The big men for the Massachusetts basketball team started strong in the team’s season opener against the University of New Hampshire on Monday night. Malek Abdelgowad and Shahid Muhammad showcased different playstyles for UMass (1-0), but both contributed in their own ways.
Abdelgowad finished with a career-high in points, rebounds, blocks and assists against the Wildcats (0-1). He was efficient on the glass on both sides of the floor, coming away with nine defensive and three offensive rebounds, good for 12 total.
The senior utilized his six-foot-ten frame to maintain solid positioning down low, timing his jumps well and wrestling any loose balls away from his opponents. His ability to follow his teammate’s shots helped lead to the Minutemen’s 17 second chance points.
The three offensive boards for Abdelgowad were matched by Muhammad, who brought down two on the defensive end as well. His long arms and impressive vertical leap proved to be a difference maker in retaining possessions.
A portion of the second chance buckets came from Abdelgowad, who finished with 12 points on the night for his first career double-double. The Murray State transfer was patient underneath the basket, using his strength and touch to finish 60 percent from the field.
Muhammad scored four points of his own on Monday, skying over defenders to drop in a pair of baskets. The center showed flashes on offense, but made his presence more known on the defensive end. The junior blocked five UNH shots over the course of the game, loudly spiking a few to get the crowd in the Mullins Center off their feet.
“If [Muhammad] gets behind the defense, I’ve never coached one, that has a chance to go play with him, where he can get up there,” head coach Frank Martin said.
The five blocks for Muhammad tied the most that UMass as a team had in an individual game last season. The College of Southern Idaho transfer is no stranger to blocking shots, averaging 3.5 a game last season, with a high of seven which he did in two different games with the Golden Eagles.
Abdelgowad blocked two shots of his own against the Wildcats, something he hadn’t done in his collegiate career. With only one rejection over the course of 19 games last year, the Cairo, Egypt native maximized his opportunities at the rim.
“Since me and [Jaylen Curry] both guard the ball high on the floor, [Muhammad and Abdelgowad] are very important to us,” Rahsool Diggins said. “Most guards tend to take off and go to the rim, and we’ve got a lot of shot blockers this year, a lot of rim protection going on, so that just allows us to go out and run.”
With the addition of the two new defensive presences in the paint, UMass played aggressively up high, generating turnovers on a consistent basis. Abdelgowad even added two steals of his own. The team surrendered just 34 points in the paint out of UNH’s 74 total, and ran the floor in transition off of outlet passes from its centers.
The success in transition helped Abdelgowad tally three assists on the night, getting the ball up the court while also kicking it out from the low post in the halfcourt to shooters on the outside.
Up next for the Minutemen, they’ll hit the road to take on West Virginia on Friday, Nov. 8. Tipoff from WVU Coliseum is set for 7 p.m.
“[With Muhammad and Abdelgowad], we’re more versatile on defense, we can switch, we can hedge ball screens,” Diggins said. “We’ve got a lot of guys, big men that care, that are vocal, and when they call the right screens and we get stops, we’re able to run, and that leads to offense.”
Mike Maynard can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter/X @mikecmaynard.
