The Beacons are back— but not quite yet for men’s basketball. A good month or so separates the Beacons from their season start in early September.
UMass Boston finished 7-19 last year, their worst record since the 2015-16 season — just squeaking into the Little East Conference playoffs before getting bounced in the first round, according to Beacons Athletics. It was a tough year after losing their top two scorers, Malik Lourquet and Xavier Mckenzie.
This time their top scorer is sticking around, the 5’ 7″ guard Emanuel Zayas from Florida. Zayas is entering his senior year after three years of steady improvement. His first three years saw scoring averages leap from 5.4, to 10.1, to 18.0 points per game (1). He was the brightest spot the Beacons had, taking the game over.
Zayas also led the team in assists at 3.9, a staggering difference from second place’s 1.6. He’s a true difference maker, something this team lacked last year. Zayas remains their best player, but they need more than just him to get back to real contention.
That’s why the emergence of now-junior forward Connor Walden is so exciting.
Walden followed up his freshman year with an extremely impactful second season. Standing tall at 6’7, he can do a little of everything. Earning 13 more starts last year than the previous has paid UMass Boston dividends already. His 4.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 0.2 assist per game rookie season flashed talent on good efficiency. 14.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game was his season statline after getting his 14 starts. Sprinkling in 35% from deep and solid versatile defending, the volume is going to keep coming for Walden. Appearing in more than just 14 games, as he did last year, could go far for this Beacons team.
Walden is the player to watch for the Beacons — he’s arrived now. Zayas is still here, leading rebounder Erik Donaldson is coming back, and presumably five out of their six leading scorers are returning. They have the continuity, and, as any college basketball team does, are relying on internal growth.
Meanwhile, Keene State, the reigning LEC champions, loses their fifth-year dominant center Jeff Hunter. He averaged 17.6 points, 13.5 boards, and 2.5 blocks a game last year, according to the Keene State Owls Athletics page.
Western Connecticut is losing a star of their own. The second-placed Wolves must shed the graduate student wing Jaheim Young. The smart, multi-level scoring, do-it-all player’s departure adds to the major hit the top of the conference is taking.
The window is there for the Beacons, but it looks to be a tight one. One thing’s for sure: it’s going to be an exciting season.
