For much of his tenure at his alma mater, Derek Kellogg has lacked a true point guard. The UMass mentor has largely had to go with players who were natural shooting guards, such as David Gibbs, Ricky Harris and Gary Correia, and they did the best they could. And for the talent the team has had, one wonders if having a true point guard might have made a big difference during two seasons where they went 27-35. Right now, we are finding out that it just might, because at last the Minutemen have a true point guard.
In Kellogg’s first season, Chris Lowe was a senior, so they were in good hands then although Lowe struggled out of the gate. And they appeared to be set for the future when Doug Wiggins transferred in from Connecticut, sitting out Kellogg’s first season. But that blew up, as Wiggins was booted just after his transfer year was over, so he never played for the Minutemen. That left them in trouble at the position, and they paid a price the past couple of seasons.
Now the Minutemen have Chaz Williams, who transferred from Hofstra after one season. Jet-quick and able to play fast like Kellogg wants to, he would seem to be just what the doctor ordered. If the first three games are any indication, that’s the case, as he’s averaging 17.7 points and nine assists per game, with a 3.4 assist-to-turnover ratio.
“You feel comfortable when he has the ball in his hands,” said Kellogg. “He seems to have an innate ability to be a point guard, and it’s nice when he picks his spots and knocks in a couple of threes to keep the lead where it needed to be or to stretch it out.”
Williams didn’t have his best game overall on Thursday, though he had 15 points and nine assists. He did a lot of the passing damage in the first half and hit a couple of key three-pointers in the second half that were of the variety Kellogg alluded to. Where Kellogg wasn’t happy was on the defensive end, and while a point guard’s contributions are perhaps most notable offensively because the player can control the game from that spot, the defensive end matters a great deal as well.
In fact, Kellogg noted that Williams’ potential impact for this team could be seen by the game he had and how it seemed. He didn’t think Williams played so well, but his numbers were good and perhaps he played better than he appeared, noting, “That guy had 15 and 9 and I didn’t think he played very well.”
Having Williams makes life easier for everyone else on the team. It means they don’t have to move guys who aren’t natural point guards like Freddie Riley to play that position and then lose their benefit at their natural position. Riley is off to a slow start shooting the ball, but he won’t have the added burden of handling the ball and starting the offense. It also has benefits for the frontcourt.
While the numbers are limited in the backcourt, making Williams’ play even more important, there’s little doubt UMass has good talent and depth in the frontcourt. Terrell Vinson was a legitimate high-major prospect coming out of high school and Javorn Farrell has been a potential breakout player seemingly since he arrived in Amherst. Sean Carter has been a solid player since arriving as a transfer and junior Sampson Carter (no relation) has played well at times. Raphiael Putney is very long and athletic, but still very much a “potential” player as he has plenty of room for improvement, and Cady Lalanne looks like he could be the next frontcourt star. Lalanne, who was ineligible last season, had 14 rebounds against NJIT, and while the Highlanders don’t exactly have a big front line, the number is still impressive for a freshman.
Farrell could see the difference Williams has made, and for his part is working hard to benefit from it.
“It’s evident, we’ve been having 20-assist games, so he’s getting everybody the ball, getting everybody involved,” said the junior forward. “It’s making me run up the court and look for the ball in transition, and that’s where I play best.”
UMass heads to Chestnut Hill for their next game, the Commonwealth Classic against Boston College on Monday. With their point guard leading the way, they feel better prepared this time around after losing the last two against the Eagles, who look vulnerable not only from being young but also after being blown out on Friday by a Holy Cross team that has been hit by a couple of injuries. Kellogg noted that teams tend to go as their point guard goes, so Williams will be important as the floor leader and a barometer of the team. He’s already making a difference the way a true point guard can for a team with talent at other positions.
