Game 1, 2025-26: Marshall (11/3)

[UMass1991]

Let’s hope they can shoot FTs better than last year

[vanmeter]

I will be there as well.

[Juice Stand]

How do we think they'll handle the 6th year 7'4" player, Dr. Van Komen? I haven't seen him play so I have no idea how mobile or athletic he is, but he's bound to cause problems inside. We need this new crop of shooters to come out hitting their outside shots. First game jitters, new gym, whatever the case may be, need to play confident and knock 'em down.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

Game day!!

[69MG]

Let’s hope they can shoot FTs better than last year

On paper, they will be much better but we'll see when the games begin. Some stats on the new guys:
Parker - 86% last year
Brown - 75%
Placide - 81% 2-year average
Banks - 75% last year
Bettiol - 67% last year, not horrible for a big.

Danny is the guy you do not want at the line in a close game at 53%.

[Floyd]

69, Danny sounds like a kid that works hard so I'm guessing he's been putting up lots of shots in practice to get that average up. I'm predicting he improves quite a bit

[Juice Stand]

A little off topic, but I was looking for spots to go out for a pregame meal and clicked on the Amherst Public House to see if they're open on Mondays (some restaurants close on Mondays). I can't find their website and Yelp is saying they might be permanently closed? That place is pretty new and I thought the food was solid. Anybody out there know what's up?

Edit: read that they were in some financial trouble over the summer and weren't paying employees: https://www.westernmassnews.com/2025/08 ... -disputes/

[bobolink]

How do we think they'll handle the 6th year 7'4" player, Dr. Van Komen? I haven't seen him play so I have no idea how mobile or athletic he is, but he's bound to cause problems inside. We need this new crop of shooters to come out hitting their outside shots. First game jitters, new gym, whatever the case may be, need to play confident and knock 'em down.

really don't know, but expect part of it is to try to play fast and wear him out. hard to do that well vs a 25-year-old in his 7th year. Be physical as well to help wear on him, although he seems to be a pretty good FT shooter so depends how refs are calling it. using all 3 (or is it 4?) who can play C might work too, with Leo making him play D, Clerc getting physical and perhaps even Luka hitting an outside shot. I say 3 because I don't think DHS should have that role, except when that 7'4" guy is out. last but not least, pressure the ball, deny entry passes and be aware he'll return some of those passes for 3-pt attempts.

[69MG]

^^ 53% was last year and it was his worst. His ft% for 4 years at Stepinac was 58%. I'm sure he worked at it there as he had the ball in his hands at the end of every game. He's got to get it over 60% to trust him late game. Just about everything else in his game is really good (BB IQ, court vision, slashing, passing, defense, etc.), but he's not an outside shooter. Just 25% from 3 in his 4 years.

https://www.maxpreps.com/ny/white-plain ... bgkaom3nee

[doubledribble]

I'll be there with my +1 (aka the wife).
Section F.
"It's gonna be awesome, baby!"

Very curious to see how this parking situation works out. They're saying to come in through the back entrance (Cold Storage Dr.). Hopefully I can get into Lot 25 and don't get stuck in Lot 12.

I’ll be there in section F along with ya.

As far as the parking situation goes, count me in with a lot of other folks who think having to pay to park is ridiculous especially for those with AD placards!
With that said, looking forward to supporting this year’s team.

[69MG]

How do we think they'll handle the 6th year 7'4" player, Dr. Van Komen? I haven't seen him play so I have no idea how mobile or athletic he is, but he's bound to cause problems inside. We need this new crop of shooters to come out hitting their outside shots. First game jitters, new gym, whatever the case may be, need to play confident and knock 'em down.

really don't know, but expect part of it is to try to play fast and wear him out. hard to do that well vs a 25-year-old in his 7th year. Be physical as well to help wear on him, although he seems to be a pretty good FT shooter so depends how refs are calling it. using all 3 (or is it 4?) who can play C might work too, with Leo making him play D, Clerc getting physical and perhaps even Luka hitting an outside shot. I say 3 because I don't think DHS should have that role, except when that 7'4" guy is out. last but not least, pressure the ball, deny entry passes and be aware he'll return some of those passes for 3-pt attempts.

Lat year at Elon he played 32 games with 23 minutes per game, and he only shot 43 free throws, about 1.3 per game. He was 23/43 or 54%. He was limited in his other two D1 stops (less than 5 minutes a game) so those stats don't count. Maybe Elon didn't have any guards who could get it into him? He took less than 4 shots per game. I think we need to worry about his D more than his offense.

[69MG]

I'll be there with my +1 (aka the wife).
Section F.
"It's gonna be awesome, baby!"

Very curious to see how this parking situation works out. They're saying to come in through the back entrance (Cold Storage Dr.). Hopefully I can get into Lot 25 and don't get stuck in Lot 12.

I’ll be there in section F along with ya.

As far as the parking situation goes, count me in with a lot of other folks who think having to pay to park is ridiculous especially for those with AD placards!
With that said, looking forward to supporting this year’s team.

I'm also in F with 2 others. Row 5 - stop by and say hello. I'll be wearing a black hoodie that says UMass Basketball.

[Juice Stand]

How do we think they'll handle the 6th year 7'4" player, Dr. Van Komen? I haven't seen him play so I have no idea how mobile or athletic he is, but he's bound to cause problems inside. We need this new crop of shooters to come out hitting their outside shots. First game jitters, new gym, whatever the case may be, need to play confident and knock 'em down.

really don't know, but expect part of it is to try to play fast and wear him out. hard to do that well vs a 25-year-old in his 7th year. Be physical as well to help wear on him, although he seems to be a pretty good FT shooter so depends how refs are calling it. using all 3 (or is it 4?) who can play C might work too, with Leo making him play D, Clerc getting physical and perhaps even Luka hitting an outside shot. I say 3 because I don't think DHS should have that role, except when that 7'4" guy is out. last but not least, pressure the ball, deny entry passes and be aware he'll return some of those passes for 3-pt attempts.

Lat year at Elon he played 32 games with 23 minutes per game, and he only shot 43 free throws, about 1.3 per game. He was 23/43 or 54%. He was limited in his other two D1 stops (less than 5 minutes a game) so those stats don't count. Maybe Elon didn't have any guards who could get it into him? He took less than 4 shots per game. I think we need to worry about his D more than his offense.

Agreed. I'm more worried about the problems he'll create defensively. I don't expect to get much at the rim with him in there, so that's why I emphasized our guards getting into a rhythm early.

[MikeUMA]

Let’s hope they can shoot FTs better than last year

Almost nowhere to go but up in that category. Last season we were in D-I's bottom 30 in FT% (.664).

[debache]

Just went to my wallet, the parking pass is there, but no tickets, I went to the original email sent Oct 20 and low and behold the tickets are not there to download, only the parking pass.
Tried calling 866-Umass-tix, anybody else see that this is too many numbers? I tried calling the athletic number and they are not in right now.
I am going to try the Mullins box office, got a hold of them and they are sending them now...fingers crossed
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