University of Massachusets Athletics
Men's Basketball to Face Marshall
December 27, 2001 | Men's Basketball
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Tonight: Riding a two-game win streak and armed with its best record after nine games since the 1997-98 season (when it also stood 6-3), first-year coach Steve Lappas' Minutemen hit the road to face a red-hot Marshall basketball team.
Massachusetts, which opens Atlantic 10 Conference play a week from today in Amherst against preseason title favorite St. Joseph's, is 6-3 after Sunday's 78-60 homecourt victory over Maine. The Minutemen opened the season with four-straight victories for the first time since the 1995-96 campaign (when they raced to a 26-0 start), then lost three straight, but have since rebounded to post wins over Central Connecticut State (64-49) and the Black Bears.
UMass, which has posted a winning road record 10 times over the last 12 years, is 2-1 away from home this season. Massachusetts owns wins at North Carolina State (69-62) and over Central Connecticut State at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Those two victories were sandwiched around an 80-78 loss at then-13th-ranked Boston College.
A win over the Thundering Herd would give the Minutemen their best record after 10 games since the 1995-96 season, when they opened at 10-0 en route to a 35-2 mark and a Final Four trip. Under Lappas, Massachusetts has enjoyed a complete reversal in fortune from a year ago when it stood 2-7 nine games into the season (en route to a 2-9 non-league mark) and didn't earn its sixth win until the season's 16th game (an 80-69 victory over Duquesne, Jan. 20, 2001).
Marshall, which opened the season 0-3 for the first time since the 1969-70 campaign, has since rallied to win six of its last seven outings and brings a 6-4 record into tonight's game. The Herd, 2-0 in Mid-American Conference play (first place in MAC's East Division), have been idle since recording a 77-73 league victory at Western Michigan a week ago today.
Sixth-year Herd coach Greg White's team is 3-1 at home this season, 62-10 (.861) all-told in the Cam Henderson Center during his tenure. Marshall has won 27 of its last 28 non-conference home games, with the lone loss in that stretch coming earlier this season to Troy State (77-72).
Minute-Matters: Trends to consider as Massachusetts looks to extend its winning streak to three games against a Marshall squad that has won six of its last seven outings . . .
* In its six victories this season, UMass has shot 47.7 percent from the field, 35.4 percent from three-point range and 66.3 percent at the free throw line while averaging 67.5 ppg, but in its three defeats it has averaged 64.3 ppg and shot 39.4 percent from the floor, 24.6 percent from beyond the arc and 63.3 percent at the foul line.
* Massachusetts has out-shot its opponent from the field in each of its six wins this year and seven times overall.
* After hitting a season-low 32.9 percent from the field against UConn, Dec. 11, the Minutemen have bounced back to hit 50.0 percent (60-of-120) of their field goals over the last two games.
* The Minutemen lead the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage defense (.380) and have allowed only two teams to shoot better than 37.1 percent from the floor against them this year.
* UMass ranks second in the A-10 in scoring defense (62.7 ppg) and fourth in three-point percentage defense (.324).
* The Minutemen are 6-0 this season when yielding 62 or fewer points, and have won 15-straight games when allowing 62 or fewer points since a 54-51 loss at Ohio State, Dec. 10, 2000.
* Conversely, Massachusetts is 0-1 this season, and has lost 22-straight games when allowing its opponent to score 80 or more points since recording a 93-89 win at Duquesne, Jan. 20, 1996.
* In its victories this year, UMass has limited its foes to 34.7 percent field goal shooting, including just 27.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc, and 58.0 ppg, but in its losses, opponents have shot 45.2 percent from the field, including 47.5 percent from three-point range, while averaging 72.0 ppg.
* The Minuteman bench has provided 18.4 points per game (compared to the opponent's 9.8 ppg) and has outscored their opponent's bench in eight of nine outings.
* In its wins, the UMass bench has averaged 20.0 ppg, compared to 15.3 ppg in its losses.
* Massachusetts ranks second in the Atlantic 10 in rebound margin (+6.3 rpg) and has outrebounded its last three foes by a combined total of 40 boards. The Minutemen have outrebounded their opponent in five of six victories this season and seven times overall.
* Despite hitting 65.2 percent from the foul line on the year, the Minutemen have hit 74.5 percent at the stripe at crunch time (game's final 5:00 minutes).
* UMass opponents have made (135) nearly as many free throws as the Minutemen have attempted (138) for the year.
* Massachusetts has made at least one three-point goal in 102-straight games since a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to St. Louis, March 13, 1998. The Minutemen, who have made at least one trey in 478 of 485 games they have played since the arc was added to the college game (1986-87), have hit just eight-of-47 three-point attempts (17.0 percent) over the last three games.
* The Minutemen have overcome double-digit opponent leads in two (Arkansas-Little Rock and Oregon) of their six victories, and have trailed at some point of the game in eight of nine outings this year.
* The Massachusetts offensive attack is balanced, as seven players contribute at least 5.2 ppg, led by senior guard Shannon Crooks' 14.0 scoring average. He has recorded a team-high eight double-figure scoring games this season.
* Sophomore guard Anthony Anderson leads the Atlantic 10 in assist/turnover ratio (2.25/1.0). For the season, he has been credited with 36 assists and just 16 turnovers in 298 minutes.
* Senior center Kitwana Rhymer leads the A-10 in blocks with 2.89 bpg. He has blocked at least two shots in seven of nine games, including a career-high-tying six snuffs vs. Holy Cross.
* Sophomore guard Jameel Pugh has recorded back-to-back double-digit scoring games for the first time in his career. He had then-career-highs of 11 points and five rebounds vs. Central Connecticut State, but bettered those marks against Maine with 12 points and six caroms.
The Coaches: A new chapter in UMass basketball history began on March 26, 2001, when athletic director Bob Marcum introduced Steve Lappas (City College of New York, 1977) as the school's 19th basketball coach.
In his 14th season as a head coach, Lappas owns a 236-175 (.574) record, including a 6-3 (.667) mark in his first year on the Minuteman sideline. Just the third rookie UMass coach to start his career in Amherst 4-0, and first since Johnny Orr in 1963-64, Lappas' 6-3 record is the best nine-game mark for a first-year Massachusetts mentor since Jack Leaman fashioned an identical start to his career in 1966-67. He is coaching against Marshall for the first time.
Lappas came to UMass after nine highly-successful years at Villanova (1993-2001), where he guided the Wildcats to a 174-110 (.613) record and seven postseason appearances (four NCAA, three NIT). He ranks as the sixth-winningest coach in Big East history (and was the third-winningest among active league coaches when he left the Main Line) with 97 league victories.
At Manhattan (1988-92), Lappas improved the Jaspers' win total every year, going from seven in 1988-89, to 11 the following year, 13 in his third season and 25 in his fourth and final campaign (1991-92) en route to a 56-62 (.475) four-year mark and one postseason (NIT) appearance.
Equally impressive as Lappas' on-court record is the classroom performance of his players, as all of his seniors at both Villanova and Manhattan graduated. Prior to moving to Manhattan, Lappas spent four seasons as an assistant to Rollie Massimino at Villanova, and was a member of the Wildcats' 1985 national championship staff.
The Herd's Greg White (Marshall, 1982) owns a 92-58 (.613) record in his sixth season at his alma mater, and a 211-212 (.499) mark in his 16th season overall. He ranks as Marshall's fourth-winningest basketball coach and needs just eight victories to become the fourth coach in school history to record 100 career wins. During his tenure, White has led the Herd to four winning campaigns, including a pair of 20-win seasons.
A 1993 inductee into the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame, White tallied 1,024 points and a school-record 701 assists while starting 113-straight games in a four-year career that spanned the 1977-81 seasons. He led the Herd in assists every year, and dished out a school single-game record 18 assists versus CCNY, Dec. 8, 1979. White is 2-1 vs. UMass, 1-0 here.
Maine Review: Massachusetts overcame a five-point second-half deficit to hand Maine a 78-60 loss last Sunday in Amherst. UMass led for most of the first half, but never by more than four points, as there were six ties en route to the home team's 28-27 halftime advantage.
The Black Bears opened the second half on an 8-2 run to take a 35-30 lead with 17:30 to play, but the Minutemen countered with a 6-0 run to reclaim the lead (36-35) at the 15:50 mark. With the game tied at 41 with 12:40 to play, UMass used another 6-0 spurt to take a 47-41 advantage with 11:07 left. Maine would get no closer than two points the rest of the way, the last at 49-47 with 8:47 remaining, as the Minutemen outscored their guests 29-13 down the stretch. The 18-point margin of victory was Massachusetts' largest of the 2001-02 season.
Micah Brand led a five-player parade of Minuteman double-figure scorers with 17 points (all in the second half), while Kitwana Rhymer added 16, Jameel Pugh a career-high 12, Shannon Crooks netted 12 and Anthony Anderson had 11. Errick Greene paced Maine with a game-high 23 points.
The Series vs. Marshall: This is the fourth meeting in a series that Marshall leads, 2-1, after posting a 65-55 victory at the Mullins Center, Nov. 29, 1999. UMass won the first game in this series, 61-59, in Amherst during the 1997-98 campaign, while the Herd won the lone meeting played here, 88-66, during the 1998-99 season.
The last time the Minutemen and Herd played, Marshall overcame a 10-point first-half deficit to beat Massachusetts, 65-55, in Amherst. The Herd's Tamar Slay had a game-high 24 points and J.R. VanHoose added 19 points and 16 rebounds, as Marshall, leading 55-53 with 3:20 left, closed the game on a 10-2 run to seal the victory. Monty Mack led the Minutemen with 22 points, while Kitwana Rhymer added 10 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six blocks and Chris Kirkland netted 10.
Massachusetts is 4-6 all-time vs. current members of the Mid-American Conference, while Marshall is 53-22 (.707) all-time vs. current A-10 members, most-recently dropping a 69-64 decision to George Washington in the first round of the NABC Classic earlier this season at Lexington, Ky. UMass and Marshall are slated to continue this series the next two years in Amherst.
UMass A.D. Bob Marcum is a native of Huntington, W. Va., and is a 1959 Marshall graduate.
Fans Returning to Mullins Center: In five games played at the Mullins Center this season, the Minutemen have averaged 6,337 fans, an increase of 858 per game over last year's 10-game average of 5,479. A season-high crowd of 8,894 was on hand for the UConn game, Dec. 11.
UMass last averaged more than 6,000 fans at the Mullins Center during the 1998-99 season, when it averaged 6,723 over its 14-game home slate.
Tickets for all remaining UMass home games may be purchased either through TicketMaster outlets around the Commonwealth or by calling the Athletic Ticket Office at 1-866-UMASS-TIX or (413) 545-0810. Fans may also order tickets on line at www.ticketmaster.com.
Rogers Wears Redshirt: Massachusetts senior forward Jackie Rogers, who averaged 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game a year ago, has elected to take a redshirt season in 2001-02 and play his final year in a Maroon and White uniform next year. He was slowed by nagging injuries during much of the preseason, and had not played in a game this season prior to making his Nov. 26 announcement.
Rogers' decision will also allow him to finish his degree during the same year that he completes his athletic eligibility.
Getting it Done with Defense: The key to UMass' 6-3 start has been its play at the defensive end of the floor, a longtime trademark of the Minuteman program that has continued under coach Steve Lappas. Massachusetts leads the A-10 in field goal percentage defense (.380), ranks second in scoring defense (62.7 ppg) and fourth in three-point field goal percentage defense (.324).
How good has UMass' defense been this season? Consider that the Minutemen have held eight of their nine opponents below both their season scoring average and field goal percentage mark that they came into the game with. Here's a look at some of UMass' early-season defensive gems: *UMass handed Maine its biggest loss of the season, and limited a team that was shooting 45.7 percent from the field to 36.4 percent marksmanship.
*Central Connecticut State had hit 46.7 percent from the floor and averaged 70.3 ppg in the nine games prior to being limited to 33.3 percent shooting and 49 points by the Minutemen. *Massachusetts held UConn 15.6 points below its then-season average of 84.6 ppg.
*The Minutemen held North Carolina State, a team that had averaged 76.4 points in its first five home games, to 62 points and 33.9 percent field goal shooting.
*UMass put the breaks on an Oregon team which had scored 90 or more points in each of its first four games, allowing the Ducks 58 points and 35.8 percent shooting from the field.
*The Minutemen limited Marist to 32.7 percent field goal shooting for the game (including 21.7 percent in the first half, the lowest shooting percentage in a half by a UMass opponent since Temple's 10.3 percent second-half performance, Feb. 28, 1999) and 59 points (just 17 in the first half, the fewest allowed by UMass in a half since holding Rhode Island to 15 first-half points, Feb. 22, 2000).
*In its season-opening victory over Arkansas-Little Rock, UMass held the Trojans to 36.2 percent shooting from the floor, and just six points over the game's last 9:25 as it rallied for the victory. The 60 points were the fewest allowed by the Minutemen in their season-opener since holding Chaminade to 48 points in 1996-97, and the fewest allowed by UMass against a Division I opponent in an opener since limiting Cleveland State to 60 points in the 1993-94 lid-lifter.
A year ago, Massachusetts ranked fourth in the A-10 in scoring defense for all games (68.2 ppg, which marked the 10th-straight season the Minutemen held their foe to a season mark below 70.0 ppg) and third in field goal percentage defense (.413, the 10th-straight year UMass held its opponent below .420 for the season).
The SWAT Team is Back: Led by 2001 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year Kitwana Rhymer, the Minutemen continue to rank among the league's leaders in blocked shots. Rhymer leads the A-10 in blocks (2.89 bpg), while the UMass team ranks second in the league at 4.78 bpg, and has had at least four rejections in seven of nine outings.
Rhymer and Micah Brand (10) have combined for 36 of the Minutemen's 43 blocks this season, a total that would rank the duo ahead of six A-10 schools.
UMass led the A-10 in blocks a year ago at 5.07 bpg (a league-best 152 on the season, the ninth-best single-season mark in school history), and recorded five more snuffs 17 times.
Rhymer led the Minutemen and ranked second in the A-10 with 2.10 bpg, Brand was second on the team and seventh in the A-10 (1.1 bpg) and Ronell Blizzard was third on the squad and 11th in the league (0.9 bpg). Those three players had more blocks (123) than nine other A-10 schools recorded for the entire season, and Rhymer's total by itself stood ahead of one team.
Board Games: Going into the season, rebounding was expected to be a strength for the 2001-02 Minutemen, and through nine games, they've done nothing to dispel that notion. UMass has outrebounded seven of its first nine opponents, and holds a +6.3 margin (second-best in the A-10) over its opponents (38.6 rpg-32.3 rpg) on the glass.
Over its last three games UMass is a +40 on the glass, as it outrebounded UConn, 46-28, Central Connecticut State, 41-26, and Maine, 40-33. The effort versus the Huskies marked the Minutemen's largest advantage on the boards since outrebounding Rhode Island by 23 (45-22), Jan. 30, 2001.
For the season, senior center Kitwana Rhymer leads the team and ranks sixth in the A-10 in rebounding (7.0 rpg), while Micah Brand and Eric Williams are tied for second (5.1 rpg). Five UMass players, including the starting backcourt duo of Shannon Crooks (3.8 rpg) and Anthony Anderson (4.6 rpg), are averaging at least 3.8 rpg.
Halftime Speech: Whatever coach Steve Lappas and his staff have said to the Minutemen at halftime this season appears to be working. UMass has averaged just 28.7 ppg in the first half of its games, but after hearing the halftime talk, has put 37.8 ppg on the board in the second stanza.
The Minutemen have outscored their opponents seven times in the second half this season, and have led at intermission five times. Against Maine, UMass held a slim 28-27 halftime advantage, then outscored the Black Bears in the second half, 50-33.
Another Tough Slate: After playing one of the toughest schedules in school history a year ago the Minutemen are tackling another challenging slate in 2001-02.
But that's really nothing new, as over the last eight seasons, only once has the Massachusetts strength of schedule been ranked lower than 56th in degree of difficulty among Division I institutions, and four times in that stretch it has had an SOS ranked among the nation's top 20. Twenty of UMass' 30 games last season were against 2001 postseason tournament entrants, and the Minutemen fashioned a 7-13 record in those games.
Through games of Dec. 26, 2001, UMass was ranked 13th in the RPI calculated by CollegeRPI.com and had the nation's fourth-toughest schedule, as its first nine opponents have posted an impressive 66-29 (.695) record. The records and RPI's of the Minutemen's 2001-02 opponents can be found on page 4 of this notes package.
UMass, 0-3 this season against teams which went to postseason play a year ago, has six games left against 2001 NCAA Tournament entrants (Ohio State, Xavier, Temple-2 and St. Joseph's-2) and four contests remaining against teams that participated in the 2001 NIT (Dayton, Richmond and St. Bonaventure-2).
Consistent Success: The Minutemen, who have posted 12-straight winning A-10 records (after posting no winning marks, just two .500 records and 56 victories in their first 13 seasons in the league) since a 5-13 mark in 1988-89, own a 138-56 (.711) record in regular-season league play since then and have captured 10 league titles (five regular season, five tournament) in that time frame. Last year, after a 2-9 non-conference start, Massachusetts went 11-5 in the A-10 (its eighth 11-win league mark in the last 12 seasons), good for fourth place in the standings, and advanced to the title game of the Verizon Atlantic 10 Tournament for the first time since 1995-96, but dropped a 76-65 decision to Temple.
Over the last 12-plus seasons, UMass owns a 275-128 (.682) overall record (includes 2001-02 record, too), an average of 22.4 wins per season, and has posted seven 20-win seasons, 11, .500 or better campaigns, and made 10 postseason appearances (seven NCAA, three NIT).
The A-10 is one of only six conferences to send at least two teams to the NCAA Tournament every year since 1991, joining the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-10 and SEC. Temple is the only league team with more NCAA appearances (11) than UMass (seven) over that 11-year stretch.
The Comeback Kids: It really shouldn't have come as much of a surprise that UMass overcame double-digit deficits to beat both Oregon and Arkansas-Little Rock earlier this year, as those type of comebacks have happened before in Amherst. Including those comebacks, the Minutemen have now recorded 19 double-digit comebacks to win over the last eight seasons, including a pair last year.
In the Oregon game, the Minutemen were down by as many as 11 points on two occasions in the first half, but came back to score a 62-58 victory over the Ducks at the Springfield Civic Center. Against Arkansas-Little Rock, UMass trailed by 10 points, 37-27, with 19:31 left in the game, only to rally for a 66-60 victory.
In last year's game against George Washington in Amherst, UMass overcame a 15-point deficit with 1:07 left in the first half to beat the Colonials, 76-60. That deficit was the largest the Minutemen had overcome to win since rallying from 16 down to beat Maryland, 50-47, Dec. 2, 1995.
The Greek Experience: The UMass basketball team got a head start on the 2001-02 season when it traveled to Greece, Aug. 12-23, 2001. The Minutemen, who traveled overseas for just the second time ever and for the first time since a mid-season excursion to France and Germany for the Buckler Christmas Classic in December, 1994, finished 1-3 on the trip to Athens, Kavouri and Mykonos. UMass was one of two A-10 institutions (St. Bonaventure was the other) to take a foreign trip last summer with their first-year coaches at the helm.
