Colder weather and impending final exams mark the beginning of the 2017-18 University of Massachusetts Boston men’s basketball season. The Beacons will begin fresh off a 14-13 season last year, their second winning season in three years, but enter this season with expectations to do even better, as head coach Jason Harris takes the reins for his third season as successor to Charlie Titus. With some returning faces and some very promising newcomers, the Beacons are closer and closer to being a contender, making a serious push for their first Little East Conference (LEC) title since the 2005-06 season.
The season will start off with roster changes, as four seniors graduated last year. One of those senior was Sam Freeman, and the Beacons will have a lot to miss with his inside presence, as he averaged 17 points and nearly seven rebounds a game. This season, the Beacons will be heavy in terms of backcourt presence with the number of guards on the team. Of the nine players playing guard, four of them are freshmen, including twin brothers Charlie and Charles Mitchell, graduates of Boston Community Leadership Academy, where they won two city league and state tournament championships together. Among the returning players are Iser Barnes, nominated to last year’s All-LEC defensive team, and Ty Lee, a nominee to the All-LEC rookie team and top playmaker with 79 assists.
The schedule consists of 25 games, 15 of which will be at the home court in Clark Athletic Center. November will start with four home games, opening the season on Nov. 16 against Norwich. This also includes the UMass Boston Harbor Invitational on Thanksgiving weekend.
December will feature a very appetizing non-conference tilt with Tufts University, whom the Beacons upset on the road last year while the Jumbos were ranked fifth in the nation. The same month also marks the start of conference play, when the Beacons hit the road to face off against the Owls of Keene State College.
January will see whether the Beacons can prove themselves as road warriors when they are on the road against LEC title contenders Western Connecticut State University and Plymouth State University in consecutive games. Both schools are picked to finish first and second, respectively, in the LEC preseason poll, with the Beacons not far behind in fourth.
As the season closes out in February, the top title contenders in the league will travel to UMass Boston. The Western Connecticut Colonials will play the Beacons on Feb. 17, the Beacons’ Senior Day.
The Harris-era is in full swing. His coaching and recruiting are making a positive impact on the Beacons basketball program. When Titus retired after a 14-12 record in the 2014-15 season, it was the first time in nine seasons that the Beacons had a winning record. Under Harris, the Beacons had a winning record after just two seasons. He’s aiming for the program to be a winner on a consistent basis. The roster of newcomers, especially in the backcourt, look especially promising for the Beacons as they blend into his system, and will give Beacon fans plenty of things to cheer for!