UMass basketball battled the three-time defending A-10 Champions, but lost 73-67 in overtime on Wednesday. Still, the Minutemen hold fate in their own hands when it comes to hosting a first-round A-10 Tournament game. A win on Saturday at Fordham OR several other scenarios would result in a home game to start the postseason. Read about the Temple game and the postseason situation here:
Here are the stories leading into Wednesday's game A-10 game for UMass, against Duquesne at the Mullins Center. Both teams are looking to end losing streaks: UMass, three in a row and the Dukes, two in a row after an 8-0 A-10 start.
Lots of stories on the basketball front on Tuesday including injury updates on both Sean Carter (elbow) and Freddie Riley (foot/ankle) read about in these stories.
The game will go on. Both the Saint Louis University and UMass campuses are closed today due to the weather, but the UMass at SLU basketball game will be played tonight at 8 p.m. ET. Watch it on CSN NE. Here are preview stories on the game.
In case you are wondering the latest on the UMass-SLU game being played with the weather in the midwest. UMass officials have been in touch with both Saint Louis and Atlantic 10 officials through the week as UMass travelled. Barring major changes in the weather, the game is expected to be played as both teams are in town, the television truck and staff have arrived.
Here is an update from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The city is pretty much on lockdown because of the storm and the Blues have called off their game tonight against Colorado. SLU is expecting to play its game with UMass on Wednesday night at Chaifetz Arena and will finalize its decision on Wednesday afternoon.
There's good reason to expect the game to be played. UMass got into town on Monday night, so they're here, and the officials are expected to be here. (The crew for the game was juggled so the refs weren't coming in from the East Coast.) If the storm has passed by midday Wednesday, as anticipated, that should allow SLU to play the game. The SLU campus was closed on Tuesday, and if it's closed again on Wednesday, that could complicate matters.
The Blues' game was called off even though both teams and the officials were in town because it was decided it was too dangerous for fans and arena employees to travel to the game. The roads figure to be better by Wednesday evening if the storm sticks to its schedule.
The University of Massachusetts men's basketball team has traditionally played well in Springfield. This would be a good time to draw upon that karma now.
"We play again Saturday. It's not a football season We have to regroup and get ready for La Salle,'' coach Derek Kellogg said in response to Wednesday's 79-50 loss at Xavier.
The Springfield Republican has a feature on the UMass basketball team as the Minutemen are installing a new slower and steady style of play.
Gary Correia knows time is running out. "I haven't beaten Xavier yet. This is personal for me,'' the University of Masschusetts senior point guard said as his team headed to Cincinnati for a difficult Atlantic 10 Conference game.
A little momentum follows the Minutemen (9-5, 1-0 A-10), who outlasted Dayton 55-50 Sunday. Doing it with defense and ball control, UMass neutralized its flaws, most of which can be traced to the offense.
"We ran down the shot clock a few times. Sometimes we went a little overboard on that, but at least we weren't firing up shots in the first four seconds,'' UMass coach Derek Kellogg said.
It's not every day that a men's basketball team enters conference play with an 8-5 record, trying to convince its fans the sky isn't falling. But that is what the University of Massachusetts will try to prove, starting with Sunday's Atlantic 10 opener against Dayton at the Mullins Center.
"Our backs are against the wall, but guys have been coming to practice with unbelievable intensity,'' UMass senior guard Anthony Gurley said. "The chips are stacked against us, but we have to put the last game behind us. We're a family, we lose together and we win together.''
After the toughest week of the season so far, University of Massachusetts senior guard Anthony Gurley knows little is expected of the Minutemen as they start Atlantic 10 play at the Mullins Center.
"We know we're pretty much all we got. No one's really expecting us to do much in conference play. But we're going to go out there and surprise some people this year," Gurley said. "I think everyone has a chip on their shoulder. We're all kind of embarrassed about what happened the other night. That was uncharacteristic of us. We still think we have a lot to prove."
Here are a few stories on UMass basketball's next two opponents: Boston University (Friday at 2 p.m., in the Mullins Center) and Central Connecticut (Monday at 7 p.m., in New Britain, Conn.)
BU suffered a tough 82-81 loss to Quinnipiac last night, read about it here:
Here are various game previews at the Minutemen prepare to host a ranked non-conference foe on Wednesday night at the Mullins Center as 24th-ranked UCF comes to Amherst.
UCF is ranked for the first time in school history at No. 24 in the AP Poll. Here are various stories on the Knights. Among the information is that Michael Jordan's son Marcus is expected to play after suffering a sprained ankle in the win over Miami.
Check out Ron Chimelis' story from the Springfield Republican on UMass push to sell more tickets to see the men's basketball squad.
The University of Massachusetts men's basketball team will play Central Florida on Wednesday night, a game matching two teams with a combined 17-3 record. The unbeaten visitors include Marcus Jordan, son of Michael. But a sparse crowd is expected, because at UMass home games these days, a sparse crowd is the rule.
UMass officials are more than baffled. They are worried, because basketball is still considered the school's flagship sport, in terms of image and revenue potential.
One of nine undefeated teams in the country comes to the Mullins Center on Wednesday night. The UCF Knights, who should be ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in school history, come off an 84-78 win over Miami on Saturday. UCF is now 10-0, which marks the program's best start since moving to Division I in 1984. Here are various stories on the Knights, including info on an injury to Michael Jordan's son Marcus, one of UCF's top players.
