University of Massachusets Athletics
Men's Basketball To Face Connecticut In MassMutual U Game
December 11, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 11, 2000
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Probable UMass (1-5) Starters Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. F 40 Micah Brand 6-11 243 So. F 20 Winston Smith 6-5 228 Sr. C 33 Kitwana Rhymer 6-10 256 Sr. G 5 Monty Mack 6-3 200 Sr. G 30 Shannon Crooks 6-2 222 Jr.
Probable UConn (7-1) Starters Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. F 3 Caron Butler 6-7 235 Fr. F 51 Edmund Saunders 6-8 230 Sr. C 34 Souleymane Wane 6-11 240 Sr. G 12 Taliek Brown 6-1 185 Fr. G 23 Albert Mouring 6-3 190 Sr.
The MassMutual U Game: A pair of longtime New England rivals square off before the national spotlight of ESPN, as coach Bruiser Flint's UMass Minutumen face the 11th-ranked (ESPN/USA Today and Associated Press) UConn Huskies in the fifth annual MassMutual U Game. UMass, which opened its season with a 67-65 homecourt victory over 2000 NCAA Tournament entrant Iona, has since lost five straight after Sunday's heartbreaking 54-51 loss at Ohio State. Tonight's game is the second in a stretch that has the Minutemen playing four times in eight days, as they play at Boston U. on Thursday and host Boston College next Sunday in the Commonwealth Classic before breaking for final exams and the holidays. The Minutemen are 1-5 six games into the season for the first time since a similar start to the 1980-81 campaign and hope to avoid their worst start (0-16) since the 1979-80 season with an upset win over the Huskies. UMass' five-game losing skid is its longest since the 1989-90 season, and it hasn't lost six-straight since the 1986-87 season. UMass' All-America and A-10 player-of-the-year candidate Monty Mack netted a game-high 22 points at Ohio State, including 13 in UMass' second-half comeback bid. Mack, who will be playing in his 100th game as a Minuteman, stands fourth on the UMass all-time scoring list with 1,713 points, 19 from overtaking No. 3 Lorenzo Sutton's 1,731. The school's all-time leader in three-point goals made (252) and attempted (697), Mack has tallied 38, 20-point or better scoring game in his career, including two this season.
About Connecticut: The Huskies are 7-1 on the season after Saturday's 71-69 victory over fifth-ranked Arizona in Storrs. UConn opened the season with an 86-72 victory over Quinnipiac, then dropped an 80-66 decision to Dayton in the opening round of the Maui Invitational, but has since reeled off six-straight wins, downing Chaminade (77-61), Louisville (83-71), Brown (88-78), Houston (72-60), New Hampshire (97-70) and Arizona. In its 25th season of play in the Hartford Civic Center, UConn owns an all-time record of 129-64 (.668) here, including a 79-16 (.832) mark against non-conference opponents. The Huskies have won 60 of their last 61 non-Big East games in this building, with the lone loss in that stretch being a 73-65 setback to Kansas, Jan. 19, 1997.
Last Time Out: UMass hit a Flint-era low 25.4 percent from the field, including 16.7 percent in the first half, in dropping a 54-51 decision Sunday at Ohio State. The Minutemen, who never led in the game, fell behind by 13 at halftime (26-13), and trailed by eight with 4:05 to go, before mounting a rally that came up just short. UMass got within 52-51 with two seconds left on a three-point goal by Shannon Crooks, but could not come up with a steal on the Ohio State inbound pass, as the Buckeyes' Brent Darby made two free throws with just under a second left to seal the win. Monty Mack tallied a game-high 22 points, including 13 in the second half, and was the only UMass player in double figures. Crooks added nine for the Minutemen, while Kitwana Rhymer grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. Ken Johnson led Ohio State with 16 points, seven rebounds and nine blocked shots. Johnson's nine rejections were the most-ever by a UMass opponent.
