The Daily Hampshire Gazette - 9/28
The Springfield Union-News - 10/4
The Daily Hampshire Gazette - 10/6
he University of Massachusetts men's basketball staff, which had completed its recruiting of guards, will seek backcourt help once again. Mike Lasme, the combo guard from New Jersey, has withdrawn his verbal commitment to the Minutemen and reopened his recruiting efforts.
UMass is no longer recruiting him.
Verbal commitments are non-binding. A player isn't officially bound to a school until he signs an official letter of intent. The first signing period begin in November.
Lasme's loss impacts the Minutemen at a position where they had some depth. He had been projected by most recruiting services as a point guard, and UMass already has freshman Kyle Wilson and sophomore Anthony Anderson at that position.
Marcus Cox, a transfer from Connecticut who will have two years of eligibility for the 2002-03 season, has played the position as well.
The Minutemen were pursuing several guards before Lasme signed. Whether they attempt to get back in the mix for those players or target a different group remains to be seen.
Following is a list of some guards who previously listed the Minutemen and have not committed elsewhere:
- Aaron Hutchinson, a 6-foot-5 wing guard, who is originally from Canada, but is now at Christian Faith School in N.C.
- Brandon Heath, a 6-2 combo guard form Los Angeles.
- Eric Wilkins, a 6-3 off-guard from Oak Hill Academy, a basketball factory in Virginia. He's looking at several Big East schools as well as Tennessee, Siena and UNC Greensboro.
- John Winchester, a 6-3 shooting guard from Stamford, Conn., who is currently at Mount Zion Christian, a school that has produced considerable Division I and professional talent, including Orlando Magic star Tracy McGrady.
- Quincy Douby, a 6-3 shooter from Brooklyn who listed UMass prominently before Lasme committed.
- Dan Oglesby, a 6-2 guard from Hamden, Conn., who is looking at Rhode Island, Seton Hall and Fairfield.
Material from Internet recruiting sites was used in this report.
hird thoughts?
Mike Lasme committed to the University of Massachusetts, then uncommitted, and now is planning to attend UMass again.
Reached by phone Friday, he confirmed that he is Amherst-bound.
"I'm going to UMass," he said.
Lasme, 6-foot-1 guard from the Ivory Coast, made his official visit last month and was surprised and disappointed by Amherst's size.
"I grew up in a city and I thought UMass was more in a city," Lasme said. "But I want to play for (UMass coach Steve) Lappas. He's recruited me and we have a great relationship. He trusts me. He trusts my game. I think he'll give me a chance to play. It's all about feeling comfortable."
Lasme spent last season playing for Crispus Attucks in York, Pa., and will be at Life Center Academy in New Jersey this season.
Lasme said he is glad the recruiting process is over.
"Now I can focus on my school year and the SAT," Lasme said.
If Lasme doesn't have fourth thoughts, the Minutemen have just one scholarship remaining because of the NCAA's 5/8 rule, which allows teams to recruit only five players in a single year and no more than eight in a two-year period.
Sophomore Anthony Anderson, who was a nonqualifier and did not receive a scholarship last year, counts this year, along with freshmen Kyle Wilson and Brennan Martin, and transfer Marcus Cox.
Then Gabriel Lee, who is currently sitting out as a nonqualifier, counts as one scholarship next year, as will Lasme and Steven Briggs, the big man from Houston who has given UMass a verbal commitment.
Briggs will make his official visit at Midnight Madness, as will Damion Grant, a 6-foot-10 big man from Jamaica who UMass is recruiting.
Grant is currently playing at Brewster Academy in Wolfboro, N.H.
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Tickets are available for Midnight Madness, which will be next Friday night/Saturday morning.
Tickets are available at the Campus Center and Curry Hicks Cage from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at the Mullins Center from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The event will feature numerous contests before midnight and an introduction of the UMass women's team.
There will be a 3-on-3 game between the UMass coaches and a team of students. After the players are introduced at midnight, sophomore Jameel Pugh will try to defend his dunk contest title, and there be a 3-point challenge with students and players.
WLZX's Quinn and Cantera will host.
* * *
Season tickets for men's ($280) and women's basketball ($60) as well as ice hockey ($110) are all on sale.
For more information, call the UMass ticket office at 545-0810 or 1-866-UMASS-TIX.
UMass is taking orders for single games, but they won't be filled until season ticket seats have all been set.
The Minutemen are offering a three-game ticket this year that they're calling the Big Game Package, with UConn (Dec. 12), Maine (Dec. 29), and Ohio State (Jan. 9) for $55.
There is also a Family Night game against Marist (Nov. 24) for $50, which will include a hot dog and soda for each person.