AMHERST — Carl Pierre doesn’t just want to be good for a guy who didn’t have a scholarship last year.
The UMass freshman has been celebrated for exactly that all season. Every time he posts double-digit points, people understandably get excited that the Minutemen got a steal late in the recruiting process. The more he plays and the more 3-pointers he makes, the harder it is to picture how nobody had an offer for him until spring of his senior year.
But just getting a scholarship wasn’t the top of the mountain Pierre set about climbing. He wants to be outstanding.
UMass coach Matt McCall found Pierre almost out of necessity. McCall needed to fill a roster thinned by transfers and needed shooting to play the way he wanted. Pierre’s strong senior season at Boston College High School had sparked some interest from mid-majors, but the Boston native was leaning toward a year of prep school until McCall began recruiting him.
Because Pierre’s high school career was over, NCAA rules allowed McCall to put Pierre through a workout. It wasn’t a true tryout. McCall was leaning heavily toward offering Pierre based on what he’d seen on tape and from talking to high school and AAU coaches. But he wanted to take him for a test drive to seal it.
“If we were going to take a freshman, he had to be able to make an impact right away and he had to project down the line to being a potential all-league player or a really, really good player,” McCall said. “We didn’t want to fill scholarships just to fill scholarships.”
McCall and his staff watched as Pierre made shots on that May afternoon. The same smooth outside shooting touch that has been on display through the first 13 games was apparent in the 45-minute session on the Champions Center’s practice court. But it was his demeanor that really caught McCall’s attention.
“He was fearless. A lot of kids in that situation are tentative. They hesitate on their shot. They’re nervous,” McCall said. “They have a whole coaching staff standing out there. He wasn’t one bit nervous.”
Pierre wasn’t sure where he stood with the UMass coaches before the workout, but said McCall’s read was correct. He wasn’t nervous.
“I was thinking to myself. ‘Just play my game. Come in confident and the rest will take care of itself,’” Pierre said. “Shots started falling. I became more and more confident. I felt comfortable playing in front of the coaching staff. It made me comfortable with the process of deciding to come to UMass.”
The same lack of nerves has defined his early play this season. When he arrived on campus in the summer, he wanted to be prepared for the season.
“I’m big into working hard and believing in that work. I worked hard in the weight room and with the coaches and my teammates,” he said. “I just feel confident in the work I did put in and I’m confident that the results will show.”
McCall’s office overlooks the Champions Center practice court. Players have 24-hour access to the court if they want it. McCall said looking down and seeing his freshman guard working is pretty common.
“I came into practice today and he was the first one in here. He was in here early, shooting, getting himself ready to go,” McCall said after practice Dec. 19. “That’s the type of kid he is.”
“There’s six guys still in the gym,” McCall added, motioning toward the court. “He’s one of them. Still working. The biggest thing about him is his character. He’s got a desire to get better.”
Pierre’s 25 points against Maine improved his average to 10.5 points in 23.8 minutes per game. Those are better scoring numbers than highly touted freshmen Donte Clark (9.4 ppg, 21.2 mpg) and Dejon Jarreau (9.4 ppg, 24.1 ppg) through 13 games of their careers. He’s not far behind teammate Luwane Pipkins, who averaged more points (12.2), but several more minutes (30.8).
Pipkins was surprised to learn Pierre had been overlooked.
“I didn’t know that until somebody on the team was telling me. Now it’s kind of surprising. He’s a good dude and good player. He’s still young and learning, but as you can see he’s shocking everybody right now,” Pipkins said. “I’m glad we got him. I’m glad to see him grow.”
Pierre doesn’t need to prove that he belongs in Division I any more. He can contribute at this level, but he’s afraid of letting his early success sap his hunger.
“I still try to play with that chip on my shoulder. My senior year I remember I worked so hard just trying to get better, preparing to get to this level. I don’t want to lose that edge,” he said. “I want big things for myself and this program. What motivates me the most is trying to reach the goals I’ve set. I want to make the tournament of course. I want to have my name hanging from the rafters.”
McCall likes to compare Pierre to St. Bonaventure’s Jaylen Adams. Their games are different, but Adams benefited from a lot of playing time early his career.
“To be able to play as much as he’s playing as a freshman, two years from now people are going to be like, ‘Where’d this guy come from?’” McCall said.
It might not take that long.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage