impressive offensive showing, downing the California All-Stars 103-97 at the Mullins Center. Crooks led the Minutemen with 24 points and seven assists, while Kirkland added 26 points and six rebounds.
UMass opened the game with a 17-8 run and never trailed in the contest, behind its potent fast-break offense. The Minutemen saw their lead grow as large as 14 points with just under five minutes remaining in the game, before a late spurt by the All-Stars made the final score look close. UMass scored 30 fast break points on the evening, while also totaling 72 points in the paint.
Freshman forward Micah Brand, playing his first game in a UMass uniform, totaled 16 points and eight rebounds, including an impressive 10 for 10 performance at the free throw line. DePina had 13 points and six assists, while Rhymer added 10 points and nine boards.
THE ATLANTIC 10
1999-2000 STANDINGS
(as of 12/19/99)
EAST
| TEAM | A-10 | ALL | PCT |
| St. Bona | 0-0 | 6-1 | 857 |
| UMass | 0-0 | 5-3 | 625 |
| Temple | 0-0 | 3-2 | 600 |
| Fordham | 0-0 | 4-4 | 500 |
| St. Joe | 0-0 | 2-3 | 400 |
| R. Island | 0-0 | 3-7 | 300 |
WEST
| TEAM | A-10 | ALL | PCT |
| Dayton | 0-0 | 8-1 | .889 |
| La Salle | 0-0 | 6-1 | .857 |
| Xavier | 0-0 | 6-2 | .750 |
| Va. Tech | 0-0 | 4-3 | .571 |
| Geo. Wash. | 0-0 | 4-5 | .444 |
| Duquesne | 0-0 | 3-4 | .429 |
UMASS vs. the Atlantic 10 in '99
| At HOME | W/L | SCORE | +/- |
| Duquesne | W | 69-55 | +14 |
| Fordham | L | 60-66 | -6 |
| Rhode Island | L | 62-73 | -11 |
| St. Bona | W | 64-46 | +18 |
| St. Joseph's | W | 59-58 | +1 |
| Temple | W | 57-49 | +8 |
| Va. Tech | W | 55-40 | +15 |
| Xavier | W | 78-77 | +1 |
| Average | 63.0 - 58.0 | +5.0 |
| On ROAD | W/L | SCORE | +/- |
| Dayton | W | 59-57 | +2 |
| Fordham | W | 67-65 | +2 |
| Geo. Wash. | L | 72-78 | -6 |
| La Salle | L | 60-63 | -3 |
| Rhode Island | L | 56-59 | -3 |
| St. Bona | L | 50-53 | -3 |
| St. Joseph's | W | 63-55 | +8 |
| Temple | L | 57-65 | -8 |
| Average | 60.5 - 61.9 | -1.4 |
Successful Debuts
Three UMass players made their collegiate debuts as a Minuteman in a regular season game at Iona. Junior JoVann Johnson, sophomore Shannon Crooks and freshman Micah Brand all saw game time in their first opportunity in the maroon & white. Crooks started at shooting guard and finished the game with 11 points on 50 percent shooting from the field. For Crooks it was his first regular season game after sitting out a year last season after transferring from St. John's University. Brand, the only freshman on the squad, had a team high seven rebounds coming off the bench in 22 minutes of action. Johnson, a junior college transfer from Wabash Valley College in Mt. Carmel, Ill., did not score in two minutes of play.
Captain(s) of the Ship
Senior leadership has always played an important part of UMass basketball and this year should be a banner year in that department. Seniors 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.
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 tailback.
Player Updates
#0 Anthony Oates - Played perhaps the best game of his UMass career at Iona in season opener...in only six minutes of play he scored two points, grabbed a pair of rebounds, garnered his first career steal and played solid defense...missed the Marshall game with a contusion in his left foot.#1 Jonathan DePina - Hit a career-best three for three from three-point land and finished with 10 points against No. 7 UConn... Scored 11 points in the season-opener at Iona... Currently fifth on the team with a 5.0 ppg scoring average... Grabbed a season-high four rebounds against Boston University.
#3 Ronell Blizzard - Earned his first career start against Florida State, totaling two points and three rebounds... Equalled his career-high with six points and three rebounds in one-point victory over Villanova... Played well in the first two games with five points, six rebounds and three blocked shots in 20 minutes... Hit his first career three-pointer at No. 7 UConn to cut the Huskies lead to three with 8:46 left to go in the game... Added another three-pointer at Detroit, cutting the Titans' lead to three in the final minute of play.
#4 JoVann Johnson - A junior college transfer who has seen only 11 minutes of playing time in his first four games... Had a pair of assists at Detroit... Registered his first career steal against Marshall.
#5 Monty Mack - Has been the leading scorer for UMass five times this season... In his career, Mack has scored 25 points or more in a game seven times, 20 points or more in a game 21 times and has scored in double figures 60 times out of 69 games... Scored a season-high 30 points in the win over Florida State, hitting four three-pointers and all 12 of his free throw attempts... Named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week following the Florida State game... Came off the bench and scored a season-high 26 points at No. 7 UConn... Knocked down another 26 points in front of friends and family in victory at Boston College... Equalled his career-high with six three-pointers at B.C.... Scored 21 points off the bench in the season-opener at Iona... Scored 22 against Marshall to give him three consecutive 20-point games for the first time in his career... Passed the 1,000 career points total in the Iona game, achieving the feat in only 63 contests.
#11 Darryl Denson - Played in the final minute of the win over Boston University.
#20 Winston Smith - Equalled his season-high with four points against Florida State... Played a season-high 26 minutes at Boston College scoring four points and grabbing three rebounds... Dished out a season-high three assists against Boston University... Had another three assist game against Villanova.
#22 Chris Kirkland - Totaled 16 points, six rebounds and three assists in the victory over Florida State... Had team-highs of 17 points and six rebounds at Detroit... Nailed a career-high 10 field goals in 15 attempts posting a game-high 23 points against Boston University... Followed that game with 16 points, 12 in the second half, in victory at Boston College... Totaled 22 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three assists in one point victory over Villanova in front of a national TV audience on ESPN2... In the second half of the Villanova game, he had 18 points, seven rebounds and three steals... Registered nine points and five rebounds against the defending national champion UConn Huskies... Scored 15 points and grabbed another five boards in the season-opener at Iona... Registered 10 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots against Marshall.
#23 Mike Babul - Shut down UConn's Kevin Freeman holding him to two points on 1-8 shooting from the field... Shut down first team All-MAAC selection Tarik Kirksay, in the second half holding him to five points, all on free throws. Babul did not have the defensive coverage on Kirksay in the first half when the Gaels' leading scorer dropped in 15 points in the opening stanza.
#24 Dwayne Early - Played in the final minute of the victory over Boston University registering his first career steal.
#30 Shannon Crooks - Hit the game-winning three pointer from 25-feet with 14.7 seconds left in the game to give the Minutemen a one-point victory over Villanova... Posted a career-high six assists against the Wildcats... Scored a career-high 13 points and also recorded a career-high four steals at Detroit... Scored 11 points, grabbed five rebounds and handed out three assists in his first game as a Minuteman in the season-opener at Iona... Connected on his first career three-pointers as a Minuteman scoring 10 points, grabbing four rebounds and handing out four assists in 21 minutes in a 70-51 win over Boston University... Team leader in assists for the second consecutive game with four in the Commonwealth Classic victory at Boston College.
#33 Kitwana Rhymer - Totaled nine points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots in the victory over Florida State... Scored a career-high 12 points in the season-opener at Iona along with a team-high seven rebounds in only 11 minutes of play... Grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds at No. 7 UConn in Gampel Pavilion. The last UMass player to grab 17 or more rebounds was Ajmal Basit against Rhode Island in the 1997-98 season. Swatted away a career-high 6 blocked shots and registered his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Marshall...was six for six from the free throw line while grabbing 11 rebounds against Boston University...grabbed eight rebounds and scored six points in 25 minutes before fouling out at Boston College...grabbed another eight rebounds and blocked four shots in victory over Villanova.
#40 Micah Brand - Scored a career-high 11 points, while also pulling down four rebounds in 22 minutes of action at Detroit... In his collegiate debut, grabbed a team-high seven boards in the season-opener at Iona... Also registered four points and a blocked shot against the Gaels... Posted nine points at Boston College including a free throw with 24 seconds left in the game to give the Minutemen a four point lead.
Rankings: Here's a look at how UMass stacks up in the Atlantic 10 Conference this season...these are the regular season rankings through 12/14/99.
| Conf. | ||
| Blocked Shots | 4th | 4.63 |
| Steals | 4th | 9.50 |
| FG Pct. Defense | 6th | .404 |
| Scoring Defense | 6th | 64.1 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 6th | 23.75 |
| Assist/TO Ratio | 6th | 0.84 |
| Assists | 7th | 12.25 |
| Turnover Margin | 7th | +0.88 |
| Rebounding Offense | 7th | 37.4 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 7th | 13.63 |
| Scoring Margin | 8th | +2.0 |
| 3-PT FG Pct. Defense | 8th | .321 |
| 3-PT FG Pct. | 9th | .316 |
| Scoring Offense | 9th | 66.1 |
| Field Goal Pct. | 10th | .402 |
| Free Throw Pct. | 10th | .643 |
| 3-PT FG Made | 11th | 4.63 |
| Rebounding Margin | 11th | 2.8 |
| Rebounding Defense | 11th | 40.1 |
INDIVIDUAL
Scoring| Monty Mack | 5th | 19.3 |
| Chris Kirkland | 12th | 16.0 |
Rebounding
| Kitwana Rhymer | 2nd | 8.9 |
Field Goal Percentage
| Chris Kirkland | 3rd | .500 |
| Monty Mack | 15th | .381 |
Free Throw Percentage
| Monty Mack | 12th | .806 |
Steals
| Monty Mack | 5th | 2.50 |
| Shannon Crooks | 15th | 1.75 |
3-Point FG Made
| Monty Mack | 6th | 2.88 |
Blocked Shots
| Kitwana Rhymer | 3rd | 2.50 |
Assist/Turnover Ratio
| Mike Babul | 3rd | 2.43 |
Offensive Rebounds
| Kitwana Rhymer | 2nd | 3.63 |
Defensive Rebounds
| Kitwana Rhymer | 5th | 5.25 |
Comeback Kids
UMass has rallied from double digit deficits on 15 occasions to claim victory during the last six years. This resiliency has shown in the last two games with the latest occurance coming against Villanova this past Monday night. The Wildcats held a 11 point lead with 16 minutes left in the game. UMass would hold 'Nova scoreless for over eight minutes and hold it to 20 points in the second half as UMass came back for the one point win. Two days earlier the Minutemen did it again at Boston College when the Eagles ran out to a 12-2 lead and held a 10 point lead off and on until the 5:51 mark in the first half up 26-16. The Minutemen would then go on a 20-9 run to finish the half with a one point lead. Here is a complete list of the comebacks made by UMass since Jan., 1995:
| Opponent | Date | Time Remaining | Score | Final Score | |
| West Virginia | Jan. 27, 1995 | 4:48 in second | 80-62, West Virginia | 97-94 (ot), UMass | |
| Maryland | Dec. 2, 1995 | 4:39 in first | 28-12, Maryland | 50-47, UMass | |
| Boston College | Dec. 9, 1995 | 3:52 in first | 33-20, Boston College | 65-57, UMass | |
| Pittsburgh | Jan. 23, 1996 | 13:01 in first | 15-3, Pittsburgh | 79-71 (ot), UMass | |
| Xavier | Feb. 4, 1996 | 10:59 in first | 23-12, Xavier | 78-74 (ot), UMass | |
| La Salle | Feb. 15, 1996 | 19:40 in second | 30-20, La Salle | 70-53, UMass | |
| Drexel | Dec. 12, 1996 | 12:00 in first | 14-2, Drexel | 69-48, UMass | |
| Rhode Island | Jan. 21, 1997 | 9:51 in first | 21-11, Rhode Island | 64-60, UMass | |
| George Washington | Jan. 30, 1997 | 6:30 in first | 26-16, GW | 68-63, UMass | |
| Rhode Island | Feb. 8, 1997 | 3:40 in first | 29-19, Rhode Island | 64-61, UMass | |
| UNC-Charlotte | Jan. 15, 1998 | 13:50 in second | 42-32, UNC-Charlotte | 68-62, UMass | |
| St. Joseph's | Feb. 21, 1998 | 12:18 in second | 52-41, St. Joseph's | 82-79, UMass | |
