University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Hosts La Salle
February 07, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 7, 2000
UMass (11-10, 5-3 A-10) vs.
La Salle (8-11, 2-6 A-10)
February 9, 2000 * 7:00 p.m.
William D. Mullins Memorial Center (9,493)
Amherst, Mass.
Gameday Quick Facts
Television: None
Radio: UMass Radio Network (WHMP 99.3 FM / 1400 AM, Northampton, flagship, Bob Behler, play-by-play, Skip Connors and Jack Leaman, color)
La Salle Radio Network (WZZD 990 AM, Lafayette Hill, flagship, Kale Beers, play-by-play, Steve Degler and Kathy Bagnell, color)
The Series with La Salle
This will be the ninth meeting between UMass and La Salle, with the Minutemen leading the all-time series 6-2. UMass had won six consecutive games in the series, before the Explorers posted a 63-60 victory in Philadelphia last year. Since La Salle joined the Atlantic 10 Conference during the 1995-96 season, the Minutemen hold a 4-1 lead in the series. UMass stands 2-0 all-time against the Explorers at the Mullins Center, with a 3-0 mark for all games played in Amherst.
Mack on the Scoring Charts
Senior Monty Mack enters the Texas game as the 10th all-time leading scorer in UMass history with 1,387 career points. He passed Julius Erving (1,370 points / 1969-71) during the Temple game and is currently tied with Marcus Camby (1,387 points / 1993-96) for 10th place. Mack, who is only in his third season with the Minutemen, also ranks very highly for points scored in a player's first three seasons. Jim McCoy holds the record with 1,818 points in his first three years as a Minuteman (McCoy finished his career as UMass' all-time leading scorer with 2,374 points from 1988-92). Mack is tied for second with Camby, who scored 1,387 points in his first three seasons (Camby played only three years before moving on to the NBA). At his current pace, Mack should finish the year with well over 1,500 career points. If Mack returns to UMass for a fifth year, he is on pace to join McCoy as the only players in school history with over 2,000 career points (Lou Roe currently ranks second all-time with 1,905 points).
Probable Starters & Key Reserves
| No. | Name | Pos. | Yr. | Ht. | Wt. | PPG | RPG |
| 22 | Chris Kirkland | F | Sr. | 6-6 | 228 | 14.9 | 5.9 |
| 23 | Mike Babul | F | Sr. | 6-6 | 230 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
| 33 | Kitwana Rhymer | C | Jr. | 6-10 | 256 | 6.9 | 7.8 |
| 5 | Monty Mack | G | Sr. | 6-3 | 200 | 19.1 | 3.2 |
| 30 | Shannon Crooks | G | So. | 6-2 | 222 | 10.5 | 3.3 |
| 40 | Micah Brand | C | Fr. | 6-11 | 243 | 4.1 | 3.5 |
| 1 | Jonathan DePina | G | Jr. | 5-9 | 185 | 3.5 | 2.1 |
| 20 | Winston Smith | F | Jr. | 6-5 | 228 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
| 0 | Anthony Oates | C | Sr. | 6-10 | 285 | 0.6 | 1.0 |
| 3 | Ronell Blizzard | F | So. | 6-8 | 205 | 1.9 | 1.3 |
Series Quick Facts
| Overall Series | UMass, 6-2 |
| Bruiser Flint vs. La Salle | 3-1 |
| Last Meeting | La Salle (63-60) on 2/23/99 at La Salle |
| Most UMass Points | 93, (93-90) on 3/15/91 at UMass |
| Fewest UMass Points | 56, (56-50) on 1/8/97 at La Salle |
| Largest UMass Margin | 23, (87-64) on 1/7/95 at Atlantic City |
| Most La Salle Points | 90, (90-93) on 3/15/91 at UMass |
| Fewest La Salle Points | 49, (49-64) on 3/5/97 at Philadelphia |
| Largest La Salle Margin | 7, (82-75) on 12/30/71 at La Salle |
| In Overtime | n/a |
Statistical Matchup
| UMass | Statistics | La Salle |
| 67.0 | Scoring Average | 66.2 |
| 64.0 | Scoring Defense | 67.5 |
| +3.0 | Scoring Margin | -1.3 |
| 41.9 | Field Goal % | 39.3 |
| 41.1 | FG % Defense | 42.8 |
| 34.6 | 3-Point Field Goal % | 33.6 |
| 33.0 | 3 FG % Defense | 34.0 |
| 64.0 | Free Throw % | 68.9 |
| 36.5 | Rebound Average | 36.4 |
| 38.1 | Rebounds Against Average | 39.1 |
| -1.7 | Rebound Margin | -2.7 |
| 15.2 | Turnovers | 12.8 |
| 16.9 | Turnovers Forced | 13.2 |
| +1.7 | Turnover Margin | +0.4 |
Kirkland Keeps On Producing
Senior co-captain Chris Kirkland has been one of the top offensive threats for the Minutemen all season long. Against Texas, Kirkland had a great all-around game and led the team in scoring (17 points), rebounds (nine boards) and steals (four). 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 has led the team in scoring five times this year and in rebounds six times, while scoring in double figures in 17 out of 21 games. For the season, Kirkland is averaging 14.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while hitting on 45.7 percent of his field goal attempts. He currently ranks fifth in the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage, 10th in scoring and 14th in rebounding. Dating back to last season, Kirkland has scored in double figures 24 times in his last 28 games, including six double doubles.
