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.
Recently in Cady Lalanne Category
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.
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.
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.
Daily Hampshire Gazette: Cady Lalanne excited to be back, UMass starts hoops season
Daily Hampshire Gazette: UMass men's basketball healthy as practice begins
Springfield Republican: UMass starts basketball practice without 'Midnight Madness'
Daily Collegian: UMass men's basketball has first practice open to public
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.
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.
With the fall sports season hitting the midway point, that means hoops and hockey are ratcheting up workouts in anticipation of their seasons. Here are a few preseason articles from area writers on last week's men's basketball practice.
UMass beat writers Matt Vautour (Daily Hampshire Gazette) and
Harry Plumer (Springfield Republican) were in attendance at basketball practice
Tuesday at the Cage and filed a pair of reports on what they saw.
Daily Hampshire Gazette: Cady LaLanne, Jesse Morgan practice Tuesday with UMass men's hoops
Springfield Republican: UMass basketball forward Cady Lalanne returns to practice, says he feels no pain in previously injured foot
ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz recently completed his Summer Shootaround series where he and his associates breakdown the various conferences around the nation. The Atlantic 10 version hit cyberspace on Monday so here is the link.
Happy reading and remember fall sports will start reporting sooner than you think. Go Minutemen!!!
Jon Rothstein, who covers the Atlantic 10 for CBS Sports Network, put out a good summertime piece on what to be excited about in the A-10 this season. His first item listed is on UMass junior PG Chaz Williams and the potential his play, along with the rest of the team, can bring the Minutemen.
1. CHAZ, CHAZ, AND MORE
CHAZ
Chaz Williams took the conference by storm in his first season in the Atlantic-10
and only figures to be more of a menace in 2012-13. Potentially the Preseason
Conference Player of the Year, Williams should give UMass coach Derek Kellogg
one of the league's best back courts with he and talented wing Jesse Morgan, a
6-foot-5 wing who seemed to get better every team he took on the floor. If big
man Cady Lalanne can stay healthy and form a potent baseline with Terrell
Vinson and Raphiael Putney, the Minutemen should be in position to compete for
a conference title and a berth to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a
quite a while.
Matt Vautour looks at UMass' depth heading into the Fordham game tonight and how coach Derek Kellogg will have to manage minutes among his rotation.
Ron Chimelis of the Springfield Republican recaps Thursday night's men's basketball victory at home over NJIT that improved the Minutemen to 3-0 on the season. UMass benefited from nine first-half 3-pointers on its way to a 79-58 victory. Chimelis also points out the emergence of Cady Lalanne inside, who had a career-high 14 rebounds in just 15 minutes.
A flurry of 3-point baskets lifts the UMass basketball team to a 3-0 start - Springfield Republican
"I don't know yet if Cady always knows what he's doing or where he's going,'' Derek Kellogg said.
"It's nice to see him accidentally bump into 14 rebounds in 15 minutes, though. That shows he can be a big-time rebounder here someday.''
Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette had a nice feature over the weekend on UMass freshman forward Cady Lalanne, who after having to sit out last season because of NCAA rules and missing a month this fall due to an injury, is finally practicing with Derek Kellogg's Minutemen as they prepare for their Nov. 11 season opener.
Cady Lalanne finally gets to practice with UMass basketball team - Hampshire Gazette
"He's an unbelievable kid, the last one in the gym after practice," Kellogg said. "I think the sky is the limit once he's able to go full speed."
In his men's basketball notebook following Thursday's Atlantic 10 media day in Brooklyn, the Daily Hampshire Gazette's Matt Vautour covers a variety of topics including Jordan Laguerre being ruled a partial qualifier by the NCAA, the A-10 preseason poll, and freshman Cady Lalanne being named to the conference's Preseason All-Rookie Team.
UMass guard Jordan Laguerre ruled partial qualifier, out for season - Hampshire Gazette
Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette has a men's basketball notebook that hits on several topics.
Headlining the notebook is news on freshman Cady Lalanne undergoing a procedure to correct a stress fracture in his foot that could keep the big man out until official practices begin in four weeks.
The Minutemen will be holding free clinics at the Big E on Saturday. They will take place in front of the Massachusetts Building with the first running from 10:30-11:30 a.m. and the second from 2-3 p.m. The clinics are for kids 12 and under and are free with Big E admission.
A crew from the ABC show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" was on campus on Tuesday and filmed part of a national ad campaign against bullying with both the men's basketball and women's lacrosse teams for an episode being filmed in Springfield.
