Massachusetts coach Matt McCall took a good, long look at his program after he wrapped up his second season with the Minutemen. The results weren’t what he wanted, but there was something else requiring far more attention.
And it needed to be addressed immediately.
“It was what needed to happen. … I had to take a step back and study it,” McCall said. “Why have we struggled, not only the last two years, but as a program over the long haul? I think that the character piece is what needed to change first.”
There are two new coaches in the Atlantic 10, yet Massachusetts might look more different year over year than anyone in the league. The Minutemen have seven freshmen as part of a massive roster makeover.
McCall hopes it’s the start of reviving a program with just one NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998.
“Really, the focus and the emphasis for our guys from constantly talking to them and explaining is they have an unbelievable opportunity right now to be a part of changing UMass basketball’s culture, a culture that over the last 21, 22, 24 years has struggled,” McCall said. “That opportunity should excite them.”
It seems to have McCall excited as well, especially since fixing that area of his program has required plenty of offseason focus.
“You have a culture; it’s either good or bad,” McCall said. “And if it’s bad, it bleeds into everything you’re doing. That was the biggest piece for me, and we feel like we’ve shifted that and we’ve got that going in the right direction.”
A look at the Minutemen:
Coach: Matt McCall, third season at Massachusetts, 24-41 with the Minutemen and 72-59 overall in four seasons
Last year: The Minutemen went 11-21 overall and 4-14 in the Atlantic 10, tying for 12th in the conference. As the No. 13 seed in league championship, Massachusetts dropped a 68-64 overtime decision against George Washington in the event’s first round.
They’ll miss: There are a lot of new faces in Amherst this season, from three new full-time assistant coaches (though Lucious Jordan was promoted from director of operations) to the departure of four of last year’s top five scorers.
The most high-profile of that bunch was guard Luwane Pipkins, who averaged 16.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists before opting to transfer for his final year of eligibility. Also gone is longtime interior mainstay Rashaan Holloway, led the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage (.681) while averaging 9.6 points and 6.0 rebounds.
Impact returners: Carl Pierre was the Minutemen’s most assertive outside shooter last season, making a team-high 82 3-pointers while attempting 215. He averaged 11.8 points, and figures to have even more responsibility as a junior.
Keon Clergeot, a Memphis transfer who averaged 7.5 points in his first season at Massachusetts, should see his role expand as well.
Newbies of note: At 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds, freshman Tre Mitchell stands out more than anyone else.
“Boy, does he ever,” McCall said.
Mitchell is a matchup problem who can play the pick-and-pop game on the perimeter, but he also has superb feet and hands and McCall believes he is “ferocious” down on the block. His greatest skill might be his passing, which could be on display if Mitchell begins to draw double teams as McCall anticipates.
But like so much else tied to the Minutemen this year, Mitchell’s intangibles bring value as well.
“Character trumps ability, but if you get both of them, you have a chance to win a championship, and he has both,” McCall said.
Among the other freshmen, look for sweet-shooting guard T.J. Weeks to play a prominent role.
Reasons to be optimistic: Massachusetts got a head start on the season, taking a summer tour to the Virgin Islands and playing three games in seven days.
“It was a great experience, really to get those seven freshmen game reps under the whistle,” McCall said. “Playing against other opponents I thought was huge.”
Every little bit of work in live games is likely to help, especially given how much the Minutemen are likely to lean on newcomers this season.
X factor: Sy Chatman averaged 3.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in his UMass debut, but he also played largely at the five. The 6-8, 220-pounder should be able to play to his strengths more this year while pairing with Mitchell in the post.
“When you see Sy Chatman walk into a room, he looks completely different now than he did a year ago,” McCall said. “He’s got the potential to have a huge jump from his freshman to sophomore year. He played a lot out of position last year at the center spot based on need. He’s at the power forward spot now and he’s had a great summer and a terrific fall camp.”
One other name to keep an eye on, potentially: Cleveland State transfer Dibaji Walker, who is still waiting on a waiver for immediate eligibility from the NCAA.
Circle the date(s): While a neutral-site game against defending national champion Virginia on Nov. 23 pops off the page, the Minutemen will also play host South Carolina on Dec. 4. UMass dropped a 76-70 decision in Columbia two seasons ago, and the Gamecocks shook off a tough start last year to tie for fourth in a deep Southeastern Conference at 11-7.
Bottom line: The Minutemen are going to have some ups and downs, a natural fact of life while relying on so many young players. Massachusetts should be a team that improves as the year goes along, and it could be a threat to pull some surprises in late season home games against Dayton, Saint Louis, VCU and Rhode Island if things go well.