University of Massachusets Athletics
Minutemen Contend with Nationally Ranked Providence Monday
December 19, 2015 | Men's Basketball
| University of Massachusetts Basketball Weekly Release | |
| Game 11 | Massachusetts (6-4 overall) vs. #14/14 Providence (11-1) |
| Date | Time | Monday, Dec. 21, 2015 | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| Location | Mullins Center (9,493) | Amherst, Mass. | Directions |
| Live Statistics | GameTracker |
| Watch | CBS Sports Network |
| Listen (Radio) | 105.5 FM WEEI (Western Massachusetts), 830 AM WCRN (Worcester) 95.9 WATD (South Shore), 1200 AM WXKS (Boston, Manchester, Providence) |
| Listen (Online) | WEEI Streaming Player | TuneIn App (mobile devices) |
| Series History | Providence leads, 23-7. Last meeting: Providence 85, UMass 65; Dec. 2, 2014 |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts  | Providence | Atlantic 10 | Big East |
| Team Information | Massachusetts | Providence |
| @UMassAthletics | @UMassBasketball | #GoUMass | |
| UMass Athletics | |
| Promotion | Maroon-Out The Mullins Center (First 2,000 fans received maroon t-shirts) |
| Buy Tickets | Available on TicketMaster.com or over the phone via 866-UMASS-TIX |
UMass-Providence Scouting Report
UMass faces one of its toughest tests of the season Monday when No. 14 nationally ranked Providence visits the Mullins Center for a 7 p.m. contest. The Friars are 11-1 overall this season including their latest game on Saturday, Dec. 19 versus Rider. The UMass-Providence game will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.
A perennial New England powerhouse program, the Friars are led by a trio of scoring threats in Ben Bentil (17.7 points per game), Kris Dunn (16.8) and Rodney Bullock (14.1). Bullock (7.7 rebounds) and Bentil (7.7) also cause havoc on the defensive end as the squad's leading rebounders who have a combined 30 blocks and 21 steals through 12 games.
Dunn, a do-it-all player for Providence and the 2014-15 Big East Player of the Year, adds 6.1 boards with a team-high 34 steals with 6.9 assists per game and sports a 2.37 assist-to-turnover ratio. Dunn missed the team's last two games due to illness.
The sides regularly faced off in the 1960s and 1970s before long hiatus' spanning much of the 1990s and early 2000s. UMass head coach Derek Kellogg and Providence leader Ed Cooley renewed the series in 2012-13 and, over the last three seasons, Kellogg and the Minutemen own a 2-1 edge in the three recent meetings. The wins include a 77-75 decision in the 2013 Puerto Rico Tip-Off and a 69-67 overtime victory at home on Dec. 28, 2013. However, Cooley and the Friars took the most recent tilt, 85-65 on Dec. 20, 2014.
Follow UMass Athletics And UMass Basketball On Twitter
Instant information on the basketball program, including an inside look at key points and statistics in each game as well as updates from practice and other team events are available via the Twitter handle @UMassBasketball. Follow the Minutemen there and catch information about each University of Massachusetts Athletic Department program through @UMassAthletics.
UMass Honors John Calipari With Banner-Raising Ceremony
As part of the 20th anniversary celebration of the UMass men's basketball 1995-96 Final Four team, the University of Massachusetts Athletic Department honored former head coach John Calipari during the 2015-16 season with a banner raising ceremony at halftime of the contest against New Orleans on Dec. 16.
Calipari, who was on-hand for the halftime ceremony, led UMass to five consecutive Atlantic 10 titles and as many straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Calipari, who guided the Minutemen from 1988-96, finished his tenure with 193 victories, including 91 versus league opponents. Calipari's banner joins the retired jerseys of five all-time Minuteman greats: George "Trigger" Burke (No. 32), Marcus Camby (21), Julius "Dr. J." Erving (32), Lou Roe (15) and Al Skinner (30).
Throwback-Inspired Jerseys Debut Versus New Orleans
UMass donned throwback-inspired uniforms against New Orleans on Wednesday, Dec. 16 in tandem with its celebration of former head coach John Calipari. The most prominent feature of the jersey is the cursive "UMass" logo on the front. Calipari helped design the logo while he coached the Minutemen. The jerseys are black with varied maroon and white stitching and trim on the jersey tops and shorts. The numbering and lettering on the jerseys is white while the shorts feature a white Adidas logo with a contrasting maroon mark on the right shoulder of the tops.
Davis Drops 40 On New Orleans
Senior guard Trey Davis scored 40 points (10-18 FG, 2-8 3FG, 18-20 FT) during the 103-95 overtime victory earned against New Orleans on Dec. 16. It marks the second-most points scored by a Minuteman in the more-than-100-year history of the program and was only one shy of tying Davis with all-time leader Billy Tindall, who had 41 versus Vermont on Feb. 20, 1968.
