Mark Gasperini

• Player
• Seasons: 2020-21
• Number: 10
• Position: C
• Height: 6' 10“
• Weight: 245
• Hometown: Moscow, Russia (birthplace) / Brookline, MA (hometown)
• High School: ?
• Prep School: Brimmer and May School (MA)
• Transfer From: American University
• Birthday: May 18¹⁾

• 4/1/2020: Announced that he would come to UMass as a graduate transfer.²⁾ UMass made it official on 4/15.³⁾
• Coach McCall quote on Gasperini: “Mark is big and physical and can really pass as a frontcourt player. He adds that experience factor into our team, and is also a versatile frontcourt player. He’s going to compete in practice with and against Tre every day, and they’ll make each other better. Mark is a high character kid, and getting a master’s degree from UMass is very important to him.”⁴⁾
• Mass Daily Collegian's Transfer Film Room

• Appeared in all 15 games in the Coronavirus-shortened season. Started three times. Backed up Tre Mitchell at the 5.
• Battled through health challenges: Torn meniscus, tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the start of the season, and sustained a concussion at some point.⁵⁾
• Struggled to break through on the stat sheet. Finally started getting rebounds in game five, vs George Mason (12/30), and scoring in game 9, vs Davidson (1/24).
• Hit his first field goal as a Minuteman vs Davidson (1/24), also tallied a rebound and an assist.
• Started three straight games, beginning with Fordham (2/3), as Tre Mitchell recovered from a shoulder injury. Responded in 31 minutes with nine points, five boards, two assists, four steals, and a block. Also went 5-6 from the line, in his only free throw attempts all season, before or after.
• Breakout game in the upset win at Rhode Island (2/6). Shot 5-7 from the floor, including 1-1 from three-point land. Snared five boards (tying season-high), and dished a season-high four assists.
• The rise of Uncle Mark: How UMass’ Mark Gasperini quickly became a fan favorite and impact player (Daily Hampshire Gazette 2/19/2021)
• Started again at Richmond (2/23), before Tre Mitchell returned off the bench. Picked up a board and a block in 11 minutes.
• Tallied six points and four rebounds at Saint Louis (3/1).
• From Moscow to Amherst: Mark Gasperini’s road to UMass (Mass. Daily Collegian 1/11/2021)
• “Get to Know” series, Part 1, Part 2

• Played in 88 of 90 games during his three years with the Eagles, starting 86.
• Hit double-figures in scoring 47 times, and got 4 double-doubles.
• Shot some threes as a freshman, but mainly stayed down low as a junior and senior.
• Named to the Patriot League's Academic Honor Roll in each of his four years at AU.⁶⁾
• Played four games against Atlantic 10 schools, two each against George Mason and George Washington, all on the road. Averaged 10.3 points and 7.8 rebounds in those contests.

• Started all of AU's 30 games on the season.
• Averaged 5.1 rebounds per game, tied for the team lead, and 15th in the Patriot League. On the offensive glass, 2.0 average led the team and tied for 7th in the league.
• Field goal percentage of .489 led the team and was 11th in the Patriot.
• Scoring average of 8.9 points per game was 4th on the team.
• Led AU with 13 points and nine rebounds at George Mason (12/7), just missing a double-double.
• Team-high 17 points and eight FGs against Stony Brook (12/21). The 8 field goals were his season-high. Also snared 8 rebounds.
• Twelve points, 4 boards, 2 assists at Georgetown (12/28).
• Scored 12 first-half points against Colgate (1/2). Finished with 14 points and 8 boards.
• Scored season and team-high 19 points against Army (1/8).
• Picked up a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards in win versus Bucknell (1/15).
• Scored 13 points, making career-high seven free throws against Holy Cross (1/18). Also tallied 5 boards, 2 assists, plus a steal and a block.
• Second double-double of the season in the win at Loyola (1/22). Scored 16 points and grabbed a season-high 12 boards against the Greyhounds.
• 13 first-half points against Colgate (1/25), battling foul trouble to finish with 15 points and team-high eight rebounds, including six offensive boards.
• In the 12 game stretch (at George Mason on 12/7 through Colgate on 1/25), averaged 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds.
• 4-of-5 from the field against Lafayette (2/1).
• Scored back-to-back buckets in crunch time to put Eagles ahead of Navy (2/5). Finished with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting, plus six boards, against the Midshipmen.
• Went 5-of-6 from the free-throw line with 11 points against Loyola (2/12).
• Proved to be a menace inside against Navy (2/19), gobbling up nine rebounds and adding a career-high four blocks.
• Set new career-high with three steals against BU (2/23), adding seven rebounds and nine points.
• Scored 13 points and grabbed eight boards against Holy Cross (2/29). Matched career-high with three steals against the Crusaders.

