Compiled by PAUL GOTHAM
Counting down to tipoff and previewing the incoming players of the Atlantic 10 with a look at the first-year players for the University of Massachusetts Minutemen.
UMass finished 14-18 (6-12 in A-10 play) last season and fell to VCU in conference quarter-finals.
Derek Kellogg and his staff will welcome five players to campus this fall: Chris Baldwin, Tyrn Flowers, Brison Gresham, DeJon Jarreau and Unique McLean. In addition, redshirt freshman Luwane Pipkins will take the floor as will junior transfer Zach Lewis.
Chris Baldwin F 6-8, 235 Springfield, MA/Notre Dame Prep
4-star recruit according to ESPN … No. 2 in Massachusetts, No. 28 in Northeast Region and No. 30 at power forward (ESPN) … Earned three stars from 247Sports and Rivals … No. 4 in Massachusetts and No. 48 at power forward (247Sports) … Played AAU for Mass Rivals … Chose UMass over Fairfield, La Salle, Pittsburgh, Rhode Island, Temple, Towson and West Virginia, among others.
What they’re saying about Chris Baldwin – Adam Finkelstein/ESPN: “Chris has got a chance of being very, very good. He had high-major offers on the table that he turned down to go back home to Springfield and play at UMass. He’s a strong, athletic big man who’s got inside-out skill. He’s got good touch around the basket and can score and rebound in that area, but he can also step out make 18-foot jumpers. I think he’s got a chance to be very good and an immediate impact player. He should be one of the better freshman front court players in the league.”
Steve Keller/National Recruiting Report: “He’s big, physical and strong. Ready to go. He’s good. He can make plays and he’s every bit of 6-foot-8, 235. He’s a big kid who can surprise you and step out and knock down jumpers off the glass. Around the basket he can go with a head fake and to the other side.”
Tyrn Flowers F 6-8, 205 Waterbury, Conn/Sacred Heart HS
A 3-star recruit according to ESPN and 247Sports … No. 4 in his recruiting class in Connecticut, No. 45 small forward, No. 54 in Northeast region (ESPN) … No. 4 in Connecticut and No. 52 small forward via 247Sports … Played AAU for NY RENS Basketball … Chose UMass over Boston College, Maryland and Providence, among others.
What they’re saying about Tyrn Flowers – Jamie Shaw/Phenom Hoop Report: “Lefty has a smooth and skilled game. He has deep range with a quick and confident trigger. He has good length and is a willing rebounder.”
Adam Finkelstein/ESPN: “Ty Flowers was a steal for UMass. He’s a classic late bloomer who has continued to physically grow throughout his high school career. Simultaneously, he has continued to develop his game alongside. Now you’re looking at a guy who is every bit of 6-foot-8, probably even bigger, highly skilled, shoots the ball with range. Can also shoot it off the dribble in the mid-range area and is really just scratching the surface of what he is as a player. Again, he grew last year as a senior in high school. He’s a guy who UMass fans should be very excited about.”
Steve Keller/National Recruiting Report: “He can get up and down. he can handle. He can really shoot.”
Brison Gresham C 6-9, 210 New Orleans, LA/McDonough 35
Before UMass: A 3-star recruit according to the three major grading services: ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals … No. 5 in Louisiana, No. 31 at power forward and No. 130 nationally (247Sports) … No. 7 in Louisiana, No. 29 at power forward and No. 54 in the Southeast Region (ESPN) … Played AAU for Elfird Payton Elite … Chose UMass over Alabama, Baylor, Boston College, Cincinnati, Creighton, Florida, Houston, Louisiana Tech, LSU, Memphis, Miami (Fla.), Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Tulane, Tulsa, USC and Washington, among others … Is a longtime friend and teammate of fellow UMass freshman DeJon Jarreau, who also played for Elfrid Payton Elite and McDonough 35.
What they’re saying about Brison Gresham – Jamie Shaw/Phenom Hoop Report: “Upside guy. Stretches out his legs and runs the court like a deer. Has good defensive timing and is a quick twitch athlete.”
DeJon Jarreau G 6-5, 180 New Orleans, LA/McDonough 35
A unanimous 4-star recruit (ESPN, 247Sports, Rivals) … No. 2 in Louisiana, No. 15 at combo guard, No. 22 in Southeast Region and No. 63 in the nation (ESPN) … No. 1 in Louisiana, No. 9 at combo guard and No. 53 in nation (247Sports) … No. 38 nationally according to Rivals … Played AAU for Elfrid Payton Elite … Chose UMass over Arizona, Boston College, Creighton, Florida, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, LSU, Memphis, Miami (Fla.), Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Texas, Tulane, Tulsa, USC, UTEP, Washington and Wichita State, among others … Is a longtime friend and teammate of fellow UMass freshman Brison Gresham, who also played for Elfrid Payton Elite and McDonough 35.
Zach Lewis G 6-3, 182 Windsor, Conn./Northwest Catholic (Canisius)
2015-16 – Junior: Redshirted the season as per NCAA transfer policy and will enter 2016-17 with two years of eligibility remaining.
Overall at Canisius College (2013-15): Played in 65 games with 52 starts … Averaged 30.4 minutes per appearance … Scored 717 points (11.0 per game), grabbed 169 rebounds (2.6) and dished out 135 assists (2.1) during his two seasons at Canisius … Hit 35.9 percent of his field goal attempts (236-of-657), including 34.5 percent from beyond the arc (138-of-400) … Went 107-for-145 at the foul line (73.8 percent) … Had a 1.53 assist-to-turnover ratio with the Griffins (135 assists, 88 turnovers) … Also provided 96 steals during his Canisius tenure.
2014-15 – Sophomore (Canisius College): Played in and started all 33 games for the Griffs … Earned All-MAAC Third Team honors … Led the team and ranked 16th in the MAAC with his 12.5 points per game scoring average … Scored a career-high 31 points in a loss to Monmouth (1/2) … In that game against Monmouth, he made a career-high 11 field goals and eight 3-point field goals … Scored in double-figures 19 times … Averaged 12.3 points per game in the team’s three CIT games … Knocked down a team-high 75 3-point field goals, which is tied for fourth-most in program history for 3-pointers made in a single-season … Made a 3-pointer in 29 of the Griffs’ 33 games … Ranked fourth in the MAAC with 2.3 3-pointers made per game … His eight 3-point field goal makes against Monmouth (1/2) ranked second in program history … Averaged 3.0 rebounds per game … Matched a career-high with eight boards in the team’s CIT loss to NJIT (3/28) … Led the team with 52 steals … Had a steal in 22 of the team’s 33 games played … Ranked sixth in the MAAC for steals per game (1.6) … Averaged a team-high 32.2 minutes per game.
2013-14 – Freshman (Canisius College): Played in 32 games and made 19 starts … Became the first Canisius player since 2006-07 to be named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team … Averaged 9.5 points and 2.2 rebounds per game … His 303 total points ranks sixth-best in school history for a Canisius freshman since 1973 … Had 10 or more points in a game 14 times … Scored a season-high 25 points against Monmouth (1/12), the most for a Canisius rookie in a game since the 1992-93 season … Made seven 3-point field goals in that game against Monmouth, a Canisius freshman record … Knocked down multiple 3-point field goals in 20 games … His 2.0 3-pointers per game led all MAAC freshmen … Shot 41.3 percent from 3-point land, which ranked third among MAAC freshmen … His 44 steals were the most for a Canisius freshmen since 2006-07 … Ranked seventh in the MAAC with 1.4 steals per game … Was credited with four steals in four different games … Ranked third on the team with 52 assists … Matched his season high with four assists four times … Finished his freshman season with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.4 … Had a season-high six rebounds against Fairfield (2/22) … Was the first true freshman to play for Jim Baron at Canisius … Averaged 28.5 minutes per game.
Before College: Played basketball for one season at Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Va. … Helped lead Fishburne to the National Prep Championship tournament … Played two seasons at Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford, Conn. … Averaged 22.2 points per game in his senior season at Northwest Catholic … Was a four-time honor roll student at Northwest Catholic.
Personal: Born in Hartford, Conn. … Son of Mark and Vanessa Lewis … Has four siblings, Carey, Terrell, Mark Jr., and Jordoun … Majoring in sociology.
What they’re saying about Zach Lewis – Paul Gotham/Pickin’ Splinters: “Lewis is a streaky shooter who can stretch the floor. He is capable of getting his own shot and has a smooth mid-range touch. He is deadly coming off screens for pull-up jumpers. He became a volume shooter at Canisius. Will need to find his rhythm with fewer touches.”
Unique McLean G 6-2, 175 Brooklyn, N.Y./The MacDuffie School – MA
Earned a 3-star rating from ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals … No. 5 in Massachusetts, No. 53 at shooting guard and No. 56 in the Northeast Region (ESPN) … Played AAU for Team Scan … Chose UMass over Ball State, Boston University, Bowling Green, Dayton, Duquesne, Fairfield, Fordham, Rhode Island, Rutgers and Siena, among others.
What they’re saying about Unique McLean – Adam Finkelstein/ESPN: “He’s a high-level athlete, an explosive leaper, a YouTube sensation. Needs to be able to translate his game to a half-court setting. He’s not as consistent of an outside shooter and to score he will be more impactful in the open floor than he is in half court right now.”
Jamie Shaw/Phenom Hoop Report: “Explosive! McLean is fun to watch when the game opens up and he gets out in transition.”
Steve Keller/National Recruiting Report: “He’s the biggest athlete of this class. He can get his elbow on the rim. He can almost hit his head on the rim. He’s explosive and plays really hard. He likes to get up and down the floor.”
Allen Rubin/Hoop Scoop: “He’s a big-time athlete. Puts it on the floor and gets to the rim. He finishes and gets to the foul line. He’s a decent mid-range shooter, a good defender.”
Luwane Pipkins G 5-10, 165 Chicago, Ill/Bogan
4-star recruit via ESPN … No. 7 in Illinois, No. 22 PG and No. 23 in Midwest region (ESPN) … 3-star recruit according to 247Sports and Rivals … No. 12 in Illinois and No. 45 at point guard (247Sports) … Played AAU for Mac Irvin Fire … Chose UMass over Bradley, DePaul, La Salle, Northern Illinois and Valparaiso, among others.
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