University of Massachusets Athletics
Men's Basketball Practice In Full Stride
October 19, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Oct. 19, 2004
Amherst, Mass. - The UMass men's basketball team finished its fourth day of practice at the Mullins Center tidat. Coach Steve Lappas feels his team is further ahead at this time this year because of all of his returning players. UMass returns all five starters, plus three players who saw significant playing time off of the bench last season.
"It's been great to get back out on the court with guys who are not hearing everything for the first time," said Lappas. "Practices have been going very smoothly and there has been a lot of teaching going on."
Coach Lappas says one of the things his team is focusing on in the early part of preseason is man-to-man defense. Last year the Minutemen allowed opponents to shoot 44% from the floor and 38% from three-point range.
"It's like night and day between last year and this year," said Lappas. "Things go more smoothly because you stop practice a little bit less (to explain things). We've been able to move faster because of the experience our guys have."
UMass returns all five starters including the 2003-04 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, Rashaun Freeman, who averaged 15.4 points and 8.5 rebounds. Senior point guard Anthony Anderson, who averaged 12.9 points and 3.5 assists, returns for his fourth year as a starter.
Coach Lappas and his staff will put on a clinic for high school coaches in conjunction with Sunday's practice at Curry Hicks Cage. The team will practice at 9 a.m. followed by the clinic.
The Minutemen will play an exhibition game on Friday November 12 against Concordia and open the regular season Tuesday November 23 against Birmingham Southern. Both games tip-off at 7 p.m. at the Mullins Center.
