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• UMass is making its 19th postseason appearance and its 11th in the Postseason NIT. The Minutemen were slotted as a No. 5 seed in the NIT, marking the third postseason appearance in the last six seasons and the first in four years under head coach Derek Kellogg.
• The NIT First Round contest at Miss. State will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Brad Nessler and Jimmy Dykes will describe the action. The radio broadcast will be carried on the UMass Sports Network with Josh Maurer and Tim Kenney on the call. Listen on 100.9 FM WRNX, the flagship station, 830 AM in Central Mass., 95.9 WATD on the South Shore, 1150 AM WWZN in Boston and on UMassAthletics.com. The UMass-Miss. State winner will advance to the second round and face the Seton Hall-Stony Brook winner March 15-19.
2011-12 UMASS SEASON CAPSULE
• The 2011-12 season marks the fourth for head coach Derek Kellogg ... Kellogg starred as a point guard for the Minutemen from 1992-95, playing for coach John Calipari ... Kellogg spent two years at George Mason with Jim Larranaga and eight at Memphis with Calipari, culminating with the 2008 NCAA Runner-up season ... UMass’ win totals under Kellogg have grown from 12, 12, 15 and 22.
• With its 20th win of the season in the regular-season finale against Rhode Island, it marked the 15th 20-win season in school history and the first in Kellogg’s four years.
• UMass started the year 11-3, suffering losses to No. 22 Florida State & College of Charleston in the Bahamas and at Miami. A 7-3 start in league play had the Minutemen among the league leaders, but losses in four of five games hurt UMass down the stretch of the A-10 season. The fifth loss in that stretch was a 90-88 overtime loss at Temple after a 33-point setback at Dayton. Despite the loss, that performance sparked the Minutemen in the win over Rhode Island to close the regular-season and a pair of wins in the A-10 Tournament, including an upset of top-seeded and 21st-ranked Temple in the quarterfinals.
• UMass went 5-3 against teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament and 1-5 against NIT entrants.
• The Minutemen are shooting 44.7 pct. (147-of-329) from the field over the past five games and averaging 85.2 points per game.
• UMass averages eight 3-pointers per game this season and has made at least 10 in nine games. The Minutemen have made 51 triples in the last five games and are connecting on 46.4 pct. during that stretch.
• UMass’ transition, fast-break offense has outscored the opposition 13.2-5.2 per game over the last five contests. For the season, the Minutemen have a plus-5.1 advantage in fast-break points.
• UMass won its first 14 home games before improving to 15-1 with last week’s Atlantic 10 Championship First Round win.
• UMass averaged 4,359 fans in 15 dates at the Mullins Center this season. Those numbers got increasingly higher as the season evolved to 5,411 for eight A-10 home games and 6,614 for the last five regular-season home dates. The Minutemen saw four crowds of more than 6,200 in the final six games, with a season-high 8,399 in the victory over Saint Louis.
UMASS’ POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• UMass has an all-time postseason record of 21-20 in 18 combined appearances in both the NCAA and NIT tournaments. The Minutemen are making their 11th NIT appearance this season and bring a 10-12 record which includes two Final Fours and a runner-up finish in 2008.
• UMass is 5-6 in NIT First Round games and 3-3 in true NIT road games. The Minutemen have played 15 of their 22 games in New York state, going 5-10 in those contests.
• UMass has faced an SEC school in each of its last two NIT appearances. The Minutemen defeated Alabama, 89-87 in overtime, in Amherst six years to the day from Tuesday’s game. A year later in 2008, UMass outlasted defending NCAA Champion Florida, 78-66, in the semifinals at Madison Square Garden.
SERIES WITH MISSISSIPPI STATE
• UMass and Mississippi State are meeting for the first time on Tuersday night. In fact, this will be the program’s first-ever game against a school from Mississippi and its first-ever game in the Magnolia State.
• UMass has played seven of the 12 current SEC members, compiling a 7-11 record. The last time a UMass squad faced an SEC team came on Jan. 3, 2009, when Vanderbilt claimed a 78-48 win at the Mullins Center in Amherst.
