Massachusetts Set to Host Richmond on Saturday for Afternoon Matchup

The Massachusetts Minutemen (5-9, 0-1 Atlantic 10) take on the Richmond Spiders (6-8, 1-0 Atlantic 10) for the first game of the 2025 portion of the season on Saturday, January 4th at noon on NESN regionally and on ESPN+ in the Mullins Center in Amherst. This will be the twenty-sixth meeting between these two teams, and the Spiders have a 17-9 lead over the Minutemen.

Both of these teams a season ago were at the top of the conference, and halfway into this season, that is not the same case. Richmond last season earned themselves a share of the regular season title with Loyola Chicago after going 15-3 in conference play, and UMass finished fourth in the conference, which was their first top four finish since the 2007-2008 season. Through the non-conference play, both teams struggled to try and find their footing after having lost key rotation players, and find ways to win with this season’s teams.

Massachusetts Preview:

The start of the season, was not fully what people expected from the Massachusetts Minutemen through the non-conference slate. A lack of scoring threats for UMass has impacted their play style and how teams have guarded the Minutemen.

The Minutemen had not seen Rahsool Diggins play the way he played last season after being named Co-Most Improved Player of the Year. Diggins tied the program record for the most three-pointers in a game with 8 three-pointers in the season opener against New Hampshire but had fallen cold from behind the arc until the last non-conference game for the Minutemen against Arizona State. “Some of his issues were self-inflicted wounds, and since the Harvard game, he has recentered himself on what matters, and now he’s coming in every day with the mindset that made him a really good player for us,” said Coach Frank Martin on Diggins regaining confidence. In the first conference game of the season for UMass against Saint Joseph’s, Diggins came out fast and furious putting up a new career high of 33 points against the Philadelphia school. UMass will need Diggins to be a hot hand for the team to be able to get a few wins in conference play.

The Minutemen have been able to find other players to help in the scoring column besides looking at Diggins. Sophomore point guards Jaylen Curry and Marqui Worthy have been able to step up and score for UMass in key stretches of close games. Sophomore guard Jayden Ndjigue started the season off the bench but has since moved back into a starting position. “[Jayden] too good of a kid, but we’re in a difficult time as a team right now, because we’re fighting for an identity and we’re trying to fight – all of us [are],” said Coach Martin on how Ndjigue’s impact of the team. “We’re fighting together to create an identity, and Jayden gives us the identity that we need as a team.” As sophomores, Ndjigue, Curry, and Worthy all have been pushing to help create the identity of this team, whether it has been through their defensive plays, fastbreak points, or making the extra pass for someone else to score.

UMass saw a backcourt turnover with Matt Cross and Josh Cohen – Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team selections – entering the portal during the offseason. Retaining junior forward Daniel Hankins-Sanford during the offseason was a key piece to having someone who could guard ball screens and protect the rim. Hankins-Sanford is having his best year of play through eight games with the Minutemen before having missed the last five games due to injuring his right hand, he was averaging 10.3 points and 6.9 rebounds after the game against NJIT on December 1st.

With Hankins-Sanford back in the lineup for UMass in conference play, the Minutemen have a crucial piece of the puzzle back in their lineup, especially after spending last season with Coach Martin and UMass. The Minutemen did pick up more players for the backcourt from the transfer portal to help Hankins-Sanford out. Bryant transfer Daniel Rivera has been able to provide post-presence while Hankins-Sanford was out by protecting the rim, Murray State transfer Malek Abdelgowad has put up multiple double-doubles through non-conference play, College of Southern Idaho transfer Shahid Muhammad has blocked shots from going in during key times of the game, and Arizona State transfer Akil Watson has tried to help out on the defensive end and also provide some three-point shooting for the team.

Some goals the Minutemen should have set entering into conference play trying to have a balanced scoring attack by having at least three players in double-figure scoring each game, limiting committing turnovers, using the team’s height to their advantage to grab rebounds and block shots, and not letting scoring droughts impact them significantly in a close game. UMass currently has four players averaging double-figure scoring – Curry, Diggins, and Rivera – each have an average of 11.6 points or more. If any of those players or Abdelgowad, sophomore forward Tarique Foster, freshman guard Nate Guerengomba, Hankins-Sanford, Muhammad, or Worthy can put up a big scoring night in conference play, it could help the Minutemen expand who teams need to guard in conference play. 

UMass has done a fairly decent of limiting their turnovers averaging 11.8 turnovers a game, but have had some games this season where they have been over that average with some bad offensive plays that have led to teams scoring points off of those turnovers. The Minutemen have eight players who are listed at six-foot-eight or taller. UMass should be taking advantage of their height to grab the rebounds. Multiple times this season the Minutemen were outrebounded by teams who were smaller than them. Of the 8 losses that UMass has had 5 of those losses were within 10 points or less, and in those games, there were multiple stretches that the Minutemen had scoring droughts in key stretches of the game that ended up with a close loss.

As long as UMass can meet those expectations, the Minutemen should be able to get a few wins in their final season being in the Atlantic 10. Things could start to look up for UMass especially if they can meet all these expectations and have a balanced scoring effort. Diggins has a history of going off against the Philadelphia schools in the Atlantic 10, and it will be interesting to see if he can pull something off this season in their meetings.

Richmond Preview:

The regular season co-champions from last season, have not met the expectations that were set for them to start the season out. The Spiders lost Jordan King who was Co-Player of the Year from last season after he exhausted his collegiate eligibility and Co-Most Improved  Player Dji Bailey entered the transfer portal after the season. 

Coach Chris Mooney was able to retain senior guard DeLonnie Hunt who has become the team’s leading scorer averaging 17.6 points per game. Hunt has scored in double-figure scoring in twelve of the fourteen games for the Spiders this season. Coach Mooney also brought in Dartmouth graduate transfer Dusan Neskovic who is the only other player for Richmond averaging in double-figure scoring with 12.9 points per game. 

The Spiders have the longest-tenured coach in the conference in Coach Mooney, who has had plenty of successful teams in his tenure, but this team is not fully at that level only one game into conference play. Coming off of a close win against George Washington, could that be the kickstart that Richmond needs to be successful in conference play? Could the Spiders be fighting to get their rhythm back now as we are starting to get deep into conference play? How can they get other players going besides Hunt and Neskovic to help deepen their scoring depth? All of these questions could be answered based on how conference play goes.

Statistical Comparision:

Looking into the statistical differences between these two teams, both teams have some strengths and weaknesses compared to other teams in the conference. Here is a shake-out of where both the Minutemen and the Spiders stand in each of the major categories within the conference (listed in parenthesis) and on the national level (listed in brackets):

KG’s Keys to Success:

Massachusetts:

• Limit DeLonnie Hunt’s scoring
• Make Free Throws
• Limit Second Chance Points
• Defend Ballscreens
• Protect the Rim
• Get Shooters Active

Richmond:

• Limit the Minutemen’s Offensive Rebounds
• Share the Ball for More Assists
• Keep UMass from Having Multiple Players in Double-Figures
• Try for More Second-Chance Points
• Don’t be Afraid to Play Physical in the Paint

Featured Image: Sam Allard, UMass Athletics

Kaily “KG” Godek is a current student at Western New England University (WNE). She has been a supporter of UMass Athletics for over 15 years. Kaily focuses on both UMass Basketball teams and occasionally on the other Women’s Basketball teams in the conference. While writing for A10 Talk, she works in the athletic department at WNE. When she graduates from WNE she wants to go into either Sports Broadcasting and Journalism or Coaching. You can follow Kaily on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kgumass23.