UMass Basketball

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Marcus Camby, the former 6-foot-11 NBA center, wasn't a one-and-done player but was a one-and-could've-been-graduated. That was until this past month. 

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Pat Kelsey won't be the head coach at UMass after all.

According to ESPN.com, Kelsey—who coached Winthrop the last five seasons—asked to be released from his contract Thursday. Winthrop announced Kelsey will remain the team's head coach later in the day.

ESPN.com noted UMass announced his hiring Wednesday.

"For personal reasons, I have asked the University of Massachusetts to allow me to be released from the offer I accepted to be the head men's basketball coach," Kelsey said, per ESPN.com. "To be clear, this decision is entirely personal and in no way an assessment of the commitment UMass made to me personally or to the resources available at UMass to have a nationally-recognized program."

UMass athletics director Ryan Bamford responded with a statement, per ESPN.com: "Again, his reasons were personal in nature. I know that the unforeseen circumstances surrounding his decision were not in our control." 

Minutemen forward Zach Coleman and guard DeJon Jarreau responded to the change of circumstances on Twitter:

Dude said he loved us like his sons.. Riiight 藍

— Zach Coleman (@zcole_14) March 23, 2017

What's really going on man?!

— DeJon Jarreau.. (@LaDeeky) March 23, 2017

Kelsey led the Eagles to a 26-7 record and an NCAA tournament appearance this season.

As for UMass, this is another blow in a difficult stretch. The Minutemen were just 15-18 in 2016-17 and made the NCAA tournament one time during head coach Derek Kellogg's nine seasons at the helm before he was fired.

UMass made the Big Dance seven seasons in a row from 1992-98 and even reached the Final Four under John Calipari in 1995 but has struggled to maintain its competitive status in the college basketball world.

Bamford was looking forward to better days Thursday when he said, "At this time, we will resume our search for the next leader of our program," per ESPN.com. "I am confident that we will hire a remarkable coach who will return our program to national prominence."

On Saturday, the UMass men's basketball team will end the 2014-15 regular-season schedule with a game on the road against George Washington. 

This means that Derrick Gordon, the first openly gay Division I men's basketball player, will be finishing his first full season since coming out.

According to Chuck Culpepper of the Washington Post, the junior guard has yet to receive one anti-gay slur, taunt, barb, jeer or insult in any situation around the basketball court.

There has been no worrying. Every day I’m always happy, smiling, playing the game that I love. It’s just like, honestly, I haven’t felt like this in a long time — ever, to be honest with you. . . . Ever since I came out, the places that I’ve been, the people that I’ve met, it’s just like, man, I should have come out in high school! It’s just a whole new world out there. I love it.

The transfer from Western Kentucky has started every game this season and is averaging 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for the Minutemen.

The only problem for Gordon is that UMass (17-14) will fall short of 20 wins for the first time since 2010-11. UMass will have to win the upcoming Atlantic 10 Tournament at the Barclays Center as the current No. 8 seed to reach this year's NCAA March Madness.

A month from Monday will mark a year since the native of New Jersey decided to set a precedent in college basketball.

Even if the Minutemen don't succeed in the conference tournament, the fact that Gordon has received such positive support in every game since is a success story in itself.

Follow Chris Corso (@ChrisCorsoBR) on Twitter.  

Nov. 23, 1998.

The great Bill Clinton was in his second term as President of the United States, Justin Bieber was four years old, and NHL legend Wayne Gretzky was in the final year of his illustrious career.

This date also represents the last time the University of Massachusetts men’s basketball team was ranked in the Top 25 of the Associated Press College Basketball poll. Fifteen years and two days later, UMass makes its triumphant return to the Top 25 of the AP poll following its 6-0 start—including the Charleston Classic title, which the Minutemen won Sunday night.

UMass, which entered the AP poll Monday at No. 24, has already collected wins over two ACC teams (Clemson, Boston College), an SEC team (LSU), a Big Ten team (Nebraska) and a Top-25 team (New Mexico) just six games into its 2013-14 campaign.

According to www.live-rpi.com, the Minutemen currently own the No. 1 RPI in the nation and their strength of schedule is rated fifth among all Division I squads, ahead of heavyweights such as Kansas and Michigan State.

The team’s success so far this season can be attributed to the balance of its starting unit. Led by the continued emergence of big man Cady Lalanne, UMass boasts a starting lineup in which every player is averaging over 10 points per game.

Senior forwards Raphiael Putney and Sampson Carter are playing their best basketball since they arrived in Amherst, Mass., five seasons ago. Putney scored a season-high 18 points in UMass’ key win over No. 19 New Mexico, and the Woodbridge, Va. native is averaging 11.5 points and 5.3 rebounds a game.

Carter has been the most pleasant surprise this season. The fifth-year senior is the team’s third leading scorer with 13.5 PPG while also contributing 4.8 RPG.

Western Kentucky transfer Derrick Gordon struggled with his shot in the first two games of the season, but he has settled in nicely since then, averaging 11.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 2.2 APG.

The two players most responsible for UMass' first national ranking in a decade and a half are Lalanne and star guard Chaz Williams, both who have already been honored with Atlantic 10 Player of the Week accolades.

Williams, a 2013-14 preseason Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team selection, has played at his typically high level.

Through six contests, the redshirt senior is averaging 16.0 points and 6.2 assists per game. The 5’9’’ spark plug is also grabbing 3.0 RPG and hitting 42.3 percent of his three-point shots, all while logging a team-high 33.7 minutes a contest.

Lalanne, who many thought would continue to emerge this season as a dominant low-post player, has exceeded even those lofty expectations.

The 6’10’’, 250-pound center spent a lot of time this offseason refining his post moves with assistant coach and Minutemen great Lou Roe, and building muscle with the help of strength and conditioning coach “Big” Rich Hogans.

Lalanne’s offseason efforts have paid off, as he is UMass’ leading scorer at 17.8 PPG and leading rebounder with 11.3 per contest. Possibly the most promising aspect of Lalanne’s newfound dominance is his offensive rebounding ability. More than half of his 11.3 rebounds per game are earned on the offensive glass, and he is currently one of three players in all of Division I averaging at least six offensive boards per game.

UMass has already passed some of its toughest tests this season, but the Minutemen still have plenty of resume-building opportunities remaining in their nonconference slate. A matchup with high-scoring BYU looms on Dec. 7 in Springfield, Mass., then UMass is set to take on Florida State two weeks later in Sunrise, Fla. The Minutemen also host Providence on Dec. 28 in their last marquee nonconference contest.

With two legitimate stars in Lalanne and Williams, along with a solid supporting cast, it is reasonable to assume that UMass will remain in the national picture all season.

The release of the college basketball schedule at the end of summer is one of the most exciting events all year for followers of the sport. Players, fans and media invariably focus on a select few games, circling them on the calendar to highlight their significance.

College basketball teams can make or break their season based on how they perform in their five or six biggest games. They are afforded only so many opportunities to impress the selection committee, and it is imperative to make the most of those opportunities.

Unfortunately, the 2012-13 UMass Minutemen whiffed on each of their best chances to pick up a signature win. They lost at VCU and Saint Louis, not to mention at home against Temple, Butler and Miami. Winning any two of those games would have gone a long way towards helping UMass slip into the tournament.

Thanks to strong scheduling by the athletic department, the 2013-14 Minutemen will have a handful of opportunities to show the college basketball world what they are capable of accomplishing. Without further ado, here are UMass’ five biggest games of 2013-14.

5. Florida State (Saturday, December 21; Orange Bowl Classic, Sunrise, Fla.)

The Orange Bowl Classic will serve as one of UMass’ two or three best opportunities in the non-conference slate to pick up a meaningful win that will resonate throughout the course of the year. The Seminoles lost their best player, guard Michael Snaer, but return senior forward Okaro White (12.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG last year), along with fellow seniors Ian Miller, Kiel Turpin and Robert Gilchrist.

Florida State missed out on the NCAA tournament in 2013, but made it to the dance the previous four consecutive seasons, from 2009-2012. With an experienced, senior-heavy group, the 2013-14 Seminoles should have a chance to finish in the top half of the ACC standings and make it to the tournament for the fifth time in six years.

4. Boston College (Sunday, November 11; Coaches vs. Cancer Boston Tip-Off, Boston, Mass.)

UMass will open the season against in-state rival BC at the TD Garden in Boston as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Boston Tip-Off, a tripleheader of games also featuring Harvard, Boston University, Northeastern and Holy Cross.

UMass will have to employ a focused team effort on defense to limit star BC guard Olivier Hanlan, who averaged over 15 points per game his first year in Chestnut Hill. The ACC Freshman of the Year has the ability to explode on any given night, as he displayed in the ACC tournament against Georgia Tech for 41 points, including 8-of-10 from long range.

The Eagles also return junior Ryan Anderson, their second leading scorer (14.9 PPG) and leading rebounder (8.0 RPG) from a year ago. Winning this game would help UMass establish itself as the top college basketball program in the state while also giving the Minutemen a win against a solid ACC squad.

3. Nebraska (Thursday, November 21; Charleston Classic, Charleston, S.C.)

This game is significant for the Minutemen not because of who they are playing, but because of who they will likely play if they get past the Cornhuskers.

New Mexico, a team that has made two straight NCAA tournament appearances as a fifth seed or better, and which will enter the 2013-14 season as a likely Top 25 squad, will be waiting in Round 2 of the Charleston Classic if the Lobos can take care of UAB. This would set up a huge early season opportunity for UMass to prove that it can play with and even beat top-tier teams.

2. Saint Louis (Sunday, March 9; Mullins Center)

UMass will host last season’s Atlantic 10 Tournament champion in the 2013-14 regular season finale with a chance to make a huge splash right before postseason play begins. Saint Louis will be looking to earn its third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament, and they should have no problem attaining that goal.

Dwayne Evans, Rob Loe and Jordair Jett will all be back for the Billikens, and UMass will have its hands full on senior day. Emotions will be running high for Chaz Williams' last regular-season appearance in Amherst and it will be up to UMass to rise to the occasion and pick up a signature win.

1. VCU (Friday, February 21; Mullins Center)

Revenge will be on the mind of UMass players and fans alike when VCU pays a visit to the Mullins Center in late February. The Rams defeated the Minutemen twice last year, and in the process slammed the door on any chance UMass had of reaching the NCAA tournament.

The two teams first met on Valentine's Day in Richmond, when UMass led by five at halftime before getting thoroughly dismantled by VCU's Havoc press in the second half.

VCU and UMass met for a second time in the semifinals of the A-10 Tournament, where again UMass was able to keep up with the Rams for the majority of the game. The Minutemen were down only two points with under five minutes to play before VCU pulled away.

The Rams return forward Juvonte Reddic and guard Rob Brandenberg, the final holdovers from the VCU squad that shocked the college basketball world with their improbable run to the 2011 Final Four, as well as Briante Weber and Treveon Graham. VCU will be the class of the A-10 in 2013-14, and if UMass can overcome Shaka Smart’s devastating press, the Minutemen will be sitting pretty come selection Sunday.

Honorable Mention: vs. LSU; vs. La Salle

The LSU Tigers return four double-digit scorers, while the La Salle Explorers are fresh off a season in which they made a surprise run to the Sweet 16. Both of these wins would look excellent on UMass' resume come Selection Sunday.

Every successful college basketball team has an effective sixth man to bring off the bench.

Whether that player provides energy, tough rebounding, an infusion of scoring or some combination of those attributes—it is essential to have a player who embraces the role of coming off the bench and providing a boost to his team.

Assuming that UMass coach Derek Kellogg goes with a starting lineup of Chaz Williams, Derrick Gordon, Raphiael Putney, Sampson Carter and Cady Lalanne, these are UMass’ most likely candidates to step in and make an impact as a sixth man in 2013-14.

 3. Clyde Santee

Earlier this summer, star guard Chaz Williams spent a night answering questions from fans on the website 'ask.fm'. When posed the question, "Who on the team will be the biggest surprise to fans this year?", Williams' reply was, "I truly believe it can be Clyde."

Santee, a 6’7’’ freshman from Houston, should see time at both guard and small forward for the Minutemen.

His addition will give UMass a capable scorer with three-point range and rebounding ability. UMass lost three of its top-four three-point threats from a year ago (Terrell Vinson, Freddie Riley, Jesse Morgan), and the Minutemen will need Santee to be effective from long-range.

 2. Trey Davis

Davis showed real promise as a freshman last year, highlighted by clutch free throws and overall play at Fordham’s Rose Hill Gym in January, as well as a 12-point effort off the bench in a March victory at Xavier (one of UMass’ best wins of 2012-2013).

The 6’0’’ guard has also displayed a sweet three-point stroke, making 44% of his attempts in 2012-13.

In the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament, Davis went 3-of-3 from beyond the arc in UMass’ win over George Washington. Look for Davis to be even more confident in 2013-14, as he will be the primary guard spelling Williams and Gordon.

 1. Maxie Esho

To the majority of UMass fans, the obvious candidate to emerge as a key sixth man is 6’8’’ junior forward Maxie Esho. Esho will provide a ton of energy off the bench and could certainly start at power forward over Kellogg’s probable selection, Sampson Carter.

Esho is known to electrify the crowd with massive dunks and has even showed promise as a rebounder (seven offensive boards, ten overall against VCU in the semifinals of the A-10 Tournament). Don’t be shocked if Esho plays himself into the starting lineup as the season progresses, but until that point he will provide exciting play as the first guy off the bench for UMass.

Honorable Mention: Zach Coleman

Throughout the 1990s, the University of Massachusetts was a powerhouse in college basketball.

John Calipari took over as head coach in 1988 and led the Minutemen from obscurity to an Elite Eight appearance in 1995 and a Final Four in 1996 before bolting for the NBA. UMass was routinely a Top 25 team in the 90s, making the NCAA tournament seven times, with their last appearance coming in 1998.

The Minutemen have tasted little success since their last tourney appearance, however, struggling through mediocre seasons and several head coaches before appointing alum Derek Kellogg to the position in 2008.

Kellogg, the point guard for the ’95 UMass Elite Eight squad, led the team to a disappointing 39-53 mark in his first three seasons as head coach before scrapping his dribble-drive offense for the fast-paced, up-tempo offense UMass now employs. Since the switch, the Minutemen have improved drastically, making consecutive NIT trips, including a run to the NIT Final Four in 2011-12.

After a 15-year drought, here are five reasons why UMass is poised to return to the Big Dance in the 2013-14 season.

1. The Emergence of Cady Lalanne

Cady Lalanne, a 6’10", 250-pound center from Orlando, Fla., has had to fight off nagging injuries during his first two years in Amherst.

The big man was only on the court for 22 minutes a game last season, yet he still managed to average over eight points and seven rebounds while making 72 percent of his free throws.

With a full, injury-free summer of conditioning under his belt, expect to see a bigger, stronger Lalanne on the court for about 30 minutes a game this season. With this increase in playing time, Lalanne should see his production increase considerably while also stabilizing the UMass offense and providing defense under the basket.

UMass fans are fully aware of the impact Lalanne can have, after witnessing his 22-point, 14-rebound performance in a victory over Dayton in February. If Lalanne can come close to replicating those numbers on a consistent basis, UMass will almost certainly be dancing come March.

