UMass basketball rising seniors Raphiael Putney and Chaz Williams have begun their journey to Spain with Athletes In Action. The duo flew to Spain via Houston and London over the weekend and have started practice with their nine teammates. You can follow along during their trip - which goes from May 18-June 2 - via the online blog at AIA Blogs - Basketball - Spain or through some photo postings on the AIA Facebook Page.
Here's an excerpt from the first entry from across the pond...
We are wrapping up our first day in Madrid while eating dinner at the Nuevo Boston Hotel. We spent most of the day in the airport getting to know each other and waiting until 15 minutes after our gate closed in London to finally board the plane. We cut it close but God prevailed. Our first practice went very well. The players chemistry grew tremendously from the airport to the court. They guys were talking, complemeting and holding each other accountable in a positive way.
Former UMass star Stephane Lasme has had a successful career overseas and is reaping the benefits as he was recently named the Best Defender in the Euroleague by the head coaches.
From the official press release:
The forward from Gabon did plenty to deserve the distinction. His 1.76 blocks per game were second in the league and he was tied for fourth in rebounding, averaging 6.14 per contest. Moreover, Lasme was the final line of defense for a rebuilt Panathinaikos squad, which finished the Turkish Airlines Euroleague season with the second-fewest points allowed, 69.8 per game.
Watching on her television in Amherst, Rita Leaman smiled as Louisville celebrated its national championship Monday.
Nine years after her husband, Jack Leaman, died and 24 years after he coached his final men's basketball game at the University of Massachusetts, his influence was still being felt.
The last two NCAA championships have his finger prints on them. Kentucky coach John Calipari, whom Leaman befriended and mentored, and Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who played for Leaman at UMass, have coached the last two title-wining squads.
Behind a strong performance by Chaz Williams offensively and a solid showing containing A-10 Player of the Year Khalif Wyatt, UMass upended Temple 79-74 in the quarterfinals for the second-consecutive year. Now it's on to Semifinal Saturday and a rematch with the VCU Rams at 4 p.m. They have a lot of people in Brooklyn so we need UMass nation to show up in a big way.
The game will be broadcast nationally on the CBS Sports Network: Comcast/Xfinity subscribers in the Springfield and Amherst markets can watch the game on channels 261 and 956 (HD). Additionally, the network can be found on DirecTV Ch. 613 and Dish Ch. 158. For students on campus, the UMass Cable system recently added CBS Sports Network to the channel lineup. It can be found on channel 88 for analog users and 80.1 on the digital signal.
Led by a pair of outstanding second-half performance by Chaz Williams and Trey Davis, the UMass basketball team advanced to the A-10 Quarterfinals with a 77-72 win over George Washington. Now the Minutemen and rival Temple will get to write another chapter in their storied history. The game will tip at approximately 9 p.m. and be televised on CBS 3 Now in the Springfield/Amherst market. Here is a link to the Friday's TV Clearances for stations carrying it across the A-10 footprint. If any additional outlets pick up the game, we will do our best to alert everyone. All four quarterfinal games will be streamed live over the Internet for free. And don't forget, there are 12 different train routes that stop at the Atlantic Station, just outside the Barclays Center. We would love for you to start your weekend cheering the Minutemen on in Brooklyn.
Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette spent some time with Freddie Riley last week and wrote the following story on the senior from Ocala, Fla.
Freddie Riley's friends do a double take when they see his University of Massachusetts student identification card.
The picture was taken when he got it almost four years ago during orientation before his freshman year. The young man in the picture has short hair and a clean-shaven face, a kid away from home for the first time, about to start the next chapter of his life.
It doesn't much resemble the man it belongs to anymore. Riley, now a senior guard for the Minutemen, has dreadlocks that fall beyond his shoulders. He has a mustache, a chin beard and sideburns that frame his face.
"When I meet someone new they're like 'Whoa that's you?'" Riley said.
It was him. But the Freddie Riley who will be in the starting lineup at 9 tonight when UMass takes on George Washington in the Atlantic 10 Tournament neither looks like nor feels like the young Floridian in that picture from the summer of 2009.
It's time for the second season to start. Everyone has a clean slate and 12 schools are vying for the Atlantic 10 Championship this week in Brooklyn. UMass opens play tonight at 9 p.m. against George Washington in a game televised on NBC Sports Network. If you haven't decided if you will make the trip to the game, public transportation is a great option. The Atlantic Ave. terminal lets you off right outside the arena and the UMass sections are in some great locations in the building. You've also got a great pregame reception for all UMass fans provided by the UMass Alumni Association so there's plenty to get you fired up for the rematch with the Colonials.
Here's a well-written piece by Harry Plumer of the Springfield Republican on the unique road to success and Amherst for UMass assistant coach Shyrone Chatman and his brother - 12 years his junior - junior forward Sampson Carter.
So just after Carter began his junior year of high school, he and his older brother Marcus hopped on a Greyhound together and rode to Memphis.
It happened fast after Chatman extended the offer.
"It was a better situation, it was a better opportunity, so I just ran with it," Carter recalls. "I dropped school like in a day."
Once their mother tied up her loose ends in Baton Rouge, she sold her house and followed them.
Leslie Albrecht of DNA Info caught up with Chaz Williams last week and talk about his return to Brooklyn and being able to play in front of family and friends.
When Bishop Ford High School graduate Chaz Williams got his first look at the Barclays Center a few months ago, he snapped some photos on his cell phone and wondered if he might get a chance to play there some day.
That day came sooner than expected, as Williams, a junior point guard at the University of Massachusetts, prepares to come home to his native Brooklyn next week for his first game at the Barclays Center, just 2 miles away from where he was a top scorer for the Bishop Ford Falcons.
Time for the UMass basketball team to hit the road looking to sweep the season series from Rhode Island. Today's game tips off at 2 p.m. While UMass can't get a first round bye in next week's Buick Atlantic 10 Championship, there is plenty to play for in regards to tourney seeding. With a win today, the Minutemen can assure themselves of the sixth or seventh spot, which would put them into the evening session of Thursday's games. If UMass loses, it could be inserted into a tie at 8-8 with as many as five other schools based on the rest of Saturday's results. Until then, check out some of the gameday stories below. The game will be televised by Cox in Rhode Island on the their Ocean State Networks. There is a link to watch the game in the Gameday HQ below but it is a subscription fee associated with it. If that's not ideal for you, listen here.
The Massachusetts basketball team ran into a solid performance by Butler, falling to the Bulldogs Thursday night, 73-62. Even with the loss, the season will continue Saturday at 2 p.m. at Rhode Island. UMass dropped to 8-7 in Atlantic 10 play and slipped one spot in the standings to seventh place. UMass could finish anywhere from sixth to tenth based on Saturday's various outcomes.
The UMass basketball team is down to its final two regular-season games, beginning with Thursday's home finale against Butler. While the Minutemen can't secure one of the four first round byes in next week's A-10 Tournament, they can make a statement on the national scene in regards to postseason play with the remainder of their schedule.
The doors will open at 5:30 tonight. The UMass football team and Mullins Militia will lead the "March to Mullins" tonight as the heavy student base will gather near the Southwest dormitories at approximately 5:15 p.m. and walk as one to the Student entrance at the south end of the arena.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld conducted a video chat with Tony Gaffney (@TonyJGaffney) recently. Gaffney is in his first season playing professionally in Barcelona, Spain, after spending time in Germany last season. Tony talks about his career and how he knows the caliber player he is and that "this is going to be the summer I make the jump."
Led by Freddie Riley's hot shooting and Terrell Vinson's equally strong inside and outside game, UMass remained in contention for one of the top four spots in the Atlantic 10 with a solid 77-72 win at Xavier in the Cintas Center on Saturday.
Well, we're down to the final three games of the Atlantic 10 basketball season. For UMass, that includes a pair of road games and a home contest against nationally-ranked Butler on Thursday at 7 pm. But first, the squad needs to take care of business in a building that has vexed many A-10 foes in its 11-year history... the Cintas Center. The Minutemen have lost their last five in the building but bring a group hungry to end the season with some momentum before the postseason tourney in Brooklyn.
Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette spoke with Derrick Gordon and Javorn Farrell before practice this week and spoke with the duo about their roles this season.
Here are some recaps from Saturday's win over Dayton that snapped UMass' three-game losing skid. Lots of different players stepped up with big plays at crucial times - from Terrell Vinson's back-to-back 3-pointers in the final two minutes to the Minutemen outscoring the Flyers 17-6 over the final 8:06 - but sophomore Cady Lalanne was the player of the game with 22 points and 14 rebounds in 35 minutes - all career-highs - in recording his fifth double-double of the season.
We're down the final five games of the regular season. UMass plays at St. Bonaventure tonight and can snap its two-game losing streak with a win. It would also help the Minutemen climb up the conference ladder. The team is current in a three-way tie for sixth place with Charlotte and Temple. Tonight's game is being televised by Time Warner Cable SportsChannel in New York state. Some folks in the Berkshires can also see the game on those cable systems. You can also tune in to the UMass Sports Network with Josh Maurer and Tim Kenney. Those two do a greta job of bring the action into your home, office, car or mobile device (via the Tune In app). Tip-off is at 7 pm.
Beginning with Thursday's Valentine's Night contest, UMass will face the nation's 39th (VCU) and 40th (Temple) RPI teams in back-to-back games - both of which will be televised nationally by the CBS Sports Network (Channel Finder). The next six teams for the MInutemen have a combined 26-28 (.481) record in A-10 play, with VCU and Temple at 12-6 (.667).
UMass head basketball coach Derek Kellogg will be the first guest on the Tim Brando Show Thursday morning. Guest host Jon Rothstein (@jonrothstein) will pick coach's brain on all things UMass and the Minutemen prepare for Thursday's big game at VCU. The show airs nationally from 9-Noon ET on the CBS Sports Network (Channel Finder) and can be heard online at Yahoo Sports Radio or the tune-in app here.
Tonight's edition of the Bud Light UMass Basketball Coaches Show presented by Bertera Fiat will be on location at Fathers and Sons Porsche Audi Volvo, located at 989 Memorial Ave. in Springfield. Josh Maurer, Tim Kenney and head coach Derek Kellogg will be on hand to take your questions, talk about last week's split at La Salle and at Charlotte, while previewing this week's home games with Rhode Island (Wednesday at 7 p.m.) and Saint Joseph's (Saturday at 2 p.m.).
You can submit your questions for coach Kellogg and see if it gets answered on the air! Listen live on 105.5 WEEI Springfield or online here.
Here are a few recaps from Saturday's 1-point setback at Charlotte. The Minutemen got a career-high 23 points from Terrell Vinson and 16 points from Chaz Williams. The team also knocked down nine 3-pointers in the contest. UMass will be back in action at the Mullins Center against Rhode Island on Wednesday, so make sure to find a friend and bring them to the game. Its a 7 p.m. tip off.
Coming off Wednesday's big road win at La Salle, the men's basketball team will look for a sweep of its final multi-game road trip of the season when it faces Charlotte on Saturday at 2 p.m. Its the final regular-season game with the 49ers before they leave for Conference USA. Its Homecoming in the Queen City with a near sell-out crowd expected inside the 9.000-plus seat Halton Arena. And its the only game of the day between two of the seven 2-loss teams atop the Atlantic 10 standings. There's no live TV but the game will be streamed online - just click on the Gameday HQ link below for all the details.
UMass pulled out another close one on Wednesday, defeating La Salle, 61-60, at Tom Gola Arena to improve to 4-2 in Atlantic 10 play. The Minutemen got 17 points from Raphiael Putney and the game-winning layup by Chaz Williams with 8.1 seconds left to snap a four-game losing skid at La Salle.
UMass makes its only trip to the City of Brotherly Love to face La Salle hoping to improve upon its 5-1 road record this year. But to do that, the Minutemen will need to snap a four-game losing streak inside Tom Gola Arena. The game is not televised but online video and audio is available. The links are in the gameday HQ link below.
UMass got a solid 70-65 come-from-behind win over Richmond on Sunday, thanks to a number of clutch plays from a number of players. Chaz Williams led all scorers with 18 points, six boards, five assists and three steals. The Minutemen outscored the Spiders 14-2 over the final six minutes to secure the victory and improve to 13-5 overall and 3-2 in Atlantic 10 action.
After an eight-day break between games, the UMass basketball team returns to the floor at 2 p.m. this afternoon to face the Richmond Spiders. UR is coming off a thrilling overtime win over VCU and has a three-game win streak. It's also a special day for the UMass Athletic Department as the latest Hall of Fame Class will be honored at halftime. The coaching staffs will be doing their part in the fight against cancer by participating in the 10th Annual Suits and Sneakers event in conjunction with the American Cancer Society and Coaches vs. Cancer.
By Brian Henry on January 20, 2013 9:44 AM
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UMass found itself trailing by 16 points in the second half before mounting a nice comeback before narrowly missing out on the victory, falling to George Washington, 79-76, at the Mullins Center.
The day was special as Marcus Camby's No. 21 jersey was retired and raised to the rafters, joining George "Trigger" Burke, Julius Erving, Lou Roe and Al Skinner.
By Brian Henry on January 19, 2013 9:11 AM
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The day is finally here. UMass and George Washington, one of the best rivalries in the Atlantic 10 between two of the league's founding members, with the added excitement that Marcus Camby's No. 21 jersey will be officially retired at halftime. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. and tickets are still available for this special day.
By Brian Henry on January 18, 2013 4:25 PM
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Marty Dobrow wrote a piece on Marcus Camby and his life growing up, his time at UMass and subsequent 17-year NBA career. here's an excerpt:
They were all on hand that night -- his mom and his sisters, his wife and his daughters -- to see Camby's first start in a season slowed by foot injuries. They watched the lights dim, the sparks fly from the scoreboard, the lithe dancers prance wearing little buttons of red light. They heard the music blare, and PA announcer Mike Walczewski bellow, "a 6-11 forward from Massachusetts ... Mar-cus Cam-by!!!"
And there he was, the years melting away, skipping onto the court, chest and forearm bumping with the boys, his long fingers pointing to the rafters. Camby's female rooting contingent especially reveled in the third quarter, when he came up with one of his signature blocked shots, swooping down the lane and redirecting a Tim Duncan shot into the stands as part of an emphatic 100-83 win.
The same crew will be back in force this Saturday at the Mullins Center to see No. 21 retired at the University of Massachusetts. That might not be "the world's most famous arena" but it was, back in Marcus Camby's day, the setting for quite a riveting soap opera.
"People who follow UMass basketball talk about the glory years, the Cal and Camby years," said Derek Kellogg, the Minutemen's head coach and a teammate of Camby's for two seasons under John Calipari. "That was the pinnacle of UMass history."
By Brian Henry on January 18, 2013 7:09 AM
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UMass defeated Duquesne 79-66 at the Mullins Center to improve to 12-4 overall and 2-1 in Atlantic 10 play. The Minutemen closed the game on a 16-4 run as Chaz Williams led the squad with 22 points, nine assists, five rebounds and a season-high-tying four steals. Terrell Vinson had 17 points, five assists and four boards, while Cady Lalanne posted his third double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
By Brian Henry on January 17, 2013 7:22 AM
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After playing 10 of its first 15 games away from the Mullins Center, UMass returns to the 20-year-old facility for a three-game homestand over the next nine day. On Thursday, UMass will play host to Duquesne in game televised nationally by the CBS Sports Network (Channel Finder). The Dukes were the last Atlantic 10 opponent to play in Amherst when the Minutemen handed the visitors a 92-83 setback in the first round of the 2012 A-10 Championship.
By Brian Henry on January 16, 2013 12:27 AM
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UMass great Marcus Camby has been a popular interview request in the past week leading up to Saturday's big day as his #21 jersey will become the fifth to be retired in the Mullins Center. He will be a guest on Fox Sports Radio in his hometown of Hartford on Wednesday morning. You can hear the interview at 6:13 am and 8:13 am on 1410 AM. Click here to listen online.
By Brian Henry on January 14, 2013 10:22 AM
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Dan Duggan (@dduggan21) of the Boston Herald caught up with Marcus Camby last week and spoke with the 1996 National Player of the year about having his jersey retired this Saturday at halftime of the UMass-Duquesne game.
By Brian Henry on January 14, 2013 6:49 AM
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UMass had four players score in double figures led by Brooklyn native Chaz Williams who finished with 22 points, seven assists, six rebounds and zero turnovers. The Minutemen are now 11-4 overall and 1-1 in Atlantic 10 play as they return to Amherst for a three-game homestand, beginning Thursday against Duquesne.
