Massachusetts Minutemen basketball | |||
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University | University of Massachusetts Amherst | ||
Conference | A-10 | ||
Location | Amherst, MA | ||
Head coach | Matt McCall (1st year) | ||
Arena |
William D. Mullins Memorial Center (Capacity: 9,493) |
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Nickname | Minutemen | ||
Colors | Maroon and White |
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Uniforms | |||
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NCAA Tournament Final Four | |||
1996* | |||
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight | |||
1995, 1996* | |||
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen | |||
1992, 1995, 1996* | |||
NCAA Tournament Round of 32 | |||
1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996* | |||
NCAA Tournament appearances | |||
1962, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996*, 1997, 1998, 2014 *vacated by NCAA |
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Conference tournament champions | |||
1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 | |||
Conference regular season champions | |||
1962, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2007 |
The UMass Minutemen basketball team represents the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst, Massachusetts, in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. They play their home games in the William D. Mullins Memorial Center. The Minutemen currently compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The men's basketball program has a history of over 100 years. The Minutemen, as they have been called since 1972, celebrated their 100th season in 2008–09. Though the program's first game was played on January 10, 1900, there were several years in which no team was assembled.
The program's first coach was Harold M. Gore, who in 11 seasons compiled a record of 85–53 (.616 win percentage), highlighted by a 12–2 season in 1925–26. In 1933–34, Massachusetts was the only undefeated team in men's college basketball, going 12–0. For the 1948–49 season, Massachusetts joined the Yankee Conference to mark the first time they participated in conference play. UMass would go on to be 10-time champions of the Yankee Conference.
The 1960s and 1970s were prosperous for the program. The 1961–62 team went 15–9 and participated in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. They would go on to win 4 Yankee Conference titles in the 1960s, and played in the NIT at the end of the 1969–70 season. Though not a nationally recognized name, the program's coach with the most wins was Jack Leaman. Leaman guided Massachusetts to 217 wins, and coached players including Julius Erving, Al Skinner, and Rick Pitino. The program compiled a record of 142–103 (.580) in the 1960s. The 1969–70 team featured Julius Erving. In his first game with the varsity team, a 90–85 win over Providence College, Erving scored 27 points and grabbed 28 rebounds.