UMass Minutemen basketball
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The UMass Minutemen
UMass Minutemen
The UMass Minutemen are the athletic teams that represent the University of Massachusetts Amherst in NCAA Division I sports competition. The nickname is also applied to club teams that do not participate within the NCAA structure. Strictly speaking, the Minutemen nickname applies to men's teams and...

 basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 team
, also known as the Massachusetts Minutemen, represents the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...

 in Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts...

, in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 Division I men's competition. (UMass women's teams and athletes are known as Minutewomen.) The Minutemen, who currently compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference, last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 1998
1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1998, and ended with the championship game on March 30 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...

. The head coach of the Minutemen is Derek Kellogg
Derek Kellogg
-External links:*** from The Republican* from The Boston Globe...

.

History

The men's basketball program has a history of over 100 years. The Minutemen, as they have been called since 1972, celebrated their 100th season in 2008-09. Though the program's first game was played on January 10, 1900, there were several years in which no team was assembled.

The program's first coach was Harold M. Gore, who in 11 seasons compiled a record of 85-53 (.616 win percentage), highlighted by a 12-2 season in 1925-26. In 1933-34, Massachusetts was the only undefeated team in men's college basketball, going 12-0. For the 1948-49 season, Massachusetts joined the Yankee Conference
Yankee Conference
The Yankee Conference was a collegiate sports conference in the eastern United States. It once sponsored competition in many sports, but eventually became a football-only league...

 to mark the first time they participated in conference play. U of M would go on to be 10-time champions of the Yankee Conference.

The 1960s and 70s were prosperous for the program. The 1961-62 team went 15-9 and participated in the NCAA Tournament
1962 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Mideast region:-Midwest region:-West region:-Final Four:-External links:* on Shrp Sports * , source for much of the information on this page....

 for the first time in program history. The would go on to win 4 Yankee Conference titles in the '60s, and played in the NIT
1970 National Invitation Tournament
The 1970 National Invitation Tournament was unique in that coach Al McGuire of Marquette University, unhappy with his team's placement, turned down a bid to the NCAA tournament and elected to play in the NIT instead. His Marquette Warriors went on to claim the championship.This tournament...

 at the end of the 1969-70 season. The program compiled a record of 142-103 (.580) in the '60s. The 1969-70 team featured Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....

. In his first game with the varsity team, a 90-85 win over Providence College, Erving scored 27 points and grabbed 28 rebounds.

In the first eight seasons of the '70s, the Redmen/Minutemen compiled a record of 152-65 (.700). They won 5 Yankee Conference titles, and played in 5 NITs. The early '70s teams featured players such as Erving, Al Skinner
Al Skinner
Albert L. Skinner is an American men's college basketball head coach and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. He was formerly the head coach of the Boston College men's basketball team.-College:Skinner played at the University of Massachusetts...

, and Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...

. Jack Leaman, who coached the team for 13 seasons, hung it up after the 1978-79 season, with a record of 217-126 (.632).

The Minutemen fell on hard times in the late 70s and 80s, but would rebound under the direction of rookie coach John Calipari
John Calipari
John Calipari is an American basketball coach. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at the University of Kentucky....

, who took the head coaching job in 1988.

The 1990s were the defining decade for UMass basketball. Calipari helped the Minutemen become A-10 Tournament Champs five consecutive times (1991-92
1992 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1992 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament was played from March 7 to March 9, 1992 and March 7, 1992. The first round game was played at McGonigle Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The second round and semifinal games were played at the Palestra in Philadelphia, while the championship game...

, 1992-93
1993 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1993 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament was played from March 7 to March 8, 1993 and March 11, 1993. The first two rounds were played at the Palestra in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while the final was played at the Mullins Center in Amherst, Massachusetts...

, 1993-94
1994 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1994 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament was played from March 5 to March 7, 1994 and March 11, 1994. The first three rounds were played at the Palestra in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while the final was played at the Mullins Center in Amherst, Massachusetts...

, 1994-95
1995 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1995 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament was played from March 4 to March 6, 1995 and March 9, 1995. The first three rounds were played at the Palestra in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while the final was played at the Mullins Center in Amherst, Massachusetts...

, 1995-96
1996 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1996 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament was played from March 6 to March 9, 1996. The tournament was played at the Philadelphia Civic Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The winner was named champion of the Atlantic 10 Conference and received an automatic bid to the 1996 NCAA Men's...

), and appeared in the NCAA Tournament seven times, including two appearances in the Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...

 (1995, 1996) and a Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...

 appearance (1996) that resulted in third place, the highest ever for the Minutemen. (Note, however, that NCAA sanctions stripped the Minutemen of their 1996 NCAA Tournament victories.) In the 1990s, the Minutemen were frequently ranked first in the Associated Press season polls.