By Brian Henry on January 13, 2013 7:49 AM
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UMass will look to come away from its 2-game road trip with a split when it faces Fordham at Rose Hill Gym on Sunday afternoon. Following a 70-62 loss at Saint Louis that ended UMass' seven-game win streak, the Minutemen will take on a talented Rams squad that is 3-1 at home and won three-straight in the Bronx. The game will be televised by the YES Network (Channel Finder) with tip-off set for 1 p.m. Sunday's game will mark the end of a stretch of four of five games on the road for UMass. The Minutemen will open a three-game homestand on Thursday night against Duquesne.
By Brian Henry on January 11, 2013 9:09 AM
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UMass dropped a hard-fought 70-62 contest at Saint Louis last night in the Atlantic 10 opener for both teams. The back-and-forth game had numerous ties and lead changes but the Minutemen went cold down the stretch, making just 2-of-11 in the final eight minutes. SLU went on a 10-2 run at the outset of that slump and held a 4-8 point lead for much of the final minutes. Cady Lalanne had a 18-point, 13-rebound game and was strong down low all game. It was his second-career double-double. Chaz Williams added 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds as well.The Minutemen will return to action Sunday afternoon at Fordham. The game tips at 1 p.m. Eastern time and will be shown on the YES Network. Josh Mauer and Tim Kenney will have the call on the UMass Sports Network as well.
By Brian Henry on January 10, 2013 9:35 AM
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It's time to forget what's happened over the past two months and get down to business with the start of Atlantic 10 play. While most of the league got underway last night, UMass and Saint Louis and Temple at Xavier will take center stage tonight. The UMass game tips at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and will be televised nationally on the CBS Sports Network and broadcast on the UMass Sports Network. If you don't know what channel its on with your particular cable provider, use the CBS Sports NetworkChannel Finder.
By Brian Henry on January 6, 2013 12:28 AM
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Behind 18 points from Freddie Riley and 13 points from Maxie Esho, the UMass basketball team cruised past Eastern Michigan 75-61 on Saturday afternoon at the Mullins Center. A season-high 44 pct. effort from behind the arc paced the Minutemen thanks in part to Riley's 6-of-9 shooting performance.
By Brian Henry on January 5, 2013 8:36 PM
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UMass returns home to play host to Eastern Michigan on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Minutemen have won six-consecutive games and are looking to finish non-conference play at 10-3. UMass will head out to Saint Louis and Fordham next week to open league action.
By Brian Henry on January 3, 2013 6:35 AM
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Another game in the books. Another UMass victory. Another nail bitter that the Minutemen pulled out for their sixth-consecutive victory. Raphiael Putney had his biggest game of the season as he knocked down four 3-pointers on his way to a 20-point, nine-rebound performance.
By Brian Henry on January 2, 2013 9:36 AM
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Happy New Year everyone. Today the Minutemen will face Miami University at Millett Hall - a place the RedHawks are 4-0 in this season. They like to press full court and run and trap in the halfcourt so this could be a very fast ballgame. Its also the final regular-season non-conference road game this season, meaning you can catch the team back at the Mullins Center this Saturday against Eastern Michigan.
We've also got this video from practice last night of Chaz Williams throwing the ball from the top of the Millett Hall concourse to Raphiael Putney who reverse slams it home.
By Brian Henry on December 29, 2012 9:38 AM
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Its gameday in the midwest as the UMass Minutemen will take on the Northern Illinois Huskies in snowy DeKalb, Ill. today at 3 pm CT/4 pm ET. UMass returns from the Christmas break with a two-game road trip against a pair of Mid-American Conference teams, beginning at Northern Illinois (2-9, 2-2 at home) before a contest at Miami (Ohio) (4-6, 3-0 at home) on Wednesday. UMass is looking to win five-consecutive games for the first time this season and the first time since reeling-off six-straight during a similar stretch of games in December of last year. The Minutemen are making their first trip to Illinois in five seasons, dating back to the first two games of the Derek Kellogg era when his 2007-08 squad opened the season against Arkansas-Monticello and Southern Illinois in Carbondale. Prior to those games, UMass hadn't played in the Land of Lincoln in 11 years when Bruiser Flint's group played in the 1997 Great Eight in Chicago's United Center against Georgetown.
By Brian Henry on December 23, 2012 10:11 AM
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Chaz Williams led four players in double figures, while Jesse Morgan and Freddie Riley drained four 3-pointers each as the Minutemen picked up an 88-81 win over East Carolina on Saturday. Here are some recaps and sidebars from the game. The team is off for a week until they travel to Northern Illinois next Saturday afternoon.
By Brian Henry on December 22, 2012 7:54 AM
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UMass concludes its pre-Christmas slate by playing host to East Carolina Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. UMass is looking to win four-consecutive games for the first time this season and the first time since reeling-off six-straight during a similar stretch of games in December of last year. Last year's run started with a 63-58 win at East Carolina following a loss at Miami (Fla.).
By Brian Henry on December 19, 2012 8:14 AM
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UMass returns to the Mullins Center to play host to Ohio as the Minutemen close-out the pre-Christmas portion of its schedule with a pair of home games. East Carolina will pay a visit on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. UMass is looking to win three-consecutive games for the first time this season and the first time since last year's NIT run.
By Brian Henry on December 13, 2012 10:07 AM
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Harry Plumer of the Springfield Republican recently spoke with freshman big man Tyler Bergantino about the increased role the Florida native may play in the coming weeks and beyond as the season moves into its fifth week of play.
By Brian Henry on December 5, 2012 7:27 AM
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UMass pulled out an exciting 72-66 win at Northeastern on Tuesday to improve to 4-3 on the young season and 2-0 in road games. A number of players stepped up and had big performances, led by Chaz Williams and Jesse Morgan. The duo made some exciting plays down the stretch as the Minutemen outscored the Huskies 17-5 over the final 4:24 - and that included an NU bucket as time expired.
