UMASS BASKETBALL PREGAME NOTES... VS. LA SALLE

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1 PREGAME NOTES... VS. LA SALLE UMASS BASKETBALL UMASS SCHEDULE Date Opponent UMass Opp. Nov. 3 Calif. All-Stars* Nov. 10 Statmaster.com* Nov. 18 Iona Nov. 20 at Marquette Nov. 25 at Holy Cross! Dec. 2 at Oregon# Dec. 7 Providence Dec. 10 at Ohio State Dec. 12 at UConn% (11) Dec. 14 at Boston U Dec. 17 Boston College Hardee s Tournament of Champions^ Dec. 29 North Carolina^ (14) Dec. 30 Richmond^ Jan. 6 George Washington Jan. 9 at Xavier Jan. 13 at St. Bonaventure Jan. 18 Dayton Jan. 20 Duquesne$ Jan. 25 at La Salle, 7 p.m. (Comcast) Jan. 27 at Temple, Noon (ESPN) Jan. 30 at Rhode Island+, 7:30 p.m. (A-10) Feb. 3 Fordham, Noon (ESPN) Feb. 6 at Dayton, 7:30 p.m. (A-10) Feb. 14 Xavier, 7:30 p.m. (A-10) Feb. 17 Temple, 1 p.m. (ABC) Feb. 20 Rhode Island, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2) Feb. 24 at George Washington, 2 p.m. (A-10) Feb. 27 at St. Joseph s, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2) March 3 St. Bonaventure, Noon Atlantic 10 Championship March 7-10, Philadelphia, Pa. *-Exhibition!-The Centrum, Worcester, Mass. #-Rose Garden, Portland, Ore. %-Hartford (Conn.) Civic Center ^-Charlotte (N.C.) Coliseum $-Springfield (Mass.) Civic Center +-Providence (R.I.) Civic Center Note: All times Eastern and subject to change. AP rank, if any, indicated in (). UMass Media Relations 255 Boyden Building University of Massachusetts Amherst, Mass., Basketball Contact: Nick Joos Phone: (413) Fax: (413) Mullins Press Row: (413) /6323 Fax-on-Demand: UMass Hoop Notes and Statistics 1604 Roster/Schedule 1606 Prior Game Box Score umassathletics.com GAME NO. 17: UMASS (6-10/4-1) VS. LA SALLE (7-9/1-4) Thursday, Jan. 25, 2001, Tom Gola Arena (4,000), Philadelphia, Pa. TV: Comcast SportsNet--Jim Hunter (play-by-play), Rob Kennedy (color), Mick Minghoff (sidelines) Radio: UMass Radio Network--Bob Behler (play-by-play) and Jack Leaman (color) Live Internet Broadcast: umassathletics.com Tonight s Officials: John Cahill, Ed Corbett, Jack Sweeney PROBABLE UMASS (6-10/4-1) STARTERS Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown PPG RPG F 40 Micah Brand* So. Middletown, N.Y F 20 Winston Smith*** Sr. Summit, N.J C 33 Kitwana Rhymer** Sr. St. Thomas, V.I G 5 Monty Mack*** Sr. Boston, Mass G 30 Shannon Crooks* Jr. Everett, Mass Off the Bench F 2 Jackie Rogers Jr. Syracuse, N.Y G 1 Jonathan DePina*** Sr. Boston, Mass F 21 Eric Williams Jr. Brooklyn, N.Y F 3 Ronell Blizzard** Jr. Waterbury, Conn PROBABLE LA SALLE (7-9/1-4) STARTERS Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown PPG RPG F 45 Rasual Butler Jr. Philadelphia, Pa F 25 Victor Thomas Sr. Philadelphia, Pa C 52 Garrett Bragg Sr. Boca Raton, Fla G 21 Julian Blanks Jr. Erie, Pa G 34 James Jordan Sr. Monrovia, Liberia Off the Bench G 5 Rasheed Quadri Fr. Boston, Mass F 35 Anwar Wilson Sr. Bronx, N.Y Tonight: Off to a 4-1 start in the Atlantic 10 for the second time in the past three seasons (UMass was also 4-1 in ), the Minutemen aim for their best league start since the campaign (a 9-0 start en route to a 12-4 finish) and hope to maintain their place among the A-10 leaders when they square off against the La Salle Explorers in the first of three straight conference road games. UMass, 4-1 in the A-10 and 6-10 overall after last Saturday s victory over Duquesne at the Springfield Civic Center, began the week tied with Temple (a team it faces Saturday at the Liacouras Center) for third-place in the league race, a half-game behind co-leaders St. Joseph s (hosted Rhode Island last night) and Xavier (plays at Duquesne on Saturday). The Minutemen, who were picked for third in the A-10 preseason coaches and media poll but left for dead after fashioning a 2-9 non-conference record, find themselves in the thick of the title chase. Off to its slowest start since the season, UMass has played one of the nation s most demanding schedules this season, and one of the toughest in school history. The Minuteman slate is ranked as the nation s sixth (College Basketball News, CollegeRPI.com) toughest through games of Jan. 22, as its 16 opponents own a combined record of (.667). The 10 schools that have beaten UMass this season are a combined (.727) to date. UMass senior guard Monty Mack enters tonight s game with 1,886 points, good for third place on the school s all-time scoring list, and needs 20 points to move past No. 2 Lou Roe (1,905 points from ). Mack, who has scored 20 or more points in six of his last seven outings and is averaging 21.2 points against A-10 foes, ranks as the second-highest active career scorer in Division I hoops, behind Centenary s Ronnie McCollum (2,226 points). The Explorers are 7-9 overall and 1-4 in the A-10 after Sunday s loss at Dayton. La Salle, which stood 6-4 after an overtime victory over Lafayette, Dec. 28, has dropped five of its last six games, with the lone victory in that stretch being an homecourt win over Duquesne eight days ago. Coach Speedy Morris team is 3-1 at home this season, with the loss coming at the hands of crosstown rival Temple, 75-61, three weeks ago tonight, and plays four of its next five games at home starting with tonight s game against the Minutemen.

2 UMASS BASKETBALL--PAGE 2 MEDIA INFORMATION Postgame Procedure: The UMass locker room is closed to the media, however, coach Flint and requested players will meet with reporters in the interview room at Gola Arena after Flint has fulfilled his obligation to the UMass Sports Network. A-10 Conference Call: Each Monday during the season, the Atlantic 10 Conference will conduct a conference call from 10 a.m. until noon featuring its men s basketball coaches. UMass head coach Bruiser Flint will be available from 10:50-11 a.m., through March 5. To participate, contact the A-10 at Interviews/Credentials: To arrange interviews with UMass head coach Bruiser Flint or his players, please contact Assistant A.D./Media Relations Nick Joos at (office). Interviews must be requested at least one day in advance, and will usually be conducted after practice. No interviews will be granted on game day until after the game. Credential requests should be faxed or mailed to Joos attention. UMass on the Web: Information on Minuteman basketball and all 29 UMass varsity sports is available through the UMass Athletics home page at In addition, links to UMass basketball radio broadcasts can be found on the home page. UMass on the Radio: All University of Massachusetts basketball games can be heard live on the WHMP/Lazer UMass Basketball Radio Network, with WLZX serving as the flagship station. Bob Behler is in his second season as the playby-play voice of the Minutemen, while former UMass head coach Jack Leaman is in his seventh season as the color analyst. All broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to tip-off with the pre-game show. Stations broadcasting the La Salle game include: WLZX-FM 99.3 Northampton/Springfield WXKS-AM 1430 Boston WATD-FM 95.9 Marshfield WVEI-AM 1440 Worcester WBRK-AM 1340 Pittsfield WCAP-AM 980 Lowell The Bruiser Flint TV Show: The UMass Basketball Show with Bruiser Flint sponsored by the TJX Companies airs on Springfield s WGGB TV (channel 40) on Sunday at 11:35 p.m. and on Sunday afternoons when UMass does not play a Sunday game. Boston s WLVI (channel 56) also carries the program on Sunday at 11:35 p.m. Last Time Out: Playing at the Springfield Civic Center for the first time in six seasons, UMass led Duquesne by as many as 10 points in the first half, and held a advantage at intermission. The visiting Dukes, though, used a 9-2 run to take a lead on a conventional three-point play by Brad Midgley, but the Minutemen regained the lead for good at with 17:10 left on a Monty Mack basket. UMass led by as many as 17 in the second half en route to its 15th-straight victory over Duquesne, 80-69, before a season-high home crowd of 6,837. Mack led the Minutemen with 25 points, while Micah Brand had 16 points and Kitwana Rhymer added 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. UMass shot a season-high 55.2 percent from the field, its second-straight 50.0 percent or better shooting game, and also recorded season-bests for points (80), blocks (13) and steals (11). Courtney Wallace paced the Dukes attack with 17 points. The Coaches: UMass James Bruiser Flint (St. Joseph s, 1987) stands (.535) in his fifth season as a collegiate head coach, all with the Minutemen. In his 12th season overall in Amherst, Flint is one of only two coaches in school history to take three teams to postseason play in their first four seasons at the UMass helm (John Calipari was the other), and ranks as the fifthwinningest coach in school history, four victories behind No. 4 Robert Curran (81 victories in seven seasons from 1952 through 1959) and eight behind No. 3 Harold M. Gore (85 victories in 11 years from , and ). Only three other men, Jack Leaman (343 games), Calipari (264) and Curran (161) have coached in more games at UMass than Bruiser s 144. Flint, whose first two Minuteman squads earned NCAA Tournament bids and whose fourth team went to the NIT, owns a (.652) record in regular-season Atlantic 10 Conference play. Each of Flint s first four UMass squads finished third or higher in the A-10 standings, and his 2000 unit became the first to reach the conference tournament semifinals since the 1996 squad captured the last of the school s five consecutive league tournament crowns. In addition, his program has produced at least one all-conference performer each season, and nine of his 11 seniors (81.8 percent) have left Amherst with degree in hand. Before being tabbed to replace Calipari, Flint spent seven seasons as an assistant to Cal on the UMass bench. One of only 31 active Division I head coaches to have both played and coached a team in the NCAA Tournament, Flint is 4-1 vs. La Salle and coach Speedy Morris, 0-1 in Gola Arena. La Salle s Speedy Morris (Pittsburgh, 1991) owns a (.544) record in his 15th season as a head coach, all with the Explorers. The winningest coach in La Salle history, Morris has guided the Explorers to six postseason tournament appearances (four NCAA, two NIT) in his tenure. He is 1-7 vs. UMass, 1-0 at Gola Arena. The Series: Tenth meeting in a series that UMass leads, 7-2, after last year s victory in Amherst. La Salle won the first meeting between the schools, 82-75, Dec. 30, 1971, in the Quaker City Classic at Philadelphia, but UMass won the next six contests before the Explorers scored a victory two years ago at Gola Arena. In games played in Philadelphia, the series is deadlocked 2-2. Last Year s Meeting: The Minutemen and Explorers were tied, 15-15, with 8:31 left in the first half, but UMass used a 22-5 run to take a halftime lead. La Salle would close to within 14 early in the second half, but the Minutemen would eventually build the lead to as many as 35 en route to the victory. Chris Kirkland led the UMass attack with 26 points, while Monty Mack netted 20 and Shannon Crooks 12. Donnie Carr led La Salle with 16 points. A box score from the game is included in tonight s notes package. Active UMass Players vs. La Salle GP FG% 3FG% FT% Reb. PPG A TO BK ST MP Blizzard Brand Crooks DePina Mack Rhymer Smith Road Warriors: One of the hardest things to do in college basketball is win away from home, but under Bruiser Flint, the Minutemen have enjoyed success away from the Mullins Center. Including games played at neutral sites, UMass is (.461) all-time outside of Amherst under Flint, including a (.618) record in regular-season A-10 road games under his leadership. UMass and Temple were the only A-10 teams to record winning road records in conference play last season, as the Minutemen were 5-3 vs. A-10 foes away from home a year ago, their third winning league road mark in Flint s tenure. The Minutemen, outside of the Mullins Center a year ago, were also the only Atlantic 10 team to post a victory at Virginia Tech last season, and have posted a.500 or better overall road record 10 times in the last 11 seasons.

3 On the Inside: The UMass frontline played key roles in last week s wins over Dayton and Duquesne, scoring 94 of the team s 142 points on the week. In the Minutemen s victory over Dayton the frontline tallied 51 of the team s 62 points, and it had 43 of 80 points in the Duquesne victory. Senior center Kitwana Rhymer and sophomore forward Micah Brand did most of the damage last week, and Rhymer earned A-10 player-of-the-week honors for his efforts. He averaged 17.0 points and 12.5 rebounds and recorded back to back double-doubles for the first time in his career (a career-high-tying 19 points and 13 rebounds vs. Dayton, 15 points and 12 rebounds vs. Duquesne). Brand, who has recorded three-straight double figure scoring games for the first time in his career, averaged 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in the victories. In A-10 play, the UMass frontline has played an important role in the team s 4-1 start, accounting for 54.2 percent of the offensive production (38.8 ppg), and shooting a sizzling 56.6 percent from the field. No Minuteman frontline player has stepped up his game more in the A-10 than Rhymer, who is averaging a double-double (14.2 ppg and 10.6 rpg) against league foes, and who may well be the league s most improved player. Stepping Up: The names are the same, but their games are not. Perhaps that s the best way to explain how a team was picked to finish third in the league s preseason poll, then stumbled to a 2-9 record in the non-conference season, but has since won four of five games to open its A-10 slate. Six players are scoring at a higher rate than they did in the non-league season, and the result is that UMass is averaging 6.9 points more per game against its league foes (71.6 ppg) than it did in the non-conference (64.7 ppg) portion of the schedule. Those Minutemen stepping up since the league season arrived include: Player Non-League A-10 Difference Kitwana Rhymer 8.6 ppg 14.2 ppg +5.6 Monty Mack 16.3 ppg 21.2 ppg +4.9 Micah Brand 8.2 ppg 10.2 ppg +2.0 Jameel Pugh 2.0 ppg 3.0 ppg +1.0 Ronell Blizzard 1.7 ppg 2.2 ppg +0.5 Jackie Rogers 5.2 ppg 5.6 ppg +0.4 UMass Non-League vs. A-10 Offensive Statistical Comparison GP FG% 3FG% FT% Reb. PPG A TO BK ST Non-Conf A About the Schedule: Grueling. Tough. Hard. Difficult. Take your pick. They re all words that can be used to describe the UMass schedule this season, which this week is ranked as the sixth or seventh toughest in college basketball, depending on the rating service looked at. Using the latest RPI rankings from Jerry Palm s College RPI.com, 14 of the Minutemen s 16 opponents thus far have an RPI of 115 or better, and 10 are ranked 76th or better. UMass is 1-4 vs. opponents ranked from 1-50 in the RPI, 1-6 vs. teams ranked from 51 through 100, 2-0 vs. teams ranked from 101 to 150 and 2-0 vs. teams ranked worse than 151. For the record, UMass RPI ranks 74th, while La Salle s is 130 according to Palm. Every team that has beaten UMass this season has a.500 or better record, and eight have already won at least 11 games. The Minutemen would appear to be on track to have a schedule ranked among the nation s top 20 in degree of difficulty for the third time under coach Bruiser Flint, and the fourth time in school history, based on CollegeRPI.com s figures. UMass other top 20 schedules in terms of difficulty came in (No. 19), (No. 14) and (No. 9). Over the last eight seasons, only once has the Minuteman strength of schedule been ranked lower than 56. Why We Win: In each of their six victories this season, the Minutemen have outshot their opponent and watched their bench provide more points than the opposition s subs. In Saturday s win over Duquesne, UMass hit a season-high 55.2 percent from the field, compared to 38.8 shooting for the Dukes, and its bench outscored DU s bench, In its six wins, UMass has shot 47.5 percent (152-of-320) from the field, 68.5 percent at the foul line (100-of-146), outrebounded its opponents by +4.2 per game, while averaging 71.3 points and 14.3 turnovers per game. Those numbers compare to 37.6 percent field goal shooting (216-of- 575), 64.1 percent free throw marksmanship (161-of-251), a -3.5 rebound margin, 64.2 points and 16.6 turnovers in UMass 10 setbacks. As can be expected, there is also a marked statistical difference between the Minutemen s defensive averages in their wins when compared to their losses. UMass has held its opponents to 61.2 ppg and 39.0 percent (130-of-333) field goal shooting, while forcing 15.7 turnovers in its six wins, but in defeat, the 10 opponents have averaged 75.2 points per game, shot 43.3 percent (245- of-566) from the field and averaged just 14.8 turnovers per game. UMASS BASKETBALL--PAGE 3 The Bruiser Flint Show: Head coach Bruiser Flint s weekly radio show airs live from Amherst s Monkey Bar and Grill on WLZX 99.3 FM and WHMP 1400 AM in Northampton. Remaining air dates are Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22; March 1, 5 and 12. The show, hosted by Bob Behler, is open to the public, and runs from 6-7 p.m. UMASS CAREER HIGHS Player Pts. Reb. A Stl. Ronell Blizzard Micah Brand Shannon Crooks Jonathan DePina Willie Jenkins Monty Mack Jameel Pugh Kitwana Rhymer Jackie Rogers Winston Smith Eric Williams* 17/14 11/9 5/2 4/1 *Both Syracuse and UMass career highs listed. CRUNCH TIME FREE THROWS (FINAL THREE MINUTES & O.T.) Player FT-FTA Pct. Monty Mack Kitwana Rhymer Ronell Blizzard Shannon Crooks Jonathan DePina Micah Brand Willie Jenkins Eric Williams Jameel Pugh Winston Smith Jackie Rogers UMass Opponents Note: UMass is shooting 79.3 percent (46-of-58) from the free throw line in the game s final three minutes against A-10 opponents. UMASS IN THE SAGARIN RATINGS Week No. Rating Sch. Rank Preseason Nov Nov Nov Dec Dec Dec Jan Jan Jan Flint is Nation s Best-Dressed Head Coach: The latest Fashion Power Index, recently released by CollegeInsider.com, continues to rank UMass Bruiser Flint as America s best-dressed college basketball coach.

