#4 Minutemen Set For A-10 Quarterfinal Matchup Against #5 VCU

University of Massachusetts Men's Basketball Notes & Information
Matchup	#4 Massachusetts vs. #5 VCU
Date \| Time	March 14 \| 2:00 p.m. ET
Location	Brooklyn, NY (Barclays Center)
Twitter	@UMassMBB
Instagram	@umassbasketball
Facebook	UMass Men's Basketball

BROOKLYN, NY - The No. 4 seeded Minutemen are set to face No. 5 seeded VCU in the Atlantic 10 Championship Quarterfinal on Thursday, March. 14 at 2:00 p.m. at the Barclays Center. The broadcast can be found on USA Network with links and live updates available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).

This week for the Minutemen

The Matchup

Thursday's game marks the 13th all-time matchup between Massachusetts and VCU, with the Rams holding a 8-4 advantage in the series.
The Minutemen are seeking their first win over VCU at the Atlantic 10 Championship. Dropping a 85-70 game to the Rams in the last meeting at the 2016 tournament quarterfinal.

Last Time vs. VCU

Massachusetts completed a statement win, defeating VCU, 74-52, on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at the Mullins Center.
Josh Cohen led the Minutemen, finishing the game with 20 points; going 7-for-10 from the field, while collecting seven rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes.
Matt Cross posted 18 points off 7-for-9 from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range, while adding a team-high 12 rebounds.
The contest marked a season-high in steals (11) and points off turnovers (23) for Massachusetts, showcasing the team's comprehensive effort.

Claiming Conference Awards

Massachusetts had four players receive Atlantic 10 End of Year Awards as Josh Cohen, Matt Cross, Jaylen Curry and Rahsool Diggins each earned recognition.
Matt Cross and Josh Cohen highlighted the honors, each earning All-Conference First Team selection. Massachusetts is the lone Atlantic 10 program with two players in the First Team. Cross and Cohen are the first Minutemen to be named to the First Team since Tre Mitchell in 2021 and first duo to be named since Rashaun Freeman and Stephane Lasme in the 2006-07 season.
Rahsool Diggins was named A-10 Chris Daniels Co-Most Improved Player.
Diggins progressed in nearly every category, including increasing his points per game by 7.9 from last season. Diggins set new single-game career-highs in points (25), rebounds (6), field goals made (9) and three-pointers made (6).
Jaylen Curry earned All-Rookie Team recognition after a conference campaign which saw the freshman record nine double-digit scoring performances.

Dynamic Duo

Seniors Matt Cross and Josh Cohen make up one of the Atlantic 10's premier scoring duos averaging a combined 31.6 points per game, ranking third in the conference.
The two forwards also rank as the no. 1 rebounding duo in the A10, pulling in a combined 15.2 per game. They sit just above George Mason's Keyshawn Hall and Amari Kelly (14.7 rpg).
Cross and Cohen have each recorded five double-doubles on the year, tying for fourth in the Atlantic 10.
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 323-227 (.584) 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.

regular season: by the numbers

1 - The Minutemen feature the A-10's no. 1 offense leading the conference in scoring for the entirety of the conference schedule.
2 - Cohen and Cross became the first UMass duo to earn All-Conference First Team recogition since Stephane Lasme and Rashuan Freeman during the 2006-07 season.
4 - UMass earned its first top-four seed in the Atlantic 10 Championship since the 2007-08 season.
11 - Massachusetts won 11 conference game, marking the first season with 11 or more such victories since 2006-07.
20 - The Minutemen secured the programs first 20-win season since 2013-14.

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

With a victory the Minutemen would advance to the Atlantic 10 Championship Semifinal facing the winner of No. 1 Richmond vs. No. #9 Saint Joseph's. Matchup and streaming information will be available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).

Scoreboard

#4 Minutemen Set For A-10 Quarterfinal Matchup Against #5 VCU

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Players Mentioned

Josh Cohen

Matt Cross

Jaylen Curry

Rahsool Diggins

Keon Thompson

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University of Massachusets Athletics

#4 Minutemen Set For A-10 Quarterfinal Matchup Against #5 VCU

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Players Mentioned

Josh Cohen

Matt Cross

Jaylen Curry

Rahsool Diggins

Keon Thompson

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