By Brian Henry on December 4, 2012 7:23 AM
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UMass will travel to Northeastern Tuesday night for its final game before final exams on the Amherst campus. Tip-off at Historic Matthews Arena is set for 7 p.m. and the game can be heard on 105.5 FM WEEI (Western Mass.), 1440 AM WEEI (Central Mass.), 95.9 FM WATD (South Shore) and worldwide at http://www.weei.com/umass. Live video is provided by Northeastern at GoNU.com.
By Brian Henry on December 2, 2012 9:05 AM
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Here are some recaps from Saturday's loss to Miami at the Mullins Center. UMass led for much of the first half before Miami went on a 9-0 run to take a 30-25 advantage into the locker room. The Hurricanes maintained their lead of 2-5 points for half of the second period before a Jesse Morgan layup put the Minutemen ahead 52-51. But the visitors used a 13-3 run over the next three minutes to retake the lead and pull away for a 75-62 win.
UMass is 3-3 and will now return to action Tuesday night when it travels to Northeastern. The game begins at 7 p.m. at Matthews Arena and can bea heard on the UMass Sports Network, with WEEI 105.5 FM as the flagship.
By Brian Henry on December 1, 2012 6:27 AM
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Its been 18 days since the UMass basketball team played inside the Mullins Center. This afternoon the Minutemen will welcome the Miami Hurricanes to town for a 2 p.m. contest. UMass is 3-2 and riding high following Wednesday's last-second, come-from-behind victory at Siena, while Miami upended 16th-ranked Michigan State in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge in its last game to improve its record to 4-1.
By Brian Henry on November 29, 2012 7:34 AM
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UMass pulled off its third dramatic win of the season Wednesday with a 64-63 win at Siena on a Chaz Williams layup with 3.3 seconds remaining. Williams, who scored his 1,000th career point in the game, finished with 23 and Terrell Vinson added 17 to key the comeback. The Minutemen trailed by as many as 17 points late in the first half. Its the third time since January that UMass has erased a 17-poiunt deficit and won a game - against Saint Joseph's at the Mullins Center, at Drexel in the NIT quarterfinals and Wednesday.
By Brian Henry on November 28, 2012 7:17 AM
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After a 10-day break, the UMass basketball team will return to action tonight at Siena. Here are some previews and sidebars to hold you over until 7 p.m. The game can be heard on the UMass Sports Network with Josh Maurer and Tim Kenney on the call.
Also, if you live in New York State, there is a pretty good chance you can watch on the Time Warner Cable SportsChannel. The Siena site lists the following: Time Warner Cable SportsChannel offers its coverage in the Capital District on channel 50 or channel 1803, as well as On Demand 48 hours after the final buzzer. The game will also air live in New York City, Hudson Valley, Central, Northern New York and on systems in the Southern Tier. Check local listings for exact channel listings for Time Warner Cable SportsChannel, as the position varies by location. In Western New York locations (Buffalo/Rochester systems) the games will be offered live or tape-delayed based on other sports programming commitments and on the systems' "Local Sports on Demand" channels. Subscribers are encouraged to check their local schedule for weekly updates.
By Brian Henry on November 28, 2012 6:46 AM
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Stephen Hewitt of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian has an article on shooting guard Freddie Riley. The senior from Ocala, Fla. had a strong game in the exhibition opener against American International, but has gone just 2-for-10 from outside during the first four games of the regular season.
By Brian Henry on November 27, 2012 10:54 AM
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Sampson Carter was a popular request at Monday's basketball practice, and for good reason. The 6-foot-8 forward is expected to see increased time at the 5 spot for UMass to help solidify its presence in the paint. The Minutemen will face some talented bigs this week when they play Siena and Miami.
By Brian Henry on November 21, 2012 9:52 AM
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The UMass men's basketball program announced that high school seniors Seth Berger of Ballard H.S. in the Seattle area and Zach Coleman of Dallas' Woodrow Wilson H.S. each signed a National Letter of Intent. Both the Daily Hampshire Gazette and Springfield Republican have coverage of the student-athletes.
By Brian Henry on November 20, 2012 1:37 PM
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Jackson Alexander of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian recently spoke with Chaz Williams about his path to UMass and the events that have shaped his college career.
By Brian Henry on November 16, 2012 8:16 AM
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Wow! What a finish last night down in Puerto Rico. The Minutemen will be back at it again this evening with a tough test against No. 6 North Carolina State. The game will be on ESPN2 and on the UMass Radio Network (105.5 FM, WEEI in Western Mass.). While you wrap your head around that game, here are some recaps from yesterday's action in Bayamon. And if you haven't heard, Terrell Vinson's game-winning put back was named the No. 1 Play of the Day on ESPN's SportsCenter. The other semifinal will see Oklahoma State and Tennessee play 10:30 am ET on ESPNU
By Brian Henry on November 15, 2012 7:54 AM
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Its gameday down in Puerto Rico! Most of the schools have a beat writer that made the trip to the U.S. Territory but only UMass has multiple journalists covering the event. That's right, Matt Vautour and Harry Plumer have you covered on all things UMass in San Juan. Here are some previews from the UMass duo, along with stories from some of the other schools' writers.
By Brian Henry on November 14, 2012 1:27 AM
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Here are some recaps and notebook items on Tuesday's thrilling 67-64 season-opening win over Harvard as part of ESPN's College Hoops Tipoff Marathon. Former Minutemen Donta Bright and Luke Bonner were in attendance, along with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. The University also announced it would retire Marcus Camby's jersey at the George Washington game on Jan. 19.
By Brian Henry on November 13, 2012 6:37 AM
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Michael Vega of the Boston Globe offered up some analysis on Chaz Williams and why he thinks the Brooklyn native could be the magic ingredient in leading UMass to a memorable 2012-13 campaign.
