2025-26 Season

[MikeUMA]

I'm usually up by 4:30-5 and read the board while the dog takes a poop.

Well that's certainly not the first time dogshit and this board have been together in the same context

[Floyd]

Dont underestimate your work Mike, we all very much appreciate all you do to keep this place up & running

[MikeUMA]

Updated standings watch...
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... _/group/14

UMass is still in 8th place, thanks to CMU's loss at Kent State tonight.

The pack around us...

6. Bowling Green, 7-9
Tonight: Unexpectedly lost at home to WMU
Remaining schedule:
2/28 UM (6-10), likely win, won at UM on 1/3
3/6 at EMU (4-12), likely win, won at home on 1/17
Projected finish: 9-9

7. Buffalo, 6-9
Tonight: Predictably lost at Akron
Remaining schedule:
2/28 CMU (5-10), likely win, first meeting this season
3/3 EMU (4-12), likely win, first meeting
3/6 at Toledo (9-6), likely loss, first meeting
Projected finish: 8-10

8. UMass, 6-10
Tonight: Terrible loss at Ball State
Remaining schedule:
2/28 at Bowling Green (7-9), likely loss, lost at home on 1/3
3/3 Ohio (9-6), likely win, lost by 3 at Ohio on 1/6
Projected finish 7-11

9. Central Michigan, 5-10
Tonight: Predictably lost at Kent State
Remaining schedule:
2/28 at Buffalo (6-9), likely loss, first meeting
3/3 Akron (14-1), likely loss, lost at Akron on 1/6
3/6 at Ball State (4-11), likely loss, won by 1 at Ball on 1/20
Projected finish 5-13

t-10. Northern Illinois, 4-11
Tonight: Predictably lost at Toledo
Remaining schedule
2/28 Ball State (3-11), likely win, lost at Ball on 1/24
3/3 Kent State (11-3), likely loss, lost at Kent on 1/3
3/6 at Akron (13-1), likely loss, first meeting
Projected finish 5-13

But now we also have to consider...

t-10. Ball State, 4-11
Remaining schedule
2/28 at NIU (4-11), likely loss just by virtue of a road game, won at home on 1/24
3/3 at WMU (4-11), likely loss (road), first meeting
3/6 CMU (5-10), likely win, won at CMU on 1/20
Projected finish 5-13

t-10. Western Michigan, 4-11
Tonight: good win at Bowling Green
Remaining schedule
2/27 Miami (15-0), likely loss
3/3 Ball State (4-11), likely win (push, but home), first meeting
3/6 at Kent State, likely loss, first meeting
Projected finish 5-13

13. Eastern Michigan, 4-12
Remaining schedule
3/3 at Buffalo (6-9), likely loss
3/6 Bowling Green (7-9), likely loss
Projected finish 4-14

So, PART OF ME is still thinking that we'll finish 8th.
BUT . . . then there's the intangibles.

Frank said some pretty tough things on the postgame radio tonight.
- DHS is being coy about his injury
- Torched more of his guys for lack of execution
- Blamed Placide for the final sequence, even if he had a timeout to use
With all that, I don't see how players are going to START to tune in now. I could see us losing the last two, and falling to 6-12.
And then if any of the current 4-11 teams win an unexpected one, and ties us up, that leaves our fate up to tiebreaker scenarios.

BTW: I did end up connecting to @liminutemen. Confirmed that he's not a UMass fan, and with the amount of work it takes him to run the scenarios he does, he's probably unlikely to do his thing for the MAC, and it's way above my head to understand how he does it.

[inthescoop]

^Tough loss for CMU tonight as well - up 15 in the 2nd half and lose on a buzzer beater

[69MG]

We play Ohio and Bowling Green, both of which are reasonably decent teams. I can see 2 losses and a 6-12 record. Central Michigan might pull one out against Ball State and also end up at 6-12. We won the only game we played against them, so we beat them in a tiebreaker if we tie for 8th. How bad do you have to be to NOT make the MAC tournament?

[MikeUMA]

@MLBergman_
UMass (15-14) has lost EVERY game by 10 points or fewer this season

This is tied for the MOST losses by 10 points or less in the country

Minutemen are now TIED for the most losses by 10 or fewer points for a team with a winning record EVER in a single season

https://x.com/MLBergman_/status/2026670562039177369

* Saying EVER is directionally close, but not exactly correct. That analysis is based on data from Sports-Reference.com, which is great but only goes back thru 1947. (UMass started playing in 1900.)

[InnervisionsUMASS]

I'll give Michael a pass on that one

[Floyd]

Sad how little interest or chatter about UMass basketball there is at this point of the season.

[LS71]

^ Kinda reminds me of the crowd at the Miami game...fans want to explode in support, but the team's play curbed their enthusiam.

[Berkman]

Sad how little interest or chatter about UMass basketball there is at this point of the season.

Could be about how hard it was to get into the site. Now that Mike has fixed the problem maybe ther will more activity.

[Floyd]

^ curbed their enthusiam.

Well played... Larry

[eldonabe]

Sad how little interest or chatter about UMass basketball there is at this point of the season.

Could be about how hard it was to get into the site. Now that Mike has fixed the problem maybe there will more activity.

Or it could be (and more likely is) that this team is not that good, this coach really sucks, and this AD really, really sucks.

If there are no changes (other than the obvious 90% roster turnover), enthusiasm leading into next season will be a an all time low.

[Floyd]

Has there been any word on DHS's injury?
Will he play tomorrow?

[vanmeter]

I looked into some 3 point shooting percentages of those who play - I did not include Bettiol as he has taken only 3 3 point shots all year (made 1) and Clerc who doesnot play much anymore

Wimbley 21.9$%
Ndjigue 24
Carbuccia 24.5
DHS 27.1
Damjanic 27.3

Banks 38.5
Parker 42.5
Placide 43.1

While shooting is not everything the disparity here is alarming. You have players who play large minutes (basically brickthrowers) who shoot about half of 3 players - one who just got time (Placide) and one who gets less time that he should.

[inthescoop]

Western Michigan is up at half against Miami OH .. Steele got a technical at halftime and knocked down some gear from the CMU band on his way into the tunnel. Despite an incredible undefeated record, another team keeping it close vs Miami OH

Last time MAC was a two bid league was 1999