Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Lasme inks deal with Golden State

Men's Basketball
Eli Rosenswaike

Former UMass men's basketball star Stephane Lasme signed with the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, according to NBA.com. The terms of the deal were not yet announced, per team policy.

The 24-year-old forward was taken in the second round (46th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft. With the recent buyout of center Adonal Foyle's contract, the Warriors both had room and the desire to have Lasme on the roster.

Lasme was named both the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in his fourth and final season at UMass. He finished 2006 second in the country in blocks, and recorded four triple doubles -- becoming just the third player in NCAA history to accomplish that feat.

The 6-foot-8 Lasme is a native of Gabon, and will wear the #12 for the Warriors. He donned the number 13 for the Maroon and White.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Media Day kicks off football season

Football
Jeremy Rice

The Massachusetts football team held its annual Media Day today.

After a two-hour practice, lunch was served, and UMass coach Don Brown and the players answered questions for print and television media alike.

The biggest questions in the air today revolved around the gaping hole left by the departure of running back Steve Baylark, who graduated last spring and is currently in camp with the Arizona Cardinals.

Senior Matt Lawrence and sophomore Tony Nelson will be competing for the starting nod, though they will likely share the load through most of the season.

The offense looked sharp in practice, including a number of impressive catches by the wide receivers. Wide receiver Rasheed Rancher will join J.J. Moore as the starting wideouts. Rancher impressed with a couple of nice grabs and looks ready to replace Brandon London. At 6-foot-5, the senior towers over the UMass defenders and should prove to be a huge target for quarterback Liam Coen.

The Minutemen get back to work on Sept. 1 at home against Holy Cross. The first league game is Sept. 15 at home against Towson.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Tamara Tatham to play professional ball

Women's basketball
Domenic Poli

Recent UMass graduate and women’s basketball player Tamara Tatham is going pro, having signed a contract with a professional team in Finland.

A few months after earning her bachelor’s degree in Sport Management, the four-year starter signed on to play with the Catz, of the Finnish League. Tatham will debut when the team plays its first game on Oct. 6. The Finnish League has a 36-game regular season schedule before the playoffs.

Tatham is slotted to be a wing player but will also move to the center position, for the Catz, who finished second in the Finnish League last year.

Tatham will meet with up with the squad once she completes her duties with the Canadian National Team. Her native country is trying to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics, in Beijina, China.

"I hope she makes it for the first match, although it might take a little while for her to get the same rhythm with the team," Catz Head Coach Tommi Koskinen said. "There are 36 matches before the playoffs, so I think she'll be fine. We weren't the only ones who were interested in her as there was a little competition going on. I'm glad we won. Tatham has a two-week trial period, but from what I've heard I don't think we'll be having any problems with her, I've heard only good things and look forward to having her help us contend for a title."

The Catz play in Lappeenranta, a city in southeast Finland, about 136 miles from Helsinki and just over 25 miles from the Russian border.

Tatham was the first recruit of UMass coach Marnie Dacko. She averaged 10.3 points per game and collected 226 assists, 190 steals and 60 blocks in 115 games as a Minutewoman. She also grabbed 754 rebounds – an average of 6.6 a game.

During her senior season, the Brampton, Ontario, native became the 15th player in UMass history to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau and wound up eighth in scoring. She also finished fifth in school history in both steals and rebounds.

As a member of the Maroon and White, Tatham shot 46 percent from the field and 63 percent from the free throw line.

Alisha Tatham to play in FISU Games

Women's basketball
Domenic Poli

UMass senior Alisha Tatham has been named to Canada’s development women’s national team that will compete at the FISU (International University Sport Federation) Games in Bangkok, Thailand.

The FISU Games are the second-largest multi-sport games in world, after the Olympics, and competiton begin on Aug. 7, ending on the 19.