| University of Massachusetts Men’s Basketball Notes & Information | |
| Matchup | Massachusetts vs. Ohio |
| Date | Times | Tuesday, Jan. 6 | 6:00 p.m. |
| Location | Athens, Ohio | Convocation Center |
| @UMassMBB | |
| @umassbasketball | |
| UMass Men’s Basketball | |
AMHERST, MASS. – Massachusetts basketball travels to Athens, Ohio, to take on Ohio on Tuesday, January 6 at the Convocation Center at 6 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) with live updates and links available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).
This week for the Minutemen
The Matchup
- Massachusetts has played Ohio three times in series history, winning all three of the previous matchups.
- The teams’ first matchup dates back to the 1975-76 season at the Hall of Fame Tournament in Springfield, Massachusetts, where the Minutemen posted a 95-82 win at the neutral site.
- UMass and Ohio played a home-and-home series over the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.
- The Minutemen won 85-76 at the Mullins Center on December 19, 2012, with Jesse Morgan (35 points) leading the team in scoring.
- Massachusetts then took down the Bobcats 83-71 on December 18, 2013, in Athens, Ohio, led by Maxie Esho (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Sampson Carter (14 points).
Last Time out
- Massachusetts moved to 0-3 in the MAC after falling 101-100 to Bowling Green in overtime at the Mullins Center on Saturday.
- Graduate student Leonardo Bettiol tallied 32 points and a game-hgih 14 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Bettiol went 11-for-13 from the field and 10-of-14 from the free throw line en route to his career-high point total.
- K’Jei Parker was 6-for-9 from the field, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, while going unblemished from the charity stripe to contribute 21 points.
- Daniel Hankins-Sanford (14) and Marcus Banks Jr. (11) also reached double figures, as Danny Carbuccia dished out a game-best nine assists.
Scouting the BOBCATS
- Ohio enters Tuesday’s game coming off a close 68-67 victory on the road at Eastern Michigan.
- Bobcats Head Coach Jeff Boals is in his seventh season at Ohio, accumulating a 122-83 (66-44 MAC) overall record during his time in Athens.
- Jackson Paveletzke leads the Bobcats in scoring, averaging 17.0 points per game, ranking sixth in the MAC.
- Aidan Hadaway averages 7.8 rebounds per game to lead Ohio, which ranks fourth in the league.
- The Bobcats are 8-7 overall and 2-1 in the conference.
Year Four Under Coach Martin
- Massachusetts basketball enters its fourth season under head coach Frank Martin in 2025-26.
- Martin and the Minutemen finished the 2024-25 season with 12 wins, including seven in conference play. Under Martin’s tutelage guard Rahsool Diggins had a breakout senior season, averaging a team-high 16.8 points on his way to earning All-Atlantic 10 Third Team honors.
- In 2023-24 Martin led the Minutemen to their best season since 2014, finishing with a 20-11 overall record and securing a top-four seed in the Atlantic 10 Championship.
- Coach Martin started his time in Amherst by leading the Minutemen to their best record under a first-year head coach since 1996 and the Myrtle Beach Invitational title during the 2022-23 campaign.
- Martin holds a 344-251 (.575) collegiate coaching mark, picking up 171 of his wins in 10 seasons at South Carolina while recording 117 wins in five seasons at Kansas State.
- Head coach Frank Martin picked up his 300th collegiate coaching win on Jan. 25, 2023 with a 85-76 win over Richmond.
TIP-OFF TIDBITS
- Leonardo Bettiol had a career-high 32 points last game against Bowling Green, while adding 14 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.
- UMass has held opponents to a 26.5 shooting percentage from three, ranking first in the conference and fifth in the country.
- UMass’ +7.1 rebounding average ranks first in the MAC and 44th in the NCAA.
- Massachusetts ranks second in the MAC in rebounds per game (39.07) and offensive rebounds per game (12.67).
- The Minutemen rank second in the MAC and 42nd nationally with 18.4 assists per game.
- UMass features four players averaging double figures in points including Leonardo Bettiol (16.5), Marcus Banks Jr.l (15.9), Daniel Hankins-Sanford (12.5) and K’Jei Parker (11.5).
- Bettiol and Banks Jr. rank eighth and ninth, respectively, in points per game in the MAC.
- Bettiol is also shooting 60.7 percent from the field to rank second in the league.
- Among MAC players, Banks Jr. ranks first in the three-point attempts (118), second in three pointers made per game (2.93), total threes made (44) and third in three-point percentage (37.3).
- Danny Carbuccia’s 5.6 assists per game rank second in the MAC and 39th in the country, while his 3.23 assist/turnover ratio is second in the league and 34th in the country.
- Bettiol is also averaging 7.8 rebounds per game to rank third in the MAC.
- Hankins-Sanford (5) and Bettiol (3) each have multiple double-doubles this season.
- Hankins-Sanford’s five double-doubles are the second most in the MAC.
Up Next
- The Minutemen welcome Ball State on Saturday, January 10 for a 3:30 p.m. contest at the Mullins Center. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with live updates and links available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).
date: 2026-01-06 03:33:00
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