Minuteman Face Old Dominion In Christmas Eve Matchup

University of Massachusetts Field Hockey Notes & Information
Matchup	Massachusetts vs. Old Dominion
Date \| Time	Dec. 24 \| 10:30 a.m. HT / 3:30 p.m. ET
Location	Honolulu, Hawaii (SimpliFi Arena)
Twitter	@UMassMBB
Instagram	@umassbasketball
Facebook	UMass Men's Basketball

HONOLULU - HI. - Massachusetts concludes its holiday in Hawaii as it faces Old Dominion in the final game of the Diamond Head Classic on Sunday, Dec. 24 at 3:30 pm ET. The broadcast can be found live on ESPN2 with links and live updates are available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).

This week for the Minutemen

The Matchup

Sunday's Christmas Eve matchup marks the first game against Old Dominion in program history.
The Minutemen face the Monarchs after claiming a bounce-back win on day two of the Diamond Head Classic, claiming a 100-78 victory over Portland (6-8) on Friday night.
Josh Cohen led the Minuteman offense with a perfect night from the field, scoring 26 points on 9-9 shooting from the field and the free throw line.

Heading to Hawaii

Massachusetts men's basketball will join an eight-team field at the 2023 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu on December 21, 22, and 24.
The ESPN Events tournament field features the Minutemen along with Georgia Tech, Hawai'i, Nevada, Old Dominion, Portland, Temple, and TCU.
Massachusetts heads into the Diamond Head Classic fresh off an 87-79 power-5 victory over West Virginia on Saturday, Dec. 16 at the Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Mass.
The Minutemen come to Honolulu for the second time in program history, playing in the then Rainbow Classic during the program's historic 1995-1996 campaign that concluded in an NCAA Final Four appearance.https://twitter.com/UMassMBB
UMass defeated NC State (78-67), USC (78-63), No. 13 Syracuse (65-47) en route to the 1995-96 Rainbow Classic Championship.
The 2023 Diamond Head Classic marks Coach Frank Martin's third stint at the mid-season event, making appearances with Kansas State (2011) and South Carolina (2013).
Coach Martin led his Kansas State squad to the 2011 DHC Championship defeating Southern Illinois (83-58), UTEP (78-70) and Long Beach State (77-60).

Early Season Successes

Massachusetts took down in-state foe UMass Lowell (12/09/23), leading by as much as 28 points before securing a 91-77 victory in the matchup for the Kennedy Cup.
The Minutemen made the most of their season-opening five-game homestand, capping the stretch with a 66-56 victory over USF (12/02/23).
Massachusetts responded from their first loss of the season with a dominant 89-60 victory over CCSU. The Minutemen shot an efficient 35-of-58 (60.3%) from the field and collected 29 assists marking the first time since January 29, 2020 vs. Saint Joseph's that a Massachusetts team has shot 60 percent or better from the field or collected 25-plus assists in a single game.
The Minutemen opened the 2023-24 campaign with two convincing 20-point victories over UAlbany (92-71) and Quinnipiac (102-81).
UMass was secure in possession, turning the ball over just five times vs. UAlbany (11/7/23). It marks the first time since March 10, 2010 vs Temple (4 TO) that Massachusetts has recorded 5 or fewer turnovers in a game.
Massachusetts has shown the ability to score consistently and efficiently, ranking No. 32 in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 84.1 points per game.
The Minutemen have been one of the best teams in the nation in regard to ball security, ranking no. 35 in the country in turnover margin (3.8) and no. 17 in assist to turnover ratio(1.69).

Dynamic Duo

Seniors Matt Cross and Josh Cohen make up one of the Atlantic 10's premier scoring duos coming in to the holiday weekend averaging a combined 33.9 points per game, ranking no. 2 in the conference.
The two forwards also rank as the no. 2 rebounding duo in the A10, pulling in a combined 16.2 per game. They sit just below George Mason's Keyshawn Hall and Amari Kelly (16.4 rpg).
Matt Cross (31 points) and Josh Cohen (26 points) combined for 57 of the Minutemen's 89 points against CCSU (11/22/23). The performance marked the first time since Jan. 10, 2018 that two players have each scored 25-plus points. Luwane Pipkins (44 points) and Carl Pierre (25 points) were the last teammates to achieve the feat, doing so in overtime vs. La Salle.
With their efficient performance vs. CCSU (11/22/23) Cross (84.6%) and Cohen (90.9%) become the first two players to shoot .750 or better from the field (min. 10 att), since Tre Mitchell shot 76.5% (13-17) at La Salle on Dec.16, 2020.

Year Two Under Coach Martin

Massachusetts basketball is in the midst of its second season under head coach Frank Martin in 2023-24.
Massachusetts comes fresh off a 2022-23 campaign that saw Coach Martin lead the Minutemen to their best record under a first-year head coach since 1996 and capture the Myrtle Beach Invitational title.
Martin's team also recorded the largest true road win over an A-10 opponent by a UMass squad since February of 1996 with a 69-45 win at Rhode Island.
Martin holds a 309-220 (.582) collegiate coaching mark, picking up 171 of his wins in 10 seasons at South Carolina while recording 117 wins in five seasons at Kansas State.
Head coach Frank Martin picked up his 300th collegiate coaching win on Jan. 25, 2023 with a 85-76 win over Richmond.
Prior to his time in Amherst Martin led the Gamecocks to a new program record for wins in a single season and coaches the team to its best NCAA Tournament run in program history, a trip to the Final Four in 2016-17. The 15-year head coach also led Kansas State to a 29-8 record and an Elite Eight appearance during the 2009-10 season.

New MEN in Mullins

UMass features a new look roster which includes five returners and 10 newcomers (two transfers).
The Minutemen welcome a talented eight-man freshman class which spans players from seven states and South Sudan and is comprised of Jaylen Curry, Robert Davis Jr., Marqui Worthy, Jayden Ndjigue, Tarique Foster, Mathok Majok, Rollie Castineyra and Tyler Mason.
Tyler Mason joined the freshman class as a December enrollee, providing depth in the front court with 23 games remaining on the schedule.
The class features three 3-star recruits, including Jaylen Curry, one of the highest-rated recruits in the Atlantic 10 for the class of 2023.
UMass also brings in two transfers in Daniel Hankins-Sanford and Josh Cohen who will play immediate roles in the Minuteman frontcourt.
Cohen was one of the most productive post players in the nation a season ago, scoring a career-high 40 points twice against Lehigh and Hawaii on his way to earning NEC Player of The Year honors.
Hankins-Sanford comes to Massachusetts after playing 22 games for South Carolina a year ago. The Charlotte, North Carolina native features natural rebounding instincts and elite athleticism at the power forward position.

Familiar Faces

Massachusetts returns three key pieces in Matt Cross, Keon Thompson and Rahsool Diggins from last season.
Senior Matt Cross was selected as a 2023-24 preseason All-Atlantic 10 Third Team selection after a productive first year in Amherst.
Cross ranked as one of just seven players in the conference to average over 12.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg. a season ago.
Cross is joined by St. Joe's Cameron Brown and Dayton's Daron Holmes as the only three players to achieve this feat who return to the Atlantic 10 in 2023-24.
Sophomore point guard Keon Thompson steps into an elevated role this season after starting nine of the last 10 games for the Minutemen in 2022-23.
Thompson averaged 8.88 points per game and 4.0 assists per game in those nine starts. The guard was one of just three individual players in the A-10 last season to record 12 or more assists in a game with 12 against Davidson on Feb. 4, 2023.
Junior Rahsool Diggins steps into a bigger role in 2023-24 after making 26 appearances and 10 starts for the Minutemen a season ago.
Diggins averaged 4.7 points and 2.4 assists per game, scoring a career-high 15 points on 3-of-6 from 3-point range at Saint Joseph's on Jan. 21, 2023.

On The Bench

Head coach Frank Martin boasts a talented staff full of experienced assistants featuring three former head coaches, two former McDonald's All-Americans and a former NBA lottery pick.
Associate Head Coach Allen Edwards was the head coach of the Wyoming Cowboys from 2016-20. Edwards' teams recorded 60 wins over four seasons, including back-to-back 20-win seasons
Assistant Coach Brett Nelson comes to Amherst after spending the last four seasons as the head coach at Holy Cross. Nelson, a former McDonald's All-American, is a 2004 graduate of Florida, a three-year starter for the Gators and helped his team to four NCAA Tournaments and to the 2000 national championship game.
Assistant Coach Brian Steele enters his second second UMass after spending time on head coach Frank Martin's staff at South Carolina. Steele was a three-year letter winner at South Carolina as a student-athlete and served as a student assistant during the 2015-16 season in addition to the 2016-17 Final Four campaign.
Director of Player Development Anthony Evans spent five seasons as the head coach at FIU following six years as the head coach at Norfolk State. At FIU, Evans' teams ranked in the top-10 percent nationally from 2015-17 in the NCAA Academic Progress Report and coached multiple Conference USA all-league and all-defensive players.
Director of Player Personnel Doug Edwards ed the Seminoles to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1990-93. The Miami, Fla. Native scored 1,604 points in his career and is the only player at FSU to score 500 or more points in three consecutive seasons. Edwards earned All-SEC Second-Team honors as a senior before being drafted with the 15th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1993 NBA Draft.
Head Coach Frank Martin coached now associate head coach Allen Edwards and director of player personnel Doug Edwards at Miami Senior High School.

Up Next

Massachusetts continues its holiday in Hawaii as it challenges either Hawaii or Portland in the second game of the Diamond Head Classic. The broadcast can be found live on the ESPN family of networks with links and live updates are available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).

Scoreboard

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Rollie Castineyra

Josh Cohen

Matt Cross

Jaylen Curry

Robert Davis Jr.

Rahsool Diggins

Tarique Foster

Daniel Hankins-Sanford

Mathok Majok

Tyler Mason

Jayden Ndjigue

Keon Thompson

Marqui Worthy