Davis broke his scoring down to 17 points in each half of regulation before he put through six more during the overtime period. It was 47 seasons between Davis and Tindall's 40-point games, a total of 1,411 UMass men's basketball contests.
More On Davis' 40-Point Game
Trey Davis reached 40 points on the strength of his free throw shooting performance, as he finished 18-for-20 from the line. It is the second-most made in a game (19, Julius Erving at New Hampshire, March 2, 1970) while it is also tied for the fourth-most attempted in a single contest. Davis had as many makes and attempts as the entire New Orleans team recorded during the contest.
Davis also reset the Mullins Center points record previously held by Marcus Camby, who had 38 versus Dayton on Jan. 4, 1996. Camby was in attendance for the game as part of the John Calipari Banner-Raising Ceremony, during which Davis also reset the free throws made mark previously held by Lou Roe, who had 17 versus Duquesne on March 2, 1994. Roe, a member of the UMass men's basketball staff and program alum, was also at Mullins to see his record fall.
18 Consecutive Made Free Throws For Davis
Trey Davis missed his first two free throw attempts against New Orleans but followed with 18 consecutive made foul shots to close the game. After he went 3-of-5 in the first half, Davis sank all nine he took in the second and went 6-for-6 in overtime.
Davis' record for most consecutive made free throws is 33, earned during the 2014-15 season. Donta Bright holds the school record (40).
Don't Forget About Donte
Sophomore guard Donte Clark supported Trey Davis' 40-point game with a career-high 30 scored versus New Orleans. Clark scored his 30 via a 9-of-14 day from the floor (4-6 3FG) and 9-of-12 evening at the foul line. Clark and Davis became the first UMass duo to score 30 or more points in a single game since Billy Tindall (33) and Clarence Hill (32) did so against AIC on Jan. 4, 1966.
Highly-Touted Quartet Fills Out Latest Recruiting Class
University of Massachusetts men's basketball and head coach Derek Kellogg brought four new members to the program on Wed., Nov. 11, as Chris Baldwin, DeJon Jarreau, Brison Gresham and Unique McLean signed their National Letters of Intent to compete for the Maroon and White beginning in 2016-17. The quartet combined to earn a top-25 class ranking across the three major recruiting services as it earned 22nd in the nation from 247Sports and 25th from ESPN and Rivals.
In addition to the praise heaped on the individual student-athletes, Kellogg's signees represent the top ranked class across all Atlantic 10 programs according to ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals.
Baldwin, the No. 2 ranked player in Massachusetts and a four-star recruit via ESPN, hails from Springfield, Massachusetts, and currently attends Notre Dame Prep.
Gresham, who is teammates with Jarreau at McDonogh 35 High School in New Orleans, is the fifth-ranked player in the state of Louisiana according to 247Sports with an overall grade of 90.
ESPN also touts the abilities of Jarreau, who is a four-star player ranked No. 62 overall in their top-100 listing with more than 20 offers from NCAA Division I programs across the country.
McLean, who played locally at the MacDuffie School in Granby, chose the Minutemen over Rutgers and a trio of other Atlantic 10 institutions in Dayton, Fordham and Rhode Island.
Cady Lalanne Chosen In 2015 NBA Draft
UMass men's basketball senior center Cady Lalanne was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round with the 55th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Lalanne became the first Minuteman since Stephane Lasme (2007) to be chosen in the NBA Draft and 16th all-time from UMass. He was the only player picked from an Atlantic 10 Conference school.
Basketball Moves In To Champions Center
The University of Massachusetts men's and women's basketball program moved into their first dedicated team facility during the Summer 2015 with the introduction of the John Francis Kennedy Champions Center for UMass Basketball. The 53,000-square foot building offers a state-of-the-art facility for the Minutemen and Minutewomen that will benefit generations of basketball student-athletes to come.
The structure is named in honor of longtime athletics support John Francis Kennedy, who donated the lead gift of $11 million toward the project. The 53,000-square foot facility houses the daily operations for the UMass men's and women's basketball programs. The $22-million facility features dedicated practice courts for each team, office space for the coaching staffs, locker rooms and areas for strength and conditioning along with athletic training services. It also contains Legacy Hall, which will display the rich history of UMass basketball along the building's Eastern corridor.
The creation of the facility has several additional benefits for the University, the community and other programs within the athletics department. Current space utilized in the Mullins Center for basketball will be converted to additional support areas for athletics. The dedicated practice space for the basketball program will allow more open dates for the Mullins Center to schedule entertainment groups such as concerts, theatrical productions and other performers. The teams will no longer need to schedule practices in the Curry Hicks Cage as well, which will allow more time for other athletics programs and University-related organizations to use the space.