2011 UMass Basketball

2010-11 Results:

Overall: 15-15 (Home 9-8 Road 4-6 Neutral 2-1 Postseason 1-1)
Atlantic 10: 7-9
Conference Tournament: Lost to Dayton in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
Postseason: None

Derek Kellogg guided Massachusetts to a 15-15 record last season while tying for eighth in the Atlantic 10 conference. The Minutemen got off to a strong start in conference play at 5-2 but staggered down the stretch finishing 7-9 in conference play.

Massachusetts lost a lot offensively especially from three-point range with the loss of Anthony Gurley. The Minutemen’s offense was tenth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring with 66.3 points per game and eighth in defensive scoring allowing 68.0 points per game.

Overall the Minutemen’s offense was not one of their strong points in 2010-2011 and there is little reason to believe that they will be much better on that end of the floor in 2011-2012. The only way for them to get over .500 in the conference is to play better defense. Kellogg will regularly use full court defensive pressure this year and will hope that this change will lead the Minutemen to a winning record in the conference.

Roster

Returning Starters
Javorn Farrell
Terrell Vinson
Sampson Carter
Sean Carter

Other Returning Players
Jesse Morgan
Jordan Couture
Trey Lang
Freddie Riley
Raphiael Putney
Matt Hill

Newcomers
Cady Lalanne
Maxie Esho
Jordan Laguerre

Head Coach
Derek Kellogg

Key Losses

The Minutemen will miss leading scorer Anthony Gurley who average 18.7 points per game. He was the only player last year to score in double figures. Hashim Bailey and Gary Correia have also used up their eligibility.

Schedule

Date	Opponent / Event
11-Nov	vs. Elon
14-Nov	vs. Northeastern
17-Nov	vs. NJIT
21-Nov	@ Boston College
24-Nov	vs. Florida State
Battle 4 Atlantis
25-Nov	Harvard/Utah
26-Nov	TBD
30-Nov	vs. Towson
3-Dec	@ Miami
6-Dec	@ East Carolina
Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase
12/9/2011	vs. Siena
Regular Season
12/17/2011	vs. Quinnipiac
12/22/2011	vs. Davidson
12/30/2011	vs. Central Connecticut
1/5/2012	vs. Fordham *
1/8/2012	@ La Salle
1/11/2012	vs. Charlotte *
1/14/2012	vs. Saint Joseph’s *
1/18/2012	@ Duquesne *
1/21/2012	@ Richmond *
1/28/2012	vs. Saint Louis *
2/1/2012	@ Rhode Island *
2/4/2012	@ George Washington *
2/8/2012	vs. St. Bonaventure *
2/11/2012	@ Saint Joseph’s
2/18/2012	vs. La Salle *
2/21/2012	vs. Xavier *
2/25/2012	@ Dayton *
2/29/2012	@ Temple *
3/3/2012	vs. Rhode Island *
*Conference Game

2011-12 Preview

The Minutemen are looking to turn the corner rather than talking about it. Now is the time for them to show that they have improved on the floor. Kellogg will install an up tempo offense with full-court defensive pressure. Previously he went with a dribble and drive offensive mindset. It has yet to be seen whether Massachusetts can effectively implement this game plan.

The Minutemen will have to find someone to replace Gurley’s scoring. Kellogg will turn to Chaz Willliams and redshirt freshman Maxie Esho to provide the missing scoring punch.

Backcourt

Williams will look to lead Kellogg’s new up temp offense after transferring from Hofstra. He is an excellent floor general who handles the ball well and was named to the CAA All-Freshman Team two years ago. Look for Williams to build upon his strong rookie campaign and be an offensive factor for the Minutemen.

Javorn Farrell the team’s top returning scorer last year will start once again. The problem is that he was inefficient last year shooting under 37 percent from the field. On top of that he had a turnover rate of over 18 percent. At 6-foot-5 he can create mismatches for opponents and tends to do well in isolation against smaller guards. Despite that he needs to work on catching and shooting the ball in order to become a more effective scorer.

Freshman Jordan Laguerre will be called upon to contribute off the bench. He was ranked the 57th shooting guard in his class. He is an excellent athlete that is quick off the ball and can make his own shot and play well in traffic.

Frontcourt

Sampson Carter will return along with junior Terrell Vinson as starters. Carter is 6-foot-8 and is UMASS’s most efficient returning player. He averaged 7 points a game and 4.3 rebounds last season though his game is still a work in progress. Carter really needs to improve his jumper.

Vinson will also return after having averaged 6.5 points per game and 4.4 rebounds. He continues to show flashes of potential. He can play different positions and even handle the ball. Vinson’s weaknesses are turnovers and his shooting.

Raphiael Putney and Sean Carter will provide frontcourt depth. They are both 6-foot-9 forwards. Putney is a redshirt sophomore that has proven he can finish underneath and play physical. Carter is entering his final season and should see significant playing time.

More Atlantic 10 Basketball Predictions

Temple Owls	Saint Louis Billikens	Xavier Musketeers	St. Bonaventure Bonnies
UMass Minutemen	La Salle Explorers	Dayton Flyers	St. Josephs Hawks
Duquesne Dukes	Richmond Spiders	Charlotte 49ers	George Washington Colonials
Rhode Island Rams	Fordham Rams

Comments

Got something to say?