Martin Sees Growth, Balance As UMass Heads Into XMas Break
UMass head coach Frank Martin said he's pleased with where his team is heading into Christmas.
Monday’s game against UMass-Boston served a specific purpose, according to Frank Martin.
After the 91-40 win, the UMass head coach said the game offered his team a positive note to carry into the holiday break after losing its MAC opener against Kent State over the weekend.
“We put this game here on today’s date for a reason,” Martin told reporters afterward. “Not to have an easy game. It’s coming off the first conference game and we got a team that’s together for the first time.
“Conference basketball’s really hard. Obviously we didn’t win (against Kent State). So I wanted to make sure we went into the Christmas break with some positivity, with some feel-good, that we played a game where good things happen.”
Martin pointed to freshman forward Dwayne Wimbley as one of the players who benefited most from the opportunity. Wimbley impressed his coach during the preseason, but has been adjusting to the realities of college basketball in recent weeks.
“College Basketball’s hit him right in the face,” Martin said. “Now, all of a sudden, he’s starting to play a little better lately. He’s practicing better. And now he saw the ball go in the basket the other day for him. Now today, he makes another three and he played better, sound defense and finished some plays at the rim.”
Martin said getting more from the reserves remains a priority.
“We’ve got to figure out a way to develop the young guys on the bench so they can help us once we all get back from Christmas,” he said.
Coming off the loss at home to Kent State, Martin was pleased with how his team responded mentally as much as physically.
“When you’ve got a good team and you get tapped, you don’t sit around and pout and complain,” Martin said. “You can’t wait for the next opportunity.”
He said the team’s approach against UMass-Boston reflected lessons learned earlier in the season.
“I thought we handled both things really well,” Martin said. “I thought the starters were phenomenal. Not in overmatching with manpower and playing the game the way we practice it. Not guys just shooting threes one-on-one. Passing the ball on the interior, sharing the ball with each other, defending.”
Martin singled out Daniel Hankins-Sanford and Jayden Ndjigue for their defensive work early against UMass-Boston.
“I thought Dan Sanford and Jayden did a great job defensively in neutralizing their best two players right off the bat,” he said. “So the starters started the game the right way. Starters started the second half the right way.”
Martin was candid when discussing bench play, particularly forward Luka Damjanac, who he said has struggled recently after a strong offseason.
“I’ve been really disappointed with Luka lately,” Martin said. “He had a great summer, great preseason, put himself in a place to help us. And he just has not been very good lately. Hopefully being able to grab some rebounds makes him feel a little better because he earned playing time and then he disearned playing time.”
Martin also discussed the development of guard K’Jei Parker, noting progress in practice while acknowledging areas still to be addressed.
“His practices over the last two to three weeks, his attention to detail, understanding what we’re asking him to do, he’s made really good progress there,” Martin said. “He brings a difference in athleticism at the big spot that we really don’t have. But if you’re on the court, you’ve got to compete.”
Asked about Marcus Banks Jr. taking fewer shots against the Beacons, Martin credited the transfer guard for having his priorities in order.
“He wants to win,” Martin said. “He’s not hunting shots. He’s not running around trying to figure out how many threes he’s getting. He just wants to win.”
Martin also addressed the extended minutes for deeper bench players such as guard Isaiah Placide and big man Charles Outlaw, saying the game provided valuable evaluation time.
“Placide was just starting to help us when he had that flare up,” Martin said of Placide, noting heel spurs that sidelined him earlier. “He could really shoot the ball. Now he needs to get back in.”
Martin added that lineup balance will be key moving forward.
“Now you’ve got him and Marcus on the perimeter,” he said. “It’s really hard to help off of those two guys.”
UMass returns to action next Tuesday at Eastern Michigan. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game can be seen on ESPN+.
As the team heads into the break, Martin laid out a clear plan for the days ahead, both personally and professionally.
“I’ll start studying Eastern Michigan on the 24th, a little bit Christmas Day,” Martin said. “Then, as I’m traveling home on the 26th, I’ll be real caught up. And then we reconvene the night of the 26th as a team. And then it’s all systems go.”
Martin likes where the group is headed, even as challenges remain.
“There’s good karma, there’s good energy in our locker room,” he said. “Our practices are fun. They care about each other and they care about the uniform. When you have that, you’ve got a chance to continue to grow and you’ve got a chance to be good.
“We’ve just got to keep beating on that door. Hopefully we can knock that thing open here in the near future sometime.”
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