AMHERST
Matt McCall was right Wednesday, Tony D’Amato did the best job at describing UMass’ current situation.
At one point early in the famous speech D’Amato — portrayed by Al Pacino in “Any Given Sunday” — gives, he tells his team, “we are in hell right now, gentlemen.” And that is exactly where UMass is right now.
After suffering a sixth consecutive loss to open Atlantic 10 play, McCall referenced D’Amato when he said postgame, “We are in hell right now.” Hell might actually be a kind way to describe what the Minutemen are going through. The season is unraveling in front of their faces in a manner no one predicted just a month ago.
It was only 36 days ago when UMass scored 85 points against Fairleigh Dickinson and the concerns were about whether the Minutemen could defend well enough to win games. The offense was the least of anyone’s concerns with five players averaging double figures and talented shooters all over the court.
But something has gone drastically wrong in the five weeks since the Minutemen last won a game. The best scoring offense in the A-10 became the worst in the league.
The reasons are obvious: UMass is missing open shots and it is committing too many turnovers. The solution is just as simple: go back to the basics.
The Minutemen have abandoned easy offense and gone overboard on the 3-point craze sweeping the sport. The fast-break dunks that excite crowds and energize the bench have been replaced by the transition 3-pointer.
The team averaging 58.8 points per game against A-10 foes is passing up an almost guaranteed two points for a 40 percent chance (at best) for three points. Recently, those transition 3s haven’t fell, which means UMass is literally throwing away possessions and points by trying to get too cute in transition.
So the time has come for the Minutemen to take a hard look in the mirror. They need to be honest with themselves about a fact that is going to be hard for the players to stomach — they aren’t as good at shooting 3-pointers as they think they are.
As we approach the end of January, roughly half of the 3-pointers UMass has made this season came in its eight games in November. Its 3-point shooting percentage has dropped six points since the calendar changed to December. It has made at least 34 percent of its 3-pointers just once in six A-10 games, but were under 30 percent three times.
At this point, it’s safe to say the Minutemen aren’t in a slump, it’s just the facts. They have played one-third of their conference schedule and the offense has showed no signs of improving. The advanced analytics only support the conclusion that UMass is on a downward offensive spiral.
In addition to averaging the fewest points per game in six conference games, the Minutemen are the least efficient, according to KenPom, and are shooting just 45 percent on two-point field goals. They have the second-worst free-throw rate in the league – free throws attempted divided by field goals attempted – and are making just 65 percent of those free throws.
If UMass keeps trying to shoot themselves back into a rhythm, the flames of hell will only burn more intensely around it.
In order to break out of this pattern, the players must make the game easier and simpler for themselves. That means it’s taking the easiest shot possible, which might mean passing up a good shot.
It’s getting Rashaan Holloway a touch on almost every half-court possession and letting him distribute if teams double him. It’s taking the open layup on fast breaks instead of pulling up for a needless transition 3. It’s aggressively attacking the rim and working your way to the free-throw line.
The best way to build confidence is to see the ball go through the net more often, and the closer they are to the basket, the more likely the shots will go in. That might mean UMass has to make some changes to how it runs its offense, but at this point, what do the Minutemen have to lose?
The flames of hell are quickly engulfing this team and the inches they need aren’t going to be found around the 3-point arc.
Josh Walfish can be reached at jwalfish@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshWalfishDHG. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage.