Massachusetts Takes On UMass Lowell For Kennedy Cup

of Massachusetts Men's Basketball Notes & Information
Matchup	Massachusetts vs. UMass Lowell
Date \| Times	Saturday, Dec. 6 \| 4:00 p.m. ET
Location	Amherst, Mass. \| Mullins Center
Twitter	@UMassMBB
Instagram	@umassbasketball
Facebook	UMass Men's Basketball

AMHERST, MASS. - The Minutemen take on in-state opponent UMass Lowell for the Kennedy Cup on Saturday, Dec. 6 with tip-off set for 4 p.m. at the Mullins Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live updates and links available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).
This week for the Minutemen

The Matchup

Saturday's matchup marks the 15th meeting between the two programs with the Minutemen holding a 10-4 advantage all-time.
The teams last faced each other on Dec. 7, 2024, with Massachusetts dropping a 96-83 matchup.

Last Time out

Massachusetts basketball (5-3) claimed a convincing 78-71 win over interstate foe Harvard (5-5) on Wednesday at the Mullins Center. The Minutemen shot executed offensively throughout the evening, shooting 51 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range.
The Minutemen were led by Marcus Banks Jr. who recorded 29 points, four rebounds and two steals while going perfect from the free throw line. Banks Jr. continued to be efficient from deep, going 5-for-9 from beyond the arc.
Danny Carbuccia showcased his court vision, dishing out a career-high 13 assists in the matchup, tying him for seventh in program history for a single game.
Leonardo Bettiol scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead all post players. K'Jei Parker and Jayden Ndjigue each contributed 10 points with Ndjigue adding six rebounds and a steal.

Scouting the Riverhawks

The Riverhawks come into Saturday's matchup off a commanding 90-67 win against Emerson.
JJ Massaquoi recorded 21 points in the meeting going 8-for-11 from the field. The guard paces the team in points averaging 14.6 across nine game this season. Massaquoi ranks fifth in scoring in the American East conference.
Austin Green leads the team in rebounds averaging 7.2 per game and sits in the top three for rebounding in the American East Conference. Green recorded a double-double against Emerson with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Around the rim, Shawn Simmons II is swatting 1.4 blocks per game and ranks third in the Conference.

Year Four Under Coach Martin

Massachusetts basketball enters its fourth season under head coach Frank Martin in 2025-26.
Martin and the Minutemen finished the 2024-25 season with 12 wins, including seven in conference play. Under Martin's tutelage guard Rahsool Diggins had a breakout senior season, averaging a team-high 16.8 points on his way to earning All-Atlantic 10 Third Team honors.
In 2023-24 Martin led the Minutemen to their best season since 2014, finishing with a 20-11 overall record and securing a top-four seed in the Atlantic 10 Championship.
Coach Martin started his time in Amherst by leading the Minutemen to their best record under a first-year head coach since 1996 and the Myrtle Beach Invitational title during the 2022-23 campaign.
Martin holds a 340-251 (.575) 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.

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 campaigns.
Assistant Coach Matt Figger spent the last three seasons at UT Rio Grande Valley after four seasons leading Austin Peay.
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.
Coaches Allen Edwards, Matt Figger and Anthony Evans combined hold 360 wins and two coach of the year awards at the division I level.
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

The Minutemen head to Springfield, Mass and face Boston College as part of the Hall of Fame Classic at the MassMutual on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m.. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live updates and links available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).

Scoreboard

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Marcus Banks Jr.

Leonardo Bettiol

Danny Carbuccia

Rahsool Diggins

Jayden Ndjigue

K'Jei Parker