Sports/UMass
Donte Clark considering declaring for NBA draft without signing with an agent; Zach Lewis, Zach Coleman transferring
By MATT VAUTOUR
The day after new UMass coach Matt McCall’s introductory press conference, Zach Lewis and Zach Coleman are both transferring, while Donte Clark is reportedly leaning toward declaring for the NBA draft.According to multiple sources close to UMass,...
Vautour: UMass puts Pat Kelsey affair in the rearview mirror
By MATT VAUTOUR
Slight variations of the same joke seemed to carom around the Champions Center Thursday like an electron.“Would the coach show up this time?” “Will there actually be a press conference?” The ghost of last week’s canceled press conference was still...
UMass football program mourns death of former lineman Michael Boland
By MATT VAUTOUR
AMHERST — The UMass football program is mourning the death of senior offensive lineman Michael Boland.Boland, 23, who completed his playing career and his degree in the fall semester, was at home in Rockville, Maryland when he died Saturday. His cause...
Matt Vautour: Baylor, an unlikely No. 1
By MATT VAUTOUR
Baylor didn’t get a vote in the preseason poll. None in the first regular season poll either. Heck, it was picked fifth in the Big 12’s preseason poll.But with the season around it’s midpoint, not only do all 66 voters have the Bears ranked, but 55 of...
UMass misses opportunities, falls 86-81 to George Mason
By MATT VAUTOUR
FAIRFAX, Va. — There were a couple of moments late when UMass looked like it might produce a sequel to their wild 2014 come-from behind win at George Mason.But while the Minutemen had several good looks at a would-be game-changing 3-pointers, none of...
Wednesday’s colleges: UMass stops URI in 68-67 women’s basketball win
Staff Reports
Ryan Holder’s steal with a second left sealed a 68-67 win for the UMass women’s basketball team over Rhode Island Wednesday at the Mullins Center. Hailey Leidel scored a career-high 27 points, including four points that gave the Minutewomen (7-9, 1-2...
UMass notebook: Derek Kellogg changes starting lineup, inserts freshman Brison Gresham
By MATT VAUTOUR
FAIRFAX, Va. — In an effort to shake up his team after Friday’s loss to St. Bonaventure, UMass coach Derek Kellogg changed his starting lineup Wednesday, replacing junior forward Seth Berger with freshman Brison Gresham, who made his first career...
UMass basketball struggles in Atlantic 10 ‘street fight’ against St. Bonaventure
By MATT VAUTOUR
AMHERST — The young UMass basketball team found out quickly that conference play figures to be a little tougher than what it had seen so far.St. Bonaventure’s veteran backcourt outplayed the Minutemen’s young guards, and UMass couldn’t keep up in a...
UMass basketball notebook: two players ejected in St. Bonaventure loss
By MATT VAUTOUR
AMHERST — UMass and St. Bonaventure has been a good rivalry in recent years, but the matchup got extra heated when Minuteman center Brison Gresham and St. Bonaventure big man Jay Ayeni were each ejected in the first half of the Bonnies 89-77 win at...
PODCAST: David Jablonski on Dayton basketball and the Atlantic 10
Verified Twittter user David Jablonski joins Matt Vautour on the show this week to discuss the beginning of Atlantic 10 basketball play.
Donte Clark grabs milestone en route to 78-67 UMass win over Rider
By MATT VAUTOUR
AMHERST — Donte Clark didn’t want his 1,000th career point to come in a loss. The UMass junior guard made sure it didn’t happen.On a night when a lot of his teammates were struggling to score, Clark put the Minutemen on his back to get a 78-67 victory...
Vautour: Some big-name teams in danger of missing NCAA Tournament
By MATT VAUTOUR
So far, the 2016-17 season has been rightfully hailed as the year of the blue blood in college basketball. The sports traditional powers like UCLA, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina and Indiana have all played like championship contenders. Those...
UMass squeaks past lowly North Carolina A&T, 65-59
By MATT VAUTOUR
AMHERST — There was far more relief than joy on the faces of the UMass men’s basketball players as they walked off the Mullins Center court Tuesday.The Minutemen played from behind for most of the game against a much peskier-than-expected North...
UMass pulls away from Pacific in Gotham Classic opener, 72-48
By MATT VAUTOUR
AMHERST — In the first half, the UMass men’s basketball team looked like it thought Thursday was going to be an easy win and struggled. In the second half, the Minutemen came out like they had a fight on their hands and then cruised to that easy...
Bench carries UMass to 62-55 win over Wagner
By MATT VAUTOUR
AMHERST — On a night when the UMass starters never got into rhythm, the bench picked up the slack.C.J. Anderson and Malik Hines led the second unit, which scored 40 points in a 62-55 win over Wagner, Wednesday at the Mullins Center.With just under 5...
UMass alum Neal Brown a rising coaching star at Troy
By MATT VAUTOUR
Neal Brown’s life-changing decision came somewhere on the 5-hour bus ride between Lexington, Kentucky, and Wheeling, West Virginia, in early 2003.Back then, the recently graduated UMass wide receiver had just finished the season for the Lexington...
Marcus Camby enjoying retirement, but interested in coaching
By MATT VAUTOUR
AMHERST — He’s the tallest dance dad now. Or the best shot-blocking barber shop owner.But most of the time, Marcus Camby, who visited the Derek Kellogg Basketball Camp at UMass Wednesday, is just enjoying being retired.For now.Camby still loves the...
Boston Bruin, former Minuteman Frank Vatrano hoping for another productive summer
By MATT VAUTOUR
WEST SPRINGFIELD To the people watching at the Olympia Thursday, Frank Vatrano is the guy with the heartwarming success story that landed him with the Boston Bruins.He’s also the kid that grew up nearby in East Longmeadow playing a men’s league game...
Former UMass guard Ross Burns has found his basketball niche
By MATT VAUTOUR
It’s easy to miss the familiar face that appears for just a few moments on Brandon Ingram’s pre-draft video blog on The Players Tribune.But there, behind Ingram, an almost certain top-two pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft, is Ross Burns feeding him the...