University of New Hampshire Athletics
Senior forward Jayden Martinez leads America East in scoring.
Photo by: China Wong
Insider Report: High Hopes
1/5/2022 11:54:00 AM | Men's Basketball, UNH Insider
Men's Basketball Opens League Play at Vermont Thursday on ESPNU
DURHAM, N.H. – It's long been a Bill Herrion mantra.
To be the best, he regularly tells his University of New Hampshire men's basketball teams, they must beat the best.
In recent years in America East, that has meant Vermont.
This year, the Wildcats get a chance to challenge themselves against the Catamounts early: They open the America East portion of their schedule on Thursday night at Vermont in a showcase game that will be televised nationally on ESPNU at 7 p.m.
"I have enormous respect for their program," Herrion said. "If as a coach you value winning basketball and value teams winning championships and working hard, you've got to respect what they do. I told our guys they do what we aspire to do. If you want to try to eventually play in a championship game and go to the NCAA tournament in any league at any level, you've got to try to beat the Vermonts and the Dukes. You've got to beat those kind of teams. I think it's great early test."
Vermont moved into the leadoff spot for UNH when Sunday's scheduled league opener at home against UMBC was postponed for COVID-19 reasons.
UNH is currently scheduled to play its home opener on Saturday against Albany and then follow with a home game against Maine next Wednesday, Jan. 12.
Tickets for all Wildcat home games are available at www.unhwildcats.com and by calling the Whittemore Center Box office at 603-862-4000.
Under the school's COVID-19 regulations, all spectators, regardless of vaccination status, must wear masks at all indoor athletic events.
Herrion is excited about the prospects for this year's team, one of the most talented, experienced and deep groups he's had in his 17 years as UNH head coach.
He's excited about the guys leading the way, senior forwards Jayden Martinez and Nick Guadarrama, both of whom were among the six players named to the all-conference preseason team.
Martinez made a huge jump from his sophomore to his junior season, when he was named first-team all-conference. Herrion is pleased with yet another jump in his play that has him leading the league in scoring at 17.6 points per game and sharing the conference lead in rebounds at 7.7 a game with senior center and teammate Tayler Mattos.
Guadarrama was second-team, all-league last season and while his scoring is off a bit at 9.9 points per contest, Herrion points to UNH's loss at Bryant to illustrate his value to the team.
The Wildcats put together an impressive three-game win streak against Quinnipiac, 84-69, Holy Cross, 70-55, and Central Connecticut, 67-45, but it was snapped with the setback at Bryant, 76-59.
Guadarrama missed that one with an illness.
"It showed how much he means to the team," Herrion said. "He rebounds and passes so well and he really settles everyone down."
Guadarrama is third in America East with 4.2 assists per game.
Sophomore guard Blondeau Tchoukuiegno is first in the league at 4.4 assists per game and is second to Martinez in UNH scoring at 11 points a game.
Guadarrama's three-point shooting, usually a strength, has been off a bit.
"I think that's hurting his scoring a little," Herrion said. "Every player goes through it. He's getting good shots, he's just not making as many. He keeps working on it and he's putting in the time and he's definitely going to come out of it, I think sooner than later."
In the meantime, Martinez's numbers are up and Tchoukuiegno's numbers are up and sophomore guard Nick Johnson, who was the America East Rookie of the Year last year, is averaging 8.4 points a game.
"Other guys have been stepping up," Herrion said.
Sophomore guard Marco Foster (14-for-24 for 58.3 percent) and Martinez (22-for-43 for 51.2 percent) are 1-2 in America East in three-point shooting percentage. Martinez is third in three-pointers made with 2.4 per game.
The Wildcats bring a 5-4 record into conference play. They played well in their "guarantee" games in losses at Marquette, 75-70, at Providence, 69-58, and at Duquesne, 64-62.
Their collection of talent helped the Wildcats earn the No. 3 spot in the league's preseason poll behind Stony Brook and Vermont, which has won at least a share of the last five regular season conference titles.
Led by Martinez and Guadarrama and the rest of the crew and off good results in the nonconference portion of the schedule, Herrion knows his team won't be sneaking up on its league rivals.
"I think there's no question we have a good team," Herrion said. "I said, 'Good.' I think we're a good, solid basketball team right now and a team that can get much better as the season goes on. I think we've won games the right way and we've lost some close ones and I think the target, the bullseye on us, is definitely bigger than it has been."
That's to be expected, and fine with Herrion.
"It's all part of the process," he said. "If you go into March and you're going to be knocking on the door and competing for something, you've got to learn how to deal with this. We haven't had a lot of experience with that. But I've told the guys I'd much rather be in this situation than any other. I think it makes all of us better."
THE ROAD AHEAD
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
To be the best, he regularly tells his University of New Hampshire men's basketball teams, they must beat the best.
In recent years in America East, that has meant Vermont.
This year, the Wildcats get a chance to challenge themselves against the Catamounts early: They open the America East portion of their schedule on Thursday night at Vermont in a showcase game that will be televised nationally on ESPNU at 7 p.m.
