Despite Loss, UMass Comes of Age

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. —  Life on the edge has been a fun ride for the mellow bunch from Amherst, Mass.

All those close calls and the heart-racing moments. All those goals met and the school records shattered. The pride of accomplishment and the friendships that matter.

That’s Massachusetts basketball, and it had a hit run. But all that’s left now are videotapes, merchandise and memories.

The Minutemen reached their breaking point Saturday night, a fact even the team doing the shattering had to witness first-hand to believe. Kentucky defeated Massachusetts, 81-74, in an NCAA semifinal game at the Meadowlands Arena before 19,229, sending the top-ranked Minutemen home with something they’re not used to: faces of frustration.

“You know, I learned more about myself as a coach and a person this year than I have in all my other years of coaching,” said Massachusetts Coach John Calipari, who guided the Minutemen to their greatest season.

“I learned that when you’re coaching, and you understand that you have good people, it’s very fun to coach. You’re talking about unbelievable human beings that I coached this year. I thanked them after the game, because it may never happen for me to coach a group like this again.”

The parts were special, but the sum was outstanding.

The Minutemen were ranked No. 1 in the final regular-season polls. They set a school record for victories, finishing 35-2, their only other blemish being an 86-76 loss to George Washington on Feb. 24. And the Minutemen did their best against the nation’s brightest--anywhere and any time.

Massachusetts’ record against NCAA tournament teams? A sparkling 17-2.

So overconfidence wasn’t a concern for Kentucky on Saturday night. The Wildcats knew that no matter how hard they pushed, Minutemen are trained to always push back.

Even when the Wildcats took a 43-28 second-half lead, they believed the Minutemen would come back. Massachusetts did, cutting Kentucky’s lead to 73-70 with 1:02 to play.

But Kentucky was eager for this rematch after losing to Massachusetts, 92-82, to open the season Nov. 28. The Wildcats held on, and they appreciated how lucky they were.

“Everybody has written about it and talked about it, about the character of these guys on UMass and how tough they are,” Wildcat center Mark Pope said. “I don’t think you can expect to blow this team out, not a team this tough and with as many good players as they have.

“They’re too big and strong, and poised and tough. We knew it was going to be a 40-minute game, and we are fortunate to get out with the victory.”

But piling up victories against fellow heavyweights was only part of Massachusetts’ story. How the Minutemen won, and what they overcame in the process, will be their legacy, Calipari said.

The often-stoic Minutemen played most relaxed when things got tight. They usually found a struggle in every arena--then found a way to win.

Massachusetts won four games in overtime. It won four games without the nation’s best player, after All-American junior center Marcus Camby fainted before a game against St. Bonaventure on Jan. 14.

“I learned what’s important when adversity is thrown your way,” Calipari said. “And when it’s thrown quickly in your face, how to handle it.”

The Minutemen won because Calipari convinced them that they could. Massachusetts was a wreck when Calipari came on board eight years ago, and his first team went 10-18.

This season, Calipari’s biggest concern was making sure his guys were having fun. The Minutemen did their work so efficiently, Calipari worried that they were missing the excitement of their success.

“I told them all the time I just want to see them playing with emotion and having fun,” Calipari said. “This is a great time in their lives, and I want them to remember that.”