Since 1998, the Minutemen have slipped out of the national spotlight, not returning to the NCAA Tournament since. The most successful seasons were in 2006-07, when the Minutemen shared the A-10 Regular Season championship with Xavier
Xavier Musketeers men's basketball
The Xavier Musketeers team is the basketball team that represents Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference...

, and advanced to the second round of the NIT. In 2007-08, the Minutemen advanced to the 2008 NIT championship game, where they lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball
The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances...

 92-85.

Coaches

Though not a nationally recognized name, the program's winningest coach was Jack Leaman. Leaman guided Massachusetts to 217 wins, and coached players including Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....

, Al Skinner
Al Skinner
Albert L. Skinner is an American men's college basketball head coach and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. He was formerly the head coach of the Boston College men's basketball team.-College:Skinner played at the University of Massachusetts...

, and Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...

. Though Leaman's last season as coach of the men's team was 1978-79, he remained a key part of the UMass Athletic Department until he died in 2004.

Perhaps the school's most recognizable coach was John Calipari
John Calipari
John Calipari is an American basketball coach. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at the University of Kentucky....

. In 1988, the rookie head coach took over a program that was on a streak of 10-straight losing seasons, and had not been to the NCAA tournament since 1962. Calipari led UMass to the NIT
1990 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Penn State 83, New Mexico 81...

 in his second season as head coach. In his fourth season, UMass won the A-10 regular season and tournament championships. Over the next few seasons, Calipari would take the team to new heights: the Sweet Sixteen (1992), the Elite Eight (1995), and frequent #1 rankings in the AP weekly poll. In 1996, the Minutemen reached the Final Four for the first time. After the 1995-96 season, Calipari left UMass for the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 as the new head coach of the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...

.

After Calipari resigned in 1996, his associate Bruiser Flint
Bruiser Flint
James "Bruiser" Flint is an American men's basketball coach. He is currently the head coach at Drexel University, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was born.-Collegiate playing career:...

 coached from 1996–2001, and Steve Lappas
Steve Lappas
Steve Lappas is an American college men's basketball coach. He coached at Manhattan College , Villanova University and the University of Massachusetts , compiling a 280-237 record over a 17-year coaching career...

 coached from 2001-05.

In 2005, Travis Ford
Travis Ford
Travis Ford is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the men's head coach at Oklahoma State University. He was previously the head coach at Campbellsville University, Eastern Kentucky University, and the University of Massachusetts...

 replaced Lappas. Though the Minutemen struggled with a 13-15 record in Ford's first season of 2005-06, he quickly improved the team in the next two seasons. In 2006-07, the Minutemen were co-champions of the Atlantic 10 (along with Xavier
Xavier Musketeers men's basketball
The Xavier Musketeers team is the basketball team that represents Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference...

), reached the second round of the NIT
2007 National Invitation Tournament
The 2007 National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I teams which did not participate in the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...

, and finished with a record of 24-9. In 2007-08, the Minutemen reached the NIT
2008 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals and Final:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 1 and 3* - Overtime game.-External links:*...

 championship game, and finished with a record of 25-11. Following the 2007-08 season, his third with the Minutemen, he left to take the head coaching vacancy at Oklahoma State.

On April 23, 2008, former Minutemen player Derek Kellogg
Derek Kellogg
-External links:*** from The Republican* from The Boston Globe...

 returned to Amherst and became the 21st coach of the program.

Rivalries

Through 2009, Massachusetts and the Rhode Island Rams
Rhode Island Rams
The Rhode Island Rams are the athletic programs of the University of Rhode Island, based in Kingston, Rhode Island, USA. The school sponsors 18 athletic programs , most of which compete in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic 10 Conference. The football team, however, competes in the Colonial Athletic...

 have played over 130 times, and at least once a year every year since 1950. The Atlantic 10 regularly pairs UMass and URI in a home-and-home series each season.

Since 1995, Massachusetts and Boston College
Boston College Eagles men's basketball
The Boston College Eagles are a Division I college basketball program that represents Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA. The team has competed in the ACC since 2005, having previously played in the Big East. Home games have been played at the Conte Forum since 1988, having previously been played...

 play annually for the Commonwealth Cup, in the "Commonwealth Classic
Commonwealth Classic
The Commonwealth Classic, also known as Commonwealth Cup or Governor's Cup , is the title of the basketball rivalry between Boston College and the University of Massachusetts. The name refers to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the New England state in which both universities are located...

".

