Game 16, 2025-26: at Ohio (1/6)

[MikeUMA]

Not looking past Bowling Green on Saturday, just doing a little pre-work before I get busy with day job again...

Next road trip will be to Athens Ohio for the Bobcats. Similar to Eastern Michigan, we've played them 3 times before: once in the 70s with Jack Leaman, and two games in the 2010s as part of the football affiliate agreement. We won all 3.
https://umasshoops.com/wiki/doku.php?id=opponent_ohio

Ohio's history...
MAC member since: 1946 (charter member)

MAC titles, regular season (outright or divisional): 10 (last 2013)
MAC tournament (began in 1980) titles: 7

NCAA Tournament appearances: 14 (8-15 record)
Last bid: 2021
Farthest run: Regional Final (Elite Eight equivalent) in 1964
Recent good run: Sweet Sixteen in 2012
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/ohio/men/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_Bobc ... basketball

Current coach: Jeff Boals (7th season)
He was at Stony Brook for his first 3 as a HC, then got the job in Ohio (his alma mater).
Never finished below .500 in Athens, won the MAC tourney in '21, 25-10 in '22, 121-83 overall there.
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/co ... als-1.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Boals

Ohio's last 4 seasons:
2021-22: 25-10 / 14-6 (3rd)
2022-23: 19-14 / 10-8 (5th)
2023-24: 20-13 / 13-5 (3rd)
2024-25: 16-16 / 10-8 (5th)

Boals vs Frank Martin: Boals took Stony Brook to South Carolina and won, 83-81. (Quad 2 win for SBU, Q3 loss for SC)

More on the Bobcats as the game day approaches.

We get them twice this season. They'll be our regular season finale opponent on March 3.

[MikeUMA]

As the NET goes, the upcoming game is just about even. UM currently at 191, Ohio at 197.

Ohio has a Quad 2 win to their credit: a home win over Illinois State, who is punching above their weight in the MVC at NET 55, and 11-3 overall.
Ohio is also more battle tested, with a pair of Quad 1 games at Saint Mary's (NET 23) and Louisville (NET 14). The Bobcats lost big (25+) in both.
We have yet to play a game rated above Quad 3. So far Bowling Green (NET 99) has been our toughest opponent, but as a home game that's still Q3 territory.

Ohio is currently 8-7 overall, 6-7 vs D-I, and 2-1 in the MAC. In conference:
68-58 loss at home to Bowling Green
80-64 road win over a rebuilding Central Michigan
68-67 road win at Eastern Michigan, something we failed to do

With Ohio's home court advantage, and the win over EMU, look for us to be underdogs.

The Bobcats are a little below the middle of the pack in offense and defense. Points scored and allowed, O and D ratings, all in the high 200s.

Individually, their leaders are
Jackson Paveletzke (6-3 175 G Sr) at 17.0 pts (6th in MAC), 2.6 reb, 4.1 assists (also team lead and 9th in MAC). He started with Wofford where he was ROY, upgraded to Iowa State but only averaged 10.5 minutes off the bench, went to Ohio last season and got honored as All-MAC.
Aidan Hadaway (6-8 190 F Sr), 13.1 pts, 7.8 rebs (tied with Leo for 3rd in MAC), 2.4 assists. 4th year with the Bobcats. Played 18 games last season before getting injured. Started every game this season. Don't ask him to define love. (Kudos to anyone who gets that reference. Shout out if you do.)
Javan Simmons (6-7 235 F Sr), 12.7 pts, 4.8 reb, 1.4 a. Played his first two (after an initial redshirt) with Toledo before the intra-conference transfer. MAC ROY in 23-24.
JJ Kelly (6-6 195 G Fr), 7.6 pts, 3.6 reb, 0.5 assists.

With the exception of Kelly, Ohio's top 7 (in points) producers are all seniors. Experienced rosters have proven difficult for us, as Frank has said several times in interviews.