UMass head coach Bruiser Flint: Minuteman bench boss James "Bruiser" Flint (St. Joseph's, 1987) is 72-62 (.537) in his fifth season as a collegiate head coach, all along the UMass sideline. In his 12th season overall in Amherst, Flint is one of only two coaches in school history to take three teams to postseason play in their first four seasons at the UMass helm (John Calipari was the other), and ranks as the fifth-winningest coach in school history, 10 victories behind No. 4 Robert Curran (81 victories in seven seasons from 1952 through 1959) and 14 behind No. 3 Harold M. Gore (85 victories in 11 years from 1916-17, 1918-19 and 1920-29). Flint, whose first two Minuteman squads earned NCAA Tournament bids and whose fourth team went to the NIT, owns a 41-23 (.641) record in regular-season Atlantic 10 Conference play. Each of Flint's first four UMass squads finished third or higher in the A-10 standings, and his 2000 unit became the first to reach the conference tournament semifinals since the 1996 squad captured the last of the school's five consecutive league tournament crowns. In addition, his program has produced at least one all-conference performer each season, and nine of his 11 seniors (81.8 percent) have left Amherst with degree in hand. Before being tabbed to replace Calipari, Flint spent seven seasons as an assistant to Cal on the UMass bench. One of only 31 active Division I head coaches to have both played and coached a team in the NCAA Tournament, Flint is 0-4 vs. UConn, 0-2 at the Hartford Civic Center. Two of the four meetings, though, have been decided by five or fewer points.
Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun: UConn's Jim Calhoun (American International, 1968) owns a 336-131 (.719) record in his 15th season Huskies' bench, and a 586-268 (.686) mark in his 29th year as a head coach. Calhoun, who fashioned a 250-137 (.646) record in 14 seasons at Northeastern before moving to UConn, has taken 18 of his 28 teams to postseason play (14 NCAA, four NIT), including his last 13 Husky squads, and has won both the NCAA Tournament (1999) and the NIT (1988) as the UConn head coach. The winningest coach in both UConn and Northeastern history and the 10th winningest active Division I coach, he is 12-8 all-time vs. UMass, 7-0 as head coach at Connecticut and 5-8 during his stint at Northeastern.
The Series: This is the 103rd meeting in a series UConn leads, 64-38, and that has seen the Huskies win nine straight and 17 of the last 18 meetings with UMass to take command of the series. The Minutemen, who dropped a 79-65 decision to the Huskies last year at Storrs, haven't beaten UConn since posting a 67-65 overtime victory over their arch-rival, Dec. 15, 1983, at Curry Hicks Cage in Amherst. UMass is 1-3 vs. UConn at the Hartford Civic Center, with its lone win being an 81-80 decision, Jan. 13, 1977, which also marks the last time the Minutemen beat the Huskies in the state of Connecticut. This series dates to a 66-22 UMass victory at Storrs, Feb. 14, 1905, and ranks as the second-most played series in UMass history.
About the U Game: This is the fifth annual MassMutual U Game, the third to be played at the Hartford Civic Center. UConn has claimed all four U Games, winning 64-61 on Dec. 27, 1996, at the Hartford Civic Center, 72-55 on Dec. 23, 1997 at the Hartford Civic Center, 59-54 on Dec. 9, 1998, at the Mullins Center and 79-65 last year at Gampel Pavilion. This year's meeting marks the fourth straight season UConn has been ranked entering the U Game. Next year's game will be played in the Mullins Center in Amherst, with the 2002-03 game set for Gampel Pavilion and the 2003-04 game slated to be played here. Entering the 2000-01 season, UMass and UConn rank as two of the nation's top Division I programs over the last 11 years. The Minutemen won 254 games over that 11-year stretch, with 10 postseason appearances and one Final Four berth to their credit, while the Huskies posted 282 victories in that same period, with 11 postseason trips and one national title over that same period.
Last Year's Meeting: Seventh-ranked UConn scored a 79-65 victory over the Minutemen in Storrs. UMass trailed, 37-31, at halftime, and watched UConn move that advantage to 13 early in the second half, before closing to 54-51 with 8:46 left. The Huskies, though, went on an 8-0 run to put the game away. Monty Mack netted a game-high 26 points for UMass, while Jonathan DePina had 10. Kitwana Rhymer hauled down a career-high 17 rebounds for the Minutemen. Khalid El-Amin, one of four UConn players in double figures, led the Huskies with 18 points.
Road Warriors: One of the toughest things to do in college basketball is win on the road, but under Bruiser Flint, the Minutemen have enjoyed good success away from the Mullins Center. Including games played at neutral sites, UMass is 39-44 (.470) outside of Amherst under Flint, including an 0-4 record this season. Tonight's game marks the 84th of Flint's 135 career games on the Minuteman bench that has been played away from Amherst. UMass and Temple were the only A-10 teams to record winning road records in conference play last season, as the Minutemen were 5-3 vs. A-10 foes on the road a year ago, their third winning league road mark in Flint's tenure. The Minutemen, 11-10 outside of the Mullins Center last year, were also the only Atlantic 10 team to post a victory at Virginia Tech last season, and have posted a .500 or better road record 10 times in the last 11 seasons.