OFFENSE GETTING CLOSER TO GOING ‘FULL UMASS’, CLICKING ON ALL CYLINDERS OVERLAST FOUR GAMES
• With head coach Derek Kellogg’s transition to an up-tempo offense and full-court, trapping defense this season, there have been periods of play where the team has gone ‘Full UMass’ as he refers to it, but not too many where the style has been sustained for more than a game or two at a time. But that appears to be changing in recent weeks where the Minutemen have put together some very complete efforts.
• Over the last five contests, UMass has averaged 85.2 points, while shooting .447 from the floor and .464 from outside. Even the free throw shooting is up from the season mark of .675 to .711. Five players in the eight-man rotation are scoring at least 9.0 ppg, with First Team All-Conference PG Chaz Williams leading the team in scoring (19.6), assists (7.8) and steals (3.4).
• Expanding the microscope to the last seven games shows that the Minutemen have reached the 80-point plateau five times for the first time this season and averaged 9.3 made 3-pointers per game.
• On the defensive side of the ball, the UMass pressure defense has totaled 66 steals in the last eight games for a 8.3 spg avg and outscored the opposition 18.1-14.1 in points off turnovers.
ROLE PLAYERS’ IMPORTANCE OF LATE
• With most opposing scouting reports keying on UMass’ top scorers Chaz Williams, Raphiael Putney, Jesse Morgan and Terrell Vinson, the emerging role and importance of the next four scorers in the Minutemen rotation can’t be understated.
• The quartet of Sean Carter, Freddie Riley, Javorn Farrell and Maxie Esho has each provided an above average game at some point in the past eight games - most recently Farrell registering the best game of his career in last Tuesday’s A-10 First Round win over Duquesne. Dubbed ‘JYD’ (Junk Yard Dog) early in his career for his bulldog-like mentality and tenacity, the junior went for 20 points, seven rebounds and career highs in assists (9) and 3-pointers (3).
• Carter keyed the win over Rhode Island in the regular-season finale with his third career double-double and his first 20-plus point performance, finishing with 22 points, 10 boards (7 offensive) and three blocks. Riley had 12 points in 22 minutes off the bench in the win over Xavier (2/21). Despite falling to La Salle (2/18) by a point, Esho took over at times in the second half before posting a career- and game-high 18 points, along with six rebounds and three steals. Esho also kep UMass within striking distance in Saturday’s A-10 Semifinal loss to SBU, as he registered 14 points and seven boards in 15 first-half minutes.
Chaz Williams NAMED FIRST TEAM ALL-ATLANTIC 10
• Redshirt sophomore PG Chaz Williams was named to the First Team All-Atlantic 10 squad as voted on by the 14 head coaches. Williams leads UMass in scoring (16.5 ppg), assists (6.5 apg), steals (2.3), 3-point FG pct (.403), FT pct. (.780) and minutes (33.8 mpg). He also ranks among the A-10 leaders in scoring (7th), assists (1st), steals (3rd) and assist-to-turnover ratio (5th, 1.8).
• In 16 A-10 games, the Brooklyn, N.Y. native posted the following stats: 15 double-figure scoring games ... 5 games with at least 20 points ... 3 double-figure assist games ... 7 games with at least 9 assists ... 3 doubles-doubles with all coming in the last six games.
• The transfer from Hofstra is the 54th first team all-conference selection in school history and the first since 2007-08 when Gary Forbes was named the A-10 Player of the Year. UMass now has 20 first team honorees since the league’s inception prior to the 1976-77 season.
• For Williams, it marks the second career postseason honor following his selection to the Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie Team when he played for current Fordham coach Tom Pecora at Hofstra during the 2009-10 campaign. He averaged 9.8 points and 4.2 assists while starting 20 games.
• St. Bonaventure senior forward Andrew Nicholson was named the Player of the Year and Temple’s Fran Dunphy was named the Coach of the Year. Saint Joseph’s sophomore forward C.J. Aiken was named the Defensive Player of the Year while Richmond Freshman Kendall Anthony was selected as the Rookie of the Year. Sophomore forward Ronald Roberts of Saint Joseph’s was voted the Sixth Man of the Year and La Salle senior guard Earl Pettis earned the Chris Daniels Most Improved Player Award.