Crooks Playing Big as a Starter
Sophomore guard Shannon Crooks, who has started at point guard in each of the last 10 games, continues to be one of the top scoring threats for the Minutemen. He has scored in double figures nine times in the last 13 games, while hitting for at least seven points in every game. Against Texas, Crooks led the team in scoring for the first time in his career with 17 points. He scored 15 of his points against the Longhorns in the second half, while also dishing out a team-high five assists. 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. 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 12 times. He is averaging 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, to rank third on the team in scoring and second in assists.
Stealing the Show
Through 21 games this season, UMass has totaled 191 steals as a team, a mark which ranks third in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Currently averaging 9.10 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 43, followed by Shannon Crooks and Chris Kirkland with 35 each.
Mack Continues to Score
Senior Monty Mack has led the team in scoring 12 times in the last 14 games. During that span he scored at least 20 points eight times, while hitting for 19 points on two other occasions. In the 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 help 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 this year came against Florida State, when he scored 30 points and converted on all 12 of his free throw attempts. Mack has scored in double figures 20 times in 21 games this season, and has now reached double digits 74 times in his 83-game UMass career. For the season, Mack is averaging 19.1 points per game to rank 28th 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.
Texas Recap
Chris Mihm totaled 18 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocked shots, to lead No. 16 Texas to a 68-57 victory over UMass at the Mullins Center. The game was close throughout much of the first half, but the Longhorns went on a 14-2 run just before the intermission to take a 31-16 lead into the lockerroom. Texas would increase its lead to 20 points early in the second half, before the Minutemen used a 24-10 run midway through the period to make things interesting. But UMass was not able to get any closer than six points, and Texas made nine of 10 free throws over the final minute and a half to cement the victory. Chris Kirkland led the Minutemen with 17 points, nine rebounds and four steals, while Shannon Crooks added 17 points and five assists. Lawrence Williams score 17 points for Texas while hitting on five of six three-point attempts, and Gabe Muoneke added 16 points.
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 this season 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 88 of 243 three-point attempts, good for a percentage of 36.2. Mack has connected on 62 of 168 three-point shots, while Crooks has hit 17 of 55 and DePina has made nine of 20.
Individual Career Totals
| Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks |
| Mack | 1,387 | 292 | 180 | 111 | 12 |
| Kirkland | 754 | 423 | 101 | 88 | 37 |
| Babul | 393 | 312 | 153 | 74 | 50 |
| DePina | 228 | 113 | 193 | 54 | 3 |
| Rhymer | 217 | 243 | 8 | 18 | 60 |
| Crooks | 221 | 69 | 58 | 35 | 4 |
| Smith | 163 | 145 | 51 | 23 | 5 |
| Brand | 87 | 74 | 4 | 5 | 11 |
| 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 |
The Last Meeting
K'Zell Wesson had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Victor Thomas added 14 points with a career-high 13 rebounds, as La Salle posted a 63-60 victory over the Minutemen on Feb. 23, 1999, in the last meeting between the two schools. Donnie Carr also had a big night for the Explorers with 14 points, all of them coming in the second half. Chris Kirkland scored 15 points with a career-high 16 rebounds for the Minutemen. La Salle took its biggest lead of the game, 45-37, on a three-pointer by Carr with 13:05 left to play. UMass then went on a 13-5 run to tie the score at 50-50 with six minutes remaining. The game stayed close, but Wesson tapped in a missed free throw to give the Explorers a 60-57 lead, then Rasual Butler added two free throws with 16 seconds left to put La Salle up 62-57. Lari Ketner had a double double for the Minutemen with 10 points and 11 rebounds. (A complete box score from the game can be found on page 89 of the UMass basketball media guide.)
