Storylines
Seven returners for the first time under Martin Martin calls the group 'the most complete team to my personality,' built around Carbuccia and Ndjigue with transfers Clayton, Ahmed and Wang. source
Fixing rim protection UMass ranked 340th nationally in blocks (2.2 per game) in 2025-26; added 6-10 Abdullah Ahmed (BYU) and 6-9 freshmen Helgason and Sylla as shot blockers. source
Junjie Wang as a potential MAC scoring leader San Francisco transfer drew preseason buzz for exhibition scoring. source
Picked sixth, no preseason All-MAC players 79 points in the coaches poll; Collegian notes two votes to win the MAC Tournament. source
1-1 start: win at Sun Belt champ Troy, loss to BC at TD Garden UMass won 71-60 at Troy on Nov 2 then lost 71-55 to Boston College on Nov 6 as BC's Money Williams scored 35; the Collegian headlined turnovers and fouls. source
Coach's son on the roster Freshman guard Christian Martin, 6-4, from Wilbraham & Monson Academy. source
Recent news
2026-11-02 UMass wins 71-60 at Troy in MAC-SBC Challenge opener Official recap headline: 'Big Run Leads Minutemen Past Troy, 71-60.' Troy was the defending Sun Belt regular-season and tournament champion. Box score details not read (fetch budget exhausted). source
2026-11-06 Boston College beats UMass 71-55 at TD Garden TNT Sports Hall of Fame Series; BC's Money Williams scored 35 (SI). Collegian: 'Turnovers and fouls bury the Minutemen in TD Garden.' UMass falls to 1-1. Next: UMass Lowell at home Nov 11, 7 p.m. source
Preseason previews
Landing page for the Collegian's preview package. Notes the men were voted No. 6 in the MAC preseason poll and received two votes to win the conference tournament, have no preseason All-MAC selections, and are 'built differently than last year.' Links four men's pieces: Tym Brown's 'Keys to success for UMass men's basketball' (https://dailycollegian.com/2026/10/brown-keys-to-success-for-umass-mens-basketball/), Jackson DeVito's roster preview (https://dailycollegian.com/2026/10/devito-previewing-the-2026-27-umass-mens-basketball-roster/), Andrew Guindon on the 10-game non-conference slate (https://dailycollegian.com/2026/10/guindon-what-to-know-about-umass-mens-basketball-non-conference-slate/), and Lily Woodworth on the 22-game MAC schedule (https://dailycollegian.com/2026/10/woodworth-a-look-at-umass-mens-basketballs-mac-matchups/). The individual articles could not be read (fetch budget exhausted).
UMass appears fifth in the article's order (after Kent State, Miami, Toledo, Ohio). Federman says San Francisco transfer Junjie Wang has produced a lot of scoring in exhibitions and could be one of the top scorers in the MAC, with sophomore point guard Danny Carbuccia expected to feed him. Jayden Ndjigue is cited for energy on the wing and the author is 'high' on freshman guard Cam Hailey.
Roster is set with seven returners, five freshmen and three transfers (Jordan Clayton, Abdullah Ahmed, Junjie Wang). Martin says the newcomers bring 'size, a physicality, a defensive mindset' and that rim protection was a problem: UMass ranked 340th of 365 in blocks per game (2.2) in 2025-26. Graduates Marcus Banks Jr., Daniel Hankins-Sanford and Leonardo Bettiol leave a gap. UMass will play Wake Forest Dec 6, 2026 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic, the first meeting since 1996-97.
From an hour-long summer practice at the Champions Center. Martin: 'I don't know if this is going to be the best team I've had, but this is the most complete team to my personality,' promising depth. Danny Carbuccia (MAC All-Freshman, 207 assists, 33 steals) is the stabilizer; Jayden Ndjigue (about 6 ppg last year) is expected to play with more offensive confidence. Northwestern transfer Jordan Clayton, a Medford native who played 69 games with 20 starts and shot 41% from three, was personally recruited by Martin ('Jordan is a winner'). Freshman Christian Martin is the coach's son.
