Fired by South Carolina, Martin takes over as UMass’ new coach
AMHERST, MASS. » UMass has found a new leader for its basketball program, hiring Frank Martin as its coach Friday.
Martin, 56, takes over the Minutemen program from Matt McCall, who was fired this month after going 58-81 over five seasons in Amherst.
“It is evident that there is tremendous alignment in place to win and do it the right way,” Martin said in a statement. “Let’s all get on this ride together, let’s dream big and let’s be relentless at making our dreams a reality.”
Martin arrives following his own dismissal from South Carolina last week after 10 seasons and just one NCAA appearance with the Gamecocks. But that appearance to cap the 2016-17 season culminated in South Carolina’s first Final Four berth. Martin was 171-147 during his tenure at the school.
The move to Massachusetts will be a homecoming for Martin’s wife, Anya (Forrest), a 1998 UMass alum who ran track for the school.
Murray State brings Prohm back
MURRAY, KY. » Steve Prohm has returned to Murray State for a second stint as men’s basketball coach, taking over the program as the Racers prepare to join the Missouri Valley Conference in July.
The coach said in a release he was “excited and grateful” for the chance to return to Murray State and noted its continued success after he left.
Prohm replaces Matt McMahon, his former assistant who guided MSU (31-3) to the second round of the NCAA Tournament as the No. 7 seed before leaving earlier this week for LSU.
Prohm left in 2015 for Iowa State.
Ball State hires UCLA assistant
MUNCIE, IND. » UCLA assistant coach Michael Lewis will be taking over Ball State’s program once the Bruins complete their NCAA
Tournament run.
Ball State athletic director Beth Goetz announced she had hired Lewis to replace James Whitford, who was fired after going 131-148 in 10 seasons.
Goetz said Lewis won’t officially begin his new job until UCLA’s season is over. The Bruins faced North Carolina in an East Region semifinal late Friday at Philadelphia.
S. Carolina’s Couisnard enters portal
COLUMBIA, S.C. » South Carolina’s leading scorer Jermaine Couisnard has entered the NCAA transfer portal, a day after the Gamecocks hired Lamont Paris as the team’s new men’s basketball coach.
Couisnard is a 6-foot-4 redshirt junior from East Chicago, Indiana. He started 46 of 78 games the past three seasons, including 16 of 31 this past one.
Paris said Thursday he would have individual meetings with the Gamecocks, but would not twist anyone’s arm who didn’t
want to stay with the program.
Buckeyes’ Liddell declares for draft
COLUMBUS, OHIO » Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell announced he has declared for the NBA draft. The decision by the All-American to skip his senior season was no surprise.
Liddell had the best season of his three-year Buckeyes career, averaging 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.5 assists per game.
3 Kentucky women entering portal
LEXINGTON, KY. » Kentucky’s second-leading scorer Dre’una Edwards and teammates Treasure Hunt and Jazmine Massengill will enter the NCAA transfer portal after helping the Wildcats complete a remarkable turnaround with their first women’s basketball SEC title in 40 years.
Edwards, a junior, was second on the team in scoring behind three-time All-American Rhyne Howard at 16.9 points per game and led Kentucky with 8.2 rebounds per contest.