University of Massachusets Athletics
Monday, November 2
Trojan Arena | Troy, Ala.
7:00 p.m. (ET)
University of Massachusetts
at
Troy
October 30, 2026 | Men's Basketball
| University of Massachusetts Men's Basketball Notes & Information | |
| Matchup | Massachusetts at Troy |
| Date | Times | Monday, Nov. 2 | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| Location | Troy, Ala. | Trojan Arena |
| @UMassMBB | |
| @umassbasketball | |
| UMass Men's Basketball | |
AMHERST, MASS. - The UMass men's basketball team opens its season on Monday when the Minutemen travel to Troy, Alabama to face the Troy Trojans as part of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. Gametime is set for 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. locally) on ESPN+. The Minutemen begin the 2026-27 season with high hopes, featuring seven returning players along with three high-level transfers and five talented freshmen.
This week for the Minutemen
The Matchup
- Monday marks the first-ever meeting between the two sides.
Last Time out
- Massachusetts men's basketball fell to Toledo, 77-67, at Rocket Arena in the MAC Semifinals. The Minutemen battled back from an early 11-point deficit, but they shot just 41.3% from the floor, they struggled shooting, 19.0% from three and 52.4% from the free throw line, which kept the game out of reach for UMass.
- Massachusetts was led offensively by Leonardo Bettiol with a game-high 21 points and six rebounds on an efficient 8-of-12 from the field.
- Danny Carbuccia added 11 points and five assists, Marcus Banks Jr. scored nine points on three three-pointers and Dimitri Clerc chipped in seven points and six boards in 14 minutes off the bench.
Scouting the TROJANS
- Troy is the defending Sun Belt regular season and tournament champions, finishing 22-12, including 12-6 in the Sun Belt. The 13th seeded Trojans fell to No. 4 Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament. It marked Troy's second straight Sun Belt Tournament title and NCAA berth.
- The Trojans are led by first-year head coach Adam Howard, who was most recently an assistant coach at North Carolina State and previously at Nebraska. Howard is a former Troy assistant from 2016-18.
- The Trojans, who feature seven transfers and five freshmen, were picked third in the preseason Sun Belt poll. Jacoi Hutchinson was named to the preseason All-Sun Belt third team. The Longwood transfer averaged 12.3 points, 3.2 assists and 3.3 rebounds for the Lancers.
- Transfer Donovan Oday was also a second team All-Horizon League honoree at Northern Kentucky, averaging 18.6 points per game.
with a win...
- UMass would win its season opener for the 16th time in its last 17 tries, the only loss coming last season to Marshall.
TIP-OFF TIDBITS
- The Minutemen begin the season with a true road game for the first time since Nov. 13, 2009 at UCF, an 84-67 defeat.
- Monday is UMass' first true road game to start a season since the turn of the century.
- Monday will mark the Minutemen's earliest game in program history. Each of the last two seasons has gotten one day sooner (Nov. 4 two years ago and Nov. 3 last season).
Year FIVE Under Coach Martin
- Massachusetts basketball enters its fifth season under head coach Frank Martin in 2026-27.
- Under Martin's leadership the Minutemen enjoyed their best campaign since 2014 in 2023-24, finishing with a 20-11 overall record and securing a top-four seed in the Atlantic 10 Championship
- Martin ended the 2023-24 campaign ranked third in program history with a 35-27 record through his first two seasons with the Minutemen, sitting just below Bruiser Flint and Travis Ford.
- 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 352-264 (.571) 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. He is 64-63 at UMass.
- Martin picked up his 300th collegiate coaching win on Jan. 25, 2023 with a 85-76 win over Richmond.
- Martin picked up his 350th collegiate coaching win on Feb. 3, 2026 with a 95-89 win over Central Michigan.
Up Next
- The Minutemen travel to TD Garden in Boston to take on Boston College at 4 p.m. as part of the TNT Sports Hall of Fame Series. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with live updates and links available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).
Players Mentioned
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