By Brian Henry on November 13, 2012 6:35 AM
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Dan Duggan authored up the following piece on Chaz Williams and offers some insight into what makes the 5-9 junior guard so entertaining and flat out good on the basketball court.
By Brian Henry on November 12, 2012 7:46 AM
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Harry Plumer of the Springfield Republican spoke with sophomore big man Cady Lalanne and head men's basketball coach Derek Kellogg in the following article that spotlights Lalanne's importance to the success of this year's hoops season.
In an effort to replace the strong play and leadership of departed senior Sean Carter, it will be up to Lalanne to anchor the inside while mentoring a pair of freshmen in Tyler Bergantino and Izzy Freeman.
By Brian Henry on November 11, 2012 9:23 AM
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Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com posted the following article on former UMass standout Marcus Camby and his return to the court on Friday. He had missed the tail-end of the preseason and the first three games with a calf injury but was healthy enough to log eight minutes in the win over the Mavericks.
By Brian Henry on November 9, 2012 12:16 PM
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With the basketball season starting for the Minutemen on Tuesday, the Massachusetts Daily Collegian came out with its basketball preview issue on Friday. Here are some articles and opinion pieces on the squad by hoops beat writers Stephen Hewitt and Stephen Sellner.
By Brian Henry on November 9, 2012 12:10 PM
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Stephen Sellner of The Massachusetts Daily Collegian has a very in-depth article on junior wing Jesse Morgan. He talks about how since being cut from his AAU team in the eighth grade, Morgan has played with something to prove.
By Brian Henry on November 9, 2012 7:47 AM
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Harry Plumer of the Springfield Republican sat down with men's basketball coach Derek Kellogg for his weekly podcast and here's what they chatted about.
UMass basketball coach Derek Kellogg joins Harry to preview the upcoming season, reminisce about his playing days and talk about playing point guard Chaz Williams one-on-one.
By Brian Henry on November 9, 2012 7:42 AM
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With today marking the start of the college basketball season across the country, it seems like a good day for UMass beat writer Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette to publish his article on the scheduled and potential opponents for the men's squad this season.
By Brian Henry on November 8, 2012 6:26 AM
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With the start of the men's hoop season just six days away, things are starting to get more intense at practice. Local journalists are starting to produce more stories on what they feel it will take for this Minuteman squad to be successful. Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette offered up his top reasons why UMass could have a successful season and top road blocks to that success.
The eight head coaches of the teams in next week's Puerto Rico Tip-Off participated in a media teleconference on Wednesday and Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal wrote a notebook on what he learned.
By Brian Henry on November 4, 2012 12:52 PM
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The website College Chalktalk has a nice piece on Saturday's exhibition game, while focusing in on Freddie Riley's big game and the important role he may play in the success of this year's team.
Writer Ian Nolan had the following to say about Riley...
While Chaz Williams may be the face of the team (if not the league at this point) Saturday night's five point exhibition win provided a peek into what other weapons the Minutemen can beat clubs with.
Namely, senior guard Freddie Riley. An old face, possibly with a new game. Or an old game, depending on how you look at it.
By Brian Henry on November 4, 2012 12:40 PM
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Here are a few recaps on Saturday's 87-82 win over American International. The exhibition game was the Minutemen's final tune-up before opening the regular-season against Harvard at home on Tuesday at 10 am.
By Brian Henry on November 3, 2012 9:37 AM
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With the men's basketball team hosting American International in an exhibition contest Saturday at 1 p.m., here are a couple of previews from area newspapers.
By Brian Henry on November 1, 2012 1:32 PM
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CBS Sports.com has been rolling out their conference basketball previews and today is the A-10s turn. Here's a few nuggets writer Jeff Goodman came up with in his talks with the coaches around the league.
The A-10 is loaded this year. It's so loaded, in fact, that Xavier could finish in the bottom half of the league. With the addition of Butler and VCU, it's a conference that could legitimately get a half-dozen teams into the NCAA tournament this season. Brad Stevens and Shaka Smart will be far more relevant throughout conference play nowadays -- and the A-10 tournament should get plenty of pub since it's in the brand-new Barclays Center in Brooklyn. This could be a banner season for the Atlantic 10 -- all the way around.
Goodman has the Miami (Fla.) at UMass game on Dec. 1 in the Mullins Center among his top ten non-conference games in the league.
He also has UMass tied for first (with defending regular-season champ Temple) in his "Best Guess on First to Worst" part of the preview.
By Brian Henry on October 31, 2012 7:05 AM
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Derrick Gordon and Tyler Bergantino are two of the most energetic and outgoing students on the UMass campus... and they happen to be pretty good ball players too. Take a read at the following article by the Daily Hampshire Gazette's Matt Vautour and check out the unique video series these two newcomers have brought to the Amherst area.
By Brian Henry on October 31, 2012 6:55 AM
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Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette talked with senior guard Javorn Farrell about his recovery from August ankle surgery and wrote the following article...
AMHERST -- Depending on how quickly he heals, Javorn Farrell could have a decision to make.
The University of Massachusetts senior is healing faster than expected from offseason ankle surgery, which was originally expected to sideline him for the entire 2012-13 season.
By Brian Henry on October 29, 2012 1:49 PM
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Head coach Derek Kellogg offered up some thoughts on UMass' performance in their recent scrimmage in the following article by Daily Hampshire Gazette veteran writer Matt Vautour.
By Brian Henry on October 29, 2012 1:45 PM
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Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette had this article on Sampson Carter and the excitement he has in getting to return to the court and play another team.
By Brian Henry on October 25, 2012 7:45 PM
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Harry Plumer of the Springfield Republican/MassLive.com composed an article detailing Maxie Esho's role on the 2012-13 UMass basketball team. He talks about the sophomore's role last year and the impact he continues to make with his energy and stamina as the team's "Sixth Man."
By Brian Henry on October 24, 2012 9:21 AM
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I'm pretty sure most Minuteman fans know how good Chaz Williams is at the point guard spot, but now he has appeared on a couple of lists that bring the point home.
SB Nationand CBS Sports have each had him among their Top 100 Players and now CBS has him among their ball handling elite, ranking him No. 25 on their list of the Top 50 Point Guards.
Other players on the list that are on UMass' schedule or could face the Minutemen in Puerto Rico include: No. 5 Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State), No. 10 Lorenzo Brown (NC State), No. 15 Tim Frazier (Penn State), No. 18 Vincent Council (Providence), No. 20 Rotnei Clarke (Butler), No. 24 D.J. Cooper (Ohio), No. 37 Kwamain Mitchell (Saint Louis), No. 38 Kevin Dillard (Dayton), No. 41 Trae Golden (Tennessee) and No. 42 Semaj Christon (Xavier).
By Brian Henry on October 24, 2012 7:36 AM
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TheSportsBank.net web site has posted its top 111 basketball teams and is counting them down over the 111 days leading up the start of regular-season games on Friday, Nov. 9. UMass comes in at No. 43.
Other teams announced on their list thus far include Butler (45), Saint Louis (48), Temple (51), Harvard (77), Xavier (78), Providence (83) and Dayton (91).
By Brian Henry on October 24, 2012 6:23 AM
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Derek Kellogg has said on more than one occasion that Raphiael Putney is a key piece to UMass' success this season. Last year he averaged 10.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in 24.2 minutes per game. Putney is stronger than ever and still one of the most athletic players in the country.
Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette has an article on his progress as he begins his fourth season with the program.
By Brian Henry on October 22, 2012 6:17 PM
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RushtheCourt.net columnist Chris Johnson broke down the five best non-conference tournament this season. Among his list is the Puerto Rico Tip-Off which includes UMass and will take place in Bayamon, Puerto Rico Nov. 15-18.
He writes...
First, NC State will test its preseason reputation on a Caribbean island, and the test will not be an easy one. Getting by Penn State in the first round isn't the issue, nor is the second round tilt with either Providence or UMass (though I do expect UMass to make some noise in a loaded A-10 this season).
Read his entire list and a little about each one here.
By Brian Henry on October 17, 2012 8:26 AM
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Joseph Staszewski of the Brooklyn Courier chatted-up Chaz Williams and head coach Derek Kellogg over the past week and wrote the following article on the hometown kid and his journey to UMass, bringing his "New York City toughness and Brooklyn swagger" to the program.
By Brian Henry on October 17, 2012 7:25 AM
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Stephen Sellner of the Daily Collegian has the first feature of the year on sophomore big man Cady Lalanne. Lalanne, who is coming off a foot injury that sidelined him for most of last season, has grown an inch and seen his body fat percentage drop from 11 to nine pct. over the summer.
By Brian Henry on October 16, 2012 6:51 AM
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Paul Gotham of the basketball site Pickin Splinters wrote a piece on the path the program has taken in four years under coach Derek Kellogg. He also touches on the progress junior guard Chaz Williams has made in two seasons, while making note that the 5-9 Brooklyn dynamo's potential is still climbing.
By Brian Henry on October 15, 2012 12:20 PM
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ESPN.com writer Dana O'Neil offered some notes and questions about the Atlantic 10 basketball season. You can read the entire piece here.
Here's an excerpt from the article on UMass...
Is this the breakthrough year UMass fans have been waiting for?
Since Derek Kellogg returned to his alma mater in 2008, folks have been waiting for the glory years he enjoyed as a player to return to Amherst. Of course that would be a rather tall and ridiculous order, considering Kellogg went to the NCAA tournament four years in a row, including the Elite Eight, and won four consecutive Atlantic-10 regular season and tournament titles as a player.
But this could at least be the year the Minutemen return to NCAA tournament relevance.
UMass rolled to the NIT semifinals last season, riding on the coattails of guard Chaz Williams. The Hofstra transfer averaged 16.4 points and 6.4 assists per game and is exactly the sort of bona fide star you can build something special around.
If Williams picks up where he left off (he upped his scoring numbers through the NIT to 21.8), UMass might see itself on the big ticket for the first time since 1998.
By Brian Henry on October 15, 2012 10:14 AM
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New York Post sports writer Zach Braziller penned an article on UMass junior guard Chaz Williams and St. Joseph's big man Halil Kanacevic on how they started their careers at Hofstra before transferring to their current Atlantic 10 schools. Both were named to the league's preseason all-conference teams at last week's media day in Brooklyn.
...Two of them -- city products UMass point guard Chaz Williams and St. Joseph's forward Halil Kanacevic -- have developed just as he envisioned when Pecora landed them at Hofstra, crowns jewels to his recruiting class.
Now juniors, they were predicted by Atlantic 10 coaches to be a few of the best players in the conference on Thursday during the league's media day at the Barclays Centers in downtown Brooklyn, and keys to their respective teams, both picked to finish in the top four of the A-10.
"It speaks volumes for how good those kids are as players," said Pecora, who is entering his third season at Fordham. "Chaz is one, if not the best, point guards in the league and Halil is probably the best passing big man in the league."
By Brian Henry on October 15, 2012 9:55 AM
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Friday night the UMass basketball team officially opened full practice for the 2012-13 season. A number of reporters were on hand for the 2-hour workout at the Curry Hicks Cage.
