''I wasn't here last year, but all you hear about is UMass-UConn from last year. I'm sure he won't do that again,'' Thomas said. All I've heard about is when Ray went into the stands. At the end I watched Rashaun act the fool,'' Life said laughing.įellow newcomer Brandon Thomas wasn't tuned in, but he's heard plenty about it since. Life's lasting impression from that night was Rashaun Freeman running to the bench in premature celebration after what proved to be the winning basket. It was a real exciting win for UMass, Lowe said. 9 when the Minutemen upset Connecticut 61-59 at the Mullins Center. MHERST - James Life and Chris Lowe had no idea they would be part of the rivalry a year later, but the two new University of Massachusetts guards were in front of their televisions last Dec.
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Matt Vautour can be reached at For more UMass coverage including a frequently updated UMass sports blog, go to New guards saw upset on TV UMass big man Luke Bonner, who is not playing this season after transferring, cut his trademarked floppy hair and has grown a beard. But the Minuteman coaching staff will likely look elsewhere to fill its only scholarship, which opened when Bowers decided last month to transfer. MISCELLANEOUS - Former Providence guard Dwight Brewington, who quit the Friars earlier this semester, reportedly was interested in UMass among several northeast schools. Should Bowers end up at the Philadelphia school, he will have played for each of the last three UMass coaches.īowers, who started the first two games of the season before deciding to depart, is also considering Hofstra, Delaware, Old Dominion and Texas-El Paso. We can't pressure the ball quite as much, but we'd like to play as much man as possible.''īOWERS' NEXT STOP - Ex-Minuteman guard Artie Bowers is exploring several potential spots to continue his basketball career.Īmong them is Drexel where former Minuteman coach Bruiser Flint is the head coach. ''We like to play man-to-man and be aggressive. ''We'd like to press a little bit more and fast break a little bit more, but we've had to slow down everything a bit because of numbers,'' Ford said. That's pretty easy to see.''įord said his team's playing style has been altered anyway because of its thin roster. You don't have to watch too many tapes to see how fast they like to get up and down the court.
We need to stick to what we're trying to accomplish with our own players rather than trying to get too caught up with what UConn's doing.
''But we're not going to change who we are a whole lot. ''We're going to do things to try to help us win the basketball game,'' Ford said. Ormer University of Massachusetts men's basketball coach Steve Lappas tried a different gimmick defense each of the four times he coached the Minutemen against Connecticut, trying to contain the Huskies who always had deeper and more athletic lineups.Īlthough last year's triangle-and two variation proved successful, new Minuteman coach Travis Ford is not planning the same approach when UMass plays UConn at 9 p.m. Minutemen prepare for Ford's first battle with UConnīy Matt Vautour, Daily Hampshire Gazette Staff Writer, The Daily Collegian - last year revisited
The (Manchester CT) Journal Inquirer - preview, Viggiano focus