4 UMASS BASKETBALL--PAGE 4 UMASS CAREER TOTALS DOUBLE-FIGURE SOCRING GAMES Monty Mack Shannon Crooks 6 26 Kitwana Rhymer 9 20 Micah Brand 8 11 Jackie Rogers 2 2 Jonathan DePina 1 7 Winston Smith 1 3 Eric Williams POINT SCORING GAMES Monty Mack POINT SCORING GAMES Monty Mack 4 14 Shannon Crooks POINT SCORING GAMES Monty Mack 8 44 Shannon Crooks 1 4 DOUBLE-FIGURE ASSIST GAMES Monty Mack FIVE+ STEAL GAMES Monty Mack Shannon Crooks 1 2 FIVE+ BLOCK GAMES Kitwana Rhymer 2 4 Ronell Blizzard 1 1 DOUBLE-FIGURE REBOUND GAMES Kitwana Rhymer 6 17 Winston Smith 2 2 Ronell Blizzard 1 1 Micah Brand Monty Mack DOUBLE-DOUBLES Kitwana Rhymer 5 10 Monty Mack ACTIVE DIVISION I CAREER SCORING LEADERS (THRU 1-22) Player & School Career 1. Ronnie McCollum, Centenary 499 2, Monty Mack, UMass 269 1, Jeryl Sasser, SMU 319 1, Chris Bjorklund, Cal-Poly 300 1, Robert O Kelley, Wake Forest 210 1,718 The SWAT Squad: Through 16 games, UMass leads the Atlantic 10 in blocked shots with an average of 5.5 rejections per game (a league-best 88 on the season). The Minutemen, who have had five or more rejections in 10 of 16 games on the year, had a season-high 13 snuffs against Duquesne, and have had at least one blocked shot in 82-straight games since being held rejectionless in a loss at Temple, March 1, Senior center Kitwana Rhymer leads the team and the Atlantic 10 Conference with 2.25 bpg (36), while sophomore Micah Brand (20) ranks second on the team and sixth in the A-10 and junior Ronell Blizzard (17) is third on the squad and seventh in the A or More Spells W-I-N: Although the Minutemen are just 3-2 this season when scoring 70- or-more points, that number has usually been a good indicator to use in predicting their success over the last few seasons. In 13 of its 17 victories a year ago, UMass tallied 70 or more points, and for the season it was 13-2 when putting 70-plus points on the scoreboard. Under coach Bruiser Flint, the Minutemen are (.778) all-time when reaching the 70-point mark, but just (.389) when scoring 69 or fewer points. UMass is also (.220) under Flint when it allows 70 or more points, including an 0-6 record this season. Watch the Clock: Under coach Bruiser Flint, UMass has been nearly unbeatable when leading with 5:00 remaining, as the Minutemen are 70-9 (.886) all-time under his leadership when leading after 35 minutes of play, including a 6-0 mark this season. UMass is 2-2 (.500) in Flint s tenure when tied with 5:00 to go, 0-1 this year. UMass has struggled nearly as much when trailing with 5:00 left, posting a 5-56 mark (.083), which includes an 0-9 record this year. The Minutemen s come-from-behind victories in Flint s tenure came against North Carolina-Wilmington (down 41-37, but won 47-46) and Duquesne (trailed 63-60, but won 73-71) in , Charlotte (behind 48-45, but won in OT) and St. Joseph s (behind 63-58, but won in OT) in and Villanova (down 40-38, but won 52-51) last year. On 17 occasions over the last six-plus seasons, including 11 times under Flint, the Minutemen have overcome a double-digit deficit at some point in the game to claim victory. UMass mostrecent double-digit rally to win effort came against Dayton, when it overcame an 11-point first half deficit to beat the Flyers, Earlier this month against George Washington, the Minutemen overcame a 15-point deficit with 1:07 left in the first half to beat the Colonials, The 15-point lead the Minutemen overcame to win marked their largest comeback win under Flint, three points more than they overcame in a victory over Drexel during the campaign, and the program s largest since rallying from 16 down in the first half to beat Maryland, 50-47, Dec. 2, Happy New Year: Under coach Bruiser Flint, UMass is (.756) all-time in the month of January, and has won nine of its last 12 games in the first month of the New Year. In game s played on this date, UMass is 1-0 under Flint, 7-11 all-time on the 25th day of the year s first month. Finding the Touch: After hitting a then-season-high 54.0 percent from the field in their season-opening victory over Iona, the Minutemen shot just 38.3 percent over the next 13 games (and did not reach the 50.0 percent mark in any game), before hitting 50.0 percent in back-to-back games last week against Dayton (.510) and Duquesne (season-best.552). League play has brought out the UMass shooting touch, as the squad that hit just 38.5 percent in non-conference play and averaged 64.7 points, has connected on 47.5 percent of its fielders against A-10 foes (en route to 71.6 ppg) to move its season mark to 41.1 percent. The Minutemen, who were 7-0 a year ago when shooting 50.0 percent or better from the floor, own a 28-4 mark under Flint when hitting better than half of their fielders and have won 14- straight when reaching the 50.0 percent mark since an loss to George Washington in the quarterfinals of the 1998 Atlantic 10 Tournament. Foul Shooting: After hitting just 58.6 percent from the free throw line in their first four games of the season, the Minutemen have shot 68.7 percent (193-of-281) from the stripe over the last 12 games to improve their season mark to 65.7 percent. UMass has hit 70.0 percent or better in seven of its last 12 games, including a season-high 83.3 percent effort at Ohio State and a 78.6 percent performance against Dayton. The Minutemen, who have watched their opponents hit 70.9 percent from the line, have been outscored at the foul line on the year. However, in A-10 action, UMass is shooting 72.6 percent at the free throw line (compared to 62.6 percent in the non-league season) and has outscored its opponent, 90-68, from the stripe. In fact, the Minutemen have made (90) just eight fewer free throws than their opponents have attempted (98) in league play. UMass top free throw shooter is senior guard Monty Mack at 78.0 percent (64-for-82), while his backcourt runningmates, senior Jonathan DePina and junior Shannon Crooks, rank second and third, at.708 and.704, respectively.

5 Cleaning the Glass: While its free throw shooting has improved in its last 12 games, UMass rebounding has been better over the last 10 games, too. After being outrebounded in each of their first six games, the Minutemen have outrebounded eight of their last 10 opponents, and for the season are now even with their opponents on the glass ( ). In A-10 play, though, UMass is a +4.6 rpg on the glass. Senior center Kitwana Rhymer is UMass top rebounder at 7.7 per game (10.6 rpg in A-10 play). We Can Play the D : A trademark of the UMass basketball program over the last 12 years has been stingy defensive play, and that appears to again be the case again this season. For the year, Minutemen opponents are shooting 41.7 percent (38.8 percent by A-10 foes) from the field, including 31.7 percent (28.9 percent by A-10 opponents) from three-point range, and have topped the 50.0 percent mark only three times in 16 games. The Minutemen have held 49 of their last 59 opponents, including 13 of 16 this season, to under 50 percent shooting from the field (UMass is in those games), and 29 foes to under 40 percent shooting (20-9). Under coach Flint, UMass has held an opponent to under 40 percent shooting 73 times (in 144 total games) and owns a (.757) record in those contests. Last year, UMass ranked fourth in the A-10 in both scoring (64.8 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (.412). Each of Flint s first four teams rank among the school s top 10 in fewest points allowed per game (since the season), with the average points scored against UMass in his tenure being 65.2 points per game. Playing the D, Part II: Since allowing North Carolina to shoot 50.0 percent from the field and put 91 points on the scoreboard in a victory in the opening round of the Hardee s Tournament of Champions in Charlotte, N.C., the Minutemen have limited their last six opponents to 63.2 points per game and 37.6 percent shooting from the field. Consistent Success: The Atlantic 10 Conference s winningest program over the last 11 seasons, UMass is one of 21 Division I schools to have earned 10 postseason tournament bids in the last 11 years (from through ). The guest list: 11 Postseason Bids: Arizona, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Purdue, Temple and UCLA. 10 Postseason Bids: Duke, Michigan, New Mexico, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Syracuse, UMass, Wake Forest. The Minutemen have recorded a winning A-10 record in each of the last 11 seasons, own a (.714) mark in regular-season league play and have captured 10 league titles (five regular season, five tournament) in that time frame. Over the past 11-plus seasons, UMass owns a (.684) overall record, an average of 23.1 victories per season. Quick Tips: The Minutemen reached the 1,000 victory pleateau with their victory over Dayton, and own an all-time record of 1, (.530) on the hardwood...umass has used five different starting line-up combinations this season, and eight players have started at least one game on the season...the Minuteman bench, which scored a season-high-tying 28 points against BU (it also provided 28 points in the Oregon loss), has provided 277 points (17.3 ppg) on the season compared to its opponents 286 (17.9 ppg)...umass six-game losing streak which ended against BU was its longest since the season...umass had a season-high five doublefigure scorers against Providence, marking the first time it had five double-digit scorers in the same game since its season-opener at Iona...the Minutemen have hit at least one threepoint goal in 79-straight games since a first-round 1998 NCAA Tournament loss to Saint Louis, while their opponents have at least one trey in 23-straight outings...umass 31-point loss to North Carolina was its worst ever under coach Flint, and the worst since a setback to Duquesne, Feb. 18, the Minuteman roster features four former Bay State prep products with the addition of walk-on freshman guard Dwayne Killings to the roster...killings, who prepped at Amherst Regional High School, will wear No the Minutemen had a season-low eight turnovers against George Washington, their fewest since committing eight against Virginia Tech, Jan. 2, under coach Flint, UMass is (.389) in games played in November and December, (.622) in games played in January, February or March...the season marks the 25th year of A-10 basketball, and the Minutemen have been there for every season...the A-10, of course, was founded as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League and started play with the campaign...the league became the Eastern Eight a year later, and the A-10 in UMass has produced at least one all-conference performer for 17-straight seasons...nine of UMass first 16 games were against teams went to postseason play a year ago, and the Minutemen still have five games left against 2000 postseason tournament teams (two with Temple, one each against St. Bonaventure, Dayton and Xavier)...the Minutemen are 2-5 vs NCAA Tournament entrants, 1-1 vs NIT participants...umass is one of only 15 schools to have made at least one Final Four appearance since 1996, as the Minutemen made their first and only trip in UMASS BASKETBALL--PAGE 5 MINUTEMEN ON UMASS CAREER CHARTS POINTS SCORED Player G Points 1. Jim McCoy, , Lou Roe, , Monty Mack, ,886 FIELD GOALS MADE Player G FGM 1. Jim McCoy, Lou Roe, Monty Mack, FIELD GOALS ATTEMPTED Player G FGA 1. Jim McCoy, , Monty Mack, ,660 THREE-POINT FIELD GOALS MADE Player G 3FGM 1. Monty Mack, Carmelo Travieso, THREE-POINT FIELD GOALS ATTEMPTED Player G 3FGA 1. Monty Mack, Carmelo Travieso, THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE Player G Pct. 1. Carl Smith, Carmelo Travieso, Monty Mack, FREE THROW PERCENTAGE Player G Pct. 1. John Hempel, Monty Mack, STEALS Player G No. 1. Edgar Padilla, Mike Williams, Monty Mack, BLOCKED SHOTS Player G No. 1. Marcus Camby, Lou Roe, Kitwana Rhymer, MINUTES PLAYED Player G Min. 1. Jim McCoy, , Carl Smith, , Monty Mack, ,873

6 UMASS BASKETBALL--PAGE 6 MINUTEMEN ON UMASS CAREER CHARTS, CONT. GAMES STARTED Player Starts 1. Jim McCoy, Dana Dingle, Donald Russell, Monty Mack, UMASS AFTER FIVE GAMES IN THE A-10 UNDER COACH FLINT Season After Five Final ??? UMASS INDIVIDUAL GAME STATISTICAL LEADERS IN... Scoring: Mack (11), Crooks (2), Rhymer (2), Brand (1). Rebounding: Rhymer (8), Brand (3), Smith (3), Rogers (2), Williams (1), Blizzard (1). Assists: Crooks (9), DePina (7), Smith (4), Mack (2), Brand (1). Steals: Crooks (8), Smith (6), DePina (5), Mack (3), Rogers (3), Rhymer (2), Blizzard (2). Blocks: Rhymer (10), Brand (5), Blizzard (3), Williams (2), Crooks (1), Rogers (1). A-10 STANDINGS (THRU 1-22) Team All A-10 St. Joseph s Xavier Temple UMass Fordham St. Bonaventure Dayton Duquesne George Washington La Salle Rhode Island IN THE A-10 TONIGHT Dayton at St. Bonaventure, 7:30 p.m. (A-10 TV) IN THE A-10 SATURDAY La Salle at Rhode Island, 2 p.m. (A-10 TV) Xavier at Duquesne, 4 p.m. (A-10 TV) St. Bonaventure at George Washington, 7:30 p.m. Fordham at Dayton, 7:30 p.m. Penn vs. St. Joseph s, 8 p.m. (The Palestra) NOTING THE MINUTEMEN #1 JONATHAN DEPINA, 5-9, 185, SR., BOSTON, MASS. The tri-captain leads team in three-point percentage (.400), ranks second in assists (46) and free throw shooting (.708), third in steals (18) and sixth in scoring (4.7 ppg). Has had at least one assist in every game this season, including 13 games with two or more, and has contributed five or more points eight times. In UMass wins this season, DePina has averaged 5.8 points and 3.7 assists, while committing just nine turnovers, but in its losses, he has averaged 4.0 points and 2.4 assists with 16 turnovers. One of two Minutemen, Winston Smith is the other, to have more assists (46) than turnovers (25) on the year. Thirty-one (10.3 ppg) of his 75 points came in the first three games of the season, as he s averaged just 3.4 points over his last 13 outings. Had six points, three assists and four steals in 21 minutes against Duquesne. DEPINA S CAREER HIGHS Points: 15 vs. Cincinnati, 12/27/97 Assists: 9, twice Rebounds: 8, vs. Charlotte, 1/15/98 Minutes: 40, at Fordham, 2/16/00 #2 JACKIE ROGERS, 6-8, 230, JR., SYRACUSE, N.Y. Averaged 11.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in UMass wins over Dayton and Duquesne last week. Had a career-high 16 points in 20 minutes off the bench vs. the Flyers, including 10 in the second half, then had six points, a career-best six boards and a pair of blocks against the Dukes. Contributes 7.4 points in UMass victories, but averages just 4.7 in its defeats. Has produced six or more points seven times, including a pair of double-figure efforts. Shooting 66.7 percent from the floor against A-10 opponents, while averaging 6.4 points. Has grabbed five or more rebounds four times, including a career-high six vs. Duquesne. ROGERS CAREER HIGHS Points: 16, Dayton, 1/18/01 Assists: 2, at Xavier, 1/9/01 Rebounds: 6, vs. Duquesne, 1/20/01 Minutes: 31, vs. Holy Cross, 11/25/00 #3 RONELL BLIZZARD, 6-8, 205, JR., WATERBURY, CONN. Against Dayton, Blizzard made second start of the season and just the sixth of his career, did not score, but had two rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block in 11 minutes of action. In the Duquesne game, he had four points, a pair of rebounds and two blocks in 18 minutes. Scored just five points (0.7 ppg) in UMass first seven games of the season, but has tallied 30 points (3.3 ppg) in his last nine outings, including a career-high-tying nine points at Boston U. Also established career bests for rebounds (14), blocked shots (seven) and minutes played (25) at BU. His seven rejections against the Terriers were the most by a UMass player since Marcus Camby had seven in a second-round NCAA Tournament victory over Stanford, March 16, In UMass six wins this season, Blizzard has averaged 4.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks, but in its 10 losses he has averaged 1.1 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.2 blocks. For the season, he ranks third on the squad in blocked shots with 17, but 16 of the rejections have come over the last nine games. BLIZZARD S CAREER HIGHS Points: 9, twice Assists: 2, vs. Duquesne, 1/20/01 Rebounds: 14, at Boston U., 12/14/00 Minutes: 25, at Boston U., 12/14/00 #4 WILLIE JENKINS, 6-6, 200, FR., MEMPHIS, TENN. A true freshman, Jenkins has played in 10 games this season, averaging 6.3 minutes of work. He had three points and a career-high two rebounds against North Carolina, but has not played in the last six games. Tallied a career-high six points in a career-long 16 minute stint off the bench at Holy Cross. JENKINS CAREER HIGHS Points: 6, at Holy Cross, 11/25/00 Assists: 1, twice Rebounds: 2, vs. North Carolina, 12/29/00 Minutes: 16, at Holy Cross, 11/25/00 #5 MONTY MACK, 6-3, 200, SR., BOSTON, MASS. A-10 player-of-the-year and All-America candidate leads UMass in scoring both overall (17.9 ppg) and in league play (21.2 ppg). His career-long-tying string of 20-plus scoring games came to an end at five straight outings, as Dayton held him to just seven points, but he bounced back to score a game-high 25 points against Duquesne, his sixth 20-point game in his last seven outings (20.9 ppg over that stretch). Third-leading scorer in school history with 1,886 points, Mack needs 20 to surpass No. 2 Lou

7 Roe ( ) and 114 to become just the second Minuteman, joining Jim McCoy (2,374 points), to reach the 2,000-point plateau. Last year, became the fifth player in UMass history and first since Marcus Camby in 1996 to earn both first team all-league and all-tournament honors in the same season. His 1,886 points rank second among all active Division I players, behind Centenary s Ronnie McCollum s 2,226. Mack has scored in double figures 96 times in 109 games as a Minuteman, with 44 of his double-figure scoring games being 20-point-or-better outings. He needs three 20-plus games to break the UMass career record held by Julius Erving, who tallied 20 or more points in 46 of 52 games during his two-year career under the watchful eye of former coach Jack Leaman. Also leads UMass in free throw shooting (.780), three-point goals made (39) and minutes (533), while ranking fourth in both assists (26) and steals (14). The ironman has logged 30 or more minutes in 13 of 15 appearances this season, and has played 187 of 197 minutes in league games. Has shot 40.0 percent from the field in UMass six wins, but just 31.1 percent in its 10 losses. Holds UMass career records for three-point goals made (275) and attempted (779), and ranks among school s top 10 in eight other categories. The tri-captain s standing on other school career lists can be found on pages 5-6 of this notes package. MACK S CAREER HIGHS Points: 34, at College of Charleston, 12/1/98 Assists: 11, vs. St. Joseph s, 2/21/98 Rebounds: 10, vs. Xavier, 2/20/99 Minutes: 50, vs. Xavier, 2/20/99 #20 WINSTON SMITH, 6-5, 228, SR., SUMMIT, N.J. Came off the bench for the first time this season in the Dayton game, and had two points, three rebounds and a pair of assists in 25 minutes. Returned to starting line-up vs. Duquesne, and had two points, a team-high four assists and three steals in 21 minutes. The fifth-year senior and tri-captain has a pair of double-figure rebounding games to his credit (a career-best 14 boards against Richmond and 11 at Xavier). A career 39.5 percent field goal shooter, Smith hit 52.5 percent from the floor over the first nine games of the season, but has hit just 22.2 percent (six-of-27) the last seven games to drop his season mark to 40.3 percent. His five made treys this season are one more than he nailed over the first 91 games of his career, while his 14 starts are seven more than he had in his first four years combined. One of two Minutemen to have more assists than turnovers, Smith ranks second on the team in three-point shooting (.385) and steals (19), third in rebounding (4.2 rpg) assists (36) and minutes played (411). He has collected at least one assist in 15 of 16 games, two or more nine times. He has contributed five or more points five times this season, including a career-high 10 against Providence, and has grabbed five or more rebounds five times. SMITH S CAREER HIGHS Points: 10, vs. Providence, 12/7/00 Assists: 6, at Marquette, 11/20/00 Rebounds: 14, vs. Richmond, 12/30/00 Minutes: 36, vs. Richmond, 12/30/00 #21 ERIC WILLIAMS, 6-8, 243, JR., BROOKLYN, N.Y. Syrcause transfer has not scored in his last two appearances (Dayton and Duquesne). In his Minuteman debut, had 14 points and nine rebounds against Iona, and for the season is averaging 3.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. One of two UMass players shooting 50.0 percent or better from the field on the season, he has hit 85.7 percent against A-10 foes. The Minutemen are 4-1 this season when he scores five or more points. In UMass six wins this season, Williams has averaged 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds, while shooting 90.0 percent from the field and 65.0 percent at the line, compared to 2.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 33.3 field goal shooting and 38.9 percent free throw shooting in its losses. WILLIAMS UMASS CAREER HIGHS Points: 14, vs. Iona, 11/18/00 Assists: 1, four times Rebounds: 9, vs. Iona, 11/18/00 Minutes: 26, vs. Iona, 11/18/00 #24 JAMEEL PUGH, 6-5, 200, FR., SACRAMENTO, CALIF. A true freshman, Pugh did not play in UMass first six games, then played in the next six, but has sat the last four. Had three points, a rebound and one assist in four minutes against George Washington in his last outing Ten of his 13 points and nine of his 10 rebounds came in UMass losses to nationally-ranked foes Connecticut (seven points, four rebounds) and North Carolina (three points, five rebounds). PUGH S CAREER HIGHS Points: 7, at Connecticut, 12/12/00 Assists: 1, vs. GW, 1/6/01 Rebounds: 5, vs. North Carolina, 12/29/00 Minutes: 8, at Connecticut, 12/12/00 UMASS BASKETBALL--PAGE 7 MINUTEMEN IN THE ALL-GAMES A-10 STATISTICS (THRU 1-21) SCORING Monty Mack 7th 17.9 REBOUNDING Kitwana Rhymer 5th 7.7 FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE Player Rank Pct. Monty Mack 15th.340 ASSISTS Shannon Crooks 14th 2.94 Jonathan DePina 15th 2.88 FREE THROW PERCENTAGE Player Rank Pct. Monty Mack 12th.780 STEALS Shannon Crooks 12th 1.56 THREE-POINT FIELD GOALS MADE Monty Mack 4th 2.60 BLOCKED SHOTS Kitwana Rhymer 1st 2.25 Micah Brand 6th 1.25 Ronell Blizzard T-7th 1.06 TEAM Category Rank Avg. Blocked Shots 1st 5.50 Three-Point Pct. Defense 3rd.317 Offensive Rebounds 3rd FG Percentage Defense 4th.417 Rebounding Offense T-4th 36.8 Defensive Rebounds 5th Scoring Defense 6th 69.9 Rebound Margin 6th 0.0 Rebounding Defense 7th 36.8 Turnover Margin 8th Assists 8th Turnover Margin 8th Steals 9th 6.50 Scoring Offense 9th 66.9 Scoring Margin 9th -3.1 Three-Point FG Made 10th 4.56 Three-Point Percentage 10th.297 Free Throw Percentage 10th.657 Assist/Turnover Ratio 10th 0.77 Field Goal Percentage 10th.411

8 UMASS BASKETBALL--PAGE 8 TEAM STATISTICAL SUPERLATIVES Biggest UMass Lead: 24 at Boston U. (4:17, 2nd, 67-43) Biggest UMass Deficit: 32 vs. North Carolina (:30, 2nd, 91-59) Biggest UMass Lead in a Loss: 9 vs. Providence (twice, 2nd, & 44-35) Biggest UMass Deficit in a Win: 15 vs. George Washington (1:07, 1st, 37-22) Biggest UMass Halftime Lead 11 at Boston U. (30-19) Biggest UMass Halftime Deficit 16 at UConn (42-26) Best UMass Half FG Percentage:.593 vs. Iona (16-27, 1st), vs. Duquesne (16-27, 2nd) Worst UMass Half FG Percentage:.167 at Ohio State (5-30, 1st) Best Opponent Half FG Percentage:.600 at Oregon (15-25, 1st) Worst Opponent Half FG Percentage:.250 by Richmond (6-24, 2nd) Most UMass Points in a Half: 51 vs. George Washington (2nd) Fewest UMass Points in a Half: 13 at Ohio State (1st) Most Opponent Points in a Half : 56 by Providence (2nd) Fewest Opponent Points in a Half: 19 at Boston U. (1st) Most/Fewest UMass Bench Points: 28 at Oregon & Boston U./4 at Ohio State Early Signees: During the early-signing period, the Minutemen received national letters of intent from forwards Eddie Basden (Greenbelt, Md.) and Mauricio Branwell (Silver Spring, Md.) and guard Jeremiah King (Passaic, N.J.). Basden averaged 19.3 points and seven rebounds as a junior at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, while Branwell averaged 18 points and 13 rebounds as a junior at Dunbar High School. King averaged 22.6 points a year ago at Paterson Catholic (N.J.) High School and will play at the Winchendon (Mass.) School as a senior. Branwell will play at Notre Dame Prep School in Fitchburg, Mass., this season. From Here: UMass stays in Philadelphia to face the Temple Owls on Saturday at 12 Noon, a game that will be televised by ESPN. #30 SHANNON CROOKS, 6-2, 222, JR., EVERETT, MASS. He has scored in double figures six times this season, including a season-best 20-point effort in the Iona victory and a 19-point outing at Marquette. Also was in double-digits against Providence (11), Boston College (10), George Washington (13) and Xavier (12). An important component of Crooks game is getting to the free throw line. He averaged 8.3 free throw attempts (25 attempts) in UMass first three games of the season, then went an average of 2.8 times (22 attempts) over the next eight games. He averaged 9.0 attempts in UMass first two A-10 games, but only had 2.0 attempts the past three games. Has recorded 22 multiple-steal games in 49 career appearances and has a team-best 25 thefts on the season. Crooks has led UMass in assists 10 times this season, and in steals eight times. UMass is 4-0 over the last two seasons when Crooks scores 20-or-more points in a game, and 15-9 when he has more assists than turnovers in a game. Leads the team in steals (25) and assists (47), ranks second in minutes played (480), third in scoring (9.6 ppg) and free throw percentage (.704). Tyring to become first player since Edgar Padilla in to lead the Minutemen in both assists and steals in the same season. Had six points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal against Duquesne. Crooks has had two or more assists in 15 of 16 games this season, with a high of five twice. One of two UMass players to start all 16 games this season (Kitwana Rhymer is the other), Crooks has started 38-straight games, the longest active starting streak on the squad. CROOKS CAREER HIGHS Points: 29, at Fordham, 2/16/00 Assists: 8, at Xavier, 2/12/00 Rebounds: 7, vs. George Washington, 2/29/00 Minutes: 40, vs. Temple, 3/10/00 #33 KITWANA RHYMER, 6-10, 256, SR., ST. THOMAS, VIRGIN ISLANDS Earned first A-10 player-of-the-week award of his career last week by averaging 17.0 points and 12.5 rebounds in UMass wins over Dayton and Duquesne. Had consecutive double-doubles for first time in career, a career-best-tying 19 points and 13 boards vs. the Flyers, and 15 points and 12 rebounds against the Dukes. Against A-10 foes, he s averaging 14.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. For his career, Rhymer has recorded 10 double-doubles and 17 double-figure rebounding games. He has five double-doubles to his credit this season, six double-figure rebounding efforts. Averaged 5.3 points and 3.0 rebounds over UMass first four games of the season, but has contributed 12.1 points and 9.3 rebounds the last 12 games. The reason for his increased production can be traced to minutes played. Rhymer averaged just 14.3 minutes over the first four games of the season, and fouled out twice, but has averaged 27.7 minutes with no DQ s the last 12 games. He has 110 career snuffs, good for seventh on the UMass all-time list, and has 26 multipleblock games to his credit. Rhymer, who has had at least one block in 13 of 16 games this season, is one of seven players in school history to record 100 career blocks and is the top shot-blocker in the A-10 this season (2.25 bpg). His five blocks vs. Duquesne were one off his career-best. Leads the team in field goal percentage (.547), rebounding (7.7 rpg), fouls (57) and blocked shots (36), while ranking second in scoring (10.4 ppg) and fourth in free throw percentage (.685). Rhymer has hit 82.1 percent (23-of-28) at the foul line the past three games. Rhymer has scored in double figures nine times this season and has pulled down five or more rebounds in 11 games. RHYMER S CAREER HIGHS Points: 19, twice Assists: 3, twice Rebounds: 17, at Connecticut, 11/22/99 Minutes: 39, vs. Temple, 3/10/00 #40 MICAH BRAND, 6-11, 243, SO., MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. Recorded third-straight double-figure scoring game (and eighth of season) with 16-point effort against Duquesne. Also had five rebounds and a career-high-tying four blocks against the Dukes. Averaging 10.2 points against A-10 opponents, while shooting 61.8 percent from the field and 90.0 percent at the line. After recording a career-high 19 points and nine rebounds at Oregon in 25 minutes, Brand had 12 points and three rebounds off the bench in a like number of minutes against Providence, the first back-to-back double-figure scoring games of his career. Has started 10 of the last 11 games, and seven straight. Made first career start at Ohio State. Ranks second on the team in blocked shots (20) and rebounding (4.3 rpg), fourth in scoring (8.8 ppg) and field goal percentage (.474), fifth in free throw percentage (.673). Brand has recorded at least one block in 12 of 16 games this season, including a career-high four rejections twice, and has grabbed five or more rebounds six times. BRAND S CAREER HIGHS Points: 19, at Oregon, 12/2/00 Assists: 2, three times Rebounds: 10, vs. Rhode Island, 1/22/00 Minutes: 33, at Connecticut, 12/12/00