"I have enormous respect for their program," Herrion said. "If as a coach you value winning basketball and value teams winning championships and working hard, you've got to respect what they do. I told our guys they do what we aspire to do. If you want to try to eventually play in a championship game and go to the NCAA tournament in any league at any level, you've got to try to beat the Vermonts and the Dukes. You've got to beat those kind of teams. I think it's great early test."
Vermont moved into the leadoff spot for UNH when Sunday's scheduled league opener at home against UMBC was postponed for COVID-19 reasons.
UNH is currently scheduled to play its home opener on Saturday against Albany and then follow with a home game against Maine next Wednesday, Jan. 12.
Tickets for all Wildcat home games are available at www.unhwildcats.com and by calling the Whittemore Center Box office at 603-862-4000.
Under the school's COVID-19 regulations, all spectators, regardless of vaccination status, must wear masks at all indoor athletic events.
Herrion is excited about the prospects for this year's team, one of the most talented, experienced and deep groups he's had in his 17 years as UNH head coach.
He's excited about the guys leading the way, senior forwards Jayden Martinez and Nick Guadarrama, both of whom were among the six players named to the all-conference preseason team.
Martinez made a huge jump from his sophomore to his junior season, when he was named first-team all-conference. Herrion is pleased with yet another jump in his play that has him leading the league in scoring at 17.6 points per game and sharing the conference lead in rebounds at 7.7 a game with senior center and teammate Tayler Mattos.
Guadarrama was second-team, all-league last season and while his scoring is off a bit at 9.9 points per contest, Herrion points to UNH's loss at Bryant to illustrate his value to the team.
The Wildcats put together an impressive three-game win streak against Quinnipiac, 84-69, Holy Cross, 70-55, and Central Connecticut, 67-45, but it was snapped with the setback at Bryant, 76-59.
Guadarrama missed that one with an illness.
"It showed how much he means to the team," Herrion said. "He rebounds and passes so well and he really settles everyone down."
Guadarrama is third in America East with 4.2 assists per game.
Sophomore guard Blondeau Tchoukuiegno is first in the league at 4.4 assists per game and is second to Martinez in UNH scoring at 11 points a game.
Guadarrama's three-point shooting, usually a strength, has been off a bit.
"I think that's hurting his scoring a little," Herrion said. "Every player goes through it. He's getting good shots, he's just not making as many. He keeps working on it and he's putting in the time and he's definitely going to come out of it, I think sooner than later."
In the meantime, Martinez's numbers are up and Tchoukuiegno's numbers are up and sophomore guard Nick Johnson, who was the America East Rookie of the Year last year, is averaging 8.4 points a game.
"Other guys have been stepping up," Herrion said.
Sophomore guard Marco Foster (14-for-24 for 58.3 percent) and Martinez (22-for-43 for 51.2 percent) are 1-2 in America East in three-point shooting percentage. Martinez is third in three-pointers made with 2.4 per game.
The Wildcats bring a 5-4 record into conference play. They played well in their "guarantee" games in losses at Marquette, 75-70, at Providence, 69-58, and at Duquesne, 64-62.
Their collection of talent helped the Wildcats earn the No. 3 spot in the league's preseason poll behind Stony Brook and Vermont, which has won at least a share of the last five regular season conference titles.
Led by Martinez and Guadarrama and the rest of the crew and off good results in the nonconference portion of the schedule, Herrion knows his team won't be sneaking up on its league rivals.
"I think there's no question we have a good team," Herrion said. "I said, 'Good.' I think we're a good, solid basketball team right now and a team that can get much better as the season goes on. I think we've won games the right way and we've lost some close ones and I think the target, the bullseye on us, is definitely bigger than it has been."
That's to be expected, and fine with Herrion.
"It's all part of the process," he said. "If you go into March and you're going to be knocking on the door and competing for something, you've got to learn how to deal with this. We haven't had a lot of experience with that. But I've told the guys I'd much rather be in this situation than any other. I think it makes all of us better."
THE ROAD AHEAD
- Fans can purchase group and individual game tickets at UNHWildcats.com/Tickets or by calling the UNH Wildcats box office at 603-862-4000 (Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm).
- Fans must wear masks while inside Lundholm Gymnasium.
- UNH has not played since defeating Keene State, 92-54, on Dec. 13.
- The Wildcats had games at Virginia Commonwealth on Dec. 21, at Dartmouth on Dec. 29 and then against UMBC called off.
- Vermont has won three of the last five America East tournament titles.
- The Catamounts were 8-4 in nonconference play.
- This will be Vermont's first league game as well.
- The Catamounts had a home game against UAlbany on Sunday postponed.
- Like UNH, Vermont had a pair of players on the six-man, pre-season All Conference team in senior forward Ryan Davis and grad student guard Ben Shungu.
- Davis is the reigning America East Player of the Year.
- The Wildcats are scheduled to play UAlbany at home Saturday at noon and play Maine on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at home at 7 p.m.
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballWednesday, March 04
Saturday, February 14
Friday, February 13
Friday, January 30