Two seniors, forward Eric Williams and guard Shannon Crooks, paced the UMass offensive attack. Williams posted team-leading marks of 10.8 ppg and 8.5 rpg, while Crooks averaged 10.3 ppg and led the team in both assists (16) and steals (13), while committing just seven turnovers.
Quick Tips: The Minutemen dished out a season-high 20 assists against Maine, as 11 of 12 players dropped at least one dime...In 14 of its 15 wins last season, UMass out-shot its opponent (the lone exception was in the victory at Temple) from the floor, a trend that has continued in each of its six victories this season...over the last three years, Massachusetts owns a 22-6 record when scoring 70 or more points, including a 1-1 mark this season...UMass has won 19-straight games when reaching the 50.0 percent mark since an 88-83 loss to George Washington in the quarterfinals of the 1998 A-10 Tournament...UMass is 6-5 in games decided by five or fewer points the last two years (1-1 this season), after going just 1-6 in such games during the 1999-2000 season...the Minutemen have made at least one three-point goal in 102-straight games since a 1998 first-round NCAA Tournament loss to St. Louis, while their opponents have made at least one trey in 46-straight games...UMass, 5-0 this season and winners of 19-straight when leading with 5:00 to play, owns an 83-9 (.902) record since the start of the 1996-97 season when leading at that point in the game...UMass has produced at least one all-conference performer for 18-straight seasons.
Fast Breaks: Maine (Minutemen, 78-60)--Massachusetts ran win streak to two and ended three-game losing streak to Maine with come-from-behind victory over visiting Black Bears, Minutemen held 28-27 halftime lead, fell behind by five early in second half, but closed game on 29-13 run to record 18-point win in first meeting with Maine in more than 20 years, five UMass players scored in double figures, led by Micah Brand's 17 points, all of which came in second half, for second-straight game, Jameel Pugh established new scoring (12) and rebounding (six) career-highs. At Central Connecticut State (Minutemen, 64-49)--Playing in first men's collegiate basketball game ever at Mohegan Sun Arena, UMass overcame early six-point deficit to post win, Minutemen went scoreless for nearly eight minutes in first half, but used late run to take 25-21 halftime lead, then opened second half with 20-3 spurt to put game away, Kitwana Rhymer had season-highs of 24 points and 15 rebounds, while Pugh netted then-career-high 11 points as UMass snapped three-game losing streak by hitting season-high 51.9 percent from the field. UConn (Huskies, 69-59)--For second-straight game, UMass found itself down by double-digits in the opening half, as the visiting Huskies owned 13-point halftime lead and went on to beat the Minutemen for the 11th-straight time, UMass cut Husky lead to four in the second half, but could get no closer, as visitors made seven of eight free throws in the final minute to hold on, Shannon Crooks led UMass attack with 14 points, while Rhymer turned in his first double-double of the season (12 points/12 rebounds) and Anthony Anderson was in double figures for the third-straight game (10 points), UMass hit season-low 32.9 percent from the field, made just one three-point attempt (in 18 tries), outrebounded Huskies, 46-28, but UConn hit 47.8 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from the three-point line to win. At Boston College (Eagles, 80-78)--No. 13 Eagles roared to 23-point halftime lead, led by as many as 26 early in second half, before Minutemen got back in game and nearly pulled off dramatic comeback, Anderson drained three treys in game's final 15.1 seconds but BC held on for the victory to capture second consecutive Commonwealth Classic title, Anderson had career-high 19 points, while Crooks added 18, as Minutemen had five double-figure scorers for first time since Dec. 7, 2000, game against Providence, Troy Bell poured in a career-high 34 points to lead Eagles, who were outscored 67-53 from the field, but hit 27-of-38 at the line (compared to UMass' 11-of-21) to secure the win. Holy Cross (Crusaders, 67-56)--Crusaders overcome four-point halftime deficit to beat Minutemen for second-straight season, Brand led UMass scoring attack with 15 points, while Anderson added a then-career-best 13 points and a career-high seven assists in 39 minutes, Holy Cross shot 53.2 percent from the floor against UMass (including 61.9 percent in second half and 72.7 percent from beyond the arc), while Minutemen hit then-season-low 42.9 percent. At North Carolina State (Minutemen, 69-62)--In first road game of season, Minutemen respond with victory, holding hometown Wolfpack to 33.9 percent shooting from the floor, Crooks scored season-high 20 points, Brand added 14 and Willie Jenkins a career-high 12 as UMass moved to 4-0 for 16th time in school history and made Steve Lappas the first rookie UMass mentor to start career 4-0 since Johnny Orr in 1963-64, Minutemen became only third non-ACC team to win in N.C. State's three-year-old Entertainment & Sports Arena. Oregon (Minutemen, 62-58)--Ducks jumped to an 11-point lead in game's first nine minutes, only to watch Minutemen storm back for win, Brand scored four points in game's final 1:16 as UMass posted 13th win in last 14 games played at the Springfield Civic Center, Crooks in double figures for third-straight game with 13 points, Minutemen held an Oregon team, which had scored 90 or more points in each of its first four games, to 58 points and 35.8 percent shooting from the field, while hitting 50.0 percent (seven-of-14) from three-point range. Marist (Minutemen, 66-59)--Minutemen raced to a 12-2 lead in game's opening minutes, held 19-point halftime advantage, but watched visiting Red Foxes get within three in second half, first 2-0 start for UMass since 1995-96 season, Rhymer came off bench, had 16 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, while Crooks added 14 and Brand 10. Arkansas-Little Rock (Minutemen, 66-60)--UMass overcame a 10-point second-half deficit to give coach Lappas a victory in his first game on the Minuteman bench, Brand netted a career-high-tying 23 points and Minutemen won season opener for eighth time in the last nine years, despite the Trojans' 10, three-point goals.
