After nearly a decade or relative obscurity, over the last two seasons Pat Duquette and the UMass Lowell River Hawks have been one of the best mid-majors in the country, finishing with a combined 48-18 record across that span and losing to Vermont both seasons in the America East Championship.
With its fast-paced offense that gets to the rim and a disciplined defense that forces teams to make tough isolation shots inside the arc, UML will be one of the oldest and most experienced teams in New England, with the team returning five true or fifth-year seniors and bringing in three more from the transfer portal.
“We’re blessed that we have a lot of older players – we’ve got nine guys that are 22 and older – that’s the easy part,” says Pat Duquette, “but the challenge for us will be blending it all together and establishing good chemistry. We’re bringing back a lot of guys who played for us last year and we’re bringing in three transfers in their fifth year who all expect to jump in and contribute right away. We’ve got to find the right blend, find roles, establish the lineup and build chemistry, but we’ve got an exciting group, for sure.”
Athleticism is the common thread of this year’s rotation as none of the River Hawks’ rotation players are taller than 6’8 or heavier than 205 pounds. Despite this limited ceiling on size, UML’s roster has a distinct athletic advantage over their America East opponents, but the lack of true size doesn’t mean the team is small as Duquette will likely roll with rotations that feature at least four players 6’4 or taller.
Leading the charge is 6’7 fifth-year senior Quinton Mincey, who returns after finishing last season with the second best offensive efficiency rating in the America East, per KenPom, and he also averaged 14.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. The 6’7 Mincey will again be the alpha in the River Hawks offense and he is a true three-level scorer who can get to the rim with ease.
Along with Mincey, UML has the best frontcourt in the conference with America East First Team selection Max Brooks returning as one of the best rim protectors in the nation. Senior forward Cam Morris, like Mincey, is another elite slasher who can also score from the perimeter.
In the backcourt, the anchor is fifth-year returnee Yuri Covington, who can score in a variety of ways and rebounds well for his size. With leading scorer, assist man and pilfer artist Ayinde Hikim graduating, the River Hawks hit the portal to reload the backcourt All three transfer additions bring energy, athleticism and a nose for the basket.
The likely replacement for Hikim at the point guard position is Jacksonville State transfer Quincy Clark, a 6’4 distributor who lacks a perimeter shooting game, but has good vision and can create off the dribble. DePaul transfer Caleb Murphy is a 6’4 former four-star recruit who fits well in Duquette’s system that prioritizes guards that work mostly interiorally and are creative with and without the ball. Injuries have marred his career and consistent production hasn’t been there for Murphy, but he has an incredible opportunity to have a career season. Coming over from NJIT is fifth-year guard Mekhi Gray, who is, yet again, another strong producer off-the-bounce and rebounds well as a 6’4 guard.
Outside of this group, UML’s depth will be a mix of unproven veterans and a highly-touted freshman. Fifth-year 6’6 wing Xzavier Lino played limited minutes in his first season of Division 1 basketball, but he provides spacing after hitting nearly 40% of his three-point attempts at Whitman College (DIII). Now in his fifth year with the program, 6’2 guard Anthony Blunt will continue to be an aggressive 3-and-D option off the bench.
UML’s four-man freshman class is highlighted by point guard Martin Somerville. After receiving nearly 20 D1 offers out of Southern California Academy, Duquette touts Somerville’s poise and confidence. He expects Somerville to earn an immediate spot in the rotation. Now hovering close to 6’3, the freshman point guard is capable of scoring everywhere in the halfcourt.
After making the conference tournament championship for two straight years, the America East juggernaut Vermont Catamounts have been the only team in the way of the River Hawks getting the taste of their first NCAA Tournament appearance. When asked what factor will need to be improved to surmount the Catamounts, Duquette says “Win the regular season first. With the home team hosting every game of the conference tournament, getting home court advantage throughout the tournament is huge.”
Despite this goal, there is an interesting and rather irrational wrinkle to this: during a summer meeting, the America East Conference brass now requires any school facility hosting league finals or semifinals matchup to have a capacity of at least 1,500 seats.
Costello Athletic Center, the spirited bandbox of UML’s basketball team, is shy of this requirement, so if the rule were to stand UML would host AE tournament games at the Paul E. Tsongas Center, the home of the River Hawks’ hockey team and an arena with a less-than home court feel of a 6,500 basketball capacity. If this rule applies come March, it is a shame for the Costello Athletic Center to be left vacant as it is one of the most spirited venues in the Northeast, especially with its fans seemingly right on top of the court.
Fortified with its best freshman class to date and armed with arguably its most talented roster to date, this could be the year UMass-Lowell surpasses Vermont as the kings of the America East.
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