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Posted: Tuesday October 22, 2002 2:38 PM Updated: Monday October 28, 2002 1:58 PM Massachusetts Minutemen
The following preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the most thorough preview available of the upcoming season, order the 2002-03 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518. Team Preview | Blue Ribbon Analysis
Steve Lappas has a proven formula for building a better basketball program. "You put the style in whether it fits your team or not," said Lappas, who favors a motion offense and man-to-man defense. "It’s important to get your style in and do what you are going to do. It’s also crucial to get a good first recruiting class." So far, so good. Lappas used the same philosophy to turn things around during previous coaching stints at Manhattan and Villanova and is in the second year of attempting to return Massachusetts to the elite status it enjoyed while winning five straight Atlantic 10 championships under John Calipari in the 1990s. The Minutemen got off to a fast 4-0 start under Lappas’ new system last season, but could not maintain the momentum and saw their run of 12 straight winning seasons in conference play come to an end.
This year the second phase of the rebuilding kicks in as seven players who were not in uniform -- including senior forward Jackie Rogers, Connecticut transfer Marcus Cox, a junior, and four talented freshmen -- join the Minutemen. The changes might not be enough to put UMass over the top in the wide-open Atlantic 10 East, but the opportunity to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish is certainly there. "I think it’s a year where you can make a move if your incoming class is good," Lappas said. "I think our freshman class is going to be good, I don’t know if they are going to be good now." That’s not the case with guard Anthony Anderson, the 2002 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, and one of three returning starters for the Minutemen. Anderson (10.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.1spg), a 5-foot-11 junior who can regain a year of eligibility if he graduates by May 2004, showed no side effects from sitting out as a freshman and finished as UMass’ second-leading scorer and top three-point shooter (71-of-118, .388). "He is just a kid that doesn’t make any mistakes," Lappas said. "He’s just one of those guys that knows how to play." As is Cox, a 6-4 slasher who was one of the better players during UMass’ practice sessions last season. In addition to being able to get to the basket and draw fouls, Cox (2.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg in 23 games for UConn in 2000-01) can shoot well from the outside. "He’s very experienced and can score a lot of ways," said Lappas, who was very interested in signing Cox for Villanova when he was head coach of the Wildcats. Freshman Michael Lasme, a native of the Ivory Coast, should also be an impact player in the backcourt. Ranked among the top 70 preps in the nation by HoopScoop, the 6-1 Lasme led the Penn-New Jersey League in scoring (25.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) during each of his two seasons at Burlington (N.J.) Life Center Academy. Lasme, who moved to France when he was 12, has been in the United States for two years and speaks three languages (French, Spanish and English). An outstanding leaper, he won the slam dunk contest at the 2002 Born to Run Classic in Pittsburgh. "He’s a very, very athletic player," Lappas said. "He’s a real good shooter. He jumps through the roof, has long arms and is very strong. Mike has a lot of talent, and he’s a great person." Cox and Lasme, who could often be in the lineup at the same time, will look to offset the loss of leading scorer Shannon Crooks (14.6 ppg) to graduation. The Minutemen are also counting on the continued development of 5-11 sophomore Kyle Wilson (3.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.8 apg), the first recruit of the Lappas Era. Wilson is an outstanding outside shooter (.338 3PT). He spent the summer training with the Canadian National Team. Paco Kotaridis (0.6 ppg), a 5-11 junior, also returns after making the team as a walk-on last year. The Minutemen lose center Kitwana Rhymer, the 2001 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year, but counter with two returning starters, Rogers and a host of new talent up front. Lappas is counting on Rogers and Micah Brand, the team’s only two seniors, to lead the way. Rogers (6.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg in 2000-01) took an academic red-shirt last season so that he would graduate in the same year that his eligibility expires. A 6-8, 230-pound enforcer, he led the team in field-goal percentage (.553) during his junior season and brings added toughness to the UMass lineup. "That’s what we need, really," Lappas said. "Someone to anchor the front line because we are so young." The 6-11 Brand (9.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.0 bpg) played the role of barometer for the Minutemen last season. When he played well, the team played well. And when he didn’t, UMass struggled. The Atlantic 10’s Most Improved Player in 2001, Brand is the team’s top returning rebounder and a solid defender who will finish his career as one of the top 10 shot-blockers in school history. His challenge this season, his second as a starter, is to play at the same high level all of the time. "It’s important that he makes that next step," Lappas said. "He has got to be consistent in every game." Junior Raheim Lamb, the third returning starter, made the successful transition from high school center to small forward after sitting out a season. The 6-5 Lamb (5.7 ppg, 3.4 ppg) is arguably the team’s best defender and is working to become more of an outside scoring threat. Brennan Martin (1.4 ppg), a 6-6 sophomore, saw increased time in the second half of the season and will push for a larger role this season. There is also plenty of excitement surrounding the four newcomers to the frontcourt. Gabriel Lee, a 6-9, 225-pound sophomore, attended UMass last season but did not play basketball. Lee (21.4 ppg, 4.3 bpg) was being pursued by the likes of Cincinnati, North Carolina and UConn during his prep season at Northfield (Mass.) Mount Hermon before separating his right shoulder. Lee also led his high school, Mitchell-Baker of Georgia, to three straight state titles. He will add much-needed size and strength after the graduation of Rhymer and Eric Williams. Freshmen Stephen Briggs and Alassane Kouyate, who are both 6-9, will also help in the size department. Briggs (18 ppg, 9 rpg) was rated as the 128th-best player in the Class of 2002 by PrepStars after completing his career at Westside High School in Houston. "He’s a tough kid," Lappas said. "He can shoot the ball well for his size. We believe he’s going to be a very good player." Kouyate, a native of Mali who speaks five languages, averaged a double-double (15.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg) in his only season at Walsh (Ohio) Jesuit High School. "He’s a warrior," Lappas said. "He can shoot the ball from 15 feet, which helps in our style of play, but he can also post up. He’s a tough kid and he goes in there and battles. He plays hard. You can’t substitute for that. If you play hard, you can learn on the job."
"Jeff is a multi-talented guy," Lappas said. "He has the ability to come in and give us some immediate help at the small forward position. He’s a good scorer who can really shoot the ball, and he’s a good student. Jeff plays taller than he really is and his abilities to slash and get to the basket should really help our team." The Minutemen also signed another 6-9 forward, Rashaun Freeman of Schenectady (N.Y.) High School, who is academically ineligible this season. Freeman, ranked as the 100th-best player in the Class of 2002 by HoopScoop, averaged 17.8 points as a senior and was chosen the Albany Times Union Player of the Year. Lappas’ teams have averaged an eight-win improvement in his second season at Manhattan and Villanova. And, while it’s nice to have history on your side, it’s difficult to see these Minutemen making that big of a jump this season. Anderson is solid in the backcourt, but it may take Cox and Lasme some time to find their games. Lasme has a ton of talent, though, and will be one of the top rookies in the league. Brand and Rogers are solid players, but they aren’t the type who can carry the load offensively up front. Losing Rhymer also leaves a void in the middle. Lee, Briggs and Kouyate all have the ability to contribute, but it’s difficult to count on them being able to play at a high level for a full season. Viggiano’s versatility could give the offense a shot in the arm as well. It won’t take the Minutemen too long to figure out where they stand as they open the season against national runner-up Indiana. The A-10 division race is wide open and UMass won’t be totally overmatched by anyone in the East, although winning it would be more than a mild surprise. This team has enough talent to reach the postseason. The degree of improvement will determine whether that tournament is the NCAA or NIT.
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