Riley got the nod over Morgan, who started 29 games at the two-guard spot in 2011-12.
AMHERST – Neither point guard Chaz Williams nor coach Derek Kellogg said they were going to sleep much Monday night.
After months of practice, with the University of Massachusetts basketball team’s Tuesday debut against Harvard within tasting distance at 10 a.m. at the Mullins Center, it’s easy to understand why.
“It’s one of those times you wake up every 15 minutes hoping that it’s Tuesday,” Williams said prior to Monday morning’s practice, which not coincidentally began at 10.
Eventually gametime will arrive, and the Minutemen will take the floor against the Crimson. When they do, it will be senior Freddie Riley at the shooting-guard spot as opposed to junior Jesse Morgan, who started 29 games there last season.
Riley was 7 for 12 from the floor, and 6 of 10 from 3-point range, in the Minutemen's Nov. 3 exhibition against American International College, which he finished with 21 points. Morgan, along with Cady Lalanne and Trey Davis, missed the game because of suspension.
“I thought in his opportunity against AIC, (Riley) played really well and brought some energy and intensity. As long as he continues to do that, he’ll stay in the starting lineup,” Kellogg said. “He’s brought some good energy. He’s a senior, so he was given an opportunity, and as long as he wants to hang on to it, we go from there.”
Riley will be joined in the backcourt by Williams, with Terrell Vinson and Raphiael Putney manning the forward positions.
The fifth spot, Kellogg said, is still up for grabs between Lalanne and sophomore Maxie Esho. Kellogg first said he was going to sleep on it.
“When I wake up in the morning, there will be a revelation of who is going to start. I’m still just in my mind figuring out how I want to start that game. Do I want a little more athleticism in the press or do I want to go with somebody a little bigger?” he said.
Moments later, he admitted he wouldn’t sleep much.
“I’m going to lay and think about it,” Kellogg said. “I haven’t slept much as of late anyway, so why change the pattern?”
Whichever player doesn’t start, he, along with Morgan, will see plenty of the floor, while Sampson Carter will be the eighth man in the rotation, according to Kellogg. Davis will also see some minutes.
“I think Trey will definitely get an opportunity because he’s really Chaz’s backup,” Kellogg said.
Freshman big men Tyler Bergantino's and Izzy Freeman’s minutes have yet to be decided. Bergantino was sidelined early last week with an ankle injury, but he appears to have recovered and has been practicing since Friday.
As can be expected, part of who plays and how much they play will be determined by what the Crimson decide to do.
Kellogg said Harvard has options in terms of style.
“I think that they play a style that’s a tough style to beat. They do a good job with five guys all being able to handle, pass and catch the ball, and really relieve pressure for how they play,” he said. “They’re kind of in between small and big ball … I think they’ll play a little smaller against us just because of our pressure.”
The Crimson will be without their leading scorer from 2011-12, Kyle Casey, and starting point guard Brandyn Curry, both of whom have been suspended as part of an academic cheating scandal that surfaced at the end of the summer.
Casey, an All-Ivy league selection, paced the Crimson with 11.4 points per game while adding 5.5 rebounds. Curry led the team with 4.9 assists and had a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Now, the Crimson will rely on freshman Siyani Chambers to replace Curry, and will lean more on leading returning scorer Laurent Rivard, who averaged 10.1 points per game last year.
“I think they’ve inserted some guys that are highly talented. Kids coming out of high school that are a little inexperienced, but I think they’ll be excited to play, to come to UMass,” Kellogg said. “You just don’t want to give them a lot of easy, open shots.”
The morning start will be aired on ESPN as part of the network’s 24-hour Tip-Off Marathon, which begins at midnight with West Virginia visiting Gonzaga, and finishes with Duke facing Kentucky Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.