The unbeaten 9-0 UCF Knights have a tough test tonight as Wednesday's UMass basketball opponent, takes on Miami (7-2), Saturday at 1 p.m. If you have a dish, the game is on FSN Florida. A win, will most likely mean a Top 25 ranking for UCF -- which would be the first in school history. Here are various stories on Donnie Jones' squad which features Michael Jordan's son Marcus, one of the team's top scorer. Michael's son, averages 15.2 points per game on 44.4 percent shooting from three-point range.
That would be the preferred rallying cry for the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team, which fell flat in Wednesday's 68-56 loss to Maine, and now faces Seton Hall at the Mullins Center.
There's no place like the Mullins Center for the holidays.
As the University of Massachusetts campus empties out as students travel to their various destinations, the Massachusetts men's basketball team will play a slew of games over winter break.
The upcoming games will be key for the Minutemen (7-2) who have lost two consecutive games - against Boston College on Dec. 4 and against Maine on Wednesday. Aside from trying to snap its recent losing streak, UMass will also begin Atlantic 10 plays to close out the break.
Here is Herb Scribner's preview of the games in the Daily Collegian.
The number of undefeated teams in men's basketball continues to dwindle as UMass continues to win, moving to 7-0 with the win last night. Less than seven percent of the 348 Division I teams have perfect marks.
Here's the list:
8-0: Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Cleveland State
7-0: UMass, Duke, Georgetown, Syracuse, BYU, San Diego State, UNLV,
6-0: Kansas, Cincinnati, UConn, Ohio State, Memphis, UCF, Tennessee, South Dakota State, Boise State
5-0: Baylor, Louisville, Northwestern, Southern Miss, Washington State
After opening the season with six games, all wins, in the 413 area code, the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team will leave the Pioneer Valley for the first time tonight when the Minutemen play at 7 p.m. at Quinnipiac in Hamden, Conn.
"Getting on the road is inevitable. I think this is a good test, a team that's 4-1 that gave us a great game last year. I think it's going to be a heckuva game," UMass coach Derek Kellogg said. "They're probably a little older, but we have youthful exuberance. I'm interested to see how we play. I'm anticipating the place will be sold out or close. It'll be a tough road environment."
With a perfect 6-0 record, UMass is just one of 32 teams that is still undefeated in NCAA Division I. Of the 348, less than 10 percent of teams have not lost yet this season with UMass being the only team in the Atlantic 10. Check the NCAA Standings for all the conferences. Check out the complete list through Sunday night:
The Springfield Republican has a nice preview of the UMass-Holy Cross game at the Curry Hicks Cage on Saturday.
To the players, it has been a place to practice when the Mullins Center is not available. To older fans, it was home to Julius Erving, Al Skinner and Jack Leaman, and where John Calipari first forged his coaching identity.
Nearly 18 years after the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team abandoned Curry Hicks Cage as a prime tenant, the 4,058-seat barn retains a beloved place in school annals.
Check out Matt Vautour's preview notebook of the UMass hoop season in the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
A year ago, the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team tipped off its season in Florida. The Minutemen played in North Carolina, Texas and three times in New Jersey during their nonconference schedule.
If you added the distance the Minutemen will travel to all of their nonconference games this year, you'd barely reach Atlantic City. The Minutemen won't get on a plane once before Atlantic 10 play. They don't leave New England and aren't scheduled to face anyone ranked in the top 25 during their 14-game nonconference schedule. They only leave the 413 area code three times.
The Trenton Times has a preview of the Rider Broncs, UMass' opening basketball opponent.
Just about a year ago, the Rider University men's basketball team was about to win one of the biggest games in school history, which went on to destroy its season.
Rider's upset of Top 20 Mississippi State in Starkville on opening night set expectations for the season out of control. After a home win over Lehigh, the Broncs were getting votes in the AP Top 25 and were on the road at Virginia, where a win wouldn't have even been considered much of an upset.
The final game times for the 2010-11 UMass men's basketball schedule have been announced. The Boston Tip-Off Classic game between UMass and Boston College has been tentatively slated to start at 6:30 p.m.
Additionally, the Jan. 9 game vs. Dayton will start at 2 p.m.; the Jan. 12 tilt at Xavier is slated for 7 p.m., the Jan. 22 game vs. Richmond will be Noon tip-off at the Mullins Center; on Feb. 2 at Saint Louis, the game will start at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT; the Feb. 23 game vs. Saint Joseph's will start at 7 p.m. The full schedules are listed below.
Among the items Matt Vautour touches on are the Hall of Fame Tip-Off schedule, MISSION 1000, an update on Daryl Traynham, Maxie Esho and the women's basketball schedule.
In the Springfield Republican, Ron Chimelis writes that UMass' men's basketball team is likely to play American International College is the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament. UMass will be joined by Southern California, Bradley and Texas Christian, and will play two of those schools.
Looking ahead to the basketball season? The Worcester Telegram has a nice feature on new Holy Cross head coach Milan Brown and how he is using Crusader legends for advice. The Minutemen will host Holy Cross this season after playing in Worcester last season.
Thanks to the Daily Hampshire Gazette blog, provided by George Miller. Here are the dates for the last decade of when the UMass men's basketball schedule was released. It has ranged from as early as Aug. 26 to as late as Sept. 22.
Early season tournament pairings are slowly trickling out, as are full schedules. Plus, there are even a couple pieces of conference tournament news that are worth a mention. Blogging The Bracket has a look including UMass' appearance in Springfield.
The Hall of Fame Tip-Off, which last year was played in the non-conventional round-robin format, just with two five-team tournaments culminating in St. Louis, returns to Springfield, Mass. as an eight-team event. The reconfigured event will work like the Chicago and two Las Vegas events, with two four-team brackets. Bradley, UMass, New Mexico State, and USC will make up the marquee bracket, while Rider and three others will play in the second bracket.