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 10-29 under Flint and 2-4 this season when its foe scores 70 points.
A Visit with La Salle
La Salle has an overall record of 8-11 and a 2-6 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Explorers opened the season with a 6-1 record, but have gone only 2-10 over their last 12 contests. Sophomore forward Rasual Butler leads the team in scoring with 18.6 points per game, while also averaging 5.1 points. Junior forward Victor Thomas is averaging 16.8 points and a team-best 8.6 rebounds per contest, while senior guard Donnie Carr is averaging 17.3 points. Head coach William "Speedy" Morris is in his 14th season at La Salle with an overall record of 223-180. Morris has led the Explorers to four NCAA Tournament appearances and five 20-win seasons during his tenure.
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 62 of 168 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 202 of 551 three-point attempts, good for a 36.7 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 36.7 ranking eighth all time.
Rhymer Playing Big in the Middle
Junior Kitwana Rhymer has been a consistent force in the paint for UMass all season long. Rhymer scored 10 points against Temple last Tuesday, hitting on three of five field goals and four of six free throws. He had a huge game on the boards at Virginia Tech, pulling down 15 rebounds while also scoring six points. 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. 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 fourth in the Atlantic 10 Conference with an average of 7.8 rebounds per game, while scoring 6.9 points per contest. He has been the top rebounder for the Minutemen 11 times in 21 games.
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 La Salle game, Mack is tied with Marcus Camby for 10th place on the all-time scoring list. Here is a look at where Mack ranks among UMass' all-time leading scorers:
| 7. | Mike Pyatt (1974-78) | 1,503 |
| 8. | Horace Neysmith (1981-85) | 1,428 |
| 9. | Edwin Green (1980-84) | 1,393 |
| 10. | Monty Mack (1997-present) | 1,387 |
| Marcus Camby (1993-96) | 1,387 | |
| 12. | Julius Erving (1969-71) | 1,370 |
| 13. | Clarence Hill (1962-66) | 1,369 |
| 14. | Billy Tindal (1965-68) | 1,277 |
| 15. | Doug Grutchfield (1958-61) | 1,257 |
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 |
Block Party
Once again this season, UMass is one of the top teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference at blocking shots. Through their first 21 games, the Minutemen have blocked a total of 85 shots, with their average of 4.05 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 1.86 per game. He currently ranks third in the conference in blocked shots, behind only Caswell Cyrus of St. Bonaventure (1.94 blocks per game) and Dennis Mims of Virginia Tech (1.90 blocks per game). 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).
UMass Margin of Victory
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+ |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||
UMass Margin of Defeat
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+ |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
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. Through his first 21 games as a Minuteman, Brand has averaged 4.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest. The only freshman on the UMass roster, Brand has played 12.9 minutes per game, while hitting on nearly 50 percent of his field goal attempts (38 of 77).
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 |
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 |
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 Temple game was UMass' 22nd appearance on ESPN2 where the Minutemen have posted a record of 13-9 (.591).
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.
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, and has hit on 11 of 15 field goal attempts over the last five games ? In the 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).
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.
