University of Massachusets Athletics
Lasme To Transfer
March 31, 2003 | Men's Basketball
March 31, 2003
AMHERST, Mass. -- University of Massachusetts men's basketball coach Steve Lappas announced today that freshman guard Michael Lasme (Abidjan, Ivory Coast) has elected to transfer out of the Minuteman program at the end of the spring semester.
"Mike believes that in order to play in the NBA he needs to play point guard on a full-time basis," Lappas said. "I told him that he could easily compete for that position in our program.
"He chose not to compete for it, so he will move on," Lappas added. "I expect he will try to find a situation that better fits his vision of what is important."
Lasme was UMass' fourth-leading scorer as a rookie at 7.5 ppg, and ranked second on the team in assists (74), fourth in steals (19, tie) and fifth in rebounding (3.1 rpg). He shot 32.3 percent from the field as a freshman, including 27.4 percent from three-point range, and 62.7 percent at the foul line.
The 6-1, 183-pound Lasme recorded seven double-figure scoring games this past season, including a career-high 24-point outing in UMass' 75-70 come-from-behind win at George Washington. He appeared in 28 games, drawing 16 starts, and averaged 27.5 minutes per game.
Massachusetts, which finished the 2002-03 season with an 11-18 record, has three scholarships to give for next year. The Minutemen inked prep standout Art Bowers (Wilmington, Del.), a 6-4 shooting guard, to a National Letter of Intent during the early-signing period, and will also welcome two players who sat out the 2002-03 season, freshman forward Stephen Briggs (Houston, Texas) and sophomore forward Rashaun Freeman (Schnectady, N.Y.), to the fold next season.