ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.

The end of the 2009-10 season feels a lot different for the University of Massachusetts men's basketball program than it would have if it had ended six days earlier.

The last-second win over Rhode Island on Saturday to make the Atlantic 10 Tournament and the strong showing Tuesday in the 59-56 victory at Charlotte to advance to the quarterfinals in Atlantic City sparked some good feelings that even Friday's loss to Richmond couldn't erase.

Senior Ricky Harris was tremendous in those two wins, adding to his legacy, and the Minutemen rookies elevated their play lately as well.

On paper, this was a 12-20 season following a 12-18 campaign. That's treading water at best.

But this season's value was the foundation it provided for the Minutemen's five freshmen. Getting to experience two A-10 Tournament games could prove valuable.

UMass coach Derek Kellogg got dealt a tough hand when he arrived. He inherited a program that was in tough shape, although on the surface it didn't appear to be in trouble.

Kellogg's predecessor, Travis Ford, had considerable success with transfers and players he inherited. He left after a trip to the NIT final, leaving the appearance that the program was on the brink of a breakthrough. But during his three years in Amherst, Ford signed just two high school players who made a significant impact at UMass - Harris and Chris Lowe - and both are now gone.

Ford's final two years of high school recruits produced 10 commitments and zero impact players. Their struggles left Kellogg lacking veterans this season. But that led to not only lots of minutes, but considerable responsibility for the Minutemen's young players that could be valuable down the road.

The four rookies who played all showed promise at times. Terrell Vinson has the most star potential. There were times that he was the best player for UMass on the court. He will likely be the Minutemen's best player next year.

Freddie Riley showed off one of the prettiest 3-point strokes UMass has seen in recent years, but he'll be asked to go from a streaky scorer to a reliable one as the Minutemen will miss Harris' perimeter scoring.

Javorn Farrell is the most intriguing of the bunch. Despite his youth, he emerged as a leader and is undoubtedly a future captain, a role he could see as soon as next year. He showed maturity and savvy beyond his years and a versatility to play any position but center.

Sampson Carter struggled a little more than most of his classmates, but at times showed the ability to be a solid wing.

All four will have to increase their scoring to help counter the departure of Harris. The Minutemen should get more help from versatile freshman Raphiael Putney, who redshirted this year, point guard Daryl Traynham and big man Maxie Esho.

And at midseason, Jesse Morgan, a scorer who is sitting out as an academic nonqualifier, could also join the Minutemen.

It's an important summer for the program. The level of dedication the returning players show will likely determine how big a step forward the program takes.

But there's reason to be hopeful.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. For more UMass coverage, including a UMass sports blog, go to http://www.gazettenet.com/blog/umass-sports.