On paper, Tuesday’s 7 p.m. game against North Carolina A&T at the Mullins Center looks like the easiest on UMass’ schedule.
The Aggies are 1-8 overall with the only win coming over Greensboro College, a non-Division I opponent in the season opener. Out of 351 Division I teams, N.C. A&T is ranked 350th in the KenPom.com computer rankings. On Saturday the Aggies lost to Notre Dame 107-53.
They’ve been outscored by an average of 15 points per game and outrebounded by more than five per game. They’ve had almost twice as many turnovers (129) as assists (68).
Those numbers come against a soft schedule. Notre Dame was their only opponent so far who plays in a conference likely to get more than one NCAA Tournament bid.
The young Minutemen haven’t always handled playing weak foes well. There were stretches against UMass-Lowell and Pacific where a seeming lapse in intensity led to their opponent staying in the game longer.
“You want to try to cover them up. If they start making some 3s, get comfortable and feel good, all of a sudden you’re in a battle,” UMass coach Derek Kellogg said. “I’ll try to move them in the right direction and make sure they come out with some fire and some intensity. … You have to make sure you play the exact same way whether it’s Providence or N.C. A&T. We have to play UMass basketball and it’s up to me in practice to preach that. If you’re a basketball player and a competitor, you come to play whoever you might be playing.”
Junior guard Sam Hunt leads N.C. A&T with 13.6 points per game, while 6-foot-7 Davaris McGowens averages 10.5 points and 7.4 rebounds.
“They have some spurtability on offense. They play a three-guard lineup and mix in zone and man (defenses),” Kellogg said.
The game is the second for both team’s in the Gotham Classic.
Kellogg spent Sunday in Brooklyn, New York, watching John Calipari’s Kentucky team face Hofstra at the Barclays Center. Like the Minutemen, the Wildcats play a lot of freshmen. Kellogg said they’ve talked about integrating new players into the lineup.
“Obviously his philosophy is put them in the fire. See what they got. He’s been able to do that time after time,” Kellogg said. “We’re in a little different situation. I need some of the older guys to make sure we’re playing at the right level or to bring some stability a little more than he does. But the best way from some of these young guys to gain some experience is to play.”
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage