University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Prepares For Temple
January 30, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 30, 2000
Gameday Quick Facts
Television: ESPN2 (Dave Sims, play-by-play, Nancy Leiberman-Cline, color)
Radio: UMass Radio Network (WHMP 99.3 FM / 1400 AM, Northampton, flagship, Bob Behler, play-by-play, Skip Connors and Jack Leaman, color)
Temple Radio Network (WZZD 990 AM, Lafayette Hill, flagship, Don Henderson, play-by-play, John Baum, color)
The Series with Temple
This will be the 41st meeting between UMass and Temple. Although the Owls lead the all-time series with UMass 26-14, the Minutemen have turned things around in recent years. After Temple won the first 21 meetings between the two schools, UMass has rebounded to win 14 of the last 19 in what has become one of the most intense rivalries in college basketball. The Owls had won three in a row against the Minutemen, before UMass posted a 57-49 victory in last year's regular season finale. The series is tied at 10-10 for games played in Amherst, with the Minutemen standing 8-1 in games played at the Mullins Center.
Probable Starters & Key Reserves
| No. | Name | Pos. | Yr. | Ht. | Wt. | PPG | RPG |
| 22 | Chris Kirkland | F | Sr. | 6-6 | 228 | 15.1 | 5.9 |
| 23 | Mike Babul | F | Sr. | 6-6 | 230 | 3.3 | 2.9 |
| 33 | Kitwana Rhymer | C | Jr. | 6-10 | 256 | 7.1 | 8.4 |
| 5 | Monty Mack | G | Sr. | 6-3 | 200 | 19.6 | 3.3 |
| 30 | Shannon Crooks | G | So. | 6-2 | 222 | 10.3 | 3.4 |
| 1 | Jonathan DePina | G | Jr. | 5-9 | 185 | 3.8 | 2.2 |
| 40 | Micah Brand | C | Fr. | 6-11 | 243 | 4.2 | 3.6 |
| 20 | Winston Smith | F | Jr. | 6-5 | 228 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
| 0 | Anthony Oates | C | Sr. | 6-10 | 285 | 0.7 | 1.2 |
| 3 | Ronell Blizzard | F | So. | 6-8 | 205 | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Series Quick Facts
| Overall Series | Temple, | 26-14 | ||
| Bruiser Flint | vs. Temple | 3-3 | ||
| Last Meeting | UMass | (57-49) | on 2/28/99 | at UMass |
| Most UMass Points | 84, | (84-55) | on 2/11/96 | at UMass |
| Fewest UMass Points | 38, | (38-69) | on 2/1/86 | at Temple |
| Largest UMass Margin | 29, | (84-55) | on 2/11/96 | at UMass |
| Most Temple Points | 93, | (93-66) | on 1/24/89 | at Temple |
| Fewest Temple Points | 35, | (35-59) | on 2/1/96 | at Temple |
| Largest Temple Margin | 31, | (69-38) | on 2/1/86 | at Temple |
| In Overtime | Temple, | 1-0 |
Mack Continues to Score
Senior Monty Mack, the reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Week, has the team in scoring 11 times in the last 12 games. During that span he scored at least 20 points eight times, while hitting for 19 points on two other occasions. In Saturday's victory at Virginia Tech, Mack led the team with 22 points while also pulling down five rebounds. He hit three three-pointers early in the second half against the Hokies, to held turn a 22-18 halftime lead into a 33-24 advantage. In the previous game at Duquesne, Mack scored 22 points while hitting on five of seven three-point attempts. That performance included a pair of three-pointers only 16 seconds apart midway through the second half, to turn a 62-59 lead for the Dukes into a 65-62 lead for the Minutemen. Mack's biggest game so far this year came against Florida State, when he scored a season-best 30 points and converted on all 12 of his free throw attempts. Mack has scored in double figures 18 times in 19 games this season, and has now reached double digits 72 times in his 81-game UMass career. For the season, Mack is averaging 19.6 points per game to rank 36th in the country and second in the Atlantic 10. He has a chance to become the first UMass player to average 20 points per game for a season since Marcus Camby, who scored 20.5 points per game in 1995-96.
Stepping up on Defense
One reason for the improved play of the Minutemen over the last few weeks has been their outstanding play on defense. Since the beginning of Atlantic 10 Conference play, the Minutemen have made it very difficult for their opponents to operate on offense. Over the last seven games, UMass has held its opposition to 59.1 points per game, while hitting only 38.1 percent of their field goal attempts and 29.7 percent of their three-pointers. In addition, the Minutemen have averaged 9.4 steals per game, outrebounded their opponents 38.7 to 36.1 and forced an average of 16.9 turnovers during the last seven contests. Here is a look at how UMass performed defensively for the first 12 games, and in the last seven.
| Category | First 12 Games | Last Six Games |
| Record | 6-6 | 5-2 |
| Scoring Defense | 65.6 | 59.1 |
| FG Percent Defense | 41.7 | 38.1 |
| 3FG Percent Defense | 32.5 | 29.7 |
| Rebound Margin | -1.3 | +2.6 |
| Steals | 9.0 | 9.4 |
| Turnovers Forced | 17.1 | 16.9 |
Rhymer Playing Big in the Middle
Junior Kitwana Rhymer has turned in some outstanding performances over the last few games. He had a huge game on the boards at Virginia Tech, pulling down 15 rebounds while also scoring six points. In the previous game at Duquesne, Rhymer recorded his third double-double of the season, scoring a career-high 16 points to go along with 14 rebounds, four blocks and three steals. He totaled eight points, six rebounds and a career-high three assists against Rhode Island, while just missing a double double against Dayton with 11 points and nine rebounds. Rhymer also had a double double at St. Joseph's, totaling 12 points and 12 rebounds on the afternoon. He converted on all six of his free throw attempts against the Hawks, including both ends of a one-and-one with only eight seconds remaining to secure the victory. Over the last five games Rhymer has averaged 10.6 points and 11.2 rebounds, while connecting on 18 of 31 field goals (58.1 percent) and 17 of 18 free throws (94.4 percent). Earlier this season Rhymer scored 13 points against Boston College in the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic, while pulling down a career-best 17 rebounds at Connecticut. He also registered a double double against Marshall with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Rhymer currently ranks third in the Atlantic 10 Conference with an average of 8.4 rebounds per game, while scoring 7.1 points per contest. He has been the top rebounder for the Minutemen 11 times in 19 games.
Virginia Tech Recap
Monty Mack scored a game-high 22 points to lead the Minutemen to a 49-41 victory over Virginia Tech at Cassell Coliseum. UMass used another outstanding defensive performance to secure the victory, holding the Hokies to 30.9 percent shooting from the field and 14.3 percent from three-point range. The Minutemen led throughout the game, but the Hokies used a 6-0 run to cut the UMass advantage to 41-36 with less than three minutes remaining. Shannon Crooks then drove to the basket and converted an old-fashioned three-point play, and the Hokies never threatened again. Kitwana Rhymer ruled the boards, pulling down a game-high 15 rebounds for UMass. Dennis Mims led Virginia Tech with 18 points and seven rebounds.
Sticking the Treys
Monty Mack is known as one of the top three-point shooters in the nation, but UMass' other guards have also shown an ability to hit from outside. At Duquesne, the Minutemen combined to hit on eight of 11 three-point attempts for a season-best percentage of 72.7. The last time UMass shot that well from three-point range came on December 11, 1997, when the Minutemen made seven of nine attempts (77.8 percent) at Kansas in a 73-71 loss. Mack led the way by making five of seven treys, while Jonathan DePina made his only three-point attempt and Shannon Crooks connected on one of two tries. Earlier in the month at St. Joseph's, both Crooks and DePina connected on two of three three-point attempts, while UMass hit six of 11 treys. On the season the Minutemen have now made at least 50 percent of their three-point attempts in a game four times. For the year, UMass' three guards have combined to hit 77 of 208 three-point attempts, good for a percentage of 37.0. Mack has connected on 54 of 148 three-point shots, while Crooks has hit 14 of 42 and DePina has made nine of 18.
Statistical Matchup
| UMass | Statistics | Temple |
| 68.5 | Scoring Average | 66.1 |
| 63.2 | Scoring Defense | 53.8 |
| +5.3 | Scoring Margin | +12.3 |
| 42.3 | Field Goal % | 38.5 |
| 40.4 | FG % Defense | 35.0 |
| 35.5 | 3-Point Field Goal % | 31.2 |
| 31.5 | 3 FG % Defense | 30.5 |
| 64.1 | Free Throw % | 66.9 |
| 37.9 | Rebound Average | 39.9 |
| 37.8 | Rebounds Against Average | 37.2 |
| +0.1 | Rebound Margin | +2.7 |
| 15.4 | Turnovers | 9.9 |
| 17.0 | Turnovers Forced | 15.3 |
| +1.6 | Turnover Margin | +5.4 |
Block Party
Once again this season, UMass is one of the top teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference at blocking shots. Through their first 19 games, the Minutemen have blocked a total of 83 shots, with their average of 4.37 blocks per game good for fourth place in the Atlantic 10. Leading the way has been junior center Kitwana Rhymer, who has totaled 39 blocks this season for an average of 2.05 per game. Rhymer is currently tied for first in the conference in blocked shots (with Dennis Mims of Virginia Tech). Rhymer has a chance to become the fourth player in school history to lead the Atlantic 10 in blocked shots, a feat which has previously been accomplished by Edwin Green (2.3 blocks per game in 1983-84), Harper Williams (2.1 blocks per game in 1990-91) and Marcus Camby (3.62 blocks per game in 1993-94, 3.43 blocks per game in 1994-95, and 3.88 blocks per game in 1995-96).
Individual Career Totals
| Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks |
| Mack | 1,357 | 287 | 179 | 107 | 12 |
| Kirkland | 593 | 314 | 75 | 67 | 30 |
| Babul | 388 | 304 | 150 | 71 | 50 |
| DePina | 226 | 110 | 187 | 53 | 3 |
| Rhymer | 207 | 238 | 7 | 15 | 60 |
| Crooks | 196 | 64 | 51 | 30 | 8 |
| Smith | 163 | 145 | 51 | 23 | 5 |
| Brand | 79 | 68 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
| Blizzard | 54 | 46 | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| Oates | 11 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Denson | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Johnson | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Early | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Kirkland Keeps On Producing
Senior co-captain Chris Kirkland, who has been one of the top offensive threats for the Minutemen all season long. At Duquesne he recorded 21 points and eight rebounds, while hitting on six of seven free throws and also making his only three-point attempt. Kirkland totaled 16 points, five rebounds and two assists against Rhode Island, while scoring a team-best 15 points against Dayton. At St. Joseph's, Kirkland totaled 18 points and eight rebounds, while also dishing out a career-best six assists. He played particularly well in the closing minutes of the game, scoring eight of UMass' last 13 points on three field goals and a pair of free throws. Against Fordham, Kirkland totaled 21 points, five rebounds, five steals and two assists. He also recorded double-doubles against both St. Bonaventure and Providence. Kirkland totaled 16 points and 10 rebounds against the Bonnies, while recording 12 points and 11 rebounds against the Friars. He has led the team in scoring four times this year and in rebounds five times, while scoring in double figures in 16 out of 19 games. For the season, Kirkland is averaging 15.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while hitting on 45.8 percent of his field goal attempts. He currently ranks fifth in the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage, ninth in scoring and 16th in rebounding. Dating back to last season, Kirkland has scored in double figures 23 times in his last 26 games, including six double doubles.
The Last Meeting
Monty Mack hit five three-pointers and finished with 18 points to lead UMass to a 57-49 victory over #24 Temple on Feb. 28, 1999, in the last meeting between the two schools. The Minutemen relied on their excellent defense, holding the Owls to just two baskets for nearly the entire second half. Temple hit on just two of its first 27 shots from the floor after the intermission, and made only 10 percent (three of 29) of its shots in the second stanza. The Minutemen, who trailed 29-27 at the break, opened the second half with a 9-0 spurt to pull ahead 36-29. Rasheed Brokenborough hit a three-pointer with 21 seconds left to cut the UMass lead to 55-49, but Lari Ketner hit a pair of free throws to seal the win for the Minutemen.
Crooks Playing Big as a Starter
Sophomore guard Shannon Crooks, who has started at point guard in each of the last eight games, continues to be one of the top scoring threats for the Minutemen. He has scored in double figures eight times in the last 11 games, while hitting for at least seven points in every game. At Duquesne, Crooks totaled 13 points, to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Against Rhode Island he had one of his top all-around games of the seasons, totaling 13 points, five steals, four rebounds and four assists. At St. Joseph's, Crooks scored nine points, while hitting on two of three three-point attempts. He totaled 10 points, four rebounds, four steals, two blocks and two assists against Fordham, while scoring 14 points against St. Bonaventure. Crooks tied his career-highs of 17 points and six rebounds at Providence, after previously recording six rebounds against Southern Illinois and 17 points at American-Puerto Rico. For the season, Crooks has now reached double figures in scoring 11 times. He is averaging 10.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, to rank third on the team in scoring and second in assists.
DePina Steps Up at the Point
Junior guard Jonathan DePina had one of the top all-around performances of his UMass career during the victory over Rhode Island. DePina, who played 15 minutes in the first half and 30 minutes for the game due to Monty Mack's foul trouble, tied his career-high with nine assists against the Rams. He also totaled seven points, six rebounds and two steals, while connecting on his only attempt from three-point range. DePina has now scored at least seven points three times in the last five games, as he totaled eight points in both the victory at St. Joseph's and the win over Fordham. For the season, DePina leads the team in assists with 58, while ranking 12th in the Atlantic 10 in assists and eighth in assist to turnover ratio (1.49).
1,000 Point Club
Jim McCoy's 2,374 points is Massachusetts' all-time scoring mark established from 1988-92. In 90 seasons of UMass basketball there have been 34 Minutemen to reach the 1,000 point plateau. Senior Monty Mack is the latest, reaching the mark against Iona in only his 63rd game. Entering the Temple game, Mack stands just 13 points behind Julius Erving on the all-time UMass scoring list. Here is a look at where Mack ranks among UMass' all-time leading scorers:
| 9. | Edwin Green | (1980-84) | 1,393 |
| 10. | Marcus Camby | (1993-96) | 1,387 |
| 11. | Julius Erving | (1969-71) | 1,370 |
| 12. | Clarence Hill | (1962-66) | 1,369 |
| 13. | Monty Mack | (1997-present) | 1,357 |
| 14. | Billy Tindal | (1965-68) | 1,277 |
| 15. | Doug Grutchfield | (1958-61) | 1,257 |
| 16. | Al Skinner | (1971-74) | 1,235 |
| 17. | Donta Bright | (1993-96) | 1,229 |
Hitting for 70
So far this season, 70 points has been the magic number for the UMass offense. Every time the Minutemen have scored 70 or more points in a game, they have come out victorious. The eight times this year UMass has scored 70 points were against Iona (85-77), Boston University (70-51), Boston College (74-67), American-Puerto Rico (102-65), Fordham (82-52), St. Joseph's (73-69), Rhode Island (89-50) and Duquesne (84-75). During the Bruiser Flint Era, the Minutemen are 34-8 when making it to the 70-point mark. Conversely, UMass is 10-28 under Flint and 2-3 this season when its foe scores 70 points.
A Visit with Temple
Temple enters the game with an overall record of 14-4 and a 7-1 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Owls have won five straight and eight of their last nine games, and are currently ranked 24th in the nation. Temple has struggled some away from home this season, going only 5-4 in games played away from the Apollo. Junior forward Mark Karcher leads the team with an average of 15.8 points per game, while also pulling down 5.0 rebounds per contest. Sophomore center Kevin Lyde averages a team-best 7.4 rebounds per game, in addition to scoring 6.3 points. Senior guard Pepe Sanchez leads the team in both assists (81) and steals (39), despite missing eight games earlier in the year due to injury.
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. Against Rhode Island, Brand led the team with a career-high 10 rebounds, while also totaling nine points and a pair of blocks. In the win over Fordham he had seven rebounds, while also recording three points, two assists and a block. Brand also pulled down seven rebounds in the Providence game, to go along with four points in only 12 minutes of action. Against American-Puerto Rico, he scored 11 points on five of six shooting, while also bringing down five rebounds. In the Detroit game, Brand scored 11 points on five of eight shooting and pulled down four rebounds, while tying his career-high for minutes played with 22. 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 seven rebounds. Through his first 19 games as a Minuteman, Brand has averaged 4.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per contest. The only freshman on the UMass roster, Brand has played 12.6 minutes per game, while hitting on nearly 50 percent of his field goal attempts (34 of 69).
Stealing the Show
Through 19 games this season, UMass has totaled 174 steals as a team, a mark which ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Currently averaging 9.16 steals per contest, the Minutemen have a good shot at breaking the school record for steals per game, which is currently held by the 1989-90 squad with an average of 8.58 steals. UMass could also break the school record for total steals in a single year, depending on how far it advances in the postseason. At their current pace, the Minutemen would need to play five postseason games (in addition to their 29 regular season contests) to break the mark of 311 steals, which was set by the 1995-96 squad in 37 games. Monty Mack currently leads the team in steals with 39, followed by Shannon Crooks with 35 and Chris Kirkland with 30.
The Stopper
Senior Mike Babul is known nationally as one of the best defensive players in the country. In the season opener he locked down MAAC preseason player of the year Tarik Kirksay. Babul, who had been nursing a lower back strain, did not draw the assignment at the beginning of the game and Kirksay would score 15 first half points, but he would fail to register a field goal in the second half after Babul took over on the coverage. Babul then clamped down on UConn's Kevin Freeman. Freeman was 1-8 from the field and scored two points in 37 minutes of action. At Providence, Babul shut down Erron Maxey who was averaging 16.7 points per game. Maxey could manage only seven points, all of them coming while Babul was on the bench. In the victory at St. Joseph's, Babul helped shut down Tim Brown, the Atlantic 10's top three-point shooter. Brown did not score, and managed only two three-point attempts.
| Player(school) | fg-a | 3fg-a | Points | Avg. |
| Tarik Kirksay (Iona)* | 0-2 | 0-0 | 5 | 13.8 |
| Kevin Freeman (UConn) | 1-8 | 0-0 | 2 | 13.3 |
| Erron Maxey (Providence) | 2-4 | 1-1 | 7 | 16.7 |
| Tim Brown (St. Joseph's) | 0-3 | 0-2 | 0 | 11.6 |
| *second half only | ||||
Assisting in Victory
During last week's victory over Rhode Island, UMass totaled 24 assists on its 36 baskets. Jonathan DePina led the way with a career-high tying nine assists on the afternoon, while Shannon Crooks had four assists and Kitwana Rhymer recorded three assists. With 24 assists as a team, the Minutemen recorded their highest total in that category since the Final Four season of 1995-96. The last time UMass recorded more than 24 assists in a game came on February 11, 1996, when the Minutemen combined for 25 assists in an 84-55 victory over Temple. The Minutemen are now averaging 12.58 assists per game on the season, a mark which ranks as the seventh-best in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Captains 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.
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 made 54 of 148 three-pointers on the season, and has moved into third place all time at UMass in both three-pointers made and attempted. For his career, Mack has now made 194 of 531 three-point attempts, good for a 36.5 percentage. He now trails only Carmelo Travieso (245 of 666 / 1993-97) and Rafer Giles (221 of 592 / 1987-91) on the UMass career charts, with his percentage of 36.5 ranking eighth all time.
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 | Years | Wins | |
| 1. | Jack Leaman | 1966-79 | 217 |
| 2. | John Calipari | 1988-96 | 193 |
| 3. | Harold M. Gore | 1916-30, 1931-32 | 119 |
| 4. | Robert Curran | 1952-59 | 81 |
| 5. | BRUISER FLINT | 1996-present | 65 |
| 6. | Matthew Zunic | 1959-63 | 57 |
| 7. | Ron Gerlufsen | 1983-88 | 55 |
| 8. | John M. Orr | 1963-66 | 39 |
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 |
Dribbles
Although not known for his scoring, Mike Babul has been effective on the offensive end over the last few games. He scored six points against Rhode Island, Duquesne and Virginia Tech, while hitting on nine of 11 field goal attempts during those three games ? In last Saturday's victory at Virginia Tech, UMass held the Hokies to only 41 points. Over the last 30 years, the only time the Hokies scored less than 41 points came at UMass last season (40 points).
Love Those Cameras
ESPN and UMass have gotten to know each other pretty well over the years. The upcoming Xavier game will be the 56th time ESPN has televised a UMass basketball game since the '90s began. UMass posts a 35-20 (.636) record on ESPN and 74-39 (.655) record overall since 1990 on the national networks. The Villanova game was UMass' 21st appearance on ESPN2 where the Minutemen have posted a record of 13-8 (.619).
Any Time, Any Place, Any Team
This season, UMass has 10 teams on its 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.
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.
Hitting in the Clutch
UMass has made 63.4 percent of its free throws this season, a mark which ranks last in the Atlantic 10 Conference. But in the game at St. Joseph's last Sunday, the Minutemen came through with a number of clutch free throws to clinch the victory in the closing minute. With UMass up by three with only 38 seconds remaining, Chris Kirkland connected on both ends of a one-and-one to put the Minutemen up 70-65. With 23 seconds remaining, Jonathan DePina hit on the front end of a one-and-one, before missing the second shot to make the UMass lead 71-68. Kitwana Rhymer then connected on both ends on a one-and-one with only eight seconds left to put the game out of reach at 73-69.
Atlantic 10 Success
The Minutemen have been the dominant team in the Atlantic 10 Conference over the past decade, finishing with a winning record in conference play for each of the last 10 seasons. Today, UMass will look to keep alive a streak of six straight victories in Atlantic 10 road openers. The streak includes a pair of victories over St. Joseph's at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, with a 94-89 overtime win in 1995-96 and a 72-66 victory in 1997-98. Other road opening conference wins over the last six years came at St. Bonaventure in 1993-94 (86-66) and 1994-95 (81-76 in overtime), at La Salle in 1996-97 (56-50) and at Fordham in 1998-99 (67-65). The last time the Minutemen lost their opening Atlantic 10 road game was during the 1992-93 season, when Temple posted a 52-44 victory over UMass.
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.'
Where To Find UMass Basketball
on television
The Minutemen will make at least 20 television appearances during the 1999-2000 season. Today's contest against Temple will be the 14th television game of the season, and will be carried by ESPN2. On the year, UMass will appear on ABC once, on ESPN three times, ESPN2 three times, on the Atlantic 10 Network six times, on New England Sports Network twice, on SportsChannel Florida once, on Fox Sports Detroit once and WGGB TV in Springfield three times. So far this season, the Minutemen have gone 7-6 in televised games.
on radio
All University of Massachusetts basketball games can be heard live on the UMass Basketball Radio Network, with WHMP 99.3 FM / 1400 AM (Northampton) serving as the flagship station. Bob Behler has taken over as the play-by-play announcer this season, while former UMass coach Jack Leaman is in his sixth year as color analyst and former Minuteman Skip Connors is in his third season. Here is a list of affiliates for the Temple game:
WXKS 1430 AM (Boston) WTAG 580 AM (Worcester) WCAP 980 AM (Lowell) WATD 95.9 FM (Marshfield) WBNW 1120 AM (Concord) WBRK 1340 AM (Pittsfield)
In addition, WMUA 91.1 FM, the UMass student station, will carry a number of games during the 1999-2000 season.
the UMass basketball show
Head coach Bruiser Flint's weekly television show, 'The UMass Basketball Show with Bruiser Flint presented by the TJX Companies,' airs on WGGB TV, channel 40 in 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.
THE BRUISER FLINT SHOW
Head coach Bruiser Flint's weekly radio show, 'The Bruiser Flint Show,' is on live from Rafter's Sports Bar & Restaurant in Amherst from 6:00-7:00 p.m.., on WHMP 99.3 FM / 1400 AM (Northampton). Selected shows will also be broadcast on WORC (Worcester) and WBRK (Pittsfield). The show, hosted by Bob Behler, runs throughout the entire season. The show generally takes place on Monday evenings, but the night may vary in accordance with the UMass schedule.
