UMASS Basketball news

[ramster]

Mitchell played very well in the Hoophall Classic in Springfield vs Monteverde


https://irishsportsdaily.com/s/8542/tre ... tions-open

[TruePoint]

Tre’s out here securing the bag for the whole family!

But this honestly doesn’t bother me at all. If recruits can leverage their talent to give legitimate opportunities to people close to them, go for it. Schools just have to make sure it’s all worth it. That’s on them, not the players.

I don’t think the issue is with the player. The issue is with the coach that is leveraging a kid’s talent to better himself. Is Tre Mitchell going to UMass because it is the best situation for him, basketball or otherwise? Or is he going there because it’s the one place that is desperate enough to hire his coach, and the coach wants to get a break and has influence over the kid?

[Rhody83]

Tre’s out here securing the bag for the whole family!

But this honestly doesn’t bother me at all. If recruits can leverage their talent to give legitimate opportunities to people close to them, go for it. Schools just have to make sure it’s all worth it. That’s on them, not the players.

Bergeron is a very good coach. Has been successful everywhere he coached. He is from WMass. He came back here when his father was sick with cancer. He coached the HS team where I live for a few years. He coached Tyreke Evans (Indiana Pacers) at American Christian Academy (PA). He started Woodstock’s basketball program from scratch and built it to national championship level in two years.

[ramster]

Tre’s out here securing the bag for the whole family!

But this honestly doesn’t bother me at all. If recruits can leverage their talent to give legitimate opportunities to people close to them, go for it. Schools just have to make sure it’s all worth it. That’s on them, not the players.

I don’t think the issue is with the player. The issue is with the coach that is leveraging a kid’s talent to better himself. Is Tre Mitchell going to UMass because it is the best situation for him, basketball or otherwise? Or is he going there because it’s the one place that is desperate enough to hire his coach, and the coach wants to get a break and has influence over the kid?

Desperate to hire his Coach? The Head Coach of Woodstock Academy is a desperation hire? Not a chance. He is an excellent hire. And he knows his 3 players and will be a very good asset to the UMASS HC. On top of that he will be a pipeline to Woodstock and other New England Prep and High Schools.

Colleges hire AAU, Prep School and HS Coaches all the time.
This guy is an excellent Coach. He led Woodstock to defeat Monteverde in the Hoophall Classic.he build a solid team at Woodstock and has had success previous to Woodstock.

What if Preston Santos, TJ Weeks and Tre Mitchell plus their Woodstock HC took the job of Matt McCall at UMASS? Would it be different if he got the HC spot instead of an assistant spot?

It’s not like these assistants hit the lottery and get big bucks.

It’s all good, nothing wrong at all with this.

Don’t be surprised of TJ Weeks’ dad and former URI assistant coach joins the UMASS staff in the near future too.

[Blue Man]

I don’t get the issue?

We have Ty Boswell. Pretty standard stuff.

[ace]

It is pretty standard. The head coach’s position seems tenuous, though. This isn’t fitting a guy into a well-established crew, this isn’t a staff where everyone is secure in their roles. He’s coming in and bringing a bunch of his guys with him, including a very involved family situation. McCall is going into his third year, all of the assistants have been let go, and the results haven’t been great. Does this turn into a Tubby Smith-like situation at Memphis with the Lawsons? Does the best player’s mom push for a coaching change to keep him at some point? Maybe it turns out great. I think it’s worth a shot for UMass, and I hope Tre is somewhere he really wants to be.

[Rhode_Island_Red]

Larry Brown once hired a guy named Ed Manning so his son would play for him at Kansas — kid’s name was Danny, I think.

[TruePoint]

I don’t get the issue?

We have Ty Boswell. Pretty standard stuff.

Again, I don’t really have an issue with what UMass is doing here. My issue is with the adult who is influencing a kid’s decision in a way that benefits him but seemingly does not benefit the kid at all.

[RF1]

Jerry D says what could possibly go wrong?

[ramster]

Happens all the time
Nate Oats. HC At Romulus. EC Mathews goes to URI Recruited by Danny and Bobby Hurley
Oats then gets a job at Buffalo assistant to Bobby Hurley

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Woodstock HC ends up the HC At UMASS one day.

