Game 32, 2024-25: La Salle (A10 1st Round)

[MikeUMA]

So with the loss at Bona, we're now 7-10 in the league, with one game to play.

At the moment, we're alone in 10th place. Davidson, at 6-10, could move ahead of us, but odds are long for them at Lo-Chi tonight, so I'm assuming they end tonight at 6-11.

We're a game back of Bona and Duq at 8-9. We can't catch Bona, as they own the tiebreaker against us.

We're 1-0 against Duq this season, so if we win at home over Lo-Chi on Saturday (tough, but homecourt advantage), and Duq loses (likely, at SLU), we'd both finish 8-10, and we'd take 9th with the tiebreaker, and 9th gets the day one bye.

If we lose or Duq wins, we're locked into Wednesday.

...I think. Somebody check me on that.

[JoleonLescottsHair]

Whatever the bracket, if we lose to Loyola we are guaranteed to finish Frank’s 3rd season with 20 losses. Combined with today’s exciting MAC football schedule (can you feel the FBS difference?) roll out, it is hard not to feel super pumped on UMass athletics.

[69MG]

I don't want to sound like the FB folks who are predicting a bowl game next year, but mark it down: We will beat Loyola on Saturday. It's up to SLU to beat Duq. and keep us out of the pillow fight.

[MikeUMA]

Dude on the bird site ran the latest numbers
https://x.com/liminutemen/status/1897660992252678437

Apparently we could finish between 9th and 12th. 35.87% chance of getting 9th and the bye / 64.13 we get locked into pillow fight day.

It's up to SLU to beat Duq. and keep us out of the pillow fight.

SLU still has an outside chance of a double-bye, so they have motivation of their own to beat the Duqies.

[bobolink]

SLU vs. Duq. is the only night game Saturday. By the time they play the motivation for seeding could differ from what we have now.

[MikeUMA]

There are still 2 games left to play today in the A10, but based on Bergman's tweet, I'm not sure if they'll have any bearing on us. He has us as the 11 seed.
https://x.com/MLBergman_/status/1898490370541211880

...which means we're matched up against 14 La Salle, which is good news as we played well against them both times, 82-60 and 78-55.

That's the last game on Wednesday. Supposed to start at 4:30 but if either of the earlier two go long, we might get delayed a bit. USA Network has the first three days.

[inthescoop]

If we lose to a team that we have absolutely crushed twice this season then it is quite clear that the team gave up on Frank Martin

[MikeUMA]

Bergman has us locked in as the 11, so it's La Salle on Wednesday at 4:30
https://x.com/MLBergman_/status/1898574092690702842

One of two things is guaranteed:
- UM's final game in the A10
- Fran Dunphy's final game in his phenomenal career
Either will be sad

[Juice Stand]

If we held on to the 10-seed, I loved that bracket. Fordham>GW>Mason. In the 11 now, I hate the bracket. St Joes and then Dayton if we get past La Salle.

[bobolink]

I will not be at all sad if it's Coach Dunphy's last game. He's had a great run, and there's not the talent to replicate Coach Dambrot's retirement run as we saw last year.
ESPN's predictor has this as a 50-50 game. La Salle looked strong yesterday beating St Joe's, and UMass played terrible yesterday. La Salle's only lopsided losses this year were UMass and VCU. Not sure what to make of that, and I think this one will be close. Neither team has a shot at going to next week-end, so it's who's thinking of next year and who can stay in the present and win one.

[JoleonLescottsHair]

If we held on to the 10-seed, I loved that bracket. Fordham>GW>Mason. In the 11 now, I hate the bracket. St Joes and then Dayton if we get past La Salle.

I understand the thinking, but does it really matter? Potential match ups really don’t mean much for a team whose next loss will be their 20th. And even as hopeful as last season was, we flamed out badly in the opening round of the A10. The team is badly broken tight now and, quite frankly, if somehow Frank does leave, I suspect we’ll struggle to land a good coach as we downgrade to the MAC.

In the meantime. Here’s a propsed cure:

Part ways was with Bamford;
Bring in an organizational fixer;
Start search for new AD;
Develop MAC (FBS) exit strategy;
Appoint permanent UMass Sports Liaison to the Massachusetts Legislature;
Review Athletic Department’s corporate outreach strategy;
Give Carvel a raise, whatever budget he wants, and pour some coin into hockey national branding campaign;
Shift additional funds into baseball and soccer;
If possible, buy out, re-negotiate, or reassign Frank (if not, well, fuck);
Clean off Frank’s bench;
Assemble a hoops advisory committee w/CTrav, Camby, Chaz, Coach Cal, Coach Tom, The Collective, and, Niles;
Create a Fan Congress and issue social IPOs. (Who knows what is even/legal possible with NIL and the NCAA these days?);
Hire a historian, journalist, an ad executive and Curry Hicks Sage to rebrand and tell a UMass story. If you don’t have the money to compete in NIL, then at least claim a unique story and make UMass a niche destination.

But given the ‘continual improvement’ shown by this year’s squad and the ‘stability’ of a conference in football, good chance we make a run in the A10 and win 4 or 5 games in football. If so, disregard the above and keep the faith!

[inthescoop]

Parting ways with Bamford should be a priority but who makes that firing, our brand new chancellor who’s already interviewing for other roles?

[Juice Stand]

If we held on to the 10-seed, I loved that bracket. Fordham>GW>Mason. In the 11 now, I hate the bracket. St Joes and then Dayton if we get past La Salle.

I understand the thinking, but does it really matter?

No, not really. This season has been pretty damn miserable and there are structural issues that need to be given serious attention. But at my core, I'm just a guy that likes watching UMass basketball, so even in a miserable season like this, I still watch the games and want them to win.

[JoleonLescottsHair]

I still watch the games and want them to win.

I still watch and want them to win, too. Always.

[MikeUMA]

A little trivia related to this one...

UM has the opportunity to beat La Salle for the third time this season. The chances for a third matchup are infrequent, with the larger A-10 schedule and only a few of those get head-to-head meetings.

Last time we beat a team three times in one season: the 2016-17 campaign, over Saint Joe's. Sorry Phil Martelli.
https://umasshoops.com/wiki/doku.php?id=season_2016-17

(That third win was also the last for Derek Kellogg as UM head coach.)