ON the internet
Information on Minuteman basketball and all 29 of UMass' varsity sports is available through the UMass Athletics home page at 'http://www.umassathletics.com'. Links to UMass basketball radio broadcasts can also be found on the home page.
Comeback Kids
UMass has rallied from double digit deficits on 15 occasions to claim victory during the last six years. This resiliency has shown twice this season, in the victories over Villanova and Boston College. 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.
Around the Atlantic 10 Conference
1999-2000 Atlantic 10 Standings (through games of 1/29/2000)
| EAST | A-10 | Pct. | Overall | Pct. |
| Temple | 7-1 | .875 | 14-4 | .778 |
| St. Bonaventure | 5-2 | .714 | 13-4 | .765 |
| UMass | 5-2 | .714 | 11-8 | .579 |
| St. Joseph's | 4-4 | .500 | 9-8 | .529 |
| Fordham | 2-4 | .333 | 9-9 | .500 |
| Rhode Island | 2-5 | .286 | 5-15 | .250 |
| WEST | A-10 | Pct. | Overall | Pct. |
| Dayton | 6-1 | .857 | 16-3 | .842 |
| Virginia Tech | 3-4 | .429 | 9-10 | .474 |
| Duquesne | 3-5 | .375 | 8-11 | .421 |
| Xavier | 2-4 | .333 | 11-7 | .611 |
| George Washington | 2-4 | .333 | 8-11 | .421 |
| La Salle | 1-6 | .143 | 7-11 | .389 |
UMass in the A-10 Team Rankings
| Category | Rank | Avg. / Pct. |
| Steals | 4th | 9.16 |
| Blocked Shots | 4th | 4.37 |
| Turnover Margin | 3rd | +1.58 |
| Scoring Defense | 3rd | 63.2 |
| Rebounding Offense | 2nd | 37.9 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 3rd | 23.68 |
| Field Goal Percentage Defense | 4th | .404 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 5th | 14.26 |
| Assists | 7th | 12.58 |
| 3-Point Field Goal Percentage | 3rd | .355 |
| Scoring Margin | 4th | +5.3 |
| 3-Point Field Goal Percentage Defense | 6th | .315 |
| Rebounding Defense | 7th | 37.8 |
| Rebounding Margin | 6th | +0.1 |
| Field Goal Percentage | 7th | .423 |
| Assist / Turnover Ratio | 8th | 0.82 |
| Scoring Offense | 8th | 68.5 |
| 3-Point Field Goals Made | 10th | 4.63 |
| Free Throw Percentage | 12th | .641 |
UMass in the A-10 Individual Rankings
| Scoring | Rank | Avg. |
| Monty Mack | 2nd | 19.6 |
| Chris Kirkland | 9th | 15.1 |
| Rebounding | Rank | Avg. |
| Kitwana Rhymer | 3rd | 8.4 |
| Chris Kirkland | 16th | 5.9 |
| Field Goal Percentage | Rank | Pct. |
| Chris Kirkland | 5th | .458 |
| Monty Mack | 8th | .415 |
| Assists | Rank | Avg. |
| Jonathan DePina | 11th | 3.05 |
| Free Throw Percentage | Rank | Pct. |
| Monty Mack | 4th | .811 |
| Steals | Rank | Avg. |
| Monty Mack | 6th | 2.05 |
| Shannon Crooks | 9th | 1.84 |
| Chris Kirkland | 12th | 1.58 |
| 3-Point Field Goal Percentage | Rank | Pct. |
| Monty Mack | 7th | .365 |
| 3-Point Field Goals Made | Rank | Avg. |
| Monty Mack | 3rd | 2.84 |
| Blocked Shots | Rank | Avg. |
| Kitwana Rhymer | 2nd | 2.05 |
| Assist / Turnover Ratio | Rank | Ratio |
| Jonathan DePina | 8th | 1.49 |
| Offensive Rebounds | Rank | Avg. |
| Kitwana Rhymer | 10th | 2.74 |
| Chris Kirkland | 12th | 2.63 |
| Defensive Rebounds | Rank | Avg. |
| Kitwana Rhymer | 1st | 5.63 |