Four and Counting: In its 92nd season of intercollegiate basketball competition, UMass needs just four wins to reach the 1,000-victory plateau in its history. The Minutemen, who own an all-time record of 996-884 (.530) on the hardwood, have enjoyed their greatest success over the last 11-plus seasons, posting a 255-115 (.689) mark and advancing to postseason play 10 times in that stretch while winning an average of 23.1 games per season.
70 or More Equals Victory: Although UMass has hit the 70-point mark just twice this season and lost both times, that number has been a good indicator to use in predicting the team's success over the last few seasons. In 13 of its 17 victories a year ago, UMass tallied 70 or more points, and for the season it was 13-2 when putting 70-plus points on the scoreboard. Under coach Bruiser Flint, the Minutemen are 39-12 (.765) all-time when reaching the 70-point mark, but just 33-50 (.398) when scoring 69 or fewer points. UMass is also 11-36 (.234) under Flint when it allows 70 or more points, including an 0-3 record this season.
Watch the Clock: Under coach Bruiser Flint, UMass has been nearly unbeatable when leading with 5:00 remaining, as the Minutemen are 65-9 (.878) all-time under his leadership when leading after 35 minutes of play, including a 1-0 mark this season. UMass is 2-1 (.667) in Flint's tenure when tied with 5:00 to go. UMass has struggled nearly as much when trailing with 5:00 left, posting a 5-52 mark (.088), which includes an 0-5 record this year. The Minutemen's come-from-behind victories in Flint's tenure came against North Carolina-Wilmington (down 41-37, but won 47-46) and Duquesne (trailed 63-60, but won 73-71) in 1996-97, Charlotte (behind 48-45, but won 68-62 in OT) and St. Joseph's (behind 63-58, but won 82-79 in OT) in 1997-98 and Villanova (down 40-38, but won 52-51) last year. On 15 occasions over the last six-plus seasons, including nine times under Flint, the Minutemen have overcome a double-digit deficit to claim victory. The last time UMass rallied from a double-digit lead to win came on Dec. 6, 1999, when it overcame a 33-22 deficit with 16:00 to go to beat Villanova, 52-51, in the Mullins Center. The largest come-from-behind win by a Flint-coached Minuteman squad came on Dec. 12, 1996, when it trailed Drexel 14-2 with 12:00 to play in the first half, only to post a 69-48 victory.
Looking to Find the Touch: After hitting a season-high 54.0 percent from the field in its season-opening victory over Iona, the Minutemen have shot just 37.7 percent over the last five games, and have not been back over the 50.0 percent clip. In the Ohio State loss, UMass shot just 25.4 percent from the floor, and for the season is hitting 40.2 percent of its fielders. Through six games this season, UMass has been a better shooting team from the floor in the first half than the second, although that stat took a hit at Ohio State (UMass shot just 16.7 percent from the floor in the first half in Columbus), hitting 43.1 (65-of-151) percent from the field in the first half, compared to 37.8 (68-of-180) marksmanship in the second stanza. The Minutemen, who were 7-0 a year ago when shooting 50.0 percent or better from the floor, own a 26-4 mark under Flint when hitting better than half of their fielders and have won 12-straight when reaching the 50.0 percent mark since an 88-83 loss to George Washington in the quarterfinals of the 1998 Atlantic 10 Tournament.
Foul Shooting: After hitting just 58.6 percent from the free throw line in their first four games of the season, the Minutemen have shot 77.8 percent (28-of-36) from the stripe the last two games. UMass shot a then-season-best 72.2 percent in the Providence loss, and bettered that against Ohio State, shooting 83.3 percent. The Minutemen, who have outscored their opponents by a 297-287 count from the field for the season, have been outscored at the foul line 154-96. In fact, UMass' six opponents have made (154) more free throws than the Minutemen have attempted (152). The Minutemen's top free throw shooter is senior guard Monty Mack at 80.0 percent (28-for-35), while his backcourt runningmate, junior Shannon Crooks ranks second at 71.9 percent.
