The Massachusetts men’s basketball team showed effort against Big East opponent Providence in an exhibition game on Saturday where it lost 63-54. Despite the outcome, in only a 32-minute game, glimpses of what this UMass team will look like this season were on full display.
With the season opener just nine days away and after an off-season that completely shuffled the look of the Minutemen’s roster, here are a few takeaways from the exhibition matchup:
1. Three-point shooting needs work
UMass shot 0-for-12 against the Friars from three. While the Minutemen shot 28 percent from the field, their three-point attempts were a major blow to the offense. Six different players had attempts from deep, yet all came up with nothing.
With a combination of strong defense from Providence and just poor execution, UMass could not find any success beyond the line.
“Our guys were a little tight and nervous,” head coach Frank Martin said. “I thought we took good shots. To win, you got to take good shots, but at the end of the day you got to score.”
Last season, Rahsool Diggins was the team’s go-to three-point shooter with 219 attempts. Diggins will be relied on again, but there’s an expectation that other players will need to step up and support from deep.
2. Interior defense looks improved
In media before Saturday, Martin expressed how the Minutemen’s interior defense has the opportunity to be dominant this season and there were glimpses against Providence.
UMass had six blocks against the Friars, four of which came from JUCO transfer Shahid Muhammad. Daniel Rivera and Malek Abdelgowad split the other two rejections.
Paired with the blocks, the Minutemen’s defense forced Providence to make contested shots throughout the game. Most drives to the hoop or shots in the paint didn’t come easy for the opponent, as UMass often had bodies there to create disruptions.
Although UMass came out successful defending around the rim, its play took a step down in the second half, allowing Providence to score 20 points in the paint and pull away in a tight game. “Guys have to be prepared to take on the physicality of that moment,” Martin said. “We got beat at the rim in the second half defensively.”
Further from the rim, the Minutemen’s defense was still on display. The Friars finished with 16 turnovers, 12 of which were steals by UMass. Until the middle of the second half, the Minutemen were outhustling the Friars by throwing their bodies at loose balls and wrestling for possession.
3. Sophomore backcourt gains confidence
After up-and-down freshman seasons, guardmates Jaylen Curry and Marqui Worthy each exemplified a new level of confidence on the court.
Curry led UMass with 13 points and looked a lot more comfortable running the offense compared to last season. While his shotmaking needs work, other traits seemed better in a year where he will likely find himself in the starting lineup.
Worthy looked improved compared to his freshman season on Saturday as well. Worthy saw 13 minutes and scored seven points with one offensive rebound and one steal.
The second-year player struggled last season on offense, only totaling 50 points in 282 minutes played. Yet in the exhibition game, Worthy played with confidence that was not seen before. Showing no hesitation in shooting and limiting negative plays, Worthy made a strong case to work himself into the rotation for the rest of the season.
Both sophomores have the opportunity to show big improvements for the Minutemen in a season where Martin is giving them more responsibilities.
