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he regular-season finale in Richmond for the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team at 4 p.m. Saturday won't affect its seeding in next week's Atlantic 10 Tournament, but the Minutemen are hoping to use the game to build momentum. UMass coach Steve Lappas said he is proud of his team's continued effort despite its losing record.
''They're getting better. We've had our bumps and bruises, but I feel these kids are together every game and giving a great effort,'' said Lappas. ''We all want to go out there and win the tournament next week. But we know we're building a bigger and better thing for the future. Every game, every practice helps us get toward that.
''When you have a plan - and we have kids that have bought into our plan - they are all looking ahead and they know if we can get better in the game today, that it will help us in the game today as well as down the road.''
The Spiders are still fighting for position in the middle of a tight race in the Atlantic 10 West. Richmond could finish second with a win over UMass and a George Washington loss at La Salle.
The Spiders are 17-11 (9-6 A-10), just on the outside of the NCAA Tournament picture. A win Saturday and a solid A-10 Tournament run could put them in consideration.
''They're a good solid team,'' Lappas said. ''They play great defense.''
Mike Skrocki leads Richmond with 16.2 points per game, but Tony Dobbins (11.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per gram) may be the Spiders' best player.
''Dobbins is a guy that does a lot of different things. He's a great defender. He can score and is a good offensive rebounder,'' Lappas said. ''Skrocki does a lot of things, but we feel like we can try to control him. Dobbins' game has so many parts, a lot of it is in his court.''
UMass junior guard Chris Chadwick is questionable with a thigh bruise after a collision early in Wednesday's game at Temple.
''He caught a knee in his thigh right away,'' Lappas said. ''So we might be down to seven guys, but I know we'll go out and give everything we have.''
NOTES: Senior guard Anthony Anderson needs just nine points to become the Minutemen's 36th 1000-point scorer. ... UMass needs to win this game to avoid having lost to every team in the Atlantic 10 for the first time since the 1988-89 season.
Matt Vautour can be reached at [email protected].
ew University of Massachusetts Athletic Director John McCutcheon said his mind isn't made up on Steve Lappas' future as the head coach of the men's basketball team. But he said the decision is his to make. After being hired last month, McCutcheon began his duties Monday. He acknowledged that the state of the men's basketball team, which is in the midst of its third straight losing season, is something that he will be thinking about.
''Our men's basketball program is a key program for us. There have been a lot of people who have sent me information and shared their thoughts and how they see things,'' he said. ''It would be naive to think I'm not looking into the situation and trying to get as much input about where we are with the program that I possibly can.''
McCutcheon said that he'll seek Chancellor John V. Lombardi's opinion but that the decision about Lappas will be his.
''I've talked to the chancellor and when there are major decisions out there to be made, I'll ask for his input, but it's clearly my decision to make,'' said McCutcheon, who fired two basketball coaches and a football coach during his 12 years at Cal Poly. ''I'll live and die with that and be judged on what decision I make. Chancellor Lombardi has given me the authorization to make the call that I think is right for the department. I'm prepared to do that.''
Lappas has three years after this season remaining on his contract that was originally for five years. It was extended by a year after his first season by former athletic director Bob Marcum. If Lappas' contract is terminated, UMass would owe him $525,000 (three years of his $175,000 base salary).
McCutcheon said the school could pay the buyout if that is the decision made, but denied that the money would come from donors.
''It could be done. There are mechanisms that we could do through the budget process to do that. It would be part of our ongoing debt obligation, but there would be ways to do that,'' he said. ''It would not be from outside donations. I know that there are some rumors out there that just aren't true. We wouldn't do it that way.''
Many criteria
McCutcheon said wins and losses would not be the only criteria he uses to make a decision.
''There's a lot of criteria other than wins and losses when you evaluate coaches. You look at how they've done in terms of budget management, compliance with NCAA rules, graduation rates, community outreach, what kind of experience are the student- athletes having,'' he said. ''There's a cadre of different areas you can look at for coaches and how they perform and try to weigh those with the level of resources you're able to provide compared to who you play against. Wins and losses is an important factor. Not just in basketball, but in every sport we have.''
Lappas said he is confident in the program's potential and wants to remain part of it.
''I think a program is about direction. I think our players and our staff know that we're heading in the right direction,'' he said. ''We've had some bumps and bruises and roadblocks along the way. We know we have the ship pointed in the right direction.
''We have the best freshman class in the league and everyone realizes that. The league is in a shift with 13 of the top 20 scorers graduating. We are poised to pounce on the opportunity that we now have.''
McCutcheon praised Lappas' handling of the situation.
''It's not an easy situation for Steve and I understand that,'' McCutcheon said. ''There's stress on top of him trying to coach the team. I empathize with him. I think he's handled it well.''
Whatever he decides, McCutcheon promised a resolution would come quickly after the season.
The Minutemen will play their final regular season game Saturday at Richmond, before going to the Atlantic 10 Tournament which begins Wednesday.
''I think it would behoove us to reach a point of resolution as quickly as we can,'' he said. ''Either way its to our advantage. If it's 'the coach will be here' it puts a lot of speculation behind and you can move forward.
''If you're in situation of change you can move on with that process too because there'll be a number of institutions in the recruitment (of a new coach) mode. The earlier you're into that process, the larger the candidate pool becomes. It's in everybody's best interest to resolve this as quickly as we can.''
By the same token, McCutcheon said he wouldn't rush to judgment.
''You want it to run its course, whether it's the next 10 days or the next two weeks,'' said McCutcheon, who has spoken to Lappas and plans to do so again. ''I want to keep going on it until I feel comfortable making a recommendation to the chancellor.''
Matt Vautour can be reached at [email protected].
ife on the bubble causes stress but beats having no shot at the NCAA tournament.
"These are the tough, tough days when you might not have anything to look forward to," said UR coach Jerry Wainwright.
Bubbles, however, pop. The Spiders (9-6 in the A-10, 17-11), who are part of some projected NCAA brackets and absent from others, know from experience. At least UR's seniors do.
Three years ago, in their final season as Colonial Athletic Association members, the Spiders were on the bubble at 21-6. No at-large invite to the NCAAs came. Two years ago, Richmond won 12 of its last 17 and advanced to the A-10 tournament final. At 19-13, UR was seen by some as a bubble team. Again, no at-large invitation to the NCAAs came.
"I've got some guys on my team that are older, and I don't think anybody believes in false promises, or conference rooms, or bubbles, or anything else," Wainwright said, speaking of seniors Reggie Brown, Tony Dobbins, Mike Skrocki and Eric Zwayer. "I think all these kids have learned some hard lessons."
Here they are again, probably needing a win today over Massachusetts (4-11, 10-17) in their regular-season finale and a couple of A-10 tournament victories to feel confident about an at-large invitation to the 2004 NCAAs. UR's drive for the NCAAs took shape last summer, when a high-caliber nonconference schedule was made.
Quality out-of-league wins UR picked up at Colorado and at Kansas, the toughest stops of a trying nonconference schedule, have the Spiders on the doorstep of their first at-large bid since 1986. The ability of UR's staff to secure those games can't be underestimated.
"Scheduling is the most difficult thing. It's the most inequitable thing," Wainwright said. "The reality is it's mostly based on money, finances and everything else. But yet it's an amazing criteria at the end. It's like trying to get a job where they say 'experience required.' Well, how the heck are you ever going to get a job until somebody gives you a chance?"
The Spiders got a chance. They may end up doing enough with it. Maybe not. The A-10 tournament starts Wednesday at the University of Dayton Arena, though UR could earn a first-round bye.
"I know we've won some big games, and I know we've lost some big games," Skrocki said. "It depends so much on what other teams do, who wins certain [league] tournaments, stuff like that. We could sit and worry about it, but that won't do us any good.
"I'd rather just win the A-10 tournament because I know if we win it, we're not on the bubble. They've got to put us in."
ICHMOND -- Any coach will tell you senior leadership can mean the difference between winning and losing. That notion has haunted Massachusetts coach Steve Lappas and his team during their regular-season stretch; in six of the Minutemen's last seven defeats, a senior led the opposition in scoring -- including yesterday's 69-65 loss to Atlantic 10 foe Richmond.
Take away the guys in their final years in their respective programs and the Minutemen may have more to show for their recent efforts, rather than seven losses in their last eight games and their fifth straight regular-season-finale defeat.
Yesterday marked the second time in as many games (along with Wednesday's 98-92 double-overtime loss to Temple) that the Minutemen's upset bid was foiled by veteran players down the stretch.
Richmond seniors Mike Skrocki (24 points) and Tony Dobbins (15 points, 6 rebounds) more than offset the effort of UMass sophomore Rashaun Freeman (27 points, 7 boards) to vault the Spiders (18-11, 10-6). UMass fell to 10-18, 4-12, their fewest wins in league play since 1982-83 (4-10).
