Toward the middle of last year, Massachusetts men’s basketball coach Derek Kellogg decided to remove the struggling Jabarie Hinds from the starting lineup and play him off the bench. Hinds went on to have some of his best games of the season, serving him and UMass well in that role. With Hinds graduated, Kellogg early on appears to be handing the role of sixth man over to redshirt junior Zach Lewis.

Rashaan Holloway’s highest scoring game last season came against Boston University when he put up 18 points en route to a 99-69 victory. He wasted no time eclipsing that this season. The Massachusetts men’s basketball team defeated UMass Lowell in the season and home opener 90-76 with Holloway scoring a team-high 21 points.

When the Massachusetts men’s basketball team takes the Mullins Center court Friday afternoon for its season opener against in-state rival UMass Lowell, it will do so without the familiar faces of Trey Davis, Jabarie Hinds and Tyler Bergantino. Rather, the likes of DeJon Jarreau, Unique McLean, Tyrn Flowers and Chris Baldwin – who make up a top 30 recruiting class – will begin their collegiate careers.

In September of 2015, DeJon Jarreau and Brison Gresham had narrowed their choice of schools down to two, the University of Miami and the University of Massachusetts. With a desire to play together at a school they believed needed them, the two best friends chose UMass. Unlike many college teammates, Jarreau and Gresham’s relationship extends much further than Amherst.

FOXBORO –– The Massachusetts football team has had problems holding down opposing offenses for much of the 2016 season. Saturday’s 56-28 loss to Louisiana Tech at Gillette Stadium was no exception. Those struggles often killed the momentum gained by the offense, which needed every ounce it could take in order to keep up with the high-scoring Bulldogs offense.

Malik Hines’ freshman season came to an abrupt halt when he was diagnosed with a broken foot in mid January. With his foot still wrapped up, the 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward is back to practicing with the Massachusetts men’s basketball team and is slated to play a key role in UMass’ frontcourt. Hines says that his foot is not 100 percent healthy yet, but he expects it to be by the time UMass opens up its season on Nov. 11 against UMass Lowell.

The Massachusetts men’s soccer team finished its non-conference schedule with a 1-0 win over Central Connecticut at Rudd Field Tuesday. After starting out the season 0-5-1, UMass (3-6-2, 0-0-1 A-10) has played much better as of late, posting a record of 3-1-1 in its last five games. Holding on to the 1-0 lead for the remaining 35 minutes of the match shows how far the Minutemen have come.

Alex DeSantis does not bring much attention to himself. His 5-foot-11, 150-pound frame will not outsize many opposing players, and his soft-spoken manner leaves him as one of the quieter ones on the pitch. However, in nine games he has become arguably the Massachusetts men’s soccer team’s best player this season.

The Massachusetts men’s soccer team displayed a different level of intensity in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Brown. UMass has been offensively challenged in the majority of matches it has played this season. However, against the Bears (3-2), they were in control of the ball and able to manage the tempo of the game.

Most sport proverbs will define winning as the only thing that matters. However for the Massachusetts men’s soccer team, that is not always the case. UMass will be in its sixth game of the season Tuesday when they take the pitch against Albany (1-2-1) at 4 p.m. If UMass does receive the loss, the Minutemen could still be walking away feeling good about themselves.

The Massachusetts men’s soccer team kept it close with New Hampshire for as long as it could Tuesday, before ultimately falling 4-1. UMass (0-3-1) managed to keep UNH (4-0) scoreless through the first half, and even had a brief lead during the final 45 minutes. The Wildcats relentless offense eventually broke through and all but ended the match when they scored their fourth goal 25 minutes into the second half.

It has been nearly 10 months since the Massachusetts men’s soccer team fell to Fordham 1-0 in the first round of the Atlantic-10 tournament. With the 2016 season already underway, UMass hopes to repeat, if not improve on, its fourth place A-10 finish from a year ago. The Minutemen (0-2-1) turned what appeared to be a doomed 2015 season into one of the best conference finishes in the program’s recent history.

A tie is not what the Massachusetts men’s soccer team wanted, but the Minutemen will take it. In its home opener, UMass (0-2-1) fought Saint Peter’s through double overtime before the match was deemed a tie, an outcome it was not satisfied with. The Minutemen’s only goal came in the 18th minute. Alex DeSantis’ free kick from the right sideline found its way into the left post.

With many new faces joining the Massachusetts hockey team in recent months, a group of four Minutemen are heading out the door. Dennis Kravchenko, Keith Burchett, Henry Dill and Maddison Smiley will not be returning to UMass for the 2016-17 season, according to Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette on Twitter Tuesday afternoon.

John Ferrara, of Smith Academy, pitches to South Hadley, Wednesday at Smith Academy. Adam Pilachowski, of South Hadley, leans away from a pitch from Smith Academy, Wednesday at Smith Academy. He hit a two-run triple during this at-bat. Adam Pilachowski, of South Hadley, pitches to Smith Academy, Wednesday at Smith Academy.

Megan McCarthy, right, of Northampton, scores on Westfield goalie Gwen Smith, Monday at Smith College. Sophie Melcher, right, of Northampton, shoots against Westfield goalie Gwen Smith, Monday at Smith College. Yinyin Doherty Weinraub, left, of Northampton, moves the ball against Grace Silva, right, of Westfield, and another defender, Monday at Smith College.