Where To Find UMass Basketball
on television
The Minutemen will make at least 20 television appearances during the 1999-2000 season. Saturday's contest against Xavier will be the 16th television game of the season, and will be carried by ESPN. 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 7-8 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 La Salle game:
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. Here is a complete list of the comebacks made by UMass since January, 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 |
Around the Atlantic 10 Conference
1999-2000 Atlantic 10 Standings
(through games of 2/6/2000)
| EAST | A-10 | Pct. | Overall | Pct. |
| Temple | 9-1 | .900 | 16-4 | .800 |
| St. Bonaventure | 5-3 | .625 | 13-6 | .684 |
| UMass | 5-3 | .625 | 11-10 | .524 |
| Fordham | 4-5 | .444 | 11-10 | .524 |
| St. Joseph's | 4-5 | .444 | 9-10 | .474 |
| Rhode Island | 2-7 | .222 | 5-17 | .227 |
| WEST | A-10 | Pct. | Overall | Pct. |
| Dayton | 7-2 | .778 | 17-4 | .810 |
| George Washington | 4-4 | .500 | 10-11 | .476 |
| Xavier | 4-5 | .444 | 13-8 | .619 |
| Virginia Tech | 4-5 | .444 | 10-11 | .476 |
| Duquesne | 3-7 | .300 | 8-13 | .381 |
| La Salle | 2-6 | .250 | 8-11 | .421 |
This Week in the Atlantic 10
Saturday, Feb. 5
Temple 74, Rhode Island 40 *
Texas 68, UMass 57
George Washington 78, Xavier 67 *
La Salle 71, Virginia Tech 64 *
Sunday, Feb. 6
Dayton 93, Duquesne 77 *
Fordham 73, St. Bonaventure 68 *
Monday, Feb. 7
Old Dominion at Virginia Tech 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 8
Rhode Island at St. Joseph's 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 9
Xavier at Canisius 7:00 p.m.
La Salle at UMass * 7:00 p.m.
Dayton at George Washington * 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 10
Virginia Tech at St. Bonaventure * 7:30 p.m.
Fordham at Temple * 7:30 p.m.
Hampton at Duquesne 7:35 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 12
UMass at Xavier * 12:00 p.m.
Virginia Tech at Rhode Island * 2:00 p.m.
George Washington at La Salle * 4:00 p.m.
St. Bonaventure at Dayton * 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 13
Fordham at St. Joseph's 2:00 p.m.
Maryland at Temple 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 15
Duquesne at Xavier * 7:30 p.m.
La Salle at St. Joseph's * 9:30 p.m.
* denotes conference games
UMass in the A-10 Team Rankings
| Category | Rank | Avg. / Pct. |
| Turnover Margin | 3rd | +1.67 |
| Steals | 3rd | 9.10 |
| Scoring Defense | 3rd | 64.0 |
| Blocked Shots | 4th | 4.05 |
| Field Goal Percentage Defense | 4th | .411 |
| 3-Point Field Goal Percentage | 4th | .346 |
| Scoring Margin | 5th | +3.0 |
| 3-Point Field Goal Percentage Defense | 6th | .330 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 6th | 13.71 |
| Rebounding Defense | 7th | 38.1 |
| Rebounding Margin | 7th | -1.7 |
| Field Goal Percentage | 7th | .419 |
| Assist / Turnover Ratio | 8th | 0.81 |
| Scoring Offense | 8th | 67.0 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 9th | 22.76 |
| Rebounding Offense | 9th | 36.5 |
| Assists | 9th | 12.33 |
| 3-Point Field Goals Made | 10th | 4.76 |
| Free Throw Percentage | 11th | .640 |
UMass in the A-10 Individual Rankings
| Scoring | Rank | Avg. |
| Monty Mack | 2nd | 19.1 |
| Chris Kirkland | 10th | 14.9 |
| Rebounding | Rank | Avg. |
| Kitwana Rhymer | 4th | 7.8 |
| Chris Kirkland | 14th | 5.9 |
| Field Goal Percentage | Rank | Pct. |
| Chris Kirkland | 5th | .457 |
| Monty Mack | 8th | .415 |
| Assists | Rank | Avg. |
| Jonathan DePina | 12th | 3.05 |
| Free Throw Percentage | Rank | Pct. |
| Monty Mack | 5th | .811 |
| Steals | Rank | Avg. |
| Monty Mack | 7th | 2.05 |
| Shannon Crooks | 10th | 1.67 |
| Chris Kirkland | 10th | 1.67 |
| 3-Point Field Goal Percentage | Rank | Pct. |
| Monty Mack | 7th | .369 |
| 3-Point Field Goals Made | Rank | Avg. |
| Monty Mack | 2nd | 2.95 |
| Blocked Shots | Rank | Avg. |
| Kitwana Rhymer | 3rd | 1.86 |
| Assist / Turnover Ratio | Rank | Ratio |
| Jonathan DePina | 6th | 1.60 |
| Offensive Rebounds | Rank | Avg. |
| Chris Kirkland | 10th | 2.71 |
| Kitwana Rhymer | 13th | 2.57 |
| Defensive Rebounds | Rank | Avg. |
| Kitwana Rhymer | 3rd | 5.24 |
