Men’s Basketball @ American Preview

Probable Starters:

UMBC (0-9):
C- Robbie Jackson (8.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.3 bpg)
G- Adrian Satchell (6.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, .571 FG%)
G- Chauncey Gilliam (11.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.3 spg)
G- Matt Spadafora (7.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.1 spg)
G- Chris De La Rosa (7.7 ppg, 6.3 apg, 2.7 rpg)

Key Reserves:
F- Jake Wasco (1.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg, .417 FG%)
G- Shawn Grant (10.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.2 spg)
G- Brian Neller (5.9 ppg, 1.1 rpg, .326 3-pt%)
G- Nick Groce (3.1 ppg, 1.4 apg, .267 3-pt%)
G- Bakari Smith (1.3 ppg, 1.2 rpg, .429 FG%)

American (2-8):
F- Stephen Lumpkins (12.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.8 bpg)
F- Riley Grafft (9.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, .481 FG%)
G- Simon McCormack (6.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.1 apg)
G- Blake Jolivette (5.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.1 apg)
G- Nick Hendra (8.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.0 apg)

Key Reserves:
F- Mike Bersch (6.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, .327 FG%)
F- Vlad Moldoveanu (26.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, .533 FG%)
G- Daniel Munoz (5.9 ppg, 2.0 apg, .404 FG%)
G- Steve Luptak (1.7 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 1.0 apg)
G- Matthew Wilson (1.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.7 apg)

If UMBC wants to get a win in non-conference play this is the perfect opportunity. The days to American threatening everybody in the NCAA tournament are gone. They are officially in a rebuilding mode and struggling to get things going this year. Every starter from last years team, which UMBC almost beat, is gone. They are a forward based team but don’t have much size, which is what has killed UMBC all season, a lack of size facing big teams. American can still be dangerous. They rebound very well, but now with Chauncey fully healthy and Robbie Jackson back in the mix after a week off because of exams, the team could be re-energized and could come out in a close road game and get their first win of the season.

The biggest reason to worry is Vlad Moldoveanu. After missing the first semester he was able to play against DePaul and went off for 26 points. While DePaul is the bottom dweller of the Big East, they are still in the big east. Without much tape on the guy it’s hard to say what he can do consistently, but nobody should sleep on him.