Going to the Glass: While its free throw shooting has improved in its last two games, another area in which UMass must get better in quickly is rebounding, as it has been outrebounded in every game this season and its opponents own a +7.9 (39.7-31.8) advantage on the glass over the Minutemen. Two of six opponents on the season have outrebounded the Minutemen by double-digits, but three have done so by two or fewer rebounds. Entering the 2000-01 season, Flint-led UMass teams had either been even or won the battle on the glass in 60.2 percent of his games on the Minuteman bench. Senior center Kitwana Rhymer is UMass' top rebounder at 5.8 per game.
The Streak: While UMass' five-game tailspin is its longest since the 1989-90 season, it should be noted that the five teams that have beaten the Minutemen have fashioned a combined record of 24-9 (.727) through games of Dec. 10, and three played in the postseason a year ago. The Minutemen, despite outshooting their opponent's from the three-point line .350 to .241, have been outshot from the field (.377 to .415), while committing two more turnovers (86-84) than their opponents. In its losing streak, UMass has averaged 65.2 points per game, while allowing 75.2 and has watched its opponent record the highest two-game total ever in the Flint-era (176 points, 91 by Oregon and 85 by Providence) and reach the 75-point mark in three-straight games (Holy Cross, Oregon, Providence) for the first time since the final game of the 1993-94 campaign and the first two of the 1994-95 season. But, it is probably free throw shooting and rebounding that have put UMass in its skid, as it has been outscored 135-86 from the foul line, while hitting just 66.2 percent of its foul shots, compared to 75.8 percent marksmanship for its foes. On the boards, the Minutemen are a -9.2 to their opponents over the last five games.
The UMass Block Party: Through six games, UMass leads the Atlantic 10 in blocked shots with an average of 5.0 rejections per game (30 on the season). The Minutemen are coming off back-to-back season-high-tying seven-block games at Ohio State and versus Providence (they also had seven blocks at Marquette). UMass, which has had six or more snuffs in four of six outings this year, has had at least one blocked shot in 72-straight games since being held rejectionless in a 74-66 loss at Temple, March 1, 1998. Senior center Kitwana Rhymer leads the team with 14 rejections, while sophomore Micah Brand has 10 blocks to rank second.
We Can Play the "D": A trademark of the UMass basketball program over the last 12 years has been stingy defensive play, and that appears to again be the case again this season. For the year, Minutemen opponents are shooting 42.2 percent from the field, including 27.0 percent from three-point range, and have topped the 50.0 percent mark just once (.529 by Oregon). The Minutemen have held 41 of their last 49 opponents, including five of six this season, to under 50 percent shooting from the field (UMass is 21-20 in those games), and 24 foes to under 40 percent shooting (16-8). Under coach Flint, UMass has held an opponent to under 40 percent shooting 69 times (in 134 total games) and owns a 52-17 (.754) record in those contests. Last year, UMass ranked fourth in the A-10 in both scoring (64.8 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (.412). Each of Flint's first four teams rank among the school's top 10 in fewest points allowed per game (since the 1951-52 season), with the average points scored against UMass in his tenure being 66.2 points per game.
Playing the "D," Part II: A year ago, the Minutemen averaged a school-record 9.0 steals per game and recorded 296 thefts, the second-highest one-season total in school history. This season, UMass has been credited with 37 steals in six games. Eight of 10 UMass players have at least one steal to their credit this season, and guards Shannon Crooks (11), Jonathan DePina (seven) and Monty Mack (four) have accounted for 22 of the Minutemen's 37 steals on the year. In the Minutemen's victory at Rhode Island a year ago, they tallied 18 steals, their highest one-game total since a 21-steal effort against St. Joseph's, on Feb. 28, 1990. Mack (62), Chris Kirkland (60) and Crooks (58) accounted for 180 of the team's 296 thefts a year ago, and the trio ranked fifth, eighth and 10th on the A-10 leader board in steals, the only league school to have three players among the league's top 10 in thefts.
Mighty Mack: After earning first-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors a year ago, senior guard and tri-captain Monty Mack will challenge for All-America and A-10 Player of the Year honors in his final season as a Minuteman. Mack, who averaged 19.8 points per game a year ago, has averaged a team-high 19.2 points in five appearances this season. He is on track to become just the second player in school history to top the 2,000-point mark, joining Jim McCoy, who tallied 2,374 points in four seasons from 1988-92. Mack starts tonight's game with 1,713 points, good for fourth on the UMass career scoring list, 18 behind No. 3 Lorenzo Sutton, 193 away from second place Lou Roe and 287 from the 2,000-point plateau. The fifth player in UMass history and first since Marcus Camby in 1996 to earn both first team all-league and all-tournament honors in the same season, Mack's 1,713 points rank second among all active Division I players, behind Centenary's Ronnie McCollum's 1,927. He has scored in double figures 89 times in 99 games, and has hit at least one trey in 21-straight appearances.
