# 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.

## Roster

| 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

| 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. ||||||