By Brian Henry on October 10, 2012 9:08 AM
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UMass head coach Derek Kellogg and senior forward Terrell Vinson spent Tuesday in Boston participating in the second Commonwealth of Massachusetts Men's Basketball Media Day. All six head coaches from the state's Division I program - Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, Holy Cross, UMass and Northeastern - were in attendance.
By Brian Henry on October 9, 2012 8:30 PM
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CBSSports.com and its collection of college basketball writers released their votes for regular-season champions among the top conferences, including the Atlantic 10.
The group composed of Jeff Goodman, Doug Gottlieb, Gary Parrish, Matt Norlander and Jeff Borzello combined to select four different winners. Goodman chose UMass, Gottlieb had Butler, Parrish and Borzello has VCU, while Norlander likes Saint Louis.
Additionally, the group collaborated to pick the top 100 players among the Division I ranks and have UMass junior guard Chaz Williams among its list, coming in at No. 78.
They wrote:
Man, Williams is fun to watch. He is an ideal fit for the Minutemen's system, given his quickness and ability to create points off turnovers. Led the team in points and assists last season. -- J.B.
By Brian Henry on October 9, 2012 8:19 PM
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Rob Dauster of College Basketball Talk put out his list of ten men's basketball programs on the rise entering the 2012-13 season.
UMass: UMass basketball history is limited to, more or less, two people. Julius Erving played for the Minutemen from 1968-1971 before going on to become Dr. J. The other person is John Calipari, who took over a program in 1988 that had 10 straight losing seasons. In his fourth year, he led UMass to the Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament titles, advancing to the NCAA tournament. He would accomplish that feat for five consecutive years, which culminated in his run to the 1996 Final Four, riding on the shoulders of Marcus Camby, before leaving the program. Bruiser Flint took over and led the Minutemen to two more NCAA tournaments, but they've only won one A-10 title -- the 2007 regular season -- since then. Outside of those seven consecutive NCAA tournaments, UMass has been to one. Ever. In 1962.
That could change this season, as Derek Kellogg has put together arguably the best team in Amherst since the late 90′s. The Minutemen return all but one member of their rotation from last season, including Chaz Williams, who is one of the most exciting and underrated point guards in the country. They also bring back Sampson Carter and Cady Lalanne, both of whom were injured for much of last season. The Atlantic 10 is going to be a rugged league this season, but UMass has the horses to make a run at a top four finish.
By Brian Henry on October 5, 2012 6:49 AM
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The Atlantic 10 held its annual men's basketball media day on Thursday at the brand new Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The building is only a week old and looks outstanding. They were still set-up for Jay-Z as the part owner of the Brooklyn Nets was continuing his run of concerts to open the facility.
UMass was picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll, which was made up of all 16 coaches and a media member from each area in the A-10 membership, totaling 30 voters. Additionally, Chaz Williams was selected to the preseason first team.
Security was pretty tight so nobody was allowed inside the arena bowl but everywhere else the coaches and media went was very impressive. Here are some articles from UMass beat writers Harry Plumer and Matt Vautour, along with stories from around the league. I also posted a Storify link that summarizes as many tweets from media, coaches and administrators at the event as I could find.
By Brian Henry on October 1, 2012 7:43 AM
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Eurobasket has confirmed that former UMass big man Stephane Lasme will head back overseas to play for Panathinaikos in Athens, Greece. He played with the Celtics' NBA Summer League team in Orlando and Las Vegas this past July where he averaged 3.0 points in just over 11 minutes over eight games.
He spent last season in Spain while logging previous playing time in Israel, Russia and Serbia, in addition to a stint with the Maine Red Claws on the NBA D-League.
By Brian Henry on September 29, 2012 12:56 PM
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Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette has an update on basketball practice and some notebook items about the preseason. He has quotes from Chaz Williams and Freddie Riley about the excitement leading up to the season, along with info from coach Kellogg on scheduling and early games.
AMHERST -- Before his sophomore season, University of Massachusetts guard Freddie Riley was frustrated about everyone's lack of optimism surrounding the Minutemen. Preview magazines, newspaper articles and even fans had low expectations for the 2010-11 squad and Riley took it to heart.
Two years later, coming off the team's run to the National Invitation Tournament's semifinals, there's a positive vibe surrounding the Minutemen. The preview magazines that are already out and national websites are projecting UMass to finish among the top teams in the Atlantic 10 and perhaps reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998. There's a buzz on campus among students greater than at any previous time.
By Brian Henry on September 28, 2012 10:47 AM
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National college basketball writer and television announcer Jon Rothstein offered up his thoughts on UMass as it prepares for the 2012-13 season. Leading off with a note on junior PG Chaz Williams' infectious energy that envelops the entire team.
Chaz Williams is a like a magnet. The undersized point guard has an infectious personality -- and it's easily noticeable if you're in the gym with him for even just a matter of moments. The 5-9 Williams was one of the best players in the Atlantic 10 a season ago and figures to be so again thanks to the biggest weapon he has -- his heart.
By Brian Henry on September 26, 2012 10:20 AM
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There's no question that folks who follow UMass and the Atlantic 10 regularly are well aware of the type of game-changer Chaz Williams is on the court. Now, with more and more preseason publications touting the junior point guard among the top players nationally, folks are starting to take notice.
"The likely preseason Player of the Year in the Atlantic 10, Williams will be looking to lead the Minutemen into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998," writes Rutherford.
By Brian Henry on September 26, 2012 7:30 AM
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Ricky Harris, the third-leading scorer in UMass basketball history, will continue his professional career in Italy this season, signing with Biancoblu Bologna as reported by Court-Side.com. He played in the German Bundesliga for S.Oliver Warzburg a year ago where he averaged 9.8 points per game.
He began his career in 2010-11 in Lithuania with Siauliai before playing with the Petron Blaze of the Philipine Basketball Association prior to his stint in Germany.