2. The Addition of Derrick Gordon

Derrick Gordon, a 6’3" guard who played high school basketball at St. Patrick’s (N.J.) with current Charlotte Bobcat Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, should slide right into the UMass starting lineup and make an immediate impact.

Although he could certainly improve his outside shooting, Gordon’s slashing abilities should help him get to the free-throw line frequently while also taking some of the pressure off Chaz Williams. Gordon, who transferred from Western Kentucky, guided the Hilltoppers to the 2012 NCAA tournament while leading his team in both scoring (11.8) and rebounding (6.7) average.

3. Favorable Atlantic-10 Schedule

The 2012-13 Minutemen missed out on the NCAA tournament largely because of their tendency to not show up in big games.

Fortunately for the 2013-2014 Minutemen, most of those big games will be held at the Mullins Center in Amherst, where UMass has gone 24-5 over the past two seasons.

UMass will host both VCU and St. Louis, which played in the A-10 championship game last year, as well as La Salle, which made a surprise run to the Sweet 16. Winning two of those three games will go a long way towards impressing the NCAA committee on Selection Sunday.

4. Raphiael Putney Finally Realizes Potential

Affectionately known around the UMass campus as ‘Skinny’, Raphiael Putney, a 6’9" forward from Woodbridge, Va., has teased fans with his potential for three years now.

As a sophomore in 2011-12, Putney averaged 10 points and six boards a game and seemed to be headed towards a great career at UMass. Last year, however, Putney regressed (7.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG) and seemed to lose a lot of the confidence he had gained the year before. If he can regain his 2011-12 form, the Minutemen will have yet another offensive weapon at their disposal.

5. Chaz Williams

Last, but certainly not least, is UMass' miniature point guard Chaz Williams.

Williams, who transferred from Hofstra after his freshman season, is undoubtedly one of the most exciting players in college basketball today. Since arriving in Amherst, he has averaged 16 points and 6.8 assists while dazzling fans with his court vision and knack for big plays.

Williams flirted with the idea of entering the NBA draft after last season, but decided to return to school. That decision will be the main reason why the Minutemen end their 15-year drought and return to the NCAA tournament in 2013-14.

UMass hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since 1998, but the Minutemen are showing signs of emerging from the depths as they get set to face Stanford in the NIT semifinals on Tuesday night.

The Minutemen weren't even supposed to get this far this season. The No. 5 seed in Region 3, they had regular-season losses to such teams as Charleston, La Salle, Duquesne, Rhode Island and Saint Joseph.

But wins against Mississippi State, Seton Hall and Drexel have changed that tune. Led by a 5'9" point guard in Chaz Williams whom big schools said was too small to play in the ACC, the Minutemen have the look of a team gaining experience for a run at the NCAA tournament in 2013.

Williams, a sophomore, is averaging 16.4 points, 6.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals while shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc. UMass' second-leading scorer, Raphiael Putney, is shooting 48 percent for the season and protecting the rim with 1.4 blocks per game. That's not to mention Terrell Vinson, Jesse Morgan and Sean Carter, all of whom have all stepped up big for the Minutemen in the NIT.

UMass has also gotten big contributions from bench players Maxie Esho, Javorn Farrell and Freddie Riley.

Beyond talent, this team has heart. The Minutemen wouldn't have even made it to the semifinals if they hadn't overcome a 17-point second-half deficit on March 20 to defeat Drexel.

Drexel coach Bruiser Flint simply said after the game, via ESPN, "They refused to lose."

But the head coach may be just as responsible for the program's rise.

Derek Kellogg, a former assistant to John Calipari at Memphis, reportedly talked to Calipari before this season and actually brought in sports psychologist Joe Carr for three days.

That's when Kellogg decided to hand the reins to Williams and see what he could do.

It turned out to be the right move, as Williams has played with a fire all season long that has led the Minutemen further than they could have dreamed. The Brooklyn native now gets to play in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night against Stanford, and you can bet he'll bring his A-game.

After years of mediocrity, UMass finally appears to be turning the corner.

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