WILLIAMS NAMED TO ATLANTIC 10 ALL-CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
• Despite not being able to lead the Minutemen into the title game of last week’s Atlantic 10 Championship, Chaz Williams was named to the 5-man All-Championship team after averaging 16 points, 7.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, 3.5 steals and 12-of-14 from the FT line in the team’s two games in Atlantic City. Factoring in UMass’ first round win over Duquesne at home and the Bronx native posted 17.7 points, 6.3 assists and 5.3 boards while making 4-of-7 from outside and 23-of-28 from the charity stripe in three tourney games.
• The remaining members of the All-Championship squad included Andrew Nicholson (MOP) and Demitrius Conger of tourney champ St. Bonaventure, and Tu Holloway and XXXX of runner-up Xavier.
WILLIAMS IS GOOD AS ADVERTISED
• Redshirt sophomore point guard Chaz Williams has been given the responsibility of quarterbacking the Minutemen’s new up-tempo offense and the transfer from Hofstra lived up to the billing, averaging 16.4 points and a league-leading 6.4 assists this season (9th in NCAA). He is shooting 41 percent from 3-point range and has an assist-turnover ratio of nearly 2-1. Defensively, he ranks 23rd nationally in steals with 2.3 per game.
• In league play, he posted averages of 17.4 points (4th in A-10), 6.9 assists (1st) and 83.3 FT Pct (8th).
• Prior to a first-half miss against Saint Louis (1/28), Williams hit 33 consecutive free throws over a six-game stretch which broke Donta Bright’s (1996) single-season record for consecutive free throws made against conference opponents. The school record for the most consecutive made free throws is 40 which was also set by Bright in 1996.
• Williams has recorded eight 20-point games this season, with career-highs of 29 on 6-of-8 from outside against Xavier (2/21). He also has five games with at least nine assists, including three of the last four.
• Williams has posted five double-doubles this season (with four in the last nine games). Williams, Kevin Dillard (Dayton) and Tu Holloway (Xavier) are the only players in the A-10 to post multiple double-figure assist games this season.
WILLIAMS ON PACE TO BE FIRST TRUE POINT GUARD TO LEAD UMASS IN SCORING SINCE 1985
• A check of the UMass record book shows that Chaz Williams is on the verge of doing something that hasn’t been done in nearly 30 years. As the team’s leading scorer throughout the season, Williams looks to be the first true point guard to lead the Minutemen in scoring since 1984-85 when Donald Russell averaged 15.2 ppg. When adding Williams’ team-leading categories of assists, steals and minutes into the fold, the timetable extends three more years to 1981-82 when Russell lead UM with 16.4 ppg, 2.5 apg, 1.4 spg and 36.7 mpg.
• Some may recall that recent scoring leaders Ricky Harris (2009-10) and Shannon Crooks (2001-02) played the point, however historians will point out that they were shooting guards who happened to play the point guard position out of necessity in those seasons.
CARTER DEMANDING RESPECT INSIDE
• While he may not be the stat sheet stuffer that some of his teammates have become, senior Sean Carter’s play has remained strong throughout the season. He ranks third in the Atlantic 10 in field goal pct. (.571) and 14th in rebounding (6.3), while leading the team in board work 11 times. His numbers in league play are even more impressive, where he finished the season 2nd in FG pct. (.653) and 16th in rebounds (6.5).
DUNK YOU VERY MUCH
• Its no secret that dunks can play a big role in exciting the crowd and shifting a game’s momentum, and UMass has a pair of players who can bring the house down on any given night. Senior Sean Carter and sophomore Raphiael Putney have combined for 75 of the team’s 116 slams this season.
• Carter leads the team with 49 thus far, including a season-best five at Rhode Island (2/1/12). In fact, of his 101 made buckets this season, 49 pct. have come from above the rim. In his three seasons since transferring from Oregon State he has led UMass in dunks each year and produced 155 dunks out of 267 field goals - good for 45 pct.
• Conversely, Putney uses his long, athletic frame to find ways to reach the basket that most players can’t manage. He has 26 dunks, with a good number of those on alley-oops and fast breaks. His soaring throwdown in transition against Saint Joseph’s was named ESPN’s No. 8 Play of the Day (Jan. 14, 2012), the No. 4 Play of the Week (Jan. 16, 2012) and is also a nominee for the GEICO Play of the Year.
