1996–97 UMass Minutemen basketball team

The 1996–97 UMass Minutemen basketball team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst during the 1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Minutemen, led by first year head coach Bruiser Flint, played their home games at William D. Mullins Memorial Center and are members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The team finished the season 19–14, 11–5 in A-10 play to finish in third place. In the postseason, the team lost in the quarterfinal of the A-10 tournament and in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

1996–97 UMass Minutemen men's basketball
NCAA Tournament, Round of 64
ConferenceAtlantic 10 Conference
Record19–14 (11–5 A-10)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaWilliam D. Mullins Memorial Center
Seasons
1996–97 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
East
No. 12 Saint Joseph's 13 3   .813 26 7   .788
Rhode Island 12 4   .750 20 10   .667
UMass 11 5   .688 19 14   .576
Temple 10 6   .625 20 11   .645
St. Bonaventure 5 11   .313 14 14   .500
Fordham 1 15   .063 6 21   .222
West
No. 13 Xavier 13 3   .813 23 6   .793
George Washington 8 8   .500 15 14   .517
Virginia Tech 7 9   .438 15 16   .484
Dayton 6 10   .375 13 14   .481
La Salle 5 11   .313 10 17   .370
Duquesne 5 11   .313 9 18   .333
1997 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

Roster

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Number Name Position Height Weight Year Hometown
3 Charlton Clarke Guard 6–3 205 Sophomore Bronx, New York
4 Lari Ketner Center 6-10 270 Sophomore Philadelphia
10 Ross Burns Guard 6–3 180 Sophomore Greenfield, Massachusetts
12 Edgar Padilla Guard 6-2 175 Senior Toa Alta, Puerto Rico
14 Andy Maclay Guard 6–4 190 Sophomore Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
20 Winston Smith Forward 6–5 195 Freshman Summit, New Jersey
22 Chris Kirkland Forward 6–6 200 Freshman Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
23 Mike Babul Forward 6–6 190 Freshman North Attleboro, Massachusetts
24 Carmelo Travieso Guard 6–2 180 Senior Boston, Massachusetts
34 Tyrone Weeks Forward 6-7 260 Senior Philadelphia
42 Ajmal Basit Center/Forward 6–9 220 Freshman Brooklyn, New York
50 Inus Norville Forward 6–8 225 Junior Fayetteville, North Carolina

Schedule

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Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Regular season
11/25/1996*
No. 15 vs. Chaminade
Maui Invitational
W 59–48  1–0
Lahaina Civic Center (2,500)
Lahaina, Hawaii
11/26/1996*
No. 17 vs. Virginia
Maui Invitational
L 68–75  1–1
Lahaina Civic Center (2,500)
Lahaina, Hawaii
11/27/1996*
No. 17 vs. California
Maui Invitational
L 55–59  1–2
Lahaina Civic Center (2,500)
Lahaina, Hawaii
12/4/1996*
vs. Georgetown
Great Eight
L 53–58  1–3
United Center (-)
Chicago
12/07/1996*
Wyoming W 90–72  2–3
Mullins Center (9,493)
Amherst, Massachusetts
12/10/1996*
No. 16 Fresno State L 81–102  2–4
Mullins Center (9,493)
Amherst, Massachusetts
12/12/1996*
Drexel W 69–48  3–4
Mullins Center (9,493)
Amherst, Massachusetts
12/14/1996*
at No. 2 Wake Forest L 47–71  3–5
Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (14,111)
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
12/20/1996*
vs. No. 12 North Carolina
Jimmy V Classic
L 69–83  3–6
Meadowlands (13,812)
East Rutherford, New Jersey
12/22/1996*
at UNC Wilmington W 47–46  4–6
Trask Coliseum (2,543)
Wilmington, North Carolina
12/27/1996*
at Connecticut
U-Game
L 61–64  4–7
Hartford Civic Center (-)
Hartford, Connecticut
1/2/1997
Davidson W 77–64  5–7
Mullins Center (9,493)
Amherst, Massachusetts
01/05/1997
St. Joseph's L 68–72  5–8 (0–1)
Mullins Center (9,493)
Amherst, Massachusetts
01/08/1997
at La Salle W 56–50  6–8 (1–1)
First Union Spectrum (2,551)
Philadelphia
01/12/1997
Virginia Tech L 47–63  6–9 (1–2)
Mullins Center (9,493)
Amherst, Massachusetts
01/14/1997
at St. Bonaventure W 63–59  7–9 (2–2)
Reilly Center (6,000)
St. Bonaventure, New York
01/18/1997*
vs. No. 19 Boston College
Commonwealth Classic
W 90–78  8–9
Fleet Center (15,215)
Boston, Massachusetts
01/21/1997
at Rhode Island W 64–60  9–9 (3–2)
Mullins Center (9,493)
Amherst, Massachusetts
01/25/1997
at Temple W 78–66  10–9 (4–2)
McGonigle Hall (3,913)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
01/30/1997
at George Washington W 68–63  11–9 (5–2)
Charles E. Smith Center (5,454)
Washington, D.C.
02/01/1997
No. 20 Xavier L 84–87 OT 11–10 (5–3)
Mullins Center (9,493)
Amherst, Massachusetts
02/03/1997
at Fordham W 75–54  12–10 (6–3)
Rose Hill Gymnasium (2,435)
Bronx, New York
02/06/1997
Duquesne W 73–71  13–10 (7–3)
Mullins Center (9,493)
Amherst, Massachusetts
2/08/1997
at Rhode Island W 64–61  14–10 (8–3)
Providence Civic Center (12,931)
Providence, Rhode Island
02/11/1997
St. Bonaventure W 74–68  15–10 (9–3)
Mullins Center (9,493)
Amherst, Massachusetts
02/15/1997*
No. 10 Maryland W 78–61  16–10
Worcester Centrum (11,210)
Worcester, Massachusetts
02/20/1997
Fordham W 75–58  17–10 (10–3)
Mullins Center (9,493)
Amherst, Massachusetts
02/23/1997
at Dayton L 67–69  17–11 (10–4)
UD Arena (11,893)
Dayton, Ohio
02/25/1997
at No. 23 St. Joseph's L 63–78  17–12 (10–5)
Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse (3,200)
Philadelphia
03/01/1997
Temple W 59–53  18–12 (11–5)
Mullins Center (9,493)
Amherst, Massachusetts
1997 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament
03/05/1997
vs. La Salle
1st Round
W 64–49  19–12
CoreStates Spectrum (-)
Philadelphia
03/06/1997
vs. George Washington
Quarterfinal
L 49–58  19–13
CoreStates Spectrum (10,005)
Philadelphia
1997 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
03/14/1997*
vs. Louisville
First Round
L 57–65  19–14
Civic Arena (17,509)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time.

Rankings

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References

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