The Massachusetts men’s basketball team has only lost by double digits once in conference play this year. Taken at face value, this is impressive, but a deeper look shows that UMass (15-11, 6-7 Mid-American) is always looking up to its competition.
The Minutemen feed off their opponent’s energy to a fault. They did so in a 99-92 loss against Akron on Friday.
While the Zips (20-5, 11-1 MAC) turned up their intensity in crunch time to keep UMass at arm’s length, the Minutemen had no extra gear, no framework to fall back on when asked to perform against a premier conference opponent.
While UMass rose to the occasion when trading shots from deep range, it didn’t have the same tools to keep its offense afloat at the foul line. As the Minutemen got deeper into foul trouble, Leonardo Bettiol and Marcus Banks Jr. cycled onto the bench, leaving a hole in the visitors’ offensive identity that their replacements could not fill.
Akron, on the other hand, adjusted to attack UMass’ undisciplined paint defense. This gave the home squad a fallback option to get points when its jump shots weren’t falling. While the Zips are ranked 323rd in KenPom for free-throw rate, they utilized their elite ability to get to the basket against the foul-heavy Minutemen.
This exposes a deeper root of a trend that head coach Frank Martin has pointed out multiple times this year. When UMass is scoring, they’re reluctant to defend, especially in the closing moments of games. When the Minutemen are defending, the score never seems to separate: it’s almost like they’re waiting for a basket to respond to.
Still, only losing by seven to a March Madness-worthy team is very respectable, but the perspective on this team’s true skill level gets skewed when you look at prior losses to conference opponents.
Against Northern Illinois, a team currently ninth in the MAC, UMass fell 70-68 as it was shut down in the clutch again. The Minutemen sulked to the level of the Huskies in this game, dropping what looked like a sure victory to a team ranked over 100 spots below them in KenPom.
Northern Illinois ranks in the bottom 100 nationally in every shooting efficiency category, and UMass fit right in with its opponent by shooting 38.5% from the field.
No matter who it is, the Minutemen stay neck-and-neck with their opponent until the finish, where they’re often out-willed in the final moments.
Another example is when UMass visited No. 23 Miami (OH) and lost by the same margin as it did to the Huskies. In this game, the Minutemen raised the floor of their offensive output with red-hot shooting, going 7-of-10 from three in the first half.
Again, this aspect of the team fell off the table with foul trouble in the second half. Banks Jr. and K’Jei Parker both fouled out, again leaving the team with few options when it needed a bucket late.
The RedHawks, playing connected on both sides of the ball, didn’t deal with the same issues and closed out the game.
UMass often seems eager to beat an opponent at its own game, good or bad. If the Minutemen do find a way to play to their own identity for 40 minutes, it will have to come with a rigid defensive gameplan that keeps their cohesive offensive pieces on the floor.
Until then, UMass will be stuck hanging onto its opponents’ coattails, praying its offensive pieces are still available in crunch time.
Next, the Minutemen will be tested against another powerhouse MAC squad, hosting No. 23 Miami (OH) on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. That game will be available to watch live on ESPN+.
Tym Brown can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @tym_brown1.