PUTNEY NOMINATED FOR DUNK OF THE YEAR
• Raphiael Putney’s alley-oop dunk from half court against St. Bonaventure (2/8/12) has been nominated for Dunk of the Year! The Dunk of the Year competition is part of the Dunks of the Year special which airs on ESPN2 March 26.
• Each week for four weeks, six rim-rattling dunks will be nominated for Dunk of the Year. Two winners from each week will be determined by fan voting through the official Facebook page (facebook.com/DunksOfTheYear). The eight finalists will compete in a two-week voting competition to determine the Dunk of the Year. The winner will be announced during the Dunks of the Year special which airs March 26 on ESPN2.
MORGAN’S PERFECT RHODE ISLAND GAME
• Jesse Morgan was 9-for-9 from the field, including 6-for-6 from 3-point range for 25 points in the win over Rhode Island (3/3). ESPN Stats & Info provided the following nugget: He’s first player to take at least nine field goals and six 3s without missing since Oregon’s Brice Taylor was 11-for-11 from the field and 7-for-7 from 3-point range in the 2007 Pac-10 Tournament championship game.
UMASS ONE OF A-10’S TOP SCORING TEAMS
• At an average clip of 76.8 points per game, UMass is the top-ranked scoring team in the Atlantic 10 and 24th nationally. The Minutemen are one of eight teams in the league to average over 70 points per game.
• UMass is also the fifth-ranked team in the league in terms of scoring margin at plus-4.9 over opponents. Saint Louis (+12.4), La Salle (+7.7), Temple (+6.5) and St. Bonaventure (+5.6) are the only A-10 teams to have margins higher than the Minutemen.
MINUTEMEN SOLID WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
• UMass is 16-1 (loss came in OT at Temple on 2/29) this season when leading at halftime and 6-9 when trailing at the break. In the six wins when they have been behind, the largest deficit overcome to win was six points against both Siena (12/9/11) and Davidson (12/22/11).
• The Minutemen’s largest lead at the half was 19 on two occassions - at East Carolina (12/6/11) and against Saint Louis (2/2/12).
• In the last three seasons, UMass is 36-6 (.854) overall and 23-2 (.917) at the Mullins Center when leading at the half.
SHARP SHOOTING
• UMass has shot .433 from the floor this season after posting a .401 shooting percentage a season ago. Much of the improvement can be attributed to the new up-tempo, fastbreaking offense that Derek Kellogg has implemented this season. Taking advantage of the long, athletic players on his roster, Kellogg’s offense has resulted in higher percentage shots in transition.
• The 2,076 field goal attempts thus far are the six-highest single-season total in school history and the most since the 2006-07 squad took a record 2,281 shots.
• Along those same lines - the 3-point line to be exact - this season’s bunch ranks in the top-3 at UMass in 3-pointers made (2nd, 265) and attempted (3rd, 747).
BALANCED SCORING AMONG ROTATION
• With UMass utilizing a shorter bench that has employed eight players due to injuries, one would think that the same two or three guys would dominate the box score on a regular basis, but that’s been the case with this team. Since the start of A-10 play 19 games ago, five different players have led the team in scoring, five in rebounding, three in assists, six in steals and six in blocks.
• In 14 games this season, UMass has had four or more players reach double-figure point totals, translating into an 11-3 record. Against Utah, Davidson, Central Connecticut, and Fordham, five Minutemen reached double-figures in the scoring column. Against Siena, Williams and Freddie Riley each scored over 20 points in the comeback win.
BRINGING THE PRESSURE
• To go with the new up-tempo offense, Derek Kellogg has the Minutemen pressing and trapping more on defense in 2011-12. The new attacking defensive style has worked extremely well thus far as the Minutemen have forced an average of 17.0 turnovers per game and scored 21.1 points per game off those takeaways.
• UMass has collected 293 steals on the year, translating to 8.9 steals per game. The Minutemen need four steals to move into second all-time at UMass. The 1995-96 Final Four squad stole 311 in 37 contests. Also, the 8.9 spg avg is second only to the 9.0 avg set in 1999-2000.
