AMHERST – Daniel Rivera was changing his oil in a Rhode Island parking lot when his phone started ringing with the news that could change UMass’ fortunes for the 2024-25 season.

Frank Martin was on the other end of the line.

“I’m changing the oil, I seen a call,” Rivera said. “And I was like ‘hello, who’s this?’ And that’s when he started speaking to me. Then, I didn’t even care about the oil, I’m like ‘oh, this is Frank.’”

Rivera and Martin talked for two hours in that parking lot. They discussed Rivera’s goals for the season, what he wants to improve on and their families. Rivera was born in Puerto Rico and although he moved to the United States when he was 11 years old, he often visits home on breaks from school – his dad still lives on the island and his mom lives in New York. Martin grew up in Miami, the first American-born member of a family of Cuban immigrants.

“Out of nowhere, he said something in Spanish,” Rivera said. “And I’m like ‘oh, so you speak Spanish?’”

They carried on most of the rest of the phone call in Spanish.

“It’s a way to communicate easier, between me and him,” Rivera said. “We kind of connected through that. I felt like it was easy, the conversation, and his goals and my goals kind of came together.”

Rivera said that on previous teams, he’s had issues communicating with his coaches or saying things in English that come off wrong. That phone call with Martin was the first time he’s ever had a coach switch to Spanish mid-conversation.

“With him, it was super easy,” Rivera said.

Rivera comes to UMass after stops at Odessa College (Texas), Saint Louis and Bryant. After playing high school and prep basketball in the Bronx, he joined his older brother, Mike, for junior college basketball before transferring to Saint Louis for his sophomore season. Because of a foot injury, he didn’t play for the Billikens and transferred to Bryant after the 2022-23 campaign.

Rivera started all but one game for Bryant last year, averaging 13.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.2 blocks. He has two remaining years of eligibility. UMass is looking to replace its starting frontcourt from last season and Martin said he wants the Minutemen to be a stronger defensive team than they were last year, when they finished 10th in the Atlantic 10 in points allowed per game.

UMass also finished 11th in the A-10 in defensive rebounding and 14th in blocked shots. Rivera, listed at 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, ranked fourth in the America East in rebounds per game and second in blocks per game. He tallied 73 blocked shots – the entire UMass team totaled 93.

“He brings an explosiveness athletically, along with physicality and the ability to play facing the basket off the bounce,” Martin said in a statement when Rivera transferred.

Rivera attempted nearly 80% of his field goals at the rim last season and struggled to shoot the ball – 10.7% from 3-point range and 46.9% at the free throw line – though he said he’s looking forward to developing his shot with UMass coaches.

Since arriving at UMass, Rivera has gotten about a month of practice in between the Minutemen’s two summer sessions. And at night, after practice, Rivera and his teammates gather at the John F. Kennedy Champions Center for late night runs.

They’ll put 20 minutes on the clock over and over again and play 1-on-1, 2-on-2, 3-on-3 – and on Sunday night, 4-on-4. 

“We’ve been going at it, people talking and just going at it, it’s been fun,” Rivera said. “We play really aggressive and fast.”

Senior guard Rahsool Diggins said he often plays with Rivera, Marqui Worthy, Jaylen Curry and freshman Nate Guerengomba. He’s already gotten a good first impression.

“Danny is very athletic,” Diggins said.

Though Rivera hasn’t gotten a lot of structured practice in with Diggins and Curry – the NCAA has more restrictive limits on practice time during the offseason than during the season – he said the feeling is mutual. They’ll throw him lobs and he’ll set screens for them.

“They make my game easier, them two,” Rivera said.

Rivera visited UMass on May 8 – his only visit – and committed the same day. He’s excited to learn from Martin and wear the maroon and white.

“It’s a great school, it’s a great league, a coach that speaks Spanish,” Rivera said. “I could communicate well, that’s what I was looking for.”