Author Archives: Stephen Hewitt

Apr 29 2013

Chaz Williams not declaring for NBA Draft, will return to UMass for senior season

chaz

Stephen Sellner/Collegian

Breathe a sigh of relief, UMass men’s basketball fans, Chaz Williams isn’t leaving just yet.

The junior point guard considered entering the upcoming NBA Draft right up to Sunday’s midnight deadline, but ultimately decided against it and will return to the Minutemen for his senior season.

Here’s what he tweeted moments before the midnight deadline:

Williams is coming off a standout junior campaign in which he averaged 15.5 points per game and 7.3 assists per game (which led the Atlantic 10) as he led UMass to the A-10 Tournament semifinals and a berth in the National Invitation Tournament. He was also named to the A-10 first team for the second straight season.

Williams will return to a Minuteman backcourt next season that will include transfer guard Derrick Gordon, who was forced to sit out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. The two are expected to be one of the best backcourt duos in the conference.

Stephen Hewitt can be reached at shewitt@student.umass.edu and followed on Twitter @steve_hewitt.

Apr 25 2013

Former West Virginia guard Jabarie Hinds transferring to UMass

Former West Virginia point guard Jabarie Hinds is transferring to UMass, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.

Hinds, a sophomore, will have to sit out the 2013-14 season per NCAA transfer rules and will suit up for the Minutemen beginning in 2014-15. He’ll have two years of eligibility.

Hinds appeared in all 32 games for the Mountaineers last season as he averaged 7.4 points and 1.6 assists per game, but he lost his starting spot late in the season. Last week, Zagoria reported that Hinds narrowed his list to UMass and Atlantic 10 rival Saint Joseph’s.

The 5-foot-11 guard will join fellow transfer guard Derrick Gordon as well as Trey Davis in the backcourt in 2014-15. All three will be juniors at that point, which makes the backcourt loaded even after Chaz Williams graduates next year.

Stephen Hewitt can be reached at shewitt@student.umass.edu and followed on Twitter @steve_hewitt.

 

 

Apr 10 2013

Sources: Jesse Morgan forced to withdraw, career at UMass likely over

Photo by Taylor C. Snow/Collegian

Photo by Taylor C. Snow/Collegian

Citing multiple sources close to the program, the Daily Hampshire Gazette is reporting that UMass guard Jesse Morgan has been forced to withdraw from the University and that his UMass career “appears to be over.”

According to the report, Morgan has withdrew for disciplinary reasons in connection with an undisclosed incident that caused him to be suspended for the Minutemen’s Nov. 3 exhibition game against American International. He has returned to his home in Philadelphia and is trying to appeal the decision.

Morgan was UMass’ second leading scorer this season before tearing his ACL in the team’s Atlantic 10 opener against Saint Louis, which ended his season. He was also considered to be one of the team’s best defenders.

Stay with the Collegian as more on this story develops.

 

Mar 20 2013

Pregame notes: UMass vs. Stony Brook (NIT first round)

Courtesy Atlantic 10 Conference

Courtesy Atlantic 10 Conference

Greetings from back at the Mullins Center, where the second-seeded UMass men’s basketball team is about to take on seventh-seeded Stony Brook in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.

GAME NOTES

  • The winner of this game will take on the winner of the game between No. 3 Iowa and No. 6 Indiana State. If UMass wins, it will host that second round matchup at a time and date to be determined.
  • The Minutemen are making their 12th appearance in the NIT and fourth since 2007. They have never won it, but made the championship game in 2008 and reached the semifinals last season.
  • The player to watch for Stony Brook is 6-foot-5 senior forward Tommy Brenton, who was named the America East player of the year and defensive player of the year. He averaged 8.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game this season.

PROJECTED STARTERS

  • UMass: Chaz Williams | Freddie Riley | Terrell Vinson | Sampson Carter | Cady Lalanne
  • Stony Brook: Anthony Jackson | Dave Coley | Tommy Brenton | Eric McAllister | Jameel Warney

Be sure to follow along on Twitter with Stephen Hewitt @steve_hewitt and Stephen Sellner @Stephen_Sellner for live updates from the Mullins Center.

Mar 17 2013

UMass gets No. 2 seed in NIT, will host Stony Brook in first round on Wednesday

Courtesy Atlantic 10 Conference

Courtesy Atlantic 10 Conference

The UMass men’s basketball team was not selected into the NCAA Tournament field of 68, but it will have another chance at a postseason run as it is heading to the National Invitation Tournament for the second consecutive season.

After wins against George Washington and Temple in this weekend’s Atlantic 10 Tournament, the conversation heated back up about the Minutemen’s chances to make their first NCAA Tournament since 1998, but they were not included during Sunday night’s selection show. Instead, UMass received the No. 2 seed in the NIT and will host Stony Brook in the first round at the Mullins Center on Wednesday night at 7:15 p.m.

Last season, the Minutemen made a deep run into the NIT, beating Mississippi State, Seton Hall and Drexel all on the road before falling to Stanford in the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden.

The seventh-seeded Seawolves finished the season 24-7 and won the America East regular season title at 14-2, which earned them an automatic bid into the NIT. They had losses to Connecticut, Maryland and Seton Hall during their non-conference schedule and fell in the semifinals of the America East Tournament to Albany – which went on to win the tournament – last weekend.

The winner of UMass-Stony Brook will take on the winner of the game between No. 3 seed Iowa and No. 6 seed Indiana State, which is also on Wednesday night. If the Minutemen beat the Seawolves, they will earn another home game at a time and date to be determined.

UMass-Stony Brook can be seen online at ESPN3.com.

Stay with the Collegian this week for NIT coverage and be sure to follow @MDC_Sports, @steve_hewitt and @Stephen_Sellner on Twitter for more updates.

Mar 16 2013

Pregame notes: UMass vs. VCU (Atlantic 10 Tournament semifinals)

UMass point guard Chaz Williams takes the ball up the court against VCU in the two teams' meeting back on Feb. 14. Photo courtesy MCT

UMass point guard Chaz Williams takes the ball up the court against VCU in the two teams’ meeting back on Feb. 14. Photo courtesy MCT

NEW YORK — Greetings once again from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where the sixth-seeded UMass men’s basketball team is set to take on second-seeded Virginia Commonwealth this afternoon in the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament.

GAME NOTES

  • To put it bluntly, the first time these two teams met back on Valentine’s Day wasn’t exactly ideal for UMass. After the Minutemen took a five-point lead into halftime, VCU turned up its “Havoc” defense to a ridiculous level and opened the half on a 21-1 run en route to an 86-68 blowout victory in Richmond, Va., and it wasn’t even really as close as the score indicated.
  • For the Minutemen, it’ll be helpful to know exactly what to expect from the Rams, but how that translates on the court is a different story. They have much less time to prepare and are coming off zero rest after back-to-back wins over GW and Temple on Thursday and Friday, the latter of which an exhausting affair that will leave them fatigued as they tip just 17 hours after.
  • VCU is coming off an 82-79 victory over 10th-seeded Saint Joseph’s on Friday night.
  • The winner of this one will take on the winner of the other semifinal game between top-seeded Saint Louis and fifth-seeded Butler in tomorrow’s championship game.

PROJECTED STARTERS

  • UMass: Chaz Williams | Freddie Riley | Terrell Vinson | Sampson Carter | Cady Lalanne
  • VCU: Darius Theus | Rob Brandenburg | Troy Daniels | Treveon Graham | Juvonte Reddic

Be sure to follow along on Twitter with Stephen Hewitt @steve_hewitt and Stephen Sellner @Stephen_Sellner for live updates from the Barclays Center.

Mar 15 2013

UMass advances to Atlantic 10 Tournament semifinals with 79-74 win over Temple

UMass center Cady Lalanne pumps his fist in the air after the Minutemen's thrilling victory over Temple on Friday night at the Barclays Center. Photo courtesy Atlantic 10 Conference

UMass center Cady Lalanne pumps his fist in the air after the Minutemen’s thrilling victory over Temple on Friday night at the Barclays Center. Photo courtesy Atlantic 10 Conference

NEW YORK — It turns out the UMass-Temple rivalry saved its best for last.

Behind a huge performance from point guard Chaz Williams — 28 points — and a clutch 3-pointer from Terrell Vinson with 26 seconds left that sealed the victory, the Minutemen advanced to the Atlantic 10 Tournament semifinals with a thrilling 79-74 victory over the Owls on Friday night at the Barclays Center.

With the win, UMass advances to face Virginia Commonwealth on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.