New Hoops Commit Talks UMass

4-star Florida wing Dwayne Wimbley Jr. explains why he chose Frank Martin & the Minutemen.

The UMass men’s basketball program made a major splash on Sunday, when it landed a commitment from a Top 150 player in the Class of 2025.

One-time Florida State commit Dwayne Wimbley Jr. announced his commitment to the Minutemen yesterday.

The 6-foot-6, 210-pound wing pointed to UMass head coach Frank Martin and his assistants as the major reasons behind his decision.

“Definitely Coach Frank and his staff,” Wimbley Jr. told Minuteman Command. “Just knowing that they've coached at the highest level. They know what it takes to win and they've produced a lot of players like me who have been successful.”

Wimbley Jr., who averaged 16.3 points, 8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.6 steals per game for St. Thomas Aquinas this past season, believes his game fits Martin’s style of play.

“I'm more of a defensive-minded player,” he said. “I thrive off of getting stops and being an energy guy. That's the type of style he plays with; just aggressive, physical.

“I feel like I can score all three levels as well. Also, I'm still improving, so I know that they can help me with my development.”

Wimbley Jr. committed to Florida State last June, but when Seminole head coach Leonard Hamilton - who coached Wimbley’s father at Miami in the late-90’s - announced his retirement at year’s end, he re-opened his recruitment.

“It was pretty difficult because we found out pretty late that I was going to re-open my commitment,” said Wimbley Jr. “It was pretty tough, but I feel like I picked the right spot.”

Several schools pursued Wimbley Jr. when he returned to the market, but a visit to Amherst a few weeks ago helped him realize UMass was the right spot for him.

“The family feel,” Wimbley Jr. said of what stuck out about that visit. “With Coach Frank, it seems like he just looks out for his past players.”

Wimbley Jr. pointed to the fact that UMass Associate Head Coach Allen Edwards and Sports Performance Coach Tony Regueira both played for Martin decades ago at Miami High School.

“It feels like no matter what, he's always going to look out for you and have your back no matter how things turn out.”

247Sports ranks Wimbley Jr. as a four-star prospect and the 148th-best player in the country. Rivals has Wimbley Jr. as a three-star, but the 145th-best player nationally while On3 has him as 136th nationally and a three-star.

Your one-stop-shop for all your sports marketing needs… Owned and Operated by UMASS Grads.

We specialize in providing top-quality marketing & printing services for coaches, athletic directors, and sports marketing professionals.

Get Fan Ready!