UMass and Temple
Temple Owls men's basketball
The Temple Owls men's basketball team represents Temple University in the Atlantic 10 Conference at the Division I level. The program is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The head men's basketball coach is Fran Dunphy.-History:...

 had an intense rivalry in the 1990s, during which time the schools were coached by John Calipari and John Chaney. The two coaches had to be restrained from each other during a 3-overtime game in 1990. After a game in 1994, Chaney charged at Calipari during a post-game press conference, and in front of reporters and television cameras, threatened to kill Calipari.

From 1996-2005, Massachusetts and Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...

 played in the "U-Game," a reference to the two schools' nicknames, UMass and UConn, respectively. UConn won nine of the ten games. UMass won the 2004 game, in which the Huskies were the defending national champions.

NCAA Tournament Results

The Minutemen have appeared in 8 NCAA Tournaments
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...

. Their combined record is 11-8.
Year Result
1962
1962 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Mideast region:-Midwest region:-West region:-Final Four:-External links:* on Shrp Sports * , source for much of the information on this page....

 
First Round
1992
1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 19, 1992, and ended with the championship game on April 6 in Minneapolis, Minnesota...

 
Sweet Sixteen
1993
1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana...

 
Second Round
1994
1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 17, 1994, and ended with the championship game on April 4 in Charlotte, North Carolina...

 
Second Round
1995
1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1995, and ended with the championship game on April 3 at the Kingdome in Seattle,...

 
Elite Eight
1996
1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1996, and ended with the championship game on April 1 at Continental Airlines Arena in...

 
Final Four*
1997
1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana...

 
First Round
1998
1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1998, and ended with the championship game on March 30 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...

 
First Round
*vacated by NCAA

NBA players

Several Massachusetts alumni have gone on to play in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

:
  • Marcus Camby
    Marcus Camby
    Marcus D. Camby is an American professional basketball player, who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA. He is a former Defensive Player of the Year during the 2006–07 NBA season, leading the league in blocked shots per game...

  • Julius Erving
    Julius Erving
    Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....

  • Gary Forbes
    Gary Forbes
    Gary Orlando Forbes is a Panamanian professional basketball player who plays for the Denver Nuggets. The 6 ft 7 in, swingman played college basketball initially at the University of Virginia, then transferred to the University of Massachusetts following his sophomore season at Virginia.-High...

  • Lari Ketner
    Lari Ketner
    Lari Arthur Ketner is an American professional basketball player. A 6'9", forward/center, Ketner played college basketball at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 49th overall pick of the 1999 NBA Draft.Ketner played in two NBA seasons for...

  • Stephane Lasme
    Stephane Lasme
    Yann Ulrich Stephane Lasme is a Gabonese professional basketball player. Lasme played NCAA college basketball at the University of Massachusetts , and he was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the second round, 46th overall, in the 2007 NBA Draft...

  • Lou Roe
    Lou Roe
    Louis "Lou" Marquel Roe is an American professional basketball player who was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 2nd round of the 1995 NBA Draft. Roe played in two NBA seasons with the Pistons and Golden State Warriors. In his brief NBA career, he appeared in 66 games and scored a total of...

  • Al Skinner
    Al Skinner
    Albert L. Skinner is an American men's college basketball head coach and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. He was formerly the head coach of the Boston College men's basketball team.-College:Skinner played at the University of Massachusetts...


Retired jerseys

Four former players have had their jersey numbers retired.
  • 32 George "Trigger" Burke
  • 32 Julius Erving
  • 15 Lou Roe
  • 30 Al Skinner

UMass Athletic Hall of Fame

Many former members of the basketball program have been elected into the school's Hall of Fame. Class years listed in parentheses.
  • David Bartley (1956)
  • George "Trigger" Burke (1956)
  • Lou Bush (1934)
  • John Calipari
    John Calipari
    John Calipari is an American basketball coach. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at the University of Kentucky....

    (coach)
  • Marcus Camby (1996)
  • Joe DiSarcina (1969)
  • Ray Ellerbrook (1970)
  • Frederick "Fritz" Ellert (1930)
  • Julius Erving (1972)
  • Jack Foley (1957)
  • Harold "Kid" Gore (coach)
  • Emory Grayson (1917)
  • Doug Grutchfield (1961)
  • Ned Larkin (1959)
  • Jack Leaman (coach)
  • Joseph Lokjo (1934)
  • Jim McCoy (1992)
  • Edward McGrath (1949)
  • Bill Prevey (1952)
  • Lou Roe (1995)
  • Al Skinner (1974)
  • John Stewart (1936)
  • Billy Tindall (1968)
  • Rodger Twitchell (1964)
  • Harper Williams (1993)

  •  


    The Hall is officially named "The George "Trigger" Burke UMass Athletic Hall of Fame" in recognition of Burke's generous support of UMass Athletics and student scholarships.

    External links

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