University of Massachusets Athletics
Men’s Basketball Announces Roster Additions For 2022-23 Season
June 01, 2022 | Men's Basketball
The Minutemen added five transfers and two freshmen to the roster for 2022-23.
AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts men's basketball team and head coach Frank Martin announced the addition of seven student-athletes to the roster for the 2022-23 season on Thursday morning. The Minutemen have five transfers joining the squad in Matt Cross, Rahsool Diggins, Wildens Leveque, Gianni Thompson, and Ta'Quan Woodley while RJ Luis and Keon Thompson join the team as freshmen.
Cross joins the Minutemen after a season at Louisville, where he started nine games for the Cardinals and scored in double figures in nine contests on his way to averaging 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. The forward recorded his first career double-double against North Carolina with 13 points on 3-of-5 from deep and a career-high 15 boards. Cross was at Miami in 2020-21 and appeared in 14 games with nine starts to average nearly seven points per game while shooting 40-percent from 3-point range. Cross scored a season-high 16 points against both Louisville and No. 24 Virginia Tech. At Brewster Academy, Cross averaged 18.6 points, 10 rebounds and three assists per game as a senior and was ranked in the top-100 players in the 2020 recruiting class.
Diggins spent the 2021-22 season at UConn following his high school career at Archbishop Wood High School, where he finished as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,513 career points. As a senior, Diggins averaged 16.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.8 steals per game to lead his team to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship and to the PIAA 6A Championship game, where he poured in 26 points. Diggins was tabbed the MaxPreps Pennsylvania Player of the Year and the Pennsylvania 6A Player of the Year in 2020-21. The guard was also a three-time first-team all-state selection and a two-time Philadelphia Catholic League Player of the Year. Diggins was a consensus top-50 recruit and scored 15 points with nine assists and five boards in the Slam 16 Game and averaged over 10 points per game to go along with seven assists, six boards and four steals at the Pangos All-American Festival.
Leveque returns to the Commonwealth after playing three seasons for Martin at South Carolina following his prep career at Gould Academy. Leveque started 27 games as a junior in 2021-22, averaging 6.8 points per game on 60-percent from the field with 4.7 rebounds per contest in just under 21 minutes per night. Leveque appeared in 21 games as a sophomore and averaged just over six points with 4.8 rebounds per game and shot 7-for-10 from the field with a career-best 14 points in the SEC Tournament against Ole Miss. He saw action in 30 games as a freshman in 2019-20 and was named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll. Leveque was an All-NEPSAC Class AA honoree after his senior season and averaged 14 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks per game as a junior at Gould Academy. Leveque was tabbed the No. 2 ranked player in Massachusetts by ESPN.
Luis joins the Minutemen after spending a prep year at Mt. Zion Prep in Maryland. The Miami, Fla. Played high school basketball at Christopher Columbus High School, where he was named to the 7A first-team all-state squad and first-team all-Dade after averaging 25 points and 11 rebounds. As a junior for the Explorers in 2019-20, Luis averaged 15 points and nine rebounds per game. Luis was ranked as a 3-star recruit and the No. 7 ranked recruit in Florida by 247Sports and was tabbed a 3-star recruit by Rivals.
Gianni Thompson joins the Minutemen after spending the 2021-22 season at Boston College, where he appeared in 19 games as a freshman. As a prep player, Thompson was an All-NEPSAC Class AA selection as a junior at Brimmer and May, where he averaged 19 points and nine rebounds per game. The forward played AAU ball with Mass Rivals. Thompson was rated as a four-star recruit, the 116th-best player in the country and the top-rated recruit in Massachusetts by 247Sports. Thompson was ranked the second-best player in Massachusetts by ESPN and was the 33rd-best forward nationally.
Keon Thompson comes to UMass by way of Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia and Merrillville High School. Thompson scored over 2,000 career points during his high school and prep career and was named a second-team prep school all-American. The guard averaged 31 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists at Merrillville during the 2019-20 campaign. Thompson scored a school record 706 points during the 2019-20 season and set the record for most points in a single game with 52 on his way to becoming Merrillville's all-time leading scorer with 1,353 points.
Woodley comes to Amherst after spending his freshman season at South Carolina, where he appeared in 25 games during the 2021-22 campaign while logging over 300 minutes. The forward averaged just over 12 minutes per game and shot over 57-percent from the field while hauling in a season-high six boards against No. 5-ranked Auburn. Woodley was a three-star prospect and No. 4-rated recruit in New Jersey by ESPN after finishing his career at Camden, where he helped his team to a 29-1 record as a junior while averaging over 10 rebounds per game with team-leading marks in blocks. He started his high school career at Neumann-Goretti in Philadelphia, Pa. and guided the team to a PIAA Class 3A state title in 2018.
Season ticket deposits are now being accepted for the 2022-23 season from new and returning season ticket holders. Fans who place deposits for new season tickets will be contacted to select their seat location prior to general public season tickets on sale date. Deposits are just $50 per-seat and are applied as a credit towards the total cost of 2022-23 UMass men's basketball season tickets.
For complete coverage of the UMass men's basketball team, follow the Minutemen on Twitter at @UMassMBB, on Instagram and Facebook at @UMassBasketball and online at www.UMassAthletics.com.
Cross joins the Minutemen after a season at Louisville, where he started nine games for the Cardinals and scored in double figures in nine contests on his way to averaging 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. The forward recorded his first career double-double against North Carolina with 13 points on 3-of-5 from deep and a career-high 15 boards. Cross was at Miami in 2020-21 and appeared in 14 games with nine starts to average nearly seven points per game while shooting 40-percent from 3-point range. Cross scored a season-high 16 points against both Louisville and No. 24 Virginia Tech. At Brewster Academy, Cross averaged 18.6 points, 10 rebounds and three assists per game as a senior and was ranked in the top-100 players in the 2020 recruiting class.
Diggins spent the 2021-22 season at UConn following his high school career at Archbishop Wood High School, where he finished as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,513 career points. As a senior, Diggins averaged 16.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.8 steals per game to lead his team to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship and to the PIAA 6A Championship game, where he poured in 26 points. Diggins was tabbed the MaxPreps Pennsylvania Player of the Year and the Pennsylvania 6A Player of the Year in 2020-21. The guard was also a three-time first-team all-state selection and a two-time Philadelphia Catholic League Player of the Year. Diggins was a consensus top-50 recruit and scored 15 points with nine assists and five boards in the Slam 16 Game and averaged over 10 points per game to go along with seven assists, six boards and four steals at the Pangos All-American Festival.
Leveque returns to the Commonwealth after playing three seasons for Martin at South Carolina following his prep career at Gould Academy. Leveque started 27 games as a junior in 2021-22, averaging 6.8 points per game on 60-percent from the field with 4.7 rebounds per contest in just under 21 minutes per night. Leveque appeared in 21 games as a sophomore and averaged just over six points with 4.8 rebounds per game and shot 7-for-10 from the field with a career-best 14 points in the SEC Tournament against Ole Miss. He saw action in 30 games as a freshman in 2019-20 and was named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll. Leveque was an All-NEPSAC Class AA honoree after his senior season and averaged 14 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks per game as a junior at Gould Academy. Leveque was tabbed the No. 2 ranked player in Massachusetts by ESPN.
Luis joins the Minutemen after spending a prep year at Mt. Zion Prep in Maryland. The Miami, Fla. Played high school basketball at Christopher Columbus High School, where he was named to the 7A first-team all-state squad and first-team all-Dade after averaging 25 points and 11 rebounds. As a junior for the Explorers in 2019-20, Luis averaged 15 points and nine rebounds per game. Luis was ranked as a 3-star recruit and the No. 7 ranked recruit in Florida by 247Sports and was tabbed a 3-star recruit by Rivals.
Gianni Thompson joins the Minutemen after spending the 2021-22 season at Boston College, where he appeared in 19 games as a freshman. As a prep player, Thompson was an All-NEPSAC Class AA selection as a junior at Brimmer and May, where he averaged 19 points and nine rebounds per game. The forward played AAU ball with Mass Rivals. Thompson was rated as a four-star recruit, the 116th-best player in the country and the top-rated recruit in Massachusetts by 247Sports. Thompson was ranked the second-best player in Massachusetts by ESPN and was the 33rd-best forward nationally.
Keon Thompson comes to UMass by way of Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia and Merrillville High School. Thompson scored over 2,000 career points during his high school and prep career and was named a second-team prep school all-American. The guard averaged 31 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists at Merrillville during the 2019-20 campaign. Thompson scored a school record 706 points during the 2019-20 season and set the record for most points in a single game with 52 on his way to becoming Merrillville's all-time leading scorer with 1,353 points.
Woodley comes to Amherst after spending his freshman season at South Carolina, where he appeared in 25 games during the 2021-22 campaign while logging over 300 minutes. The forward averaged just over 12 minutes per game and shot over 57-percent from the field while hauling in a season-high six boards against No. 5-ranked Auburn. Woodley was a three-star prospect and No. 4-rated recruit in New Jersey by ESPN after finishing his career at Camden, where he helped his team to a 29-1 record as a junior while averaging over 10 rebounds per game with team-leading marks in blocks. He started his high school career at Neumann-Goretti in Philadelphia, Pa. and guided the team to a PIAA Class 3A state title in 2018.
Season ticket deposits are now being accepted for the 2022-23 season from new and returning season ticket holders. Fans who place deposits for new season tickets will be contacted to select their seat location prior to general public season tickets on sale date. Deposits are just $50 per-seat and are applied as a credit towards the total cost of 2022-23 UMass men's basketball season tickets.
For complete coverage of the UMass men's basketball team, follow the Minutemen on Twitter at @UMassMBB, on Instagram and Facebook at @UMassBasketball and online at www.UMassAthletics.com.
Just Being Frank Season 3; Episode 6
Friday, September 05
Just Being Frank Season 3; Episode 5
Monday, July 28
Just Being Frank Season 3; Episode 4
Thursday, June 19
Just Being Frank Season 3; Episode 3
Tuesday, June 10