UMass was picked sixth with 79 points, behind Miami, Toledo, Akron, Kent State and Ohio, and ahead of Bowling Green. No UMass player was named preseason All-MAC. Frank Martin enters year five at 62-59 at UMass.
Nonconference slate: Nov 2 at Troy (MAC-SBC Challenge; Troy won the 2025-26 Sun Belt regular season and tournament), Nov 6 vs Boston College at TD Garden (TNT Sports Hall of Fame Series), Nov 11 UMass Lowell, Nov 17 Bryant, Nov 21 Maine, Nov 25 at Northeastern, Nov 29 Loyola Chicago (per scoreboard), Dec 6 Wake Forest in Springfield, Dec 19 Stonehill, Dec 21 UMass Boston, Feb 6 MAC-SBC Challenge home game (opponent announced Jan 12).
Players
Jordan Clayton #3 · G · Senior · 6' 2" · 185 lbs
West Medford, MA · from Northwestern · transfer in ·
ESPN
10.0 pts4.0 reb2.5 ast34.0 min
7-21 FG5-14 3PT1-5 FT
43.1 TS%16.0 shots+TO/40
6-2; graduate with two years of eligibility; 69 games/20 starts at Northwestern, 41% from three; Medford native, Bradford Christian Academy. source source
Daily Hampshire Gazette: 6-2 guard transfer. source
Athol Daily News / Greenfield Recorder: Northwestern graduate transfer with two years of eligibility; 69 games, 20 starts, 41% from three; from Medford, attended Bradford Christian Academy; long-time friend of Ndjigue. source
Game log
Danny Carbuccia #0 · G · Sophomore · 5' 11" · 178 lbs
Yonkers, NY · returner ·
ESPN
2.0 pts3.5 reb7.0 ast30.0 min
2-10 FG0-3 3PT0-2 FT
18.4 TS%10.6 shots+TO/40
5-11 point guard from White Plains, N.Y. MAC All-Freshman team in 2025-26; led team with 207 assists and 33 steals. Expected to run the offense and feed Wang. source source
Mid-Major Madness / Yahoo Sports: Sophomore point guard expected to get Wang the ball. source
Daily Hampshire Gazette: Returner. source
Athol Daily News / Greenfield Recorder: MAC All-Freshman team; led team with 207 assists and 33 steals; stabilizer for newcomers. source
Game log
Junjie Wang #10 · F · Senior · 6' 9" · 250 lbs
Xuzhou, China · from San Francisco · transfer in ·
ESPN
12.5 pts9.5 reb1.0 ast29.0 min
9-23 FG1-5 3PT6-8 FT
47.1 TS%23.1 shots+TO/40
6-9; third transfer added (May 8, 2026); heavy exhibition scoring, projected possible top MAC scorer. source source
Mid-Major Madness / Yahoo Sports: San Francisco transfer; big exhibition scoring, could be among the top scorers in the MAC. source
Daily Hampshire Gazette: 6-9 big man transfer. source
Athol Daily News / Greenfield Recorder: Pictured at practice. source
Game log
Dwayne Wimbley Jr. #2 · F · Sophomore · 6' 6" · 205 lbs
Fort Lauderdale, FL · returner ·
ESPN
12.5 pts7.0 reb2.5 ast28.0 min
9-22 FG2-5 3PT5-6 FT
50.7 TS%20.5 shots+TO/40
6-6 from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. source source
Daily Hampshire Gazette: Returner. source
Athol Daily News / Greenfield Recorder: Pictured receiving instruction. source
Game log
Abdullah Ahmed #1 · F · Junior · 6' 10" · 220 lbs
Cairo, Egypt · from BYU · transfer in ·
ESPN
9.0 pts4.0 reb0.5 ast22.0 min
8-12 FG1-1 3PT1-2 FT
69.9 TS%13.5 shots+TO/40
6-10; 1.4 bpg at BYU in 2025-26; 2.1 bpg previously with G League Westchester Knicks. source
Daily Hampshire Gazette: 6-10 big from BYU; 1.4 blocks per game in 2025-26 and 2.1 bpg the prior year with the G League's Westchester Knicks. source
Game log
Noa Zemljić #12 · G · Freshman · 6' 5" · 214 lbs
Zagreb, Croatia · freshman ·
ESPN
8.0 pts1.5 reb0.0 ast16.0 min
6-11 FG3-6 3PT1-1 FT
69.9 TS%15.5 shots+TO/40
Freshman; no further detail. source
Daily Hampshire Gazette: Freshman. source
Game log
Christian Martin #– · ? · ·
1.0 pts3.0 reb0.0 ast12.0 min
1-9 FG0-6 3PT0-0 FT
11.1 TS%15.0 shots+TO/40
Game log
Cheick Sylla #34 · F · Freshman · 6' 9" · 240 lbs
Bamako, Mali · freshman ·
ESPN
6.0 pts2.0 reb0.0 ast11.0 min
5-6 FG0-1 3PT2-5 FT
73.2 TS%14.9 shots+TO/40
6-9 shot blocker. source
Daily Hampshire Gazette: 6-9 freshman shot blocker. source
Game log
Dimitri Clerc #25 · F · Senior · 6' 10" · 255 lbs
Lausanne, Switzerland · returner ·
ESPN
1.0 pts1.0 reb0.0 ast6.5 min
1-2 FG0-0 3PT0-0 FT
50.0 TS%9.2 shots+TO/40
6-10 from Lausanne, Switzerland. source source
Daily Hampshire Gazette: Returner. source
Game log
Heimir Helgason #14 · F · Freshman · 6' 9" · 200 lbs
Njarovik, Iceland · freshman ·
ESPN
0.0 pts1.0 reb0.0 ast6.0 min
0-1 FG0-1 3PT0-0 FT
0.0 TS%6.7 shots+TO/40
6-9 shot blocker. source
Daily Hampshire Gazette: 6-9 freshman shot blocker. source
Game log
Rollie Castineyra #27 · G · Junior · 6' 2" · 195 lbs
Marblehead, MA · returner ·
ESPN
1.0 pts1.0 reb0.0 ast5.5 min
1-2 FG0-0 3PT0-0 FT
50.0 TS%7.3 shots+TO/40
6-2 from Marblehead, Mass.; played with Clayton previously. source
Athol Daily News / Greenfield Recorder: Marblehead native who previously played with Clayton. source
Game log
Abdullah Ahmed #– · ? · ·
Has not appeared yet.
Game log
Cam Hailey #5 · G · Freshman · 5' 11" · 175 lbs
Dorchester, MA · freshman ·
ESPN
Has not appeared yet.
Small guard; Mid-Major Madness is high on him. source source
Mid-Major Madness / Yahoo Sports: Freshman small guard the author is high on. source
Daily Hampshire Gazette: Freshman. source
Game log
Jayden Ndjigue #11 · G · Senior · 6' 4" · 215 lbs
Ayer, MA · returner ·
ESPN
Has not appeared yet.
6-4 wing from Ayer, Mass. (Rivers School). About 6 ppg in 2025-26; Martin expects more offensive confidence; brings energy. source source
Mid-Major Madness / Yahoo Sports: Wing who brings energy. source
Daily Hampshire Gazette: Returner. source
Athol Daily News / Greenfield Recorder: Averaged about six points last year; Martin expects more confidence and certainty on offense; focused on leadership. source
Game log
Josh Engel #9 · G · Sophomore · 6' 0" · 170 lbs
Has not appeared yet.
Game log
Luka Damjanac #13 · F · Junior · 6' 10" · 245 lbs
Vienna, Austria · returner ·
ESPN
Has not appeared yet.
6-10 from Vienna, Austria. source source
Daily Hampshire Gazette: Returner. source
Game log
