University of Massachusets Athletics
Minutemen Set To Face Connecticut
December 29, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2003
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Game Day Quick Facts
The Teams: Massachusetts (5-4) vs. #1 Connecticut (9-1)
Date: December 30, 2003
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Hartford Civic Center (16,294), Hartford, Conn.
UMass Radio Network: Bob Behler, play-by-play; Jack Leaman, color; WRNX 100.9 FM, Holyoke, flagship
UConn Radio Network: Joe D'Ambrosio, play-by-play; Wayne Norman, color; WTIC 1080 AM, Hartford, flagship
Series Record: Connecticut leads, 67-38
Last Meeting: Connecticut 59, Massachusetts 48 (December 10, 2002, Hartford, Conn.)
PROBABLE UMASS STARTERS Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. F 11 Maurice Maxwell 6-5 175 Fr. F 1 Rashaun Freeman 6-9 255 So. C 2 Gabe Lee 6-9 210 Jr. G 12 Anthony Anderson 5-11 170 Sr. G 34 Art Bowers 6-4 190 Fr.
THE SERIES WITH CONNECTICUT: This will be the 106th meeting between the Minutemen and the Huskies, with Connecticut leading the all-time series 67-38. The Huskies have won 12 straight and 20 of the last 21 meetings. UMass' only win during that time came on Dec. 15, 1983, when it posted a 67-65 overtime victory at Curry Hicks Cage. The Minutemen are 1-5 against the Huskies in the Hartford Civic Center, with its lone victory being an 81-80 decision, on Jan. 13, 1977, a win which also marks the last time UMass beat UConn in the state of Connecticut. UMass head coach Steve Lappas stands 6-12 all-time against the Huskies (0-2 with the Minutemen), while UConn head coach Jim Calhoun has a 15-8 all-time mark against the Minutemen (10-0 with the Huskies).
FREEMAN HAS IMPRESSIVE START TO SEASON: Sophomore forward Rashaun Freeman (Schenectady, N.Y.) has had some outstanding games to open his collegiate career, and has already been named Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week three times this season, on Nov. 23, Nov. 30 and Dec. 28. In UMass' last game against Albany, he scored 22 points on 10 of 13 shooting from the floor, while adding 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. In the previous contest against Maine, Freeman scored a career-high 23 points on nine of 12 shooting from the floor, while also leading the team in both rebounds (six) and steals (three). Against Marshall, he recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while also totaling three steals. Freeman also had big games against Central Connecticut (15 points, 13 boards), Boston College (11 points, seven rebounds), Hartford (team-high 19 points and nine rebounds, while hitting eight of 11 field goals), Texas Tech (team-high 17 points on eight of 13 shooting) and Saint Francis (11 points and 14 rebounds). Through nine games this year, he is averaging a team-best 15.6 points and 8.3 rebounds, while hitting 55.4 percent of his shots. Freeman came to UMass from Schenectady High School, where he averaged 17.8 points per game during his senior season in 2001-2002. He was named Player of the Year by the Albany Times Union as a senior, in addition to earning All-State honors and leading his team to the New York Section II Class A title.
MINUTEMEN AGAINST TOP-RANKED FOES: When UMass faces Connecticut, the Minutemen will be taking on the top ranked team in the Associated Press poll for the fifth time in school history. UMass has an impressive 3-1 record in the previous four contests, but suffered the lone defeat the last time it took on the No. 1 team in the nation. That game came on Dec. 9, 1998, when the unranked Minutemen were defeated by top-ranked Connecticut 59-54 at the Mullins Center. UMass' first game against the No. 1 team in the nation came on Nov. 24, 1993, when the 18th-ranked Minutemen downed North Carolina 91-86 in overtime at Madison Square Garden, in the semifinals of the Preseason National Invitation Tournament. A year later, No. 3 UMass posted a 104-80 win over No. 1 Arkansas at the Springfield Civic Center, in the Starter Tip-Off Classic. The other game for the Minutemen against the top-ranked team in the nation came on Nov. 28, 1995, when No. 5 UMass took down No. 1 Kentucky 92-82 at the Palace of Auburn Hills, in the DirecTV Great Eight.
