AMHERST – UMass’ new men’s basketball arrivals looked right at home in the team’s first exhibition Tuesday against AIC at the Mullins Center.
Former LIU forward Isaac Kante led the way with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Louisville forward Matt Cross contributed 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
The Minutemen won new coach Frank Martin’s debut 94-68, but the score mattered far less than seeing how so many new players would gel into a team. Five Minutemen reached double figures, including mainstays Noah Fernandes (10 points and five assists) and Dyondre Dominguez (16 points).
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t say thank you for Ryan Bamford and the folks at UMass to give me an opportunity when I was down in the dirt. I’m having the time of my life coaching these kids,” Martin said. “We all go through moments questioning who we are and what we do and if it’s time to do something else, and if you have people who believe in you in those moments, those moments don’t leave you.”
UMass trailed 7-5 early, but the Minutemen ripped off a 16-0 run to take control and never look back. They shot 51.4 percent from the field and only attempted 17 3-pointers, making seven – a stark contrast from last season when UMass was one of the most prolific 3-point shooting teams in the country.
AIC, conversely, shot 10-of-37 from behind the arc, letting it fly.
Defense has been Martin’s sermon since he took over. UMass held the Yellow Jackets to 39.7 percent from the floor and forced 16 turnovers, scoring 16 points off them. The Minutemen out rebounded AIC, 44-30
“We’re still trying to create a personality and be consistent,” Martin said.
UMass moved the ball cohesively, amassing 19 assists. Every player in uniform saw the floor.
“I’m throwing people out there different ways, different times to get a feel for stuff,” Martin said. “There’s a group of guys I feel real comfortable with, and there’s a group of guys – I’m not worried about them – they’ve got to do better to impact winning on game day.”
The Minutemen only outscored the Yellow Jackets 38-37 in the second half, and AIC shot eight percentage points higher than they did before halftime (43.8).
“We were happy we won, but I think we all think and know that we should have won by 40-50. I feel like we’re right there. Our defense is where we’re gonna hang our hat,” Cross said. “We’re just a little mad about that because they shouldn’t be able to get a rebound at all against the size difference and weight difference.”
FRESH FACES – UMass freshmen RJ Luis and Keon Thompson made their collegiate debuts against the Yellow Jackets. At times they shared the backcourt together.
Luis was the first Minuteman off the bench after Rahsool Diggins picked up two personal fouls in the first two minutes (Diggins added a third foul 39 seconds after he checked back in and sat the rest of the half). He excelled on the ball defending and rebounding, grabbing two steals to go along with his eight points and five rebounds. Luis threw down a soaring two-handed dunk on the baseline with 7:49 left in the first half.
“We need him to get some reps. He don’t know what he’s doing right now. He’s out on the court playing on instinct,” Martin said of Luis. “There’s some guys that impact the game – he impacts the game.”
Thompson backed up Fernandes at the point guard spot and contributed 10 points, two rebounds and two assists, attacking the rim comfortably and confidently.
“He’s making plays I haven’t had older guards make, but he’s got to start finishing those plays,” Martin said of Thompson. “But he’s making the right decision.”
IN THE ZONE – AIC went into a zone about five minutes in down 14-7. UMass passed around it with precision and found Dyondre Dominguez for a layup on the baseline.
The Minutemen also played zone at times, trying out all their possibilities.
STREET CLOTHES – Neither TJ Weeks Jr., junior Ryan Marcus nor newly stateside freshman Tafara Gapare suited up for the exhibition.
Gapare just arrived from New Zealand Monday and was introduced on social media Tuesday morning. He’ll still need to pass a physical before he can participate in practices or games.
Weeks hasn’t practiced for a few days with a sprained ankle.
Marcus is a walk-on with 20 career minutes.
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.