Nobody expected such a young UMass Basketball team to be 5-0 at this point in the season. Now that we’re here, let’s analyze how it happened and what the team will need to work on in order to stay hot.
1. Sean East is a Rising Star
The emergence of Sean East as a smart and steady point guard has been arguably the most important factor in UMass’ 5-0 start. It’s been a few years since the Minutemen have had a true PG running the show, so East’s ability to facilitate the offense has been a breath of fresh air for UMass fans everywhere. Of course, it’s easy to pile up assists with shooters like Carl Pierre and TJ Weeks on the perimeter, but piling up assists isn’t all that East has been doing.
His ability to dictate the tempo of the offense and get everyone else involved is rare for an underclassman point guard, as well as his poise and discipline. So far through five games, East has just seven turnovers to go with 34 assists, and considering how often he’s had the ball in his hands, the former number may be the more impressive of the two.
He’s also incredibly adept at weaving through traffic to stop and pop or use his floater whenever the defense focuses too much on UMass’ shooters. It’s fair to assume that as the level of competition trends upward for the Minutemen, East’s outrageous numbers will decline somewhat, but this kid is for real, and Matt McCall should feel very comfortable with him in charge of the offense.