ANDERSON STARTS SEASON STRONG: Senior guard Anthony Anderson (Lynn, Mass.) has been the leader on the court for a young UMass team so far this season. In UMass' last game against Albany, he tied his career-high with nine assists, while also totaling six points and two rebounds, and committing only one turnover. Anderson also had a big game against Marshall, when he totaled 17 points, six assists, two rebounds and two steals. He was previously named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week and Dinn Brothers UMass Athlete of the Week on Dec. 7, after a pair of outstanding performances against Boston College and Vermont. In the Boston College game, he led the team with 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals, while playing all 45 minutes. In the previous game against Vermont, Anderson scored a career-best 29 points, while hitting nine of 13 shots from the floor and seven of nine from three-point range. His 29 points were the most by a Minuteman since Kitwana Rhymer scored 30 against Rhode Island on Feb. 20, 2001, while his seven three-pointers were the most by a UMass player since Monty Mack hit eight against Saint Bonaventure on Mar. 8, 2001. Anderson also turning in a solid performance at Central Connecticut with nine points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. And in the season-opening victory over Saint Francis (N.Y.), he totaled 21 points while collecting five rebounds and dishing out six assists with only one turnover. Through nine games so far this year, Anderson is averaging 14.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists, while hitting 42.9 percent from three-point range and posting a 1.9:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
HEAD COACH Steve Lappas: Now in his third season as the head coach of the Minutemen, Steve Lappas has an overall record of 29-38 while at UMass. He owns a career mark of 259-210 in 16 seasons as a head coach, including nine years at Villanova (174-110) and four seasons at Manhattan (56-62). A 1977 graduate of the City College of New York, Lappas has led his teams to four NCAA Tournament appearances (with Villanova in 1994-1995, 1995-1996, 1996-1997 and 1998-1999) and four trips to the National Invitation Tournament (Manhattan in 1991-1992 and Villanova in 1993-1994, 1999-2000 and 2000-2001). In addition, his 1993-1994 Villanova team claimed the NIT championship. Lappas currently ranks 11th all-time in career coaching victories at UMass, needing only 11 more wins to move into eighth place.
ALBANY RECAP: Sophomore forward Rashaun Freeman totaled 22 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Minutemen to an 82-66 victory over Albany at the Mullins Center on Dec. 28, 2003. UMass started the game hot, jumping out to a 23-7 after the first 10 minutes of play. The Great Danes were able to cut the lead to nine points with three minutes left in the half, before the Minutemen closed the period on a 7-0 run to take a 16-point lead into the locker room. Albany would get no closer than 11 points in the second half, with the UMass lead growing as large as 19 points on three separate occasions. Freeman hit 10 of 13 shots from the floor, while recording his fourth double-double of the season. Freshman guard Art Bowers came off the bench to score 13 points, while freshman guard Maurice Maxwell chipped in with 10 points. Senior guard Anthony Anderson tied his career high with nine assists while commiting only one turnover, and junior guard Chris Chadwick added a career-best seven assists. Forward Levi Levine led the Great Danes with 21 points on seven of 20 shooting, while forward Aquawasi St. Hillaire had a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
BOWERS HAVING A FINE ROOKIE CAMPAIGN: Freshman guard Art Bowers (Wilmington, Del.) has returned to his role as one of the top scorers for the Minutemen, after missing the Central Connecticut and Marshall games due to injury. In the victory over Albany, he came off the bench to total 13 points, two rebounds, two assists and three steals. Bowers was in the starting lineup at shooting guard for each of UMass' first five games this season, and turned in some other outstanding performances. He had a big night against Vermont, totaling a career-high 16 points and a team-best seven rebounds, while hitting seven of 11 shots from the floor and both of his three-point attempts. Bowers also came up big against Saint Francis (N.Y.), totaling 14 points while hitting five of eight shots from the field, including two of three from three-point range. In seven games played this season, he is averaging 8.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Bowers came to UMass from St. Benedict's (N.J.) Prep School, where he averaged 18 points and six rebounds per game last season. He was a two-time All-State selection, and was ranked among the top 50 high school seniors in 2002-2003 by both ESPN.com and PrepStars.
UMASS TO RETIRE AL SKINNER'S JERSEY: UMass interim athletic director Thorr Bjorn has announced that the school will retire the No. 30 jersey of former star Al Skinner during the Rhode Island game on Feb. 18, 2004. Currently the head coach at Boston College, Skinner was a three-time first team All-Yankee Conference selection at UMass from 1971-1974, while leading the team to a pair of Yankee Conference titles. Following his UMass career, Skinner went on play professionally in both the ABA and NBA, with the New York Nets, Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers. He began his collegiate coaching career at the University of Rhode Island, before taking over at Boston College in 1997. Skinner will become only the fourth player in UMass men's basketball history to have his jersey number retired. The previous three players to have their jersey retired are George "Trigger" Burke (No. 32, 1954-1956), Julius Erving (No. 32, 1969-1971) and Lou Roe (No. 15, 1991-1995).
THE LAST TIME: In the last meeting between the Minutemen and the Huskies, Connecticut used a 29-2 second-half run, to rally from a 25-point deficit and post a 59-48 victory at the Hartford Civic Center on Dec. 10, 2002. Massachusetts built a 10-point lead at 15-5 with 6:15 left in the first half, then outscored the Huskies 15-4 the rest of the way to take a 30-9 lead into the locker room at the half. The nine points were the fewest allowed by the Minutemen in a half since the 1957-1958 season. UMass shot 46.7 percent from the field in the first half, and held the hometown Huskies to 15.4 percent shooting from the floor. The second half started well for the Minutemen, as they scored the first four points to push their advantage to 34-9 at the 18:37 mark on a Jackie Rogers field goal. But Connecticut then used its 29-2 run to take a 38-36 lead with 6:32 left on an Emeka Okafor basket. UMass would never lead again, although it did force ties at 38-38 and 40-40, and was within 46-44 with 2:33 left. The Huskies closed the game on a 13-4 run and drained 10-of-12 free throws in the final 1:05 to keep the Minutemen at bay. In the final 20 minutes, UConn outscored UMass, 50-18. Anthony Anderson led the UMass attack with 13 points, while Rogers and Micah Brand both scored 12 points. Ben Gordon paced UConn with 18 points, while Rashad Anderson had 16 off the bench and Denham Brown added 11.
MAXWELL STEPS INTO STARTING LINEUP: Freshman guard Maurice Maxwell (Philadelphia, Pa.), who served as UMass' starting shooting guard for three of the last four games, turned in the top game of his young career in the victory over Marshall. Maxwell scored a career-high and team-best 19 points against the Thundering Herd, while hitting nine of 14 attempts from the floor, and was named Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week. He also recorded a career-best five steals against Marshall (the most by a Minuteman since the 2000-2001 season), with three assists, a rebound and a block. In UMass' last game against Albany, Maxwell came off the bench to total 10 points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal. Previously, in the victory over Vermont, he scored 14 points, while hitting five of seven shots from the floor, including both of his three-point attempts, and two of two shots from the line. Maxwell had another big game against Boston College, scoring 10 points and tying for the team lead with four assists, in addition to pulling down three rebounds. For the season, he is now averaging 8.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Maxwell came to UMass from Philadelphia (Pa.) Lutheran Christian Academy, where he averaged 26 points and 12 assists last year, while leading his team to a 20-5 overall record.