As a team: not great at the 3 (.289) or the stripe (.671), and pretty much meh everywhere else.
Paveletzke (.370) and Ajay Sheldon (.354) are their best from 3.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/sc ... /2026.html

Find your traditional TV remote for this one. CBS Sports Network has it, so it will not be available on ESPN+. If you have a TV package that gets the channel, their stream will also work
https://www.cbssports.com/watch/college ... -211531453

Early start at 6 PM.

[Juice Stand]

Paveletzke is a problem. He doesn't look like much a player when you put him on the court next to the other athletes, but looks are deceiving with this kid. He's aggressive and fearless. If the scouting report is that we can't defend drives and foul too much, look for him to exploit that.

With the exception of Kelly, Ohio's top 7 (in points) producers are all seniors. Experienced rosters have proven difficult for us, as Frank has said several times in interviews.

Just another excuse from the pouting whiner, Frank Martin. Apparently everybody we play is, in his words, "old". Ok, but don't we have two grad students, a 3-year senior who was picked preseason 2nd team all MAC, and a 3-year junior with over 60 career starts in our starting lineup? We've got experience too. That's the weakest excuse in his seemingly endless bag of them.

[Uminuteman]

If we lose this one we can start looking forward to football season, because basketball will be over from a practical perspective.

[69MG]

^ I'd be willing to bet that the players' feelings will be hurt if we lose this one.

[devildawg3010]

Ohio last year averaged close to 4500 at the Convo. Expecting a true road game. Let's hope we rise to the occasion facing adversity.

[69MG]

With the exception of Kelly, Ohio's top 7 (in points) producers are all seniors. Experienced rosters have proven difficult for us, as Frank has said several times in interviews.

Mike, that shouldn't be an issue any longer now that we're halfway through the season. From my post in the Bowling Green thread:

I'm also getting tired of the excuses, especially the ones about having so many new players and a "young team".

We've played 15 games so the "lack of familiarity" with each other is gone. Ohio only has 2 of their top 7 scorers back so they are no better off than we are. As for "old" or "young" teams, we have 5 players who are in their 4th or 5th year of playing DI, D2 or Juco basketball, so they are not young. Jayden, Parker and Clerk are in their 3rd year, so they are also not "young".

[Floyd]

I dont know, my thing is I dont like how he's put it all on the players. To my eyes, they're playing hard, not dragging or quitting, and aren't playing selfish. You win as a team, and lose as a team. Everyone takes a piece of the responsibility to stick together

[MikeUMA]

School previews
https://umassathletics.com/news/2026/1/ ... ay-matchup
https://ohiobobcats.com/news/2026/1/5/o ... thens.aspx

[Steve81]

CBS Sports Network from the UMass site and a 6PM game.

Their thread and posting one quote from the thread.
https://www.bobcatattack.com/messageboa ... PID=398384

Some sports betting buddies of mine asked me about this game. I said stay away. You never know which Ohio team will show up each half, and UMass appears to be the best team in the country with a 0-3 conference record....

Need a good start tonight. No 20 point deficits.... Will be interesting to see if/how Pav can get some rest during the game...

[inthescoop]

^The way Ohio fans spelled John Calipari's name is my favorite part of that message board

umass is a team that has fallen apart. once upon a time when jhon calipary was thier coach umass was a national power consistently ranked in the top ten. then cal left and mass started sliding downhill to where they are now. they should have stayed in the atlantic ten.

[Floyd]

Minutemen by 14. Big pushback game by the team. Everybody clicks

[MikeUMA]

CBS Sports Network from the UMass site and a 6PM game.

Yes, as I mentioned above.

[69MG]

This isn't news, but if we somehow fix our defense and fouling, we could be a very good team. We have 2 guys who can score inside and rebound, 2 guys who can hit the three and a point guard who seems to get the ball to the right people. When I watch Danny I'm not sure what I'm seeing, but his assist to turnover ratio is excellent.

There are other issues, but if we clean up the big 2 the others will seem insignificant.

[MikeUMA]

Vegas doesn't believe, as lately we haven't given them a reason to. We show as underdogs, between 3.5 and 4.5 depending on the specific book.