University of Massachusets Athletics
Young Guns Make Impact For UMass
February 26, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 26, 2003
For the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team, the future is now. While their record may lead some to believe otherwise, the program is in the middle of a key transition period which will ultimately see the resurgence of the Minutemen as a national threat.
With second-year head coach Steve Lappas at the helm of the recruiting process, and his ability to shape the talents of young players, UMass will look to its youth to pave the way to future success. This season, three first-year players in particular have already begun to lay the foundation for the future of UMass basketball.
During the first part of the 2002-03 season, freshmen Jeff Viggiano and Michael Lasme, along with sophomore Gabe Lee, watched patiently from the bench game after game as the starters gathered at mid-court for tip off. While none of the three were truly disheartened by not earning a starting role, each player took it as an incentive to work twice as hard.
Now however, with the season coming to an end, not only does Lappas starting five include the three youngsters, but the team's future has been placed squarely on their shoulders.
Although all three players are still young and inexperienced, Lappas is pleased with their play this season.
"We've basically turned the team over to them in a lot of ways. I believe they've stepped up very well. Don't get me wrong, they have had their ups and downs, but I believe they have really stepped up and shown that they are very, very capable of doing the things we want them to do on a consistent basis," said Lappas.
While all three players continue to evolve in their roles as team leaders, each player brings an individual style of play onto the court.
After sitting out last season in order to focus on academics, Lee's size and strength has played a pivotal role in his success. As a starter, he's averaged 10.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. During a three-game stretch in late January, Lee exploded for 8.6 ppg and 13.6 rpg helping the Minutemen capture two key conference wins. The fourth- leading shot blocker in the Atlantic 10 Conference, Lee has the potential to become a true defensive weapon.
"[Gabe] lately has played very well. He's very athletic and does a lot of good things on the court. He has great instincts for the game. He's also a tremendous shot blocker," said Lappas.
Prior to coming to UMass, the 6-9 Camilla, Ga., native spent the 2000-2001 campaign at the Northfield (Mass.) Mount Hermon School, where he averaged 21.4 points and 4.3 blocks per game.
With the role of the team leaders shifting gears to a much younger group of players, Lee is eager to take on this new responsibility, "We're young, so it does put a lot of pressure on us because we are freshmen and we have to show leadership on the court. That's hard, because playing college basketball you don't expect freshmen to have leadership skills and no one expected us to play the game like we have been. But we are freshmen and we have an opportunity to shine, just think how good we can be," said Lee.
Connecticut's 2002 Player of the Year at Suffield High School, Viggiano has undoubtedly been this season's biggest surprise. After only eight games, Viggiano was the first of the three to win a starting spot. In his first game as a starter, Viggiano did not disappoint, coming one rebound short of a double-double. He went 7-for-11 from the field scoring a career-high 17 points in a 76-54 victory over Rider.
The team's season scoring average has risen from 58.4 ppg to 61.3 ppg since Viggiano moved into the starting five. In his 14 starts, the Minutemen have averaged 64.5 ppg and tallied 66 or more points eight times. Viggiano will be called upon to strengthen the team's offensive attack with his long-range shooting, as well as providing the Minutemen with much needed help at the small forward position.
While Viggiano has stepped up as a sharp shooter, Lappas insists that he is much more of an all-around player. "People know him as a very good shooter, which he is, but they don't realize how athletic he is," Lappas said. "Jeff is a very good jumper, and he can finish on the break. He's a good ballhandler, and he's going to give us another dimension."
As one of the nation's top preps, Michael Lasme has brought energy and excitement to this year's Minuteman squad. Named to the A-10's preseason All-Rookie team, the 6-1 guard quickly found a spot in the starting lineup.
Despite being nagged by a wrist injury, Lasme tallied a career-high 24 points at George Washington to go with five rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal in 36 minutes of the Minutemen's 75-70 victory over the Colonials. He was 9-for-16 from the field, including 3-of-5 from three point range. Lasme's offensive effort against George Washington was the highest for a UMass "true" freshman since Marcus Camby's 32-point effort in a 1994 NCAA Tournament loss to Maryland.
Lasme also brings a hint of international flavor to the team. A native of Abidjan, Ivory Coast in Africa, Lasme moved to France when he was 12 and has been in the United States for the past two years.
Aside from Viggiano, Lasme, and Lee, the Minutemen expect big things from their two other first-year scholarship players, Marcus Cox and Alassane Kouyante. This season's newcomers have combined to average 25.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per outing. In UMass' nine victories at press time, they've contributed 31.9 ppg and 16.4 rpg, compared to 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in the team's 14 losses.
"We have a bunch of young guys this season, and we are going to need another group of young guys next season in order to get this thing going in the right direction," Lappas said.
For now, the Minutemen continue to rely on their younger players to play strong basketball and plan to take this season as a stepping stone toward the future.
"It's exciting to think we are the future of the program, and there is a lot of potential on this team. But rebuilding the program is going to take some time. Everyone needs to get a little older, a little smarter, and a little better. It's going to take time and patience," said Viggiano.