• In Friday’s win over #21/24 Temple, the Owls committed a season-high-tying 22 turnovers, marking the ninth time an opponent has had at least 20 miscues in a game. UMass has scored at least 20 points off its opponents 15 times this season, topping 30 points four times.
• In its 36-point win at Boston College on Nov. 21, UMass turned 23 Eagles turnovers into 28 points and outscored them 28-6 over the final 10:30 of the game.
• In the win vs. Northeastern (11/14), UMass forced 21 turnovers and scored 26 points off turnovers. Sampson Carter led the defense with three steals.
• The Minutemen held the Huskies to just 38 percent shooting in the game, including a 9.1 percent mark from behind the arc.
• In the opener vs. Elon, UMass forced 25 Phoenix turnovers and scored 34 points off those turnovers, including 12 fast-break points. Jesse Morgan led the defensive charge with a career-high five steals in 17 minutes. UMass finished with 14 steals total.
CLEARING THE BOARDS
• UMass has been solid on the boards this season averaging 39.3 rebounds per game - that places the Minutemen first in the Atlantic 10 and 12th nationally. The Minutemen have outrebounded their opponents 15 times this season and are 11-4 in those contests.
OUTSIDE SHOOTING+PROTECT THE BALL=WIN
• It’s a simple formula, but when UMass is able to shoot the ball from outside and keep turnovers to a minimum, chances are the Minutemen win. In 22 games won this year, UMass is 200-of-507 from three-point land and average 14.0 turnovers per game. In 11 games lost, UMass is just 65-of-240 from deep and average 17.0 turnovers.
• Sharing the ball is also a key. The Minutemen average 17.5 assists in wins this year, while that number drops to 12.3 in losses.
KEY IMPROVEMENTS OVER LAST SEASON
• Throughout the season, a trio of players have made significant strides over their 2010-11 averages.
• Jesse Morgan played in just 12 games last season averaging 4.4 points in almost 11 minutes per game. This year, the combo point guard/two guard is averaging 10.2 points in 26.2 minutes.
• Raphiael Putney has increased his scoring from 4.4 points to 10.3 points and is averaging over two more rebounds per game (3.0-to-5.7).
• After having a strong freshman campaign in 2009-10, Terrell Vinson saw his scoring dip from 9.6 points per game to 6.5 last season. This year he is back to form averaging 9.7 points in 25.8 minutes per game.
UMASS AGAINST RANKED FOES
• As a result of Friday’s 77-71 win over #21 Temple, UMass is 31-74 vs. AP Top-25 teams all-time with four wins since 2004. The Minutemen have played three games against a ranked foe this season - against #22 Florida State at the Battle 4 Atlantis on Nov. 24, at #23 Temple in Philadelphia on Feb. 29 and against #21 Temple on Friday in Atlantic City, N.J.
• UMass had lost its last seven against ranked schools dating back to a 61-60 win over #25 Kansas at the Sprint Center in Kansas City on Dec. 13, 2009. Derek Kellogg is now 2-8 against Top-25 teams.
HOME SWEET HOME AT MULLINS
• UMass is 15-1 at home this season. The 12 consecutive home wins to start the season (11-0 at Mullins, 1-0 at The Cage) was the best since 1993-94 when the squad was a perfect 14-0 at home.
• The 11-consecutive wins at the Mullins Center are the third-longest skein since the facility opened 19 years ago. UMass won its first 27 games in the building.
• UMass is in its 19th season of play at the William D. Mullins Memorial Center and has posted an all-time record of 192-75 (.719). The Minutemen also own a 103-49 (.676) all-time record in regular season Atlantic 10 Conference games at the Mullins Center, and a 4-2 mark in Atlantic 10 Tournament contests.
• Including this season’s record, UMass has gone 29 consecutive seasons without having a losing record on its home court.
ESHO NAMED ATLANTIC 10 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK (2/20)
• Redshirt freshman Maxie Esho was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week following his performance against La Salle (2/18) two weeks ago. Esho poured in a career-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting to lead all scorers. He also added six rebounds and three steals in a career-high-tying 22 minutes.
• This markes Esho’s first weekly award and the second for UMass this season. Raphiael Putney was named the Co-Player of the Week on Jan. 30. The last time a UMass player earned Rookie of the Week honors was two years ago when Terrell Vinson garnered the award on Dec. 20, 2009.
LALANNE TAKES PRESEASON A-10 HONOR
• The Atlantic 10 Conference announced its preseason awards at its annual men’s basketball media day in Brooklyn on Oct. 13 with UMass freshman Cady Lalanne being named to the All-Rookie Team. The forward from Orlando, Fla. is the first Minuteman named All-Rookie since Freddie Riley and Terrell Vinson in 2009.
• Joining Lalanne on the All-Rookie Team are Dezmine Wells (Xavier), Jerrell Wright (La Salle), Justin Martin (Xavier), Alonzo Nelson-Odada (Richmond) and Anthony Lee (Temple).
• Lalanne joins the Minutemen following becoming eligible per NCAA rules after attending UMass as a student in 2010-11. The 6-8 big man played at Oak Ridge HS in Orlando, Fla. and his AAU ball with the Florida Rams.
UMASS SIGNS FLORIDA CENTER BERGANTINO
• UMass men’s basketball head coach Derek Kellogg, on the eve of the Minutemen’s season opener, announced on Thursday the signing of 6-9 center Tyler Bergantino of Springhill, Fla. to a National Letter of Intent. The talented big man, now a senior at Nature Coast Technical High School in Brooksville, Fla., will join the Minutemen for the 2012-13 season.
• “Tyler exemplifies exactly the type of person and player we want at UMass,” Kellogg said. “He is an extremely high-character young man and plays the game at a high level at both ends of the floor. My staff, the team, the UMass community and I are all very excited to have Tyler joining the UMass basketball family.”
• At 6-9, 240 lbs., Bergantino is a physical force inside and possesses rapidly improving skill and touch around the basket. He enters his senior year at Nature Coast the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,150 career points. Bergantino is coming off a junior campaign in which he led all of Hernando County with averages of 17.9 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.8 blocked shots. That followed up a sophomore season in 2009-10 in which he posted averages of 14.5 points, 10.9 rebounds and 5.2 blocks.
UMASS LED BY ONE OF ITS OWN
• Derek Kellogg, in his fourth season, is the first UMass alum to serve as the head coach of his alma mater since Tom McLaughlin, who coached the Minutemen from 1981-83. Kellogg graduated from UMass in 1995 where he was an All-Atlantic 10 selection in 1995. McLaughlin graduated from UMass in 1973 where he was one of three future head coaches on the team. He was joined by former Boston College head coach Al Skinner and current Louisville coach Rick Pitino.
• Kellogg is not the only current head coach from the UMass rosters in the mid-90s as Tony Barbee is in his second year as the head coach at Auburn. In his first season with the Tigers, Barbee’s squad went 11-20 overall and 4-12 in the SEC after taking UTEP to the NCAA Tournament the previous season. Alum Harper Williams was named to Barbee’s staff this summer. The pair were at UMass’ Nov. 17 win against NJIT in Amherst.
• Prior to McLaughlin, the last UMass alum to lead his alma mater was Lorin Ball (Class of 1921), who coached the team from 1945-52.
FOLLOW THE TEAM ONLINE
• Looking for all the latest news on the Minutemen and Coach Kellogg? There are several ways to keep tabs on all of the updates on the squad.
• Your first and Number 1 source is UMassAthletics.com. The official website of the UMass teams features news, stats, profiles, videos, photos, auctions, live audio, live video and so much more.
• Our daily blog “Just Take A Minute” has all the latest news from the media along with special information. Its updated several times each day.
• Follow the teams and Coach Kellogg on Twitter. Get the news instantly for all Minuteman and Minutewoman teams by following @UMassAthletics. For the latest on the basketball team and Coach, follow him at @CoachKellogg.
• The UMass Facebook page is very active, become a fan today at Facebook.com/UMassAthletics. You can also follow Coach Kellogg on his Facebook.com/CoachKellogg account.|
• Also, UMass has a very comprehensive YouTube page with video highlights, features, interviews and press conferences. Visit today at YouTube.com/UMassAthletics.
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