UMass Boston men’s basketball is coming off a lackluster year where the Beacons went 5-15. Three of those five wins came from the Little East Conference. The team should be improved this year, with leading scorer Paul Joseph returning for his senior year. The Beacons also have an experienced back court with returning starters Jason White and Mike Mitchell. Head coach Charlie Titus has a good feeling with the season approaching.
“This year we have more depth, experience, and we are going into the year with the attitude we will win the conference”, said Titus.
The team is also welcoming two new transfers in guards Sergio Florence and Issac Jenkins. Both are expected to provide a spark to this revamped Beacon squad. Perhaps the best newcomer coming in is freshman Dontreal Thomas. Thomas was an all state player in Louisiana last year, while Mark Reddick also has huge upside. Dan Campagna, the interim athletics communication director, said:
“Mr. Titus has brought in a big rookie class from all over and this squad will definitely surprise some teams this year in the conference.”
Last season the leading scorer on the beacons was Pat Joseph, who averaged 13.7 points per game. Joseph returns for his senior year with a better cast around him including newcomer Paul Andersen. Anderson is over six-feet tall, a rarity for a division three point guard. A new face has joined the coaching staff as well. Sean Flynn brings “a hard core X’s and O’s philosophy” to the Beacons. According to Titus, he is a “good basketball mind that has a tactical approach to the game.”
The Beacons boast a recruiting class that includes MJ Bently, who scored over 1600 points for Umatilla High School in Orlando. While the team has local talent, Titus also recruits from outside the state. The team has players from Oregon, New York, Florida, Louisiana, and of course Massachusetts. It is unusual for a division three school to attract such interest from recruits around the country, but Titus has done a good job reaching out to talented players.
The talent coming in from around the country should hopefully boost the Beacon’s dismal attendance from last season. The Beacons only drew 117 fans per game last year and Titus attributes that figure to “being a D3 commuter school”.
“As a division three school, we should not expect to draw huge numbers. That is in part because people don’t often stick around after classes here.” Titus also added “attendance comes with victories”.
The team can hope to draw bigger crowds as they get better, and hopefully the team will start packing the Clark Center very soon. Campagna has a positive outlook on the season. According to Campagna, “A realistic goal for this team is to host a conference tournament game. They will take hits early but as the season progresses they will begin to show their true talent and they will be a real contender in the conference.”
The Beacons have had a rough couple of years, but with some great newcomers coming in, some veteran experience, and the knowledge and of Coach Titus, UMB hopes to have a breakthrough season.