| Dayton | Jan. 28, 1999 | 3:19 in first | 25-15, Dayton | 59-57 (ot), UMass | |
| Boston College | Dec. 4, 1999 | 5:51 in first | 26-16, Boston College | 74-67, UMass | |
| Villanova | Dec. 6, 1999 | 16:00 in second | 33-22, Villanova | 52-51, UMass |
Sparking with Flint
Coach Bruiser Flint has already established himself as one of the best young head coaches in the country and his record at UMass supports it. With 40 wins in his first 63 games at the helm, he achieved that win total faster than any other UMass coach in Minuteman history. In only his fourth season he is already moving up the career wins chart by leaps and bounds. Flint moved into fifth place on the career wins list with win number 58 after beating Villanova at the Mullins Center on December 6th.
| coach | wins | |
| 1. | Jack Leaman | 217 |
| 2. | John Calipari | 193 |
| 3. | Harold M. Gore | 119 |
| 4. | Robert Curran | 81 |
| 5. | BRUISER FLINT | 59 |
| 6. | Matthew Zunic | 57 |
| 7. | Ron Gerlufsen | 55 |
| 8. | John M. Orr | 39 |
The Recruiting Wars
Lamb Signs with UMass Basketball - Raheim Lamb is a 6-5, 190 pound forward ranked among the top 150 seniors in the country by most of the recruiting services."At first I wanted to leave Massachusetts and see what was out there but after travelling this summer I found that I wanted to stay close to home so that I could be close to my family," said Lamb. "I can't wait to get up there because I'm going into a good conference and I like everything about the school. I just can't wait to get up there."
"He's going to be a wonderful addition to your program," said Boston English head coach Barry Robinson. "Bruiser Flint is going to bring out the best in Raheim Lamb. Right now Raheim can play at that level. He's a phenomenal athlete who has a good perimeter game. I'm just going to be ecstatic to come up there and watch this kid develop under Bruiser and the coaching staff."
As a junior last season at Boston English, Lamb averaged 21.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game. He is listed as a high honorable mention and All-Metro team selection for the Boston area in Street & Smith and is the 16th ranked small forward by Hoop Showcase.
"Raheim is another big piece for our team's future success," UMass head coach Bruiser Flint said. "He's the best player in the Boston area and we want the best of Massachusetts to stay in the state because we are the State University. We've done a good job in the past in keeping the state's best home grown talent here in Amherst and Raheim is another in that category."
Pugh Signs with UMass Basketball - Jameel Pugh is a 6-4, 200-pound shooting guard ranked among the top 75 seniors in the country by most of the recruiting services.
As a junior last season at Grant Union High School in Sacramento, Calif., Pugh averaged 16.0 points, eight rebounds and three assists per game. He is listed as the no. 2 shooting guard on the West Coast by Pac-West Hoops, the 78th ranked senior in the country by Bob Gibbons All-Star Report and is the 71st ranked senior by Basketball News.
"Jameel is a talented shooting guard who is extremely athletic," UMass head coach Bruiser Flint said. "He is a great get for us because he is coming in from the West Coast, an area we haven't had a lot of success with in recruiting. He's a good fit because of his athleticism and the fact that we are trying to get to a more athletic style of play."
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. on WHMP 99.3 FM and 1400 AM.. The next show will be broadcast on Monday, Dec. 27. Flint's weekly television show, "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 Monday evenings.