LEE A FORCE IN THE MIDDLE: Junior center Gabe Lee (Camilla, Ga.) has become a solid presence in the lane for the Minutemen. Against Albany, Lee totaled nine points and seven rebounds, while hitting four of five attempts from the floor. In the Central Connecticut contest, he totaled 12 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two assists. Lee previously turned in some big performances against Boston College (nine points, six rebounds and three blocks, while hitting a three-point field goal in the final minute of play to force overtime), Hartford (totaling 16 points, nine rebounds, seven blocked shots and two steals, while hitting eight of 10 attempts from the floor) and Saint Francis (recording career highs of 11 rebounds and seven blocked shots, in addition to scoring eight points). Through nine games on the season, Lee is now averaging 8.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per contest. As a rookie in 2002-2003, Lee started 13 times in 28 appearances, averaging 5.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. In addition, he led the team in blocked shots with 46, while ranking third in the Atlantic 10 Conference with an average of 1.6 blocks per game. Although he is only in his second season with the Minutemen, Lee already has 79 career blocked shots, needing just 11 more to move into the all-time UMass top 10.
ANDERSON BECOMING AN IRON MAN: Senior guard Anthony Anderson has become a familiar sight on the hard wood, as he recently had a streak of 157 straight minutes on the court. Anderson played all 20 minutes in the second half against Hartford, and then turned in complete game efforts against Vermont (40 minutes), Boston College (45 minutes) and Central Connecticut (40 minutes). His streak ended when he took a brief eight second rest in the first half of the Marshall game. For the season, Anderson has now played 332 out of a possible 365 minutes, good for an average of 36.9 minutes per game. This comes as nothing new to Anderson, who averaged 36.1 minutes per game last season, and 34.0 minutes per contest in 2001-2002.
MULLINS MAGIC: UMass is currently in its 12th season of play at the William D. Mullins Memorial Center, posting an all-time record of 97-36 in the building. The Minutemen stand 5-1 at the Mullins Center so far this season, with four consecutive victories. UMass was 8-6 in the Mullins Center last year, and has not had a losing record at home since moving into the new arena in 1992-1993. In fact, UMass has gone 21 straight seasons without having a losing record on its home court. The Minutemen also own a 59-22 all-time record in regular season Atlantic 10 Conference games at the Mullins Center, and a 3-1 mark in Atlantic 10 Tournament contests.
DIALING LONG DISTANCE: The three-point shot has become an important part of the UMass offense since Steve Lappas began his tenure as head coach. The 2001-2002 Minutemen set school records for both three-point field goals made (204) and three-point field goals attempted (587) during Lappas' first season. Last year, UMass sank 164 three-pointers (fourth-most in school history), while attempting 544 shots from beyond the arc (second-most in school history). In nine games so far this season, the Minutemen stand 55 of 157 from three-point range (35.0 percent), including a sizzling 12 of 19 performance (63.2 percent) in the victory over Vermont. Massachusetts has made at least one three-point goal in 160 straight games.
ANDERSON CLIMBS CAREER CHARTS: With his strong start to the 2003-2004 season, senior guard Anthony Anderson continues his assault on the all-time school records for three-point shooting. He currently stands fifth on the school's all-time charts for three-point percentage (.395) and three-pointers made (172), while standing fourth in three-point attempts (435). On track to earn a fourth season of competition by graduating by the summer of 2004, Anderson will have a chance to break Monty Mack's school record for three-pointers made (331) and attempted (910), which were set from 1997-2001. Anderson, who also needs just 240 points to become the school's 36th career 1,000-point scorer, already owns two of the top 10 places on the school's single-season chart for three-point goals made.
AMONG THE ATLANTIC 10'S BEST: Over the last 14-plus seasons, Massachusetts owns a 298-163 overall record, good for an average of 20.9 wins per season. The Minutemen have made 10 postseason appearances over that stretch, while winning 20-or-more games in a season seven times. In addition, UMass has posted a winning record in Atlantic 10 play 12 times in the last 14 years, while finishing with an overall record below .500 just three times. After posting no winning campaigns, just two .500 records and a 53-133 overall mark in its first 13 seasons in the Atlantic 10, UMass has gone 150-76 in regular-season league play over the last 14 campaigns en route to 10 conference crowns (five regular season, five tournament). Eight times over the last 14 seasons, the Minutemen have won at least 11 league games. In the Atlantic 10, no program that has called the league home in each of the last 14-plus years has won more games overall than UMass (298). Xavier, though, does have 316 victories to its credit over that time frame, but the Musketeers didn't join the league until the 1995-1996 campaign.