• Started 27 of the 28 games he played, averaging 26.0 minutes.
• Averaged 10.3 points (3rd on the team), 4.8 rebounds (3rd) and 2.3 assists per game. Among Patriot League players: 26th in scoring, 19th in rebounding (9th on the offensive side), and 12th in field goal percentage.
• Scored in double figures 16 times.
• Shot 50.2 percent from the field (2nd on the team).
• Logged 17 points, three rebounds and two assists vs. Northwestern (11/12).
• Tallied 14 points, 4 rebounds, and a career-high 7 assists versus Saint Francis PA (12/4).
• Put up 14 points, 8 boards, 5 assists at Howard (12/8).
• Missed two games in December with strep throat.⁷⁾
• Came back with a double-double of 12 points and 13 boards at George Washington (12/29). The 13 boards set a new career-high.
• Set career highs of 21 points and 10 field goals in the win at Loyola MD (1/30). Also tallied 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
• Played a season-high 34 minutes versus Colgate (2/16), scoring 13 points, shooting 6-10 from the floor, rebounding 7 and dishing 4 assists.

• Did not play after sustaining a concussion in pre-season practice.⁸⁾⁹⁾

• Patriot League All-Rookie Team.
• Averaged 11.7 points (2nd on the team), 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Among Patriot League players: 19th in scoring.
• Got immediate playing time, averaging 27.3 minutes per game, appearing in all 30 of AU's games, and started 29.
• Scored in double figures 19 times.
• Shot 49 percent from the field (led the team and was 8th in the Patriot), 26 percent from three and 55 percent from the line.
• Good start with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists at Maryland (11/11).
• Recorded 19 points, eight rebounds and two assists against Wagner (11/22).
• Tallied 18 points, five rebounds and three blocks against Loyola (12/30).
• Completed his first collegiate double-double at Colgate (1/2) with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The 10 boards also registered a season-high.
• Tallied 19 points and 5 boards at BU (1/11).
• Tallied 18 points and 4 boards vs Colgate (1/29).
• Had a season-high of 20 points, plus three rebounds in 31 minutes against Lafayette (2/15).

Game logs from Sports Reference

Career bests from RealGM.com

• Played AAU for Mass Rivals under coach Vin Pastore.
• Attended Brimmer and May School in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts coached by Tom Nelson.
• He averaged 15.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game as a junior.
• Gasperini was selected to the Third Team All-NEPSAC as a senior.
• With Mass Rivals, played in the Adidas Championship Game in Las Vegas, a game seen live on ESPN.
• Received offers from La Salle, Loyola (MD), Northeastern, Stony Brook, Fairfield, Brown, Vermont, Holy Cross, Drexel, New Hampshire, San Diego, and Yale.¹⁰⁾

• Son of Irina Gasperini.
• Born in Moscow, Russia. Moved to Boston when he was 10.¹¹⁾

Official roster page from UMass Athletics
Official roster page from American
Sports Reference - Mark Gasperini
RealGM - Mark Gasperini
Twitter - Mark Gasperini