CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Derek Kellogg was guarded about whether or not UMass’ win over Memphis on Saturday night would be a springboard to lift the team going forward. Not surprisingly, the UMass mentor was far from down after the Minutemen lost 79-67 at Boston College on Wednesday night. Instead, he sees clearly where the team has come along and where they can go.
The Minutemen have become a rebounding machine of late, as Wednesday’s game marked their third straight out-rebounding the opponent by at least 15 boards. It wasn’t a big surprise that they out-rebounded Grambling State by 25, but out-rebounding Memphis by 20 (even though Memphis doesn’t have great size) and the Eagles by a 50-33 margin – the same Boston College team that a couple of weeks earlier out-rebounded Miami 46-21 – was a little more impressive. That’s a trend that could continue if the players who have led the charge there continue what they have done lately.
It wasn’t long ago that Oregon State transfer Sean Carter was struggling. Although he had a 10-rebound outing against Rutgers and eight more against Michigan State in Atlantic City, he had just five against Quinnipiac and three against Holy Cross. The team’s leading rebounder had nine more at Boston College, seven on the offensive glass, and scored 16 points.
Another transfer, Hashim Bailey, had 10 rebounds in just 11 foul-plagued minutes against the Eagles. He’s had at least five boards in each of the last five games and is now second on the team in rebounding despite averaging just 14 minutes per game. Kellogg is mindful that Bailey didn’t play much at Memphis and then sat out last year, so he’s not the most experienced player in terms of game play, and feels like he has a good deal of upside just like Carter.
“Tthese guys are really just starting to get in game shape,” said the second-year head coach. “There’s nothing that can substitute playing time in a real game.”
Kellogg spent some time in the gym with Carter when he wasn’t playing well. He spent the time working on post moves and letting him know that while he wasn’t playing well, he had confidence in Carter. The struggles of another key player are likely to lead him in a similar direction soon.
Senior Ricky Harris hasn’t been the same since spraining his ankle earlier in the month. He admitted he doesn’t have the same lift on his jumper, which Kellogg also noticed. He was 2-11 from the field against Memphis on Saturday, then 5-16 against Boston College. Add in that he’s also playing the point guard position for the first time, and there’s probably a little stress building on the young man. Still, the competitor in him isn’t backing down.
“I don’t have the same lift on my jump shot I normally do, but that’s no excuse,” said Harris. “I’ve got to get in the gym and get better and play the way I’m capable of playing.”
Kellogg is hoping he gets more of a feel for the position, and that’s going to be a necessity for this team. The point guard spot was the big question mark entering the season, as there isn’t a true point guard on the roster but there’s plenty of talent at the other positions. They have combo guards in David Gibbs and Gary Correia, but Gibbs is better off the ball and Correia has always been able to shoot from long range. Correia has been more than serviceable off the bench, as his five assists with no turnovers on Wednesday give him 34 and 10 on the season, so more minutes at that spot could be in store for him.
But more than that, Kellogg hinted that he might do with Harris what he did with Sean Carter, especially since it appears to have made a difference with the way Carter has responded. He said Harris hasn’t shot the ball well in practice, either.
“I think I need to spend some time with him in the gym and just get his confidence back a little bit,” said Kellogg.
The point guard position is the one spot that can trouble this team going forward. The Minutemen have become a good rebounding team and have been playing better at every other position. Although he struggled in the second half, Anthony Gurley had 23 points and 10 rebounds and is having the kind of season he is capable of having. Terrell Vinson struggled against Boston College but has shown signs of coming alive. Sean Carter and Bailey have played better, while freshman Sampson Carter has shown promise thus far. After he rode Sean Carter and Bailey, their improvement has Kellogg thinking he needs to ride a few other players in much the same way.
Kellogg is quick to point out that this is still an inexperienced team, especially if you look past Harris and Gurley. Add in the point guard questions, and it’s not all that surprising that the Minutemen are 6-6 thus far.
“I would say we’re still inexperienced, only 12 games in, with how many college games our team has played,” Kellogg said.
Improvement at the point could mean better things are ahead as this team gains more experience. The support is already there from the frontcourt and some of the other perimeter players, and Kellogg seems ready to work with Harris to get him back to the level he’s been at for much of his career in Amherst. With that, they may start moving in the direction Kellogg can see them going.