Go Atlantic 10!!!

[Billyboy78]

Happens all the time
Nate Oats. HC At Romulus. EC Mathews goes to URI Recruited by Danny and Bobby Hurley
Oats then gets a job at Buffalo assistant to Bobby Hurley

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Woodstock HC ends up the HC At UMASS one day.

Go Atlantic 10!!!

Jared Terrell comes to URI..... We can't hire the AAU coach right now, but 'wink,'wink', we will when we can.

[TruePoint]

Happens all the time
Nate Oats. HC At Romulus. EC Mathews goes to URI Recruited by Danny and Bobby Hurley
Oats then gets a job at Buffalo assistant to Bobby Hurley

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Woodstock HC ends up the HC At UMASS one day.

Go Atlantic 10!!!

Jared Terrell comes to URI..... We can't hire the AAU coach right now, but 'wink,'wink', we will when we can.

In those situations there was not the clear quid pro quo that there is here. Bobby didn’t get anything at Buffalo in exchange for giving Oats that job, which he clearly was qualified for in retrospect. I don’t follow prep basketball as closely as some of you guys, but my intuition is that if this guy was a legit D1 coaching candidate he’d have been able to get a better job than at a presently-on-fire UMass program, ESPECIALLY when he’s apparently a package deal with a top-100 big. At least on the surface, this appears a situation where the kid got dragged down a notch in order to drag his coach up a notch. The issue is the commoditization by the coach of the player in order for the coach to attain something that otherwise wouldn’t have been attainable. That’s an ethical failure for the coach, and the fact that it isn’t totally unheard of (which I am aware) doesn’t change anything about how I feel about it.

[PeterRamTime]

Probably just sold them on the

You can make this program great deal.

[Dino611]

Happens all the time
Nate Oats. HC At Romulus. EC Mathews goes to URI Recruited by Danny and Bobby Hurley
Oats then gets a job at Buffalo assistant to Bobby Hurley

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Woodstock HC ends up the HC At UMASS one day.

Go Atlantic 10!!!

Jared Terrell comes to URI..... We can't hire the AAU coach right now, but 'wink,'wink', we will when we can.

Are you referring to in 2021 when we hopefully land Terrance Clarke?

[NYGFan_Section208]

Not only Mitchell's coach but there are some rumors out there he is involved with Tre's mother as well.

What are you talking about?

Three Woodstock Academy players have committed to play for McCall at Umass next year -Santos, Weeks, and Tre Mitchell. Their coach at Woodstock, Tony Bergeron, just was named today to fill one of the Umass assistant coaching positions that conveniently recently became open. In addition to his having coached the three recruits in high school, there are rumors he is dating the mother of Tre Mitchell. Tre is the highest rated of the three and committed today just as Bergeron was announced to the staff.

What could possibly go wrong?

[Billyboy78]

Happens all the time
Nate Oats. HC At Romulus. EC Mathews goes to URI Recruited by Danny and Bobby Hurley
Oats then gets a job at Buffalo assistant to Bobby Hurley

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Woodstock HC ends up the HC At UMASS one day.

Go Atlantic 10!!!

Jared Terrell comes to URI..... We can't hire the AAU coach right now, but 'wink,'wink', we will when we can.

Are you referring to in 2021 when we hopefully land Terrance Clarke?

I wish. Terrell and Tate so far. Plenty of other talent there besides Clarke, so hopefully more to come.

[rjsuperfly66]

All is fair just have to make sure you do it for the right player(s). Downside is it’s very difficult to fire that coach, so have to hope they do their job successfully or move to greener pastures. You fire one of these AAU types they’ll make sure you can’t work with their program.

[ramster]

UMASS continuing the pipeline recruiting to Woodstock Academy
Have 1 Scholarship open at this time. Possibly 2 if Jonathan Laurent transfers which is quite likely.
Interesting that he scored 27 points against #3 Ranked Monteverde in the Hoophall Classic back in January



http://highschoolsports.masslive.com/ne ... l-classic/
https://www.denverpost.com/2019/02/02/r ... asketball/

For the game, the Centaurs finished shooting 8-for-29 (28 percent) from deep to add to a total team field goal percentage of 40 percent (29-for-73). Bergeron applauded Tre Mitchell, ESPN’s No. 80 high school prospect, for his efforts in bringing forth needed energy. Mitchell made a living in the paint to pick up seven points in the first 10:22. He finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and three steals. Ronnie Degray scored 27 points.

From Hoophall Stock Risers Article:
https://newenglandrecruitingreport.com/ ... ock-risers
Ronnie DeGray, Woodstock Academy - After quiet first two months to the season, DeGray absolutely exploded on Sunday afternoon going for 27 points on 8-10 shooting from the floor, including 3-3 from behind the arc, and converting 8-9 from the free-throw line to match. A true senior from Colorado, DeGray is a mismatch type of forward who can score and operate from various spots on the floor and had his offensive versatility on fully display. He reportedly landed new offers from Oklahoma State and Arkansas following the game.

Tre Mitchell, Woodstock Academy - A model of consistency all game long, Mitchell put his best foot forward in his match-up against Montverde CBD's Gonzaga bound big man Pavel Zakharov. Mitchell finished with 24 points and 7 rebounds while pulling the opposing big man away from the rim with his shooting range, scoring inside, and showing his trademark highly skilled attack.

[Rhody83]

Pip takes a shot st McCall on this radio show

[ramster]

Not smart of Pipkins to do in this interview but of course it is his choice. As I posted earlier fro the UMASS board, he wasn't expected to stay past this season anyway. Best of luck to him at PC

Don't expect Jonathan Laurent to stay at UMASS much longer either. Laurent is saying some less than positive things as well

An excellent, well respected poster on the UMASS Board it TheOFFSeason. You can read about Laurent in the thread below

http://www.umasshoops.com/newboard/view ... 0&start=75

[bigappleram]

Whether its a bunch of bad apples, or a coach over his head who had no control, the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle.

Regardless, having to completely rebuild a coaching staff and roster in the 3rd year of a rebuild that already wasn't going well certainly isn't an ideal situation. McCall will have to show progress this year IMO, and that will be tough with such a young and inexperienced team, or he will have a warm seat heading into year 4.

[ramster]

Here is some interesting info from the thread on Jonathan Laurent....................

TheOFFSeason wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 09, 2019 5:55 pm

69MG wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 09, 2019 3:13 pm
This is so much fun. What the hell does this mean?

Jonathan Laurent 
‏@Phenomballa_4
2h2 hours ago

More
I love and embrace all the hate and doubt no matter who the source of it maybe. Family, friends, coaches, fans, don’t really matter, just keep it coming cause all that fuel feeding the fire
I read this and say to myself that this is not a player that is going to fit in with the culture that is trying to be put together. The attention he is seeking by the ‘everyone’s against me’ tweet(not his first one) makes it hard for me to see him sacrificing for the good of the team when it needs to be done.
If you choose to think this is just a 22 yr old kid putting something on Twitter and it doesn’t mean much you are certainly welcome to that opinion.
I didn’t listen to the Pipkins podcast but did read the highlights of it and it goes right along with the things I have been told about him for the past 2 years. I’m not interested in that right now...here is what I am interested in:
- none of the returning players have shown us anything but their willingness to be a piece of a team.
- The 3 players from Woodstock are all leaders who have great family support behind them and have already proven they can sacrifice some of what they are capable of for the betterment of the team. I am not getting this from afar but from watching them and talking to people who have been around them.
Ty Weeks and his wife(who I believe is from Springfield) are very active in TJ’s life and have done a great job with him. Preston Santos’ dad played at Bryant and is at all of his games. Tre Mitchell and his mom are very close and Tre is basically a step son to Tony. I don’t have much on John Buggs but he did interact with a friend of mine at a Putnam Science game and he was very impressive...after the game he ran over and said bye to him and that he can’t wait to get to UMASS. He played as the 4th or 5th guard all year and went hard and didn’t complain. His Twitter is all about being happy for the good things that happen to people he knows.
Don’t know much on Thomas, but he was a defense first guy on teams that won.
My point is that these guys are not going to come in and cause a split between the old and the new...they are guys that bring people together. Carl is that way...Samba...Keon...Djery etc. too.
The product on the floor will show all of this...the fans will enjoy these guys. Nobody can convince me that there were more than 1000 people at the last 2 home games this year...fans couldn’t connect with this team and a lot of times they can’t really put their finger on why but now it is becoming easier to understand.
There is a lot to look forward to this fall. I agree. Not only are these guys talented but they are all coming from positions where hey weren't getting 30 min a night so they are not going walk in expecting that. They all seem like they have good heads on their shoulders. I remember seeing santos at the davidson game and he was so hyped on the sideline that UMass was doing well. Buggs has been similar. I loved in the fight mass interview with weeks that he said a strength is defense. You rarely see a wing bragging about being a defender. I'm really excited about this class as well.