Noting the 2001-02 Minutemen
#0 Brennan Martin, 6-6, 190, Fr., F, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. *True freshman has appeared in three games, all off the bench, averaging 0.0 ppg and 0.7 rpg. *Spent last season at Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy, and originally signed a letter intent with Villanova, but was released from it when coach Lappas moved to Massachusetts. *Averaged 14.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 2.0 spg for coach Kevin Keatts' 27-1 Hargrave team, while shooting 53 percent from three-point range. *Selected as one of nation's top 25 prep school players by Hoop Scoop for 2000-01 season, Martin was one of 11 players from Hargrave's 2000-01 squad that earned Division I scholarships. *For more information on Martin, please see page 71 of the 2001-02 UMass Media Guide. Noting the Minutemen, Continued
#1 Willie Jenkins, 6-6, 200, So., G/F, Memphis, Tenn. *Started first six games of the season, averaging 5.2 ppg and 4.2 rpg, but came off the bench against both UConn and Central Connecticut State and did not play (coaches decision) against Maine. For the season, Jenkins is averaging 3.9 ppg and 3.1 rpg. *Tallied career-highs of 12 points and three assists in win at North Carolina State, but hasn't scored in four appearances since then. *All 31 of his points have come in UMass victories, as Minutemen are 3-0 on year when he contributes eight or more points. *Has already scored more points (31) and grabbed more rebounds (25) than he did in limited playing time a year ago (14 points and seven rebounds over 18 appearances). *Jenkins has struggled shooting the ball from the field (.235, on eight-of-34 shooting), but is 12-of-12 at the free throw line, with every attempt coming in the game's final 4:50. *For more information on Jenkins, please see pages 62-63 of the 2001-02 UMass Media Guide.
#2 Jackie Rogers, 6-8, 230, Sr., F, Syracuse, N.Y. *Elected to take redshirt year so that he can graduate the same year that his athletic eligibility ends. *Averaged 6.6 ppg and 3.9 rpg in 29 appearances (six starts) as a junior in 2000-01, while shooting a team-best 55.3 percent from the field (61.5 percent vs. A-10 foes). His scoring average was the best among UMass reserves. *For more information on Rogers, who began his collegiate career at West Virgnia and spent a year at Barton County (Kan.) C.C., please see pages 66-67 of the 2001-02 UMass Media Guide.
#3 Ronell Blizzard, 6-8, 205, Sr., F, Waterbury, Conn. *One of four fifth-year seniors on the 2001-02 UMass roster, Blizzard has appeared in eight games off the bench, averaging 0.5 ppg and 1.2 rpg in 5.5 minutes of work per outing. *Has not scored in his last five appearances. *A year ago at Boston U., Blizzard established career bests for rebounds (14), blocked shots (seven) and minutes played (25), while scoring a career-high-tying nine points in the UMass win. *His seven rejections against the Terriers were the most by a UMass player since Marcus Camby had seven in a second-round NCAA Tournament victory over Stanford, March 16, 1996. *For more information on Blizzard, please see pages 56-58 of the 2001-02 UMass Media Guide.
#11 Kyle Wilson, 6-2, 175, Fr., G, White Rock, British Columbia *True freshman has appeared in all nine games this season, averaging 1.4 ppg and 1.1 rpg in 12.3 minutes of action per game. *Wilson was in the starting line-up for the season-opener against Arkansas-Little Rock (he also started the N.C. State game), marking the first time a freshman was in the UMass opening-day starting five since the 1996-97 season when Winston Smith debuted against Chaminade. *Has collected at least one assist in eight of nine appearances with a high of four twice. The Minutemen are 3-0 this year when he dishes out at least two assists in a game. *Tallied a career-high three points three times. *In exhibition debut against the Boston Amateur Basketball Club All-Stars, he scored 20 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out three assists and collected three steals in 31 minutes of action. He was six-of-seven from the field against the BABC, including five-of-six from three-point range. *For more information on Wilson, please see page 71 of the 2001-02 UMass Media Guide.
#12 Anthony Anderson, 5-11, 175, So., G, Lynn, Mass. *Has earned a pair of Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week citations this season, while averaging 9.2 ppg and 4.6 rpg. Sat out 2000-01 season due to academics. *Tallied 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals in 31 minutes against Maine. *Leads the Atlantic 10 in assist/turnover ratio (2.25/1), ranks 10th in assists (4.0 apg) and 14th in three-point percentage (.359). *Anderson paces the Minutemen in three-point percentage (.359) and is tied for the team lead in both assists (36) and three-point goals made (14), ranks second in minutes played (298), three-point attempts (39) and steals (10, tie), fourth in both scoring (9.2 rpg) and rebounding (4.6 rpg). *Averages 6.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg, with 23 assists and just 10 turnovers in UMass wins, but has averaged 14.0 ppg and 4.3 rpg in its losses with 13 assists and eight miscues. *Has dished out at least three assists in every game with a high of seven against Holy Cross. *Minutemen are 2-3 on the season when he scores in double figures. *Netted career-high 19 points in UMass' 80-78 loss at Boston College, as he hit three, three-point goals in game's final 15.1 seconds as Minutemen nearly pulled off dramatic comeback win. *For more information on Anderson, please see page 69 of the 2001-02 UMass Media Guide.
#14 Paco Kotaridis, 5-11, 185, So., G, Athens, Greece *Made squad as walk-on, and has appeared in two games. *Tallied only career points on three-point goal as time expired against Central Connecticut State. *Given first name is Evangelos, but he goes by his nickname, Paco. *For more information on Kotaridis, please see page 70 of the 2001-02 UMass Media Guide.
#21 Eric Williams, 6-8, 243, Sr., F, Brooklyn, N.Y. *Tri-captain has been a reliable player for coach Steve Lappas off the bench, averaging 6.1 ppg and 5.1 rpg in nine appearances. *Over the last five games, Williams has averaged 6.8 ppg and 6.2 rpg, while shooting 63.6 percent from the field and draining all six free throw attempts. *Against Maine, he netted six points and pulled down seven rebounds in 18 minutes. *Has provided five or more points five times with a high of 10 at Boston College. *Pulled down five or more rebounds in five of his last six outings with a high of eight, twice. *One of four fifth-year seniors on this year's team, he's also one of four Minutemen who started their collegiate career in the Big East Conference. *Williams, who made his first UMass career start against Marist in place of Kitwana Rhymer, is UMass' sixth-leading scorer at 6.1 ppg and second-leading rebounder (5.1 rpg, tie). *Leads team in field goal percentage (.568) and ranks second in free throw percentage (.833). *For more information on Williams, please see pages 54-55 of the 2001-02 UMass Media Guide.
#22 Dwayne Killings, 6-0, 180., So., G, Amherst, Mass. *Second-year walk-on has appeared in two games this year, but has yet to score while grabbing a pair of rebounds. *Tallied only career points on three-point goal against Fordham last year in Amherst. *Father, Sam, works in the UMass controller's office. *For more information on Killings, please see page 68 of the 2001-02 UMass Media Guide.
#24 Jameel Pugh, 6-4, 200, So., G, Sacramento, Calif. *Coming off a pair of "career" games. Recorded career-highs of 11 points and five rebounds in a career-long 18-minute stint against Central Connecticut State, then bettered that with 12 points and six rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench against Maine. *His efforts over the last two games topped his scoring (20) and rebound (13) totals from his freshman season, when he played 45 minutes in 16 appearances. *Averaging 6.8 ppg and 3.2 rpg in four appearances off the bench this season, while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range. His scoring average is the best among UMass reserves. *Named one of the world's top 50 dunkers of all-time by Slam magazine. *For more information on Pugh, please see pages 64-65 of the 2001-02 UMass Media Guide.
#30 Shannon Crooks, 6-2, 222, Sr., G, Boston, Mass. *Tri-captian leads the Minutemen in scoring (14.0 ppg), three-point goals made (14-tie) and attempted (43), assists (36-tie), steals (16) and minutes played (320), while ranking second in three-point percentage (.326). *Had 12 points, five assists and four steals in 34 minutes against Maine. *Ranks among A-10 leaders in scoring (14.0 ppg, T-12th), field goal percentange (.427, ninth), assists (4.00 apg, T-10th), steals (1.78, 10th) and assist/turnover ratio (1.29, eighth). *Crooks' scoring average is up because of the dramatic improvement in his shooting percentages. He shot just 36.2 percent overall and 24.3 percent from three-point range as a junior when he averaged 9.0 ppg, but has hit 42.7 percent overall and 32.6 percent from beyond the arc this year after being moved from the point to his natural two-guard position by coach Lappas. *Has produced a team-high eight double-digit scoring games this season, one of which was a season-high 20-point effort against N.C. State. *UMass is 5-0 all-time when Crooks scores 20 or more points in a game. *A fifth-year senior, Crooks is 180 points shy of 1,000 for his collegiate career (and 223 points shy of that plateau in his UMass career). He also needs 71 assists to crack the UMass career list (he has 230) and 13 steals (he has collected 121) to make the school's career theft chart. *One of four former Bay State preps on this year's roster, Crooks has had at least one assist in 46-straight games and in 70 of 72 career games as a Minuteman. *After averaging 15.8 ppg and shooting 50.0 percent both overall and from three-point range over UMass' first four games this season, he has averaged just 12.6 ppg, while shooting 37.5 percent from the floor and 20.0 percent from behind the arc his last five outings. *For more information on Crooks, please see pages 48-50 of the 2001-02 UMass Media Guide. Noting the Minutemen, Continued
#33 Kitwana Rhymer, 6-10, 256, Sr., C, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands *After recording just one double-figure scoring game in UMass' first six games of the season, fifth-year senior and tri-captain Kitwana Rhymer has been in double figures each of the last three games, averaging 17.3 ppg and 10.7 rpg over that stretch. *Tallied 16 points, five rebounds and a pair of blocks in 28 minutes against Maine. *Averaged 18.0 ppg and 13.5 rpg in UMass' games against UConn and Central Connecticut State, and was rewarded with Atlantic 10 Player of the Week honors for his efforts. He hit 57.8 percent from the field and 75.0 percent at the free throw line for the week. *Against Central Connecticut State, Rhymer turned in his second double-double of the season (and 16th of his career), a 24-point, 15-rebound performance. Both marks were season highs. *Leads the A-10 and ranks 13th nationally in blocks (2.89 bpg), and has had at least two blocks in seven of nine outings. *Averages 12.7 points and 7.2 rebounds in UMass' wins, but just 7.7 ppg and 6.7 rpg in its losses. *Ranks fifth on the school's all-time block chart with 163 rejections, 27 behind No. 4 Edwin Green's (1980-84) total of 190. While first-place Marcus Camby's 336 career blocks are well out of Rhymer's reach, he needs just 60 rejections to climb into second place on the UMass career list. *Needs 275 points (he enters tonight's game with 725) to reach the 1,000-point plateau, and 179 rebounds (has 582 in career) to crack the UMass top 10 in that category, too. *Has four double-figure scoring games to his credit this season and has grabbed five or more rebounds in seven of nine outings. *In addition to leading the A-10 in blocks, Rhymer ranks sixth (tie) in the league in rebounding (7.0 rpg). He ranks second on the team in field goal percentage (.545) and third in scoring (11.0 ppg). *Was a second team 2001-2002 preseason All-Atlantic 10 pick by the league's coaches and media, the only Minuteman named to the early-season honor squad, and was one of five players selected to Dick Vitale's All-Velcro (nation's top defensive players) unit. *He was also named to the A-10's preseason all-defensive team, after garnering the league's Defensive Player of the Year award a year ago. Rhymer's selection to the 2001 A-10 all-defensive team marked the fifth-straight season a Minuteman had been named to that squad. *For more information on Rhymer, please turn to pages 51-53 of the 2001-02 UMass Media Guide.
#34 Raheim Lamb, 6-5, 190, So., F, Boston, Mass. *After sitting out the 2000-01 season due to academics, Lamb has gotten his rookie season off to a strong start, averaging 5.2 ppg and 3.3 rpg in 18.6 minutes of work. *He came off the bench in each of the season's first six games (6.5 ppg and 3.7 rpg), but has started the last three games (2.7 ppg and 2.7 rpg). *Had two points and a pair of rebounds in 11 minutes of action against Maine. *Tallied career highs of 12 points and seven rebounds at Boston College. Has scored six or more points four times on the year. *For more information on Lamb, please see page 70 of the 2001-02 UMass Media Guide.
#40 Micah Brand, 6-11, 243, Jr., F, Middletown, N.Y. *After sharing the A-10's 2001 Chris Daniels Most Improved Player honor with teammate Kitwana Rhymer, Brand ranks as UMass' second-leading scorer (12.2 ppg) and rebounder (5.1 rpg-tie) through nine games. *Had a team-high 17 points (all in the second half), seven rebounds, four steals and three blocks in 25 minutes against Maine. *Has scored in double figures six times this season, including a career-high-tying 23-point effort against Arkansas-Little Rock in the season-opener. *Ranks third on the team in both field goal (.528) and free throw percentage (.714). *Stands second in the A-10 in field goal percentage, 13th in blocks and 16th in scoring. *After playing 30 or more minutes just four times in 59 games over his first two seasons in a UMass uniform and averaging 17.5 minutes per game (21.8 a year ago), Brand already has six, 30-plus minute playing stints to his credit this season while averaging 30.6 minutes of work. *For more information on Brand, please see pages 59-61 of the 2001-02 UMass Media Guide.
From Here: UMass is idle until Saturday, Jan. 5, when it opens its 26th Atlantic 10 Conference season against preseason title favorite St. Joseph's at 2 p.m. Marshall returns to Mid-American Conference play here against Kent a week from today.