UMass Gets Back To Work Vs. CCSU Saturday At Mullins

University of Massachusetts Men's Basketball Game Notes & Information
Game 4	Massachusetts (3-0) vs. Central Connecticut State (0-3)
Date \| Time	Saturday, November 16, 2019 \| 1:00 p.m.
Location	Amherst, Mass. \| Mullins Center
Watch	ESPN+ (simulcast)
Listen	WHMP (101.5 & 107.5 FM) \| 1240 & 1400 AM \| Tune-In App
Live Statistics	SIDEARM Live Stats
Game Notes	Massachusetts Notes \| 2019-20 Prospectus
Twitter	@UMassAthletics \| @UMassBasketball
Instagram	UMass Basketball
Facebook	UMass Basketball
UMass Home Tickets	Get Your 2019-20 Tickets Now!

AMHERST, Mass. – Off to its best start since 2015, the 3-0 UMass basketball team returns to the Mullins Center on Saturday afternoon to host Central Connecticut State as part of the Air Force Reserve Tip Off Tournament. Saturday's matchup, which will be streamed on ESPN+, features two of the youngest teams in college basketball. UMass and CCSU are two of just seven teams in the NCAA with seven or more freshmen on its roster.

Saturday's promotions
Saturday is National Recycling Day, and the Minutemen want to support and raise awareness for the importance of recycling. Campus and community partners will be involved to help educate fans on easy ways to start recycling more. UMass will be giving out reusable grocery bags to the first fans through the door to cut down on single-use paper and plastic bags.

Best start since 2015
UMass enters Saturday's game at 3-0 on the young season, the best start for the program since the 2015-16 season. The Minutemen are one of 51 remaining unbeaten teams in the NCAA who have played at least three games (as of Nov. 14).

So far this season, Massachusetts is averaging just 9.0 turnovers per game, tied for the 14th fewest in the NCAA, while the team's assist-turnover ratio sits a 1.63, good for 28th in the country, through Thursday's games.

A victory against CCSU would again match the start by the 2015-16 squad, and mark the sixth time since the 1996-97 season that the Minutemen began the season with four straight wins.

Air Force Reserve Tip Off Tournament
The UMass-CCSU game is first of two home games that are part of the 2019 Air Force Reserve Tip Off Tournament.

The Minutemen will battle Rider on Wednesday at the Mullins Center before heading to Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. to play defending national champion Virginia and either Arizona State or St. John's next weekend.

The series with CCSU
The Minutemen and Blue Devils are meeting for the first time since the 2011-12 season, and 11th time overall. UMass leads the overall series, that dates back to 1950, 6-4.

Youth movement
It's a new look roster for the Minutemen in 2019-20 with nine newcomers, including seven freshmen. The seven rookies are the most for UMass since the 2007-08 season.

All seven freshmen (John Buggs III, Sean East II, C.J. Jackson, Kolton Mitchell, Tre Mitchell, Preston Santos, T.J. Weeks) have made their collegiate debuts already, with Tre Mitchell and East II starting each of the first three games.

The rookies have combined for 67% (149-of-221) of the Minutemen's scoring so far this season.

UMass and CCSU are two of just seven teams in the nation with at least seven freshmen on its roster this season.

Veteran leadership
UMass' four upperclassmen (Carl Pierre, Keon Clergeot, Djery Baptiste, Davonte Higginbottom) are tied with Central Connecticut, Lipscomb and Long Beach State for the third fewest juniors and seniors on an NCAA roster. Utah (two) and Florida (three) are the only schools in the country with fewer upperclassmen than the Minutemen.

Big second half sends UMass past NU
UMass used a 44-point second half to knock off Northeastern, 80-71, on Tuesday night at the Mullins Center.

East finished the night with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting (2-of-2 from three) as one of four Minutemen in double-figures, along with seven assists. East and Keon Clergeot ran the point for the Minutemen throughout the night, combining for 11 assists and just one turnover. Freshman Tre Mitchell led all UMass players with 20 points, while Carl Pierre added 18 (14 in the second half) and T.J. Weeks had 12.

The Minutemen allowed Northeastern to take just eight free throws in the game, the fewest allowed to an opponent since Mar. 1, 2017 against Richmond.

Protecting the ball
UMass turned the ball over just seven times against Northeastern on Tuesday, the fewest for the Minutemen since Feb. 24, 2018 at George Mason.

Overall, UMass is tied for 14th in the NCAA in turnovers per game (9.0).

On the flip side, the Minutemen are averaging nine steals per game, including a season-high 10 against Northeastern, the third time in the Matt McCall era that a UMass team had at least 10 steals in a game.

From East II Western Mass. | WATCH
Down 34-33 with 0.6 seconds remaining in the first half against Northeastern on Tuesday, freshman Sean East II launched a shot from more than 75-feet away that hit nothing but the bottom of the net, sending the Mullins Center into a frenzy.

The play went viral on social media and landed at No. 1 on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays later that night.

UMass inks two during early NLI signing period
UMass officially added a pair of talented newcomers for next season as Javohn Garcia (Columbus, Ohio) and Cairo McCrory (Hartford, Conn.) signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday during the start of the early signing period.

Garcia, a 6-4, 175-pound guard, will arrive in Amherst from Brewster Academy, while McCrory is a 6-5, 185-pound guard from Woodstock Academy.

The road ahead
The Minutemen wrap up their three-game homestand when UMass hosts Rider as part of the 2019 Air Force Reserve Tip Off Tournament, presented by Citi, on Wednesday night on NESN and ESPN+

Scoreboard

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Djery Baptiste

John Buggs III

Keon Clergeot

Sean East II

C.J. Jackson

Kolton Mitchell

Tre Mitchell

Carl Pierre

Preston Santos

T.J. Weeks Jr.

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics