Ford Guides UMass Into New Year, New Era
by Ray Floriani
NEW YORK – Some opposing coaches will watch film of Keydren Clark and feel like they are viewing a horror movie. The nightmare being how to stop or try to curtail the explosive scoring of the St. Peter’s senior. UMass head coach Travis Ford took a different approach. He simply sat back and admired.
“He (Clark) is a pleasure to watch,” Ford said after a 66-49 UMass victory over St. Peter’s in the Panosonic Holiday Festival semifinal. “He just looks so smooth out there. He makes it look so easy and even though he puts up those numbers, he doesn’t force a shot and is very unselfish. He is just a great asset to college basketball.”
Admiration aside, the UMass mentor had a task of slowing Clark down and making sure he didn’t have one of those explosive nights. On his behalf, Ford is not of the opinion that you concede the scoring threat his points while stopping the others from hurting you. Ford believes you go right at a team’s strength. “We wanted to trap him off screens and keep him away from the basket, ” Ford said. “Some of the shots he made tonight were thirty-footers.”
UMASS did the job on the defensive end. Ford’s game plan was executed admirably. Clark scored a game-high 22 points. He shot 8-of-23 from the floor, which included 4-of-11 beyond the arc. “Whenever I got past a (UMass) guard,” Clark said, “There was a 6-10 defender just waiting.” Most of the time that 6-10 player was Stephane Lasne, effectively clogging the lane and blocking eight shots.
Ford admired Clark’s ability and St. Peter’s determination. But there were numerous observers who, in turn, had to recognize the job the UMass mentor did the festival. Case in point: UMass is down 27-14 at the break in the finals against St. John’s (who rolled over Columbia in the other semi). Ford’s demeanor never changed. He’s intense on the sideline but in a teaching sense. Rarely ‘working’ the officials, Ford is concerned with his team and improving day to day.
St. John’s probably played their best defensive half of the season in the first twenty minutes of the final. The Minutemen were an icy 19 percent (5-27) from the field. The inside game was shut down, guards were neutralized, and 6-6 forward Jeff Viggiano, an effective scoring threat against St. Peter’s, struggled to get a shot off.
Ford never ranted, raved nor panicked. All it took was a few adjustments in the offensive sets and spacing. The results were immediate: UMass scored 12 points during the first six possessions of the second half. The 12-4 run put the Minutemen back in the contest.
The game, threatening to be a one-way laugher at the half, proved to be an entertaining and competitive affair. Fittingly, it wasn’t settled until the final possession. UMass, trailing by a point, was unsuccessful on a guard penetration and the buzzer sounded as both teams fought for the rebound. The record books will show it to be a 51-49 St. John’s win. St. John’s improved to 7-4 while UMass dropped to 5-4. The Minutemen have a game at Boston College just after the new year. Following that meeting, it’s all Atlantic 10 Conference action for the Minutemen.
Ford will be going through his first trip through the conference. That can be tough for someone not familiar with the league. He does, however, have some knowledge of the league.
“I followed Xavier and Dayton pretty close the last few seasons,” Ford said alluding to his days as Eastern Kentucky head coach. “I know it is a very good league. Last year was a down year in the conference, but this year it will be strong. This is a four (NCAA) bid conference,” he added. “I guarantee we will have at least four schools in the (NCAA) tournament.”
The addition of St. Louis and Charlotte enhance the league, but the traditional names and faces will be present. “Temple and St. Joe’s are consistently strong teams in the conference,” Ford added, “they’ll be good again this season.”
UMass, in all likelihood, will not challenge for the A-10 crown. But they will be competitive on a nightly basis. Beside Lasme, they have a solid inside presence in 6-9 Rashaun Freeman. The junior backcourt of Brandon Thomas and Maurice Maxwell is good. The aforementioned Viggiano is a hustling type that can get you a rebound, give an assist, hit a three or dive for a loose ball. “He (Viggiano) doesn’t do anything great,” Ford says, “but he does many things well.”
The same may be said for the Minutemen. Not great, but they can be effective in different areas. Under Ford’s guidance, they’ll be a fun team to watch and should get fans back to the Mullins Center.