More Mack: The Boston, Mass., native has averaged 22.3 points over his last three games, and is coming off a 22-point performance at Ohio State, the 38th, 20-point or better scoring game of his career. He needs nine more 20-point scoring games to break the UMass career record for 20-point outings held by Julius Erving, who tallied 20 or more points in 46 of 52 career games under the watchful eye of former coach Jack Leaman. Despite averaging 19.2 points this year, Mack has hit just 31.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range, compared to career marks of .412 and .364, entering the season. Over the last three games, however, he has hit 34.0 percent from the field, 41.7 percent from the three-point line and 84.0 percent at the free throw line. Mack leads the team in free throw shooting (.800) and has accounted for more than half (16) of the team's 31 treys on the year. His rankings on the UMass career lists can be found in the right column of this page.
Here's Jonathan: UMass guard and tri-captain Jonathan DePina started his senior season in impressive style, but has struggled the last three games. After tallying 31 points in his first three games of the season, the highest three-game scoring total of his college career, he has been held scoreless in his last three outings. DePina had nine points, seven assists and one steal in a career-high-tying 40-minute effort against Iona, then had 13 points and three assists in 25 minutes of work off the bench at Marquette and nine points, three assists and a career-high-tying three steals in 34 minutes at Holy Cross. His output against the Golden Eagles was just two off his career high. After connecting on 44.4 percent of his three-point attempts a year ago, DePina has hit a team-high 50.0 percent (six-of-12) from beyond the arc this season, while ranking second in assists (18) and third in steals (seven). He is one of just two Minutemen, fellow tri-captain Winston Smith is the other, to be credited with more assists (18) than turnovers (13) this season.
Crooks Continues to Shine: After tallying 39 points in UMass' first two games of the season, junior guard Shannon Crooks has averaged 9.3 points over the last four games, and is coming off a nine-point, five-assist performance at Ohio State. He had 20 points and a Mullins Center-record-tying six steals against Iona in the season opener, a team-high 19 points in 29 minutes at Marquette, nine points and three assists at Holy Cross, eight points and three assists at Oregon and 11 points and four assists against Providence. Crooks, whose 12.7 scoring average ranks second on the team, has recorded 18 multiple-steal games in 39 career appearances and has a team-best 11 thefts on the season. He has had at least one steal in five of six games this season, and is the only player on the UMass roster to have been credited with at least two assists in every game this season. UMass is 4-0 over the last two seasons when Crooks scores 20-or-more points in a game, and 12-8 when he has more assists than turnovers in a game. Crooks, who had 10 assists over UMass' first four games, has had nine assists in his last two outings, and has a team-high 19 on the year.
Captain Smith is Unselfish: Fifth-year senior and tri-captain Winston Smith, one of the team's most unselfish players, had another strong all-around game at Ohio State, with three points, six rebounds, three assists and no turnovers in 32 minutes of work. He netted a career-high-tying 10 points in the Providence game. Smith ranks third on the team in assists with 17, and is one of just two players on this year's roster (Jonathan DePina is the other) to have more assists (17) than turnovers (11) this season. A career 39.5 percent field goal shooter, Smith has hit 47.8 percent from the field this season, a mark which ranks third on the squad. Smith, who had a career-high six assists and no turnovers against Marquette, had 12 points in his first four games this season, before nearly equalling that in the first half of the Providence game (10 points). It marked his first double-figure scoring game since his rookie season when he had 10 points at Wake Forest, Dec. 10, 1996. Smith has started six consecutive games for the first time in his career.
Kit's Block Party: Another senior, center Kitwana Rhymer, is coming off back-to-back double-figure rebounding games. He had seven points, a game-high 13 rebounds and four blocked shots at Ohio State, a peformance which followed a 16-point, 10-rebound, five-block effort against Providence. The reason for Rhymer's improvement can be traced to minutes played. In UMass' first four games, he averaged 14.3 miuntes per game and fouled out of two contests, but in his last two outings, he's averaged 31.5 minutes of work and hasn't fouled out of either game. For his career, Rhymer has six double-doubles and 13 double-figure rebounding games. He has 88 career snuffs, good for ninth on the UMass all-time list, and has 21 multiple-block games to his credit. He needs 12 blocks to become just the seventh player in school history to record 100 career blocks, four to pass No. 8 Duane Chase on the school's all-time list. Rhymer leads the team in field goal percentage (.531), rebounding (5.8 rpg) and blocked shots (14), while ranking fourth in scoring (7.3 ppg). After averaging 26.0 minutes as a junior, he has logged 20.0 minutes this season, due to foul trouble. Rhymer, who has committed a team-leading 23 fouls, has fouled out of two games and never been whistled for fewer than three fouls, played a season-high 33 minutes at Ohio State.
Brand Micah: Sophomore forward Micah Brand made his first career start at Ohio State, and responded with six points, two rebounds and a pair of blocked shots in 28 minutes. After recording a career-high 19 points and nine rebounds at Oregon in 25 minutes, he had 12 points and three rebounds off the bench in a like number of minutes against Providence, to record the first back-to-back double-figure scoring games of his career. Brand, who scored eight points in UMass' first three games and shot 30.0 percent from the field, has averaged 9.0 points over his last four outings. He ranks second on the team in rebounding (4.2) and blocked shots (10), third in scoring (7.7 ppg). Brand has recorded at least one block in five of six games this season, including a career-high four rejections at Marquette.
New Kids on the Block: Three first-year UMass players, junior forwards Jackie Rogers and Eric Williams, and freshman swingman Willie Jenkins, have worked their way into coach Flint's rotation. The trio is accounting for 18.3 percent of the UMass offense (12.0 ppg) this season.
The Schedule: UMass Basketball continues to subscribe to an any time, any place, any where scheduling philosophy, as 14 of its 27 games before the 2001 A-10 Tournament will be against teams which earned postseason bids a year ago. Tonight's game against 2000 NCAA Tournament participant UConn is the fifth of six non-league tests against 2000 postseason tournament teams. UMass has already faced NCAA Tournament entrants Iona, Oregon and Ohio State and NIT qualifier Marquette, and still must play 2000 Final Four entrant North Carolina in the opening round of the Hardee's Tournament of Champions in Charlotte, N.C. When A-10 play begins in January, UMass will face all three of the league's entries into the 2000 NCAA Tournament home and home, Temple, St. Bonaventure and Dayton, and it gets to play the league's other postseason tournament team, Xavier (NIT), twice, too. Only one team picked to finish fifth or higher in the A-10 preseason coaches/media poll (George Washington, nine) plays more league games against 2000 A-10 postseason teams than the Minutemen.
Consistent Success: The Atlantic 10 Conference's winningest program over the last 11 seasons, UMass is one of 21 Division I schools to have earned 10 postseason tournament bids in the last 11 years (from 1989-90 through 1999-2000). The guest list:
Quick Tips: UMass had a season-high five double-figure scorers against Providence, marking the first time it had five double-digit scorers in the same game since its 1999-2000 season-opener at Iona...the Minuteman bench has provided 105 points (17.5 ppg) on the season compared to its opponents' 120 (20.0 ppg)...the Minutemen have hit at least one three-point goal in 69-straight games since a first-round 1998 NCAA Tournament loss to Saint Louis...the 2000-01 Minuteman roster features five former Bay State prep products with the addition of walk-on freshman guard Dwayne Killings to the roster...Killings, who prepped at Amherst High School, will wear No. 11...under coach Flint, UMass is 20-29 (.408) in games played in November and December, 52-33 (.612) in games played in January, February or March...the 2000-01 season marks the 25th year of A-10 basketball, and the Minutemen have been there for every season...the A-10, of course, was founded as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League and started play with the 1976-77 campaign...the league became the Eastern Eight a year later, and the A-10 in 1983...UMass has produced at least one all-conference performer for 17-straight seasons...the Minutemen have recorded a winning A-10 record in each of the last 11 seasons, and own a 127-51 (.713) mark in regular-season league play and have captured 10 league titles (five regular season, five tournament) in that time frame.
From Here: UMass plays at Boston U., on Thursday, at 7 p.m., then hosts Boston College in the Commonwealth Classic next Sunday. UConn is idle until hosting Fairfield on Dec. 22.
