Transfer Portal hits UMass Lowell's Men's Basketball

Read Time:2 Minute, 24 Second

It has been a little over a week since the UMass Lowell basketball season ended. Since then, some movement has taken place on the roster that will change the way the team will look come next season. The transfer portal, which has become as commonplace as the games themselves nowadays, has hit the team. Two members of the starting lineup have entered the portal: forward Shawn Simmons II and guard Xavier Spencer have decided to utilize the portal in hopes of finding a better situation for themselves.

Spencer played in and started all 33 games for the River Hawks. He averaged 33.9 minutes a game, which led the team. He was one of four double-digit scorers on the roster, averaging 11.9 points per game, which ranked second on the River Hawks. He shot 44.1% from the field (142-of-322), also second on the team, as was his 34.9% shooting from three-point land (51-of-146); those attempts tied for the most on the team. He was a 77.3% foul line shooter (58-of-75) and showed a strong ability to rebound, averaging 4.4 per game. His assist-to-turnover ratio was solid with 96 assists to 64 turnovers, and his assist total was second on the team. He also had 41 steals to his credit, which led the team at a rate of 1.4 per night. His best passing night came on November 13 versus Columbia when he recorded 12 assists, while his high mark for steals came in conference play with 5 against Bryant on February 12. He was a consistent presence for the team in his one year with the program, recording six nights where he knocked down four three-point shots, tying for the team lead.

Shawn Simmons II played in 27 games with 25 starts, missing some time during the non-conference schedule due to injury. He averaged 6.7 points per game while shooting 48.5% (66-for-136) and playing 25.8 minutes per contest. He was not primarily a three-point shooter, though he would occasionally step out and take one, shooting 33.3% from distance (7-of-21). He averaged 5.1 rebounds a game and was a 66.2% free-throw shooter (43-for-65). He was a decent rim protector, as his 37 blocked shots would suggest. His best shot-blocking nights came in league play, where he recorded five blocks twice: first against Vermont on January 26 and then on January 29 against UNH. He led the team with 1.4 blocks per game, and the team seemed to perform better whenever he was in the lineup. His coaches frequently praised his high basketball IQ.

Now comes the challenging part for head coach Pat Duquette: finding their replacements either through traditional recruiting or back in the transfer portal.