Improving execution down the stretch

After struggling to close out games this season, UMass coach Derek Kellogg, a former PG for the Minutemen in the early '90s under John Calipari, has implemented a number of drills to help his players "improve their execution down the stretch by simulating late-game scenarios."

"The game is different in the last four minutes; every possession, every block out, every rebound and every loose ball is of the utmost importance,” Kellogg said. "It starts in practice; we do a lot of different drills to emulate what can happen at the end of a game. Free throw shooting, loose ball drills and [other] late game situations.”