I remember when we were planning a vacation around Christmas time, I thought early July would naturally be a safe week. What possible UMass sports news could happen in early July?

Papa Lo happened. So I'm just writing about this for the first time now after a week of minimal internet and no newspapers. (I love newspapers and I went seven days without even seeing one in the Dominican Republic, not even one in Spanish. Maybe the longest newspaper free stretch of my life since I learned how to read). 

Anyway to get back on track... I liked Papa a lot as a kid. I was planning to write a long feature on him this year so from a writing standpoint I'm disappointed. 

How much impact would he have made in his UMass career is debatable. Was he a poor man's Stephane Lasme or a better version of Alassane Kouyate? I think its fair to guess the latter. His impressive shot-blocking instincts masked the fact that he was a poor defender. He had little-to-no offensive game although that didn't really matter as much as the fact that he couldn't rebound. 

Would he have become a better rebounder? He'd have needed to get bigger and I'm not sure his knees could handle carrying a much bigger frame. 

Trey Lang will follow Papa out the door to parts unknown. I have a story in Thursday's Gazette that Lang is transferring as well.

The all Travis Ford Transfer team is as follows:

C - Jeff Salovski - Recruited by Lappas and played well under him, but lost interest in basketball under Ford.

PF - Papa Lo - I love the idea of Lo and Big Deli on the floor together because of their drastic body differences despite being the same height.

SF - Maurice Maxwell - The thing that always bothered me about Maxwell failing off was how he could be the starter for most of the beginning of the season and then off the team for academic reasons amid not very quiet rumors that he wasn't going to class. If he wasn't going to class why wasn't he benched. Yes they're college kids and should know better, but any coaching staff worth its salt is always aware whether or not the players are going to class. I wonder if Maxwell's academic career could have been salvaged. 

SG - Art Bowers - Never quite lived up to his billing.

PG - Tiki Mayben - Mayben's lasting legacy at UMass, other than the brow, isn't obvious, but it's important. He made Chris Lowe better. Lowe was legitimately challenged by Mayben, which made him better.

Bench

F - Trey Lang - Highly regarded. Barely used.

SG - Max Groebe - Fell out of favor quickly with Ford and never returned 

Schedule stuff 

As of now here's the UMass non conference schedule with one game still to add:

Coaches vs. Cancer - sometime between Nov. 10-14 at Michigan

At Memphis - Nov. 17 at or around midnight

CvCancer semis and finals 20-21 at MSG if UMass makes it

Jacksonville State at Mullins - Nov. 24

at Wisc GB - Nov. 29

at Toledo Dec. 3

BC at Mullins - Dec. 6

IUPUI at Mullins - Dec. 10

vs. Kansas at Kansas City - Dec. 13 - Sprint Center

Hofstra at Mullins Dec. 20

at Houston Dec. 30

Vanderbilt at Mullins - Jan 3

I WILL NOT MISS Billy Packer.

Nice story on Bill Bayno by Victoria Sun in the LA Times.

 ...45 days til football season...