[RF1]

UMass certainly sounds like it was a train wreck with a lot of dysfunction. Problem is the engineer of that train is still at the controls. Would seem that McCall's second season at UT-Chatanooga that had a lot of locker room dissension was a precursor to what would transpire in Amherst. Even with the boatload of new players coming to UMass, the program might still be doomed with McCall at the helm. Four straight UMass losing seasons in a row and counting.

Also have to wonder how Pipkins will be at PC. He was seen as selfish on the court and it appears this translates to off the court as well (deciding not to keep program problems to himself). Cooley had issues with his players this past season. Will someone like Pipkins change his ways and suddenly fall in line or just add more poison?

[Shaolin Swat]

UMass certainly sounds like it was a train wreck with a lot of dysfunction. Problem is the engineer of that train is still at the controls. Would seem that McCall's second season at UT-Chatanooga that had a lot of locker room dissension was a precursor to what would transpire in Amherst. Even with the boatload of new players coming to UMass, the program might still be doomed with McCall at the helm. Four straight UMass losing seasons in a row and counting.

Also have to wonder how Pipkins will be at PC. He was seen as selfish on the court and it appears this translates to off the court as well (deciding not to keep program problems to himself). Cooley had issues with his players this past season. Will someone like Pipkins change his ways and suddenly fall in line or just add more poison?

If what Pipkins is saying is entirely true and there are a ton of empty promises coming from the coaching staff, then I'm sure that those promises are still being issued to recruits - which probably leaves McCall in a situation where either there is more turnover on the roster (and causes him to be let go) or the young team struggles for the first couple of years and he probably doesn't get a chance to see this recruiting class all the way through.

[TruePoint]

The UMass poster may be eventually proven right about everything he said there, but it’s hard not to read it as rationalizing a terrible situation (insert the “everything is fine” while a fire rages in the background meme). I know that we had posters here in Dan’s second year laying out how things could turn around and get better and we’d have been dismissed by fans of other programs, so I’m not totally writing off his account of where they’re at. But even if he’s right, that’s 2-3 year plan and i still think there is no hope for them in the short term. Again I say: I’m not rooting for UMass to fail. It’s good for the rivalry, the league and NE basketball in general if UMass is at least respectable. But right now it looks like a long road for them.

[Rhody83]

Ramster could you expand on your post a little more . You realize most KBers don’t have the attention to read War and Peace right.

[ace]

Whether its a bunch of bad apples, or a coach over his head who had no control, the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle.

Regardless, having to completely rebuild a coaching staff and roster in the 3rd year of a rebuild that already wasn't going well certainly isn't an ideal situation. McCall will have to show progress this year IMO, and that will be tough with such a young and inexperienced team, or he will have a warm seat heading into year 4.

The current state of schools like UMass and St. John’s shows just how important it is to make the right hire.

St. John’s made the tournament this year, but no one feels good about it. They had the talent to do more and now they’ll take a step back. Staying relevant in the A10 doesn’t allow for the kind of product UMass has been putting out lately,

[ramster]

Ramster could you expand on your post a little more . You realize most KBers don’t have the attention to read War and Peace right.

