FGCU vs. UMass Basketball Preview: Q&A with Hustle Belt

(via Captive Photons)

In anticipation of Sunday's game between Florida Gulf Coast and Massachusetts, we conducted a brief Q&A with UMass hoops expert Max Moore of Hustle Belt. Be sure to check out hustlebelt.com and follow them @HustleBelt.

LJ: One of our writers noted UMass' struggle with transition defense against LSU. Has this been a season long struggle you've noticed and something you think the Eagles would be wise to take advantage of? 

MM: Well UMass likes to fly at a uptempo style which means they like to press a lot. As most fans know when a press works its great. There are a bunch of turnovers and easy buckets. However, when your opponent breaks your press they are likely to get an easy bucket. So against teams with good guards who can break a press, than the answer is yes UMass plays suspect transition defense. If FGCU has capable point guards than they may be able to exploit this.

LJ: Most casual college basketball fans were aware of Chaz Williams' tremendous impact at UMass last year. How has his departure changed the dynamic of the offense and has UMass struggled to find other leaders/scorers? 

MM: Obviously losing Chaz is a huge loss and no one would say that it helps the team by not having him. He was the emotional leader last year and played harder than anyone I have seen in a long time. To say his was the fan favorite would be an understatement.

That being said he was a ball-stopper, which isn't exactly what you want from your point guard. There were many times last year, especially later in the season, where Chaz would just try and dribble through entire defenses by himself. Cady Lalanne saw his production dip significantly in the second half of the season last year. With Chaz gone now, Lalanne has been more involved and is the leader of this team. The ball is moving more fluidly, although assist numbers are down. While Trey Davis has struggled to replace Chaz this year I think that as the season progresses he will feel more comfortable in his role.

LJ: How often does UMass play in Springfield and what is the general sentiment from the team and fans about playing off-campus? 

UMass usually plays at Springfield once a year. With Springfield being only roughly 30 minutes away from Amherst I really doubt that any fan is that upset about playing there. Although I do find it odd to do this to the players seeing as it is the weekend before finals week. I would think that they would want to have this game on campus to lessen travel time and give players more time to be on campus to study. Also it might discourage students from traveling also.
 
LJ: Cady Lalanne has put up an impressive stat line so far this season. How does the big man do the most of his damage and what is the key to containing him? 

MM: Cady does his damage by being the best big man on the court. Seriously he is that good. He could be the A-10 player of the year and is already averaging 15-10 that includes playing four power conference teams plus Harvard. He is a deadly low post player who will score if not double teamed. To contain him you will need to double team him and have a third defender playing some very tight help defense. He does get sloppy with the ball when pressured so having a guard slip down to help would be a good idea. Also he has a tendency to shoot three pointers for some reason. Try to make him shoot as many 20 footers as possible. Other than that you will have to live with him scoring in double figures. He hasn't scored less than 11 points all year and I don't that changing now.
 
LJ: How do you see this one playing out?

MM: I think this one will be a close one with a lot of basket trading. However, Cady Lalanne will prove just too much for the Eagles and UMass pulls it out 71-68 along with a triple-double from Derrick Gordon. Also the FGSU players will be frightened of this foreign white substance falling from the sky and be too distracted to play (Yes, it is currently snowing as I write this).