MINUTEMEN BRING IN PRESEASON HONORS: Senior guard Anthony Anderson was named a preseason third team All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection by the league's coaches and media, announced during Atlantic 10 Media Day on Nov. 6. In addition, freshman guards Art Bowers and Maurice Maxwell were both selected to the preseason Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team. Bowers had previously been honored by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, which selected him as the preseason Atlantic 10 Newcomer of the Year.
UMASS PICKED FOURTH IN A-10 EAST: In the Atlantic 10 Conference's preseason poll, conducted among the league's coaches and media, the Minutemen were picked to finish in fourth place in the East Division. Saint Joseph's placed first in the poll and collected all 34 first place votes, with Temple coming in second and Rhode Island third. Following the Minutemen, Saint Bonaventure was ranked fifth and Fordham sixth. Xavier was picked to win the West Division with 17 of 34 first place votes, followed by Dayton (second, 17 first place votes), Richmond (third), La Salle (fourth), George Washington (fifth) and Duquesne (sixth).
ABOUT THE HUSKIES: Connecticut enters the game with an overall record of 9-1 on the year, and is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation by both the Associated Press and ESPN / USA Today. The Huskies have won their last six games, since suffering a 77-61 loss to Georgia Tech in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT. Junior guard Ben Gordon leads the team with an average of 19.7 points per game, while hitting 25 of 50 (.500) three-point attempts. Junior center Emeka Okafor averages 18.2 points, 11.3 rebounds and 4.9 blocks per game, while sophomore forward Denham Brown (15.8 ppg) and freshman forward Charlie Villanueva (12.8 ppg) are also scoring in double figures. The Huskies have outscored their opponents by an average of 25.7 points per game this season, winning each of their last six games by at least 20 points.
CONNECTICUT HEAD COACH JIM CALHOUN: Now is his 18th season with the Huskies, Jim Calhoun owns a 408-160 record during his time in Storrs, and a 656-297 mark in 32 years as a Division I head coach. Calhoun, who posted a 250-137 record in 14 seasons at Northeastern before moving to UConn, has led the Huskies to postseason play in each of the last 16 seasons (12 NCAAs, four NITs), with his 1998-1999 team winning the NCAA championship. The winningest coach in Northeastern, UConn and New England Division I college basketball history, Calhoun ranks as the ninth-winningest active coach in Division I today and his four 30-win seasons rank in a tie for second all-time behind Duke's Mike Krzyzewksi.
MINUTEMATTERS: Senior guard Marcus Cox (Bridgeport, Conn.) and sophomore forward Alassane Kouyate (Bamako, Mali) are both expected to miss the entire 2003-2004 season due to injury. Kouyate is eligible to redshirt and will have three years of collegiate eligibility remaining, while Cox's college career is now over ... With the 80-58 victory over Saint Francis (N.Y.), UMass won its season opener for the ninth time in the last 11 years, while moving its all-time record in season openers to 62-33 ... Massachusetts has made at least one three-point field goal in 160 consecutive games and in 536 of 543 games it has played since the arc was added to the college game in 1986-1987 ... UMass has won 27 of its last 29 games when shooting 50.0 percent or better from the field, including this year's 3-0 mark and a 9-2 record in Steve Lappas' tenure in Amherst ... Former UMass head coach Jack Leaman, who currently provides color commentary for the UMass Radio Network, was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in September. Leaman compiled an overall record of 217-126 in his 13 seasons at UMass, while winning eight Yankee Conference titles.