It was a string from the UMASS Board - copied and pasted because I then thought KBers don't have the attention span to go to the UMASS Board and read it - so I went back, got it and made it easier. That poster is very well respected on the UMASS Board.

[giovanni]

[reef]

Matt McCall seems like a bad hire. I bet he is gone after year 4

[rhodyblue12]

Jonathan Laurent is on the transfer portal as of yesterday.

[rambone 78]

Just about a completely new roster when all is said and done.

How long are they going to give McCall to turn things around?

Looks like a gamble that has FAIL written all over it.

[Rhody83]

I believe UMass could have 7 Fr next year. They have commitments from 4 Fr and have 3 open scholarships. They are currently pursuing 3 Fr recruits. How does this happen in the HC’s third year?

[Shaolin Swat]

I believe UMass could have 7 Fr next year. They have commitments from 4 Fr and have 3 open scholarships. They are currently pursuing 3 Fr recruits. How does this happen in the HC’s third year?

My personal feeling was that, barring an abject disaster, a head coach should get a full recruiting cycle to show whether they can do the job. This is one of those instances where I would've dumped the coach after year 2. They're at least 2 years from pseudo-competing and at least 3 years from actually competing, I don't think that there's any way that McCall gets more that 2 years after the way this past season has unfolded.

[Rhody83]

I agree with the recruiting cycle but to be adding 7 new players in year 3 doesn’t fit any normal plan. Someone convinced the AD to give McCall a chance with this recruiting class. They think Tre Mitchell and the rest of Woodstock Academy will turn it around this year.

[RF1]

I agree with the recruiting cycle but to be adding 7 new players in year 3 doesn’t fit any normal plan. Someone convinced the AD to give McCall a chance with this recruiting class. They think Tre Mitchell and the rest of Woodstock Academy will turn it around this year.

UMass went this path near the end of Kellogg's tenure. He was kept another year based on the promise of his incoming highly rated new recruiting class. It had DeJon Jarreau who is now the star at Houston. Team continued to be bad that last season which Kellogg was given. Team went 15-18 with a heavily loaded home schedule with on and off court issues with both players and coaches. Kellogg finally got the axe and many of the best players jumped ship. I think we may very well see a replay. UMass just completed its fourth straight losing season . I would say the odds are good that streak continues. It is worth noting that this is already the worst era of UMass basketball since they had 11 straight years of losing records from 1978/79 to 1988/89.

[Shaolin Swat]

I agree with the recruiting cycle but to be adding 7 new players in year 3 doesn’t fit any normal plan. Someone convinced the AD to give McCall a chance with this recruiting class. They think Tre Mitchell and the rest of Woodstock Academy will turn it around this year.

Agree 100% that this situation doesn't fit any normal plan. I think RF1 is right comparing this to the end of the Kellogg era at UMass, with this probably coming to the same end result. I don't see how anything McCall has done gives anyone there confidence that he can turn it around.

[RF1]

I agree with the recruiting cycle but to be adding 7 new players in year 3 doesn’t fit any normal plan. Someone convinced the AD to give McCall a chance with this recruiting class. They think Tre Mitchell and the rest of Woodstock Academy will turn it around this year.

Agree 100% that this situation doesn't fit any normal plan. I think RF1 is right comparing this to the end of the Kellogg era at UMass, with this probably coming to the same end result. I don't see how anything McCall has done gives anyone there confidence that he can turn it around.

It is a far wiser choice to make decisions based on known past results and evidence than on future hopes. UMass made the wrong decision just three years ago. It very may well have done so again this past month.

[PeterRamTime]

It's a boring time in the off season if the only thing we are talking about is stupid UMass.

[ATPTourFan]

At what point can this thread be retired to All Other College Sports (not called Rhode Island men's basketball)?

[STC]

Whenever we get tired of dancing on UMass’ grave?

[reef]

Agree this thread needs to be moved

[RF1]

Chasing Ghosts: John Calipari left, and UMass basketball died
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... tball-died

[RF1]

Calipari is the only UMass coach to ever win an NCAA game with all the school's tournament victories coming in the last five seasons of his eight year tenure as head coach.

Four different URI coaches (Penders/Skinner/Harrick/Hurley) have won NCAA tournament games in three different decades (1980's, 1990's, and 2010's).

[PeterRamTime]

UMass just has not made the right hires I think.

They have a big enough school.

They have shown they can win there in the past.

The last few coaches have gotten talent, but they cant keep them or get them to get.

It's kind of a shame only one of the Chaz Williams teams made it to the dance. Almost everyone on those teams played pro ball overseas or d-league.

They always have some good guards and at least one good bug guy. Cant remember them ever having much of a defense though. Lots of live and die by the three and sloppy disconnected basketball.

With the right coach they could compete at the top of the A-10 easily.

Looking at our history compared to theirs. They havent had as consistent success as we have. It's close, but we have had a little more, for a longer period of time and more often.

One more NCAA tournament appearance, two more NIT appearances, but we go back to the Keaney days. Even before keaney we had a winning record. Keaneys teams were some of the best in the nation for over 20 years, so I feel like our fan base goes back since then. The 50's werent much, but we have had multiple good teams in each decade since and that has allowed us to maintain a better fan base than they have.

Now they have beaten us 34 more times than we have beaten them.

Despite that, we have had the better program and of really like us to make sure we show them why on the court.

With all of that said EFF Umass. Would he cool to see them better, but also, I dont care if they suck.

[NYGFan_Section208]

eh...looks to me like you do care?

[ramster]

UMass certainly sounds like it was a train wreck with a lot of dysfunction. Problem is the engineer of that train is still at the controls. Would seem that McCall's second season at UT-Chatanooga that had a lot of locker room dissension was a precursor to what would transpire in Amherst. Even with the boatload of new players coming to UMass, the program might still be doomed with McCall at the helm. Four straight UMass losing seasons in a row and counting.

Also have to wonder how Pipkins will be at PC. He was seen as selfish on the court and it appears this translates to off the court as well (deciding not to keep program problems to himself). Cooley had issues with his players this past season. Will someone like Pipkins change his ways and suddenly fall in line or just add more poison?

Pipkins quotations upon leaving UMASS for PC...

https://www.recorder.com/Keeping-Score-25632276

Whatever happens won’t matter to Pipkins. “Where do you see the program going?” asked Parham.
“I don’t give a damn where this program’s going,” he answered. “I ain’t gonna be here no more. I got my degree, I’m outta here. I was going through the motions and just playing the game because I had to. Nobody wanted to listen to each other and s*** went down from there.”
Apparently, character doesn’t matter much in Division 1 basketball, because if it did, Providence wouldn’t have given a scholarship to such a self-centered player as Luwane Pipkins.

[NYGFan_Section208]

UMass certainly sounds like it was a train wreck with a lot of dysfunction. Problem is the engineer of that train is still at the controls. Would seem that McCall's second season at UT-Chatanooga that had a lot of locker room dissension was a precursor to what would transpire in Amherst. Even with the boatload of new players coming to UMass, the program might still be doomed with McCall at the helm. Four straight UMass losing seasons in a row and counting.

Also have to wonder how Pipkins will be at PC. He was seen as selfish on the court and it appears this translates to off the court as well (deciding not to keep program problems to himself). Cooley had issues with his players this past season. Will someone like Pipkins change his ways and suddenly fall in line or just add more poison?

Pipkins quotations upon leaving UMASS for PC...

https://www.recorder.com/Keeping-Score-25632276

Whatever happens won’t matter to Pipkins. “Where do you see the program going?” asked Parham.
“I don’t give a damn where this program’s going,” he answered. “I ain’t gonna be here no more. I got my degree, I’m outta here. I was going through the motions and just playing the game because I had to. Nobody wanted to listen to each other and s*** went down from there.”
Apparently, character doesn’t matter much in Division 1 basketball, because if it did, Providence wouldn’t have given a scholarship to such a self-centered player as Luwane Pipkins.

Over/under on people that actually believe this is 7.5:
UMass fans are excited about the upcoming season. Who knows, maybe this will finally be the team that wins 25 games.

[rambone 78]

They might win 25 games the next 2 years combined lol......

[reef]

Sounds like a mess at UNAss

I want McCall fired