By MATT VAUTOUR

AMHERST — After a year away from the UMass basketball team, Luwane Pipkins challenged himself right away.

Rising junior Donte Clark is the team’s top returning perimeter player, so when the Minutemen began workouts during the first summer session, Pipkins wanted to line himself up against him.

“Whenever we did individual work early in the summer, Luwane went at Donte every single day,” UMass coach Derek Kellogg said.

Kellogg used to criticize former big man Tyler Bergantino for conceding that Cady Lalanne was better than he was rather than trying to measure up. He liked seeing Pipkins go after the veteran guard.

Pipkins sat out the 2015-16 season as an academic redshirt, but impressed the coaches with how he used the time off. In addition to adding muscle to his 5-foot-9 frame, the highly touted Chicago product worked on his game enough to stay sharp. Kellogg hasn’t seen any rust.

“He feels like he’s been here. If you just walked in you’d feel the same way,” Kellogg said. “He has some charisma about him. There’s a presence when he walks into the gym.”

Pipkins has been eager to make up for lost time.

“There’s a lot of intensity in practice. I’m ready to go,” Pipkins said. “I finally feel like a part of the team. It’s a better experience for me. I’m glad the past is the past. I’m just ready to roll.”

Pipkins, who can play either guard spot, showed off an ability to make step-back 3-pointers as well as shots on the move during practice Monday, the first workout of the second summer session.

He said he didn’t care which guard position he plays.

“I can shoot. I can score. I can pass. Whatever position they put me in, I’ll make the best of it,” Pipkins said. He then made a point of adding, “as long as we win.”

In addition to the coaching staff, he said his older teammates have helped prepare him.

“I’m feeling pretty good. C.J. Anderson has gotten me ready to play the point guard role. He’s talked to me a lot. Zach Coleman has talked to me a lot and Donte Clark most of all. I thank them for that,” said Pipkins.

The competition for playing time hasn’t hurt chemistry.

“Everyone’s getting along,” he said. “There’s a lot of playful kids on this team.”

FLOWERS ADAPTING — Freshman wing Ty Flowers said the difference between high school and college is considerable, but he’s embracing the new challenge.

“I’m enjoying it,” he said. “The work is outrageous from high school. We’re working every day, lifting. It’s hard, but it’s good. I’m enjoying the process.”

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage