UMASS Minutemen Stats at Insiders Betting Digest

NCAAB – ATLANTIC 10

Arena: Mullins Center
Coach: Matt McCall

TEAM LEADERS

University of Massachusetts Minutemen

Team Summary

UMass has been respectable this season on offense as they are one of the most lethal three-point shooting teams in the nation. The problem, once again, is on the defensive side of the court. The Minutemen rank 337th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency while surrendering an effective field goal percentage of 54.9% to their opponents.

On offense, the Minutemen have connected on 198 three-pointers which ranks 27th in the nation. Their three-point shooting percentage as a team is over 40% on the season which ranks second in the nation.

UMass has been mediocre on the court with a 9-10 record and equally so from a wagering standpoint. The Minutemen are 10-9 against the spread on the spread on the season with a negative margin of victory of -1.8 while underperforming the number by -1.1 points per game. At home, they are a safe bet going 7-2 against the spread and outperforming the number by +4.4 points per game with a margin of victory of 6.4.

University of Massachusetts Minutemen Standings

University of Massachusetts Minutemen Betting Trends

Minutemen History

The UMass program came into existence in 1925 and was an independent program for just a single season before joining the Yankee Conference. The program remained in the Yankee Conference with other northeastern schools until 1975 when they joined the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League which later became the Eastern Athletic Association.

UMass joined the Atlantic 10 in 1982 and remains with the conference to this day. In the program’s history, the Minutemen have a 52.9% winning percentage with a record of 1,113 wins and 990 losses. The program experienced a golden period in the 1990s and another brief run of success in the late 2000s but is currently in an elongated lull. In 77 seasons competing at the division one level, the program has participated in just nine NCAA tournaments.

2022 Key Stats

As stated above, this season’s Minutemen team are among the elite in terms of three-point shooting. Junior guard Noah Fernandes leads the team in both scoring (16.0) and assists (5.2) per game. Boston College transfer Rich Kelly is a super senior that is playing for his third program and having a nice season averaging over 13 points and 3 assists per game while shooting a fantastic 51% from behind the three-point line.

The defensive side of the court is one of the worst team efforts in the country. The Minutemen rank 300 or higher in efficiency (337th) defensive effective field goal percentage (344th), three-point defense (304th), and two-point percentage defense (337th).

While the Minutemen rank in the top 75 of offensive points per game at 77.0, they rank 346th in the nation in points allowed at 78.8 points per game.

Championships

While the UMass program has never won a national championship, they have had some regular-season success. The Minutemen won five consecutive Atlantic 10 postseason conference tournaments in the mid-1990s which are the only times the program had won before or since.

UMass has won 14 regular-season championship titles with the most recent coming in 2007. All of the titles having come between 1962 and 2007. The program made a final four in 1996 as well as two other sweet sixteens in 1992 and 1995.

The Minutemen have participated in 13 postseason National Invitational Tournaments with a record of 13-14. They lost in the finals to Ohio State in 2008 and the third-place game against Colorado in 1991.

Important UMass Events

Two of the most significant moments in program history are centered around the 1995-96 season. UMass, led by John Calipari, marched to a 35-2 record and all the way to the Final Four before falling to the eventual champion Kentucky Wildcats. The Minutemen were led on the court by legendary big man Marcus Camby and a deep stable of legendary UMass players.

It was later revealed that Camby accepted cash, jewelry and clothes from an agent during the season. The NCAA levied sanctions against the program which led to the final four appearances to be removed from the record books. The program also had to return revenue generated by the tournament appearance which totaled more than $150,000. Calipari would resign following the season.

Top Players in Program History

In the history of Massachusetts basketball, one name jumps off of the page: Julius Erving. The affectionately named “Dr. J” played just two seasons for UMass but in those 52 career games he averaged over 26 points per game and is one of only two players in program history to log 1,000 rebounds. HIs 26.3 points per game is the best in program history and his 38.4 minutes per game is also tops in the record book.

Lou Roe starred for the program from 1991 to 1995 and is the only player in program history with over 1,900 points and 1,000 rebounds. He is the Massachusetts all-time leader in made free throws at 578 and true shooting percentage at 57.8%.

Jim McCoy is the all-time leader in scoring at UMass with 2,374 points over his career. McCoy played for the Minutemen from 1988-1992 and never averaged fewer than 16.4 points for his career. His 640 points during the 1989-90 season ranks as the eighth-best scoring season in program history.

Marcus Camby may very well have become the best player in program history but the seven-foot big man played just three seasons. In those three years he averaged 15.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game. Had Camby and Coach Calipari stayed with the program, UMass would have been one of the favorites to win the 1997 national championship again.

Historical Coaches

When you are talking about Massachusetts basketball coaches there is really only one name that comes to mind and that is John Calipari. Coach Cal led the Minutemen to their only final four appearance in program history as well as five of the program’s nine NCAA Tournament appearances. Calipari’s 73% winning percentage is tops among coaches that coached more than one season while his 193 victories rank second in school history.

Jack Leaman is easily the second-best coach in program history, leading UMass to eight regular-season conference championships and 217 victories in 13 seasons.

Travis Ford was a nice coaching hire for the program in 2005 but only remained with the program for three seasons before jumping at the opportunity to coach Oklahoma State. Ford struggled his first season at UMass but went 49-20 over his last two seasons.