"Our guys are getting better, there is no denying it," said Lappas, whose team shot 53.5 percent from the floor and connected on 9 of 20 3-point attempts. "But we're doing it with four [first-year players] and Anthony Anderson [a senior in class but junior eligible since he sat out his first season]. Still, we took them to the limit.
"But who made all the plays down the stretch?" Lappas added.
Both teams now prepare for the A-10 tournament this week in Dayton, Ohio. The Minutemen enter as the fourth seed from the East Division and play Duquesne, the fifth seed from the West, Wednesday at 7 p.m. Richmond, third in the West, meets Fordham, sixth in the East, Wednesday at 9 p.m.
"We knew these last two [regular-season] games were critical. People said we didn't have a chance," said Freeman. "We're now going to try to surprise people in Dayton. They're [still] saying the same thing because we're so small and so young."
UMass trailed by 15 in the first half and by 13 at halftime, but cut the lead to 50-45 with 13:17 remaining in the game. Richmond went ahead by 9, but Anderson cut the lead to 6 on a 3-pointer that gave him 1,000 career points as a Minuteman.
Art Bowers sank a trey with 8:32 left to cut the lead to 54-51. Richmond managed to keep UMass at bay until Freeman scored on a 3-point play with 5:08 left to cut the lead to 60-58.
UMass then had a chance to tie or take the lead, but Dobbins picked off a Bowers pass intended for Maurice Maxwell, drove to the basket, and was fouled by Maxwell on a layup attempt. He sank a free throw to put Richmond ahead by 3.
Then Dobbins sank a pull-up jumper with 3:14 left to put the Spiders ahead, 63-58.
After UMass cut the lead to 3 on two free throws by Freeman, Richmond went ahead, 66-60, on a trey by Dobbins with 1:40 remaining. Richmond sank three of four free throws -- including two by Dobbins -- to seal it.
UMass got off to a fast start, draining treys on four of seven possessions, to take a 19-11 lead with 13:33 left in the first half.
Yet, for the next 13 minutes, only Freeman scored, tallying 10 points.
The Spiders staged a 20-5 run over 7:23 to go ahead, 31-24, with 6:10 remaining.
apid response. That was how the University of Richmond overcame a surprisingly spunky Massachusetts effort yesterday.
On seniors day, the Spiders blasted off with 45 first-half points and a 13-point lead at intermission. Then UR repeatedly turned back UMass' rallies on the way to a 69-65 Atlantic 10 Conference win before 7,134 at the Robins Center in the final home game for Richmond's Mike Skrocki, Tony Dobbins, Reggie Brown and Eric Zwayer.
UR (10-6, 18-11), which won 10 of its past 13 regular-season games, finished third in the A-10's West Division and will face Fordham (3-13, 6-21), the East's last-place team, Wednesday at 9 in the A-10 tournament at the University of Dayton Arena.
The Minutemen (4-12, 10-18), losers of seven of their past eight, fell in double-overtime Wednesday at Temple, didn't get back to their campus until 4 a.m. Thursday, then experienced travel delays coming here Friday. After spending most of Friday in the Philadelphia airport, UMass arrived here at 10 p.m. Still, the Minutemen recharged and trailed by five with 13 minutes left, by three with 8:30 left, and by two with 24 seconds remaining.
At each juncture, the Spiders responded with a spurt, and most of them didn't involve Skrocki, who led Richmond with 24 points, 18 in the first half. UR's bench outscored UMass' reserves 25-2.
"Like we've often said, the strength of our team is in our numbers," said Dobbins, who scored 15 points.
The game changed in the second half when Massachusetts, which starts three freshmen, broke out the junk defenses. The Spiders dealt with a box-and-one that denied Skrocki access to the ball, then a triangle-and-two designed to negate Skrocki and Patrick O'Malley, the 6-8 junior who score nine first-half points on a trio of 3-pointers.
"About the only thing you can do is screen and try to get other people open," O'Malley said.
With the Minutemen sagging off him, Dobbins dropped a 3-pointer that gave UR a 66-60 lead with 1:40 left. The 6-4 guard, who made four steals, was responsible for eight of Richmond's last nine points. Openings were available because UMass paid so much attention to Skrocki.
"It's tough to score when they're not letting you touch the ball," Dobbins said of Skrocki.
Richmond's defensive challenge was handling Rashaun Freeman, UMass' 6-9, 255-pound freshman who scored 27. The lefty used quick moves and a soft inside shot to hit all but two of his 11 field goal attempts, and also dropped 9 of 12 from the foul line. But Freeman managed only two baskets in the first 18 minutes of the second half, when Zwayer physically guarded him.
"I basically just tried to push him around as much as I could," the 6-9, 250-pound Zwayer said.
UMass stayed in with 3s (9 of 20), but the Spiders made 10 of 24 from beyond the arc, 8 of 13 in the first half. "That's not exactly something that we're known for right now," UR coach Jerry Wainwright said. "We probably took the bait in the second half, instead of working the ball and taking a really quality shot, we took the first shot we had. We let them back in the game."
The Spiders were outscored 33-24 in the second half. UMass coach Steve Lappas told his players at halftime that the Spiders "will score 25 points in the second half if you can do a good job on [Skrocki and O'Malley]. . . . We made some changes and our kids did a great job in the second half."
But Dobbins emerged with his jumpers and free throws - and defense, causing two late-game UMass turnovers - when Richmond badly needed a push near the end.
"We did enough to hang in there and win," Wainwright said.
ICHMOND, Va. - The University of Massachusetts hopes that this week's Atlantic 10 Tournament will be a coming-out party for the youngsters who have seen so much action this season. The Minutemen (10-18, 4-12 Atlantic 10) ended the regular season Saturday with a 69-65 loss at Richmond and they will face Duquesne (11-16, 6-10) at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Dayton, Ohio.
While entering the tournament on a two-game losing streak is hardly cause for celebration, UMass has come back from big second-half deficits in each of the defeats. Last Wednesday, the Minutemen gave Temple all they could handle before falling in two overtimes, 98-92.
And Saturday, UMass got as close as two after a 13-point halftime deficit.
''Our (young) guys are getting better,'' UMass coach Steve Lappas said after Saturday's loss. ''We took those guys until the end. Their seniors made the plays for them. With four freshmen (playing important minutes), I know what we're going to be.''
What they will be Wednesday should feel familiar: trying to play the role of spoiler.
''The last two games, the other team thought we didn't have a chance,'' said sophomore Rashaun Freeman. ''That's the way it's going to be in the tournament. We need to surprise some people.''
The Minutemen nearly surprised the 7,134 in attendance Saturday at Richmond's Robins Center.
UMass started strong, racing out to an early 14-7 lead. Freeman, who for the seventh time this season was named A-10 rookie of the week, carried the load for much of the first half despite a constant double-team, finishing with a game-high 27 points and seven rebounds.
Despite his efforts, the Spiders led 45-32 at the half.
UMass opened the second stanza with a 13-5 run, and with just under five minutes to play, trailed by only two. But after a Richmond free throw, freshman Stephane Lasme was called for charging. The Spiders took advantage when guard Tony Dobbins (15 points) nailed a jumper.
Sophomore Jeff Viggiano's putback cut Richmond's lead to two with 26.8 seconds remaining.
Dobbins then hit two free throws to push the lead back to four. Freeman connected on the back end of a one-and-one, but the Minutemen's scoring would end there. Richmond's Daon Merritt's free throw closed out the scoring, and Richmond survived the upset-minded Minutemen.
Lappas said he likes the way his team is competing entering the A-10 tournament.
''We feel good. We need to take it one game at a time,'' he said. ''I know they're going to fight, and that's all you can ask.
''We've been playing seven guys for five or six weeks now,'' said Lappas. ''They've shown me no signs (of fatigue). I think that maybe they've got more heart than energy.''
o two well-played close road losses constitute momentum heading into the Atlantic 10 Tournament?
The University of Massachusetts men's basketball team will enter the Atlantic 10 Tournament Wednesday on a two-game losing streak, but the Minutemen played better in their losses to Temple and Richmond than they did in some of their wins.
They certainly played better than they did in their 88-62 loss at Duquesne on Jan. 18. UMass will get a chance to avenge that loss at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament at UD Arena in Dayton. The Minutemen are the No. 4 seed in the East and the Dukes are No. 5 in the West.
The winner will take on West No. 1 and defending tournament champ Dayton, which has a first-round bye.
The tournament will now likely include the No. 1 team in the nation as No. 2 Saint Joseph's is expected to assume the top spot in the polls as the country's only undefeated team. Current No. 1 Stanford lost to Washington, 75-62, on Saturday.
The Hawks are the overall No. 1 seed in the tournament, which means they only have to wear their white uniforms. They have a bye in the first round and will play the winner of Xavier and St. Bonaventure on Thursday. Joining Dayton and St. Joe's among Wednesday's idle are West No. 2 George Washington and East No. 2 Temple.
The Colonials will play the winner of Rhode Island and La Salle, while the Owls will take on the Richmond-Fordham victor.
ANDERSON MILESTONE - UMass senior guard Anthony Anderson became the school's 36th 1,000-point scorer with nine against the Spiders Saturday. He needs 13 to catch No. 35 Tyrone Weeks (1,013).
Anderson needs just one assist to reach 100 for the third straight season.
FREEMAN HONORED AGAIN - UMass sophomore rookie Rashaun Freeman earned his seventh Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honor this season after averaging 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in two games last week.
Matt Vautour can be reached at [email protected].
| Massachusetts Minutemen | 65 |
| Richmond Spiders | 69 |
| at Richmond | |
Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS
UMASS vs Richmond
3/6/04 4:05 at Richmond, Va. - The Robins Center
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VISITORS: UMASS 10-18, 4-12
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
11 MAXWELL,Maurice..... f 3-7 0-3 1-3 0 1 1 4 7 7 0 0 1 34
22 VIGGIANO,Jeff....... f 3-5 2-4 0-0 0 7 7 3 8 3 4 0 0 34
01 FREEMAN,Rashaun..... c 9-11 0-0 9-12 2 5 7 3 27 1 3 0 1 37
12 ANDERSON,Anthony.... g 3-8 3-8 0-0 1 4 5 1 9 4 2 0 1 40
34 BOWERS,Art.......... g 4-11 4-5 0-0 0 3 3 2 12 4 5 0 0 36
05 LASME,Stephane...... 1-1 0-0 0-1 0 1 1 2 2 0 1 2 0 10
13 CHADWICK,Chris...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 9
TEAM................ 2 2
Totals.............. 23-43 9-20 10-16 5 21 26 16 65 19 15 2 3 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-20 55.0% 2nd Half: 12-23 52.2% Game: 53.5% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 5-10 50.0% 2nd Half: 4-10 40.0% Game: 45.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 5-7 71.4% 2nd Half: 5-9 55.6% Game: 62.5% 4
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HOME TEAM: Richmond 18-11, 10-6
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
14 SCOTT, Jamaal....... f 1-3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 6
22 SKROCKI, Mike....... f 8-13 4-7 4-4 1 2 3 1 24 0 0 0 1 38
55 ZWAYER, Eric........ c 0-2 0-0 0-2 5 0 5 3 0 0 0 0 1 18
01 DOBBINS, Tony....... g 5-8 1-2 4-6 0 6 6 2 15 2 2 1 4 34
12 BROWN, Reggie....... g 1-11 1-6 0-0 1 1 2 2 3 5 2 0 0 33
10 MERRITT, Daon....... 2-4 0-2 1-2 0 2 2 1 5 7 2 0 0 20
15 MOLIVA, Gaston...... 1-2 0-0 0-2 1 1 2 2 2 0 2 1 0 15
25 O'MALLEY, Patrick... 3-4 3-4 0-0 0 4 4 1 9 0 1 0 0 20
32 BUCKNOR, Jermaine... 1-3 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 2 3 0 1 0 0 3
51 STEENBERGE, Kevin... 3-6 0-0 0-0 5 0 5 2 6 0 0 0 2 13
TEAM................ 1 1
Totals.............. 25-56 10-24 9-16 14 17 31 16 69 15 10 2 8 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 17-32 53.1% 2nd Half: 8-24 33.3% Game: 44.6% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 8-13 61.5% 2nd Half: 2-11 18.2% Game: 41.7% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 3-4 75.0% 2nd Half: 6-12 50.0% Game: 56.3% 3
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Officials: Terry Murphy, David Walker, Wally Rutecki
Technical fouls: UMASS-None. Richmond-None.
Attendance: 7134
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
UMASS......................... 32 33 - 65
Richmond...................... 45 24 - 69
Skrocki matched season high in points
Merritt matched season high in assists
Points in the paint-UMASS 28,RICHMOND 18. Points off turnovers-UMASS 8,RICHMOND 17.
2nd chance points-UMASS 5,RICHMOND 13. Fast break points-UMASS 4,RICHMOND 5.
Bench points-UMASS 2,RICHMOND